An Ariella Story

Anything Can Happen

"This, students, is the Louvre Museum." Ms. Parks began. "It was originally a royal palace but became a public museum at the end of the 18th century. This museum holds paintings by Michelangelo and Lionardo da Vinci..."

I tuned her out after that. The history of the place didn't interest me at all. In fact, it bored me. No matter how extravagent the building was, the past was the past. All I wanted was to enjoy it on my own, in the present.

Everything in the museum was beautiful. From the paintings and statues, to even the light fixtures. It was an artist's dream.

 My eyes raked over the Mona Lisa, noticing all the minute details. She was one of the many works of art that made up the importance of the fortress.

"She's not even hot."

Gabe sauntered up beside me, his hands tucked into the pockets of his denim jeans. I gazed at him curiously.

"She's a painting."

"What, paintings aren't allowed to be attractive?" he replied cooly.

I rolled my eyes. "You're an idiot."

He mock gasped. "Ariella! I am highly offended."

I snorted and moved on to the next portrait. Of course, he followed me. Trying to ignore him, I gazed at where the paintbrush had stroked the canvas.

"None of these are very impressive." he said.

"They are. You're just too dumb to fully appreciate anything."

There was no reply from him and for that I'm grateful. His snide remarks were starting to get on my nerves.

Ms. Parks called for us to gather around and we moved on to the next wing of the museum. It was obvious we wouldn't be able to see the whole thing today. The building was huge and it'd take more than one visit to explore it's every nook and cranny.

After our tour of the Louvre, we went back to our hotel. People ordered room service and some even took naps. 

I grabbed my camera and a new roll of film before traveling out into the streets of Paris. Ms. Parks had given everyone maps and packets filled with the French language so we were pretty much free to run on our own as long as we were back at the hotel by six.

French citizens crowded the streets. Some on bicycles and others in weird cars. I opened my map and started on my way to the Eiffel Tower. The anticipation was killing me. I just had to see it.

Just the sight of it took my breath away. I was still quite a distance away but I didn't need to get any closer to take a picture. This was perfect.

I climbed up the nearest set of steps and sat myself down.

Click!

Click! 

Click!

My camera snapped shot after shot of the beautiful monument. And I didn't just get the tower. I got the whole landscape around it too, making everything perfect.

When I was finished snapping photos, I set my camera down beside me and just sat there. I stared off in the distance, trying to permanantly sketch this image into my mind. I'd probably never see anything like this again, especially not after what I was going to have to endure when I got home.

Click!

The sound startled me and I spun around, almost falling down the steps as I did so.

Gabe stood there with my camera in his hands and a grin on his face. He chuckled at my reaction and I grimaced.