Safe Travels

Paris

I had never been so giddy in my life. I waited in line for three hours to get an Xbox One, and I still wasn't this giddy. Thomas was going over our itinerary, but I was hardly listening. My mind was filled with one constant thought.

I'm going to Paris!

Thomas laughed when he saw I wasn't listening. He patted my head awkwardly, the only contact I'd gotten from him since I moved in. I beamed at him. I was really learning to love my uncle.

"Alright kid, our flight leaves soon, we'd better get going."

I stayed awake the whole flight, my nerves were a tangled up mess. I watched the ocean and the clouds and the landscape all go by. I reveled in the height, reveled in the feeling of being high above civilization and looking down like I was God.

We arrived at nine o'clock pm, and looking at the city of lights at night is like seeing the world for the first time. I was so amazed I didn't move until Thomas started pushing me towards a taxi.

I begged him to take me out and show me the nightlife, but he just sighed and said bad things happen at night.

"Come on Thomas! Can't we go to a club or something? It's Paris!"

Thomas laughed, and it was a little infuriating. "First off, you're only seventeen. That's not legal drinking age, even in Europe. Second, you wouldn't do well in a club. I've seen you in crowds."

I was stumped. He had a point, dealing with crowds was horrible, but clubs were different. I had been to a few before, with my ex Lauren and her college friends. Clubs had a different atmosphere, even the most socially awkward people could get caught up in the adrenaline. It was like having the music and the energy pumped straight through your veins.

After an eternity of begging, Thomas begrudgingly gave in. He refused to change out of his white t-shirt and ripped blue jeans, but I got dolled up.

I hadn't managed to grow my hair back the way I wanted it since I got it cut, so I just shaved half of it off. It wasn't what it used to be, but it definitely made me look older. That night I parted it to the right  to show my shaved half in all of its glory, and curled the thick mess on the other side. I went for a really good punk look. Old Avril Lavigne meets Lizzy Hale. The makeup coupled with my nose ring and my hair made me look hot. I put on a Combichrist t-shirt and some short ripped up jean shorts. I'm pretty sure I had a Buffalo Bill "I would fuck me" moment in the bathroom.

"Hey," I jumped when I heard Thomas's voice. "You almost- jeez kid could those shorts get any shorter?"

I laughed. "Don't  sound like such a grandpa, Thomas."

He smiled and led me out the door. I'm pretty sure that's the most we'd talking
since the night of trip planning.

We walked around for a while looking for a decent place to have fun. I was grateful for Thomas's presence, even if he was just my uncle. I got a lot of weird looks walking down the street, but most averted their gaze due to Thomas's glare. He didn't look intimidating, but he had this air about him that gave one the impression that he could kill them if provoked.

Once we found a place, we walked in without a hitch. There were bouncers, but the club admitted patrons seventeen and up, so I was fine. I did have to get some black exes on my hands like at a concert, to signify I couldn't drink. Bummer.

Thomas let me roam freely while he drank at the bar, under the condition that I would watch out for myself. Sometimes Thomas was really chill like that.

When I walked onto the dance floor, I never expected to meet a goddess.