"Get her the worm!" the intoxicated young man shouted at the bartender. The three other twenty-somethings hollered in response.
Three shot glasses filled with a yellow liquid were put before them, and One larger glass with the a small worm at the bottom was put before the slender blonde women. Celeste grabbed it quickly and put the glass to her lips, feeling the sharp burn of the alcohol run down her throat and chewing away the gummy morsel.
Leo, the dark skinned hunk of man put his glass in the air, " To Celeste the bravest out of all of us...Happy birthday!" His usually normal deep voice changed under the influnce.
Celeste smiled as her friends toasted to the twenty-one years she's been alive.
A slender brunette women who looks as if she is still in her teens turns to Celeste.
" So how does it feel to finally be an adult." Claire smiled.
" It hasn't even been 24 hours...slow down" Celeste said as the they both broke into endless laughter.
" Oh god, I need a drink, do you want a drink, I'm gonna get one." She signaled to the bartender as she wiped the tears of laughter from her eyes. The thought of another drink was tempting but her brain conflicted with her stomach which had started cramping.
" I'm gonna head to the restroom." Celeste said to the group.
" Here, I'll come with you." Claire stood up from her chair, but fumbled to the ground.
"I think you've had a little too much." Andre said. Claire's boyfriend and designated driver for the night picked her up and placed her back into the chair.
Celeste glided across the wooden floors of the bar and walked into the ladies room. Her stomach grumbled terribly 'Stupid Worm'. She opened a stall and stuck her head in the toilet, letting her irresponsible binge drinking finally take its toll. Standing up was probably the hardest part, her knees gave out as soon as she extended her thin legs. She used her toned arms to help herself up, using the walls of the bathroom stall. Her vision disappeared for a few moments and she stood still waiting for the head rush to pass. Pushing her way out of the stall, she put a piece of wintergreen gum on her tongue. Celeste looked straight into the mirror, fixing her curled golden hair and made a few poses to make sure she looked acceptable.
Walking out of the door she felt her her stomach cramp once more but pushed through the pain, not wanting digested alcohol to get on her expensive black chiffon dress.
" Let's go do something crazy. It's such a nice night!" Claire fumbled with the tall glass of ice water in her hand.
" It's getting late guys. I dont know if we should..." Andre managed to get a word in before Leo yelled his response.
" Don t be such a bummer! We're in Paris! City of Love..." Leo could barely finish a sentence.
" Please control your friends or im going to have to ask you to leave." the bartender politely whispered to Andre.
Celeste pulled out her rose gold iPhone, and viewed the countless messages making her phone flash like lightning. She didn't need this nuisance ruining her birthday, but he wouldn't stop.
" Whats going on?" Leo whispered as Andre tried to revive Claire from her deeply drunken state.
" It's nothing..." Claire didn't want to turn her birthday into a pity party.
" Is it Derek?" Leo always managed to read her mind.
" It doesn't matter." Celeste shook her head and lifted her phone in the air. " See...blocked."
" Do you want to get out of here? I'm sure they wouldn't notice." His breath reeked of alcohol and she couldn't think of what her own breath smelled like. The thought of being with Leo excited her, but she couldn't do that to Derek...who knows what he would do to her.
She stood up rapidly, almost tripping on her own feet. " Let's get out of here!"
