Anna and the French Kiss: Etienne's POV

30

I've always liked beer better than liquor, because it reminds me of soda. Without the sugar, of course. I'm standing against the bar's dirty, brick wall and yet I feel as though I'm floating. Mer's rambling on of something about school, yet I'm not listening. Her hair looks like noodles. Ha. Ha. Wait, how could I possibly listen? The bands music is so loud. 

"Hey." Anna shouts in my face suddenly, and I flinch. 

"Jeez, Anna. Are you okay? How much have you had to drink?" Mer asks.

She waves her hand. Three fingers. Four fingers. Five. She closes her hand into a first, a smile on her face. 

"Dance with me," she says to me. I'm surprised, but I hand Mer my beer. Anna grabs my hand and pulls me onto the floor. It seems the music has gotten louder and with every sound of the drum I feel as though I'm falling. I follow Anna's body with mine. Her body is warm, sweaty. Her forehead glistens with sweat. She smells of something sweet, not even a hint of body odor. I could drown in her smell. 

She pulls me closer and I'm afraid I might lose control. She writhes down my body to the beat and I close my eyes, taking this moment in. I will never forget. This. Moment. 

We match each other thrust to thrust. The band launches into a different song. It's as if everyone around us is gone and we are the last two people in the world. I scream the chorus of the song, wait how do I know this song? Oh, I dunno. 

We dance until we can't any longer. Until we're gasping for breath and our clothes are soaked and we can hardly stand up. I lead her to the bar, the room seems so completely empty. We laugh so hard that I cannot braeth.

A girl begins shouting at us in French, the room suddenly filling with people again.

"Pardon?" I turn around, and my eyes widen in shock as I realize who it is. Ellie's roommate. 

"I can't believe this! You fucking asshole! I always knew you weren't a loyal person, Ellie was always worried. She should of known. I'm glad i called her." she shouts at me in French. 

I reply back in French. "Are you serious? Is this really happening? We were just dancing! This is none of your fucking business." 

"Whatever, Ellie already knows." She gives me a final sneer, and spins away and pushes herself through the pulsing mass. 

"What was that about?" Anna asks. I forgot she was here.

"Shite. Shite." I feel as though I may vomit.

I pat my pockets, panicked. "Fuck. Where's my phone?" 

Anna fumbles in her purse and pulls of her mobile. "USE MINE!"

I shake my head. "I can't use yours. She'll know. She'll fucking know?" I pull at my hair. I can't hear a fucking bloody thing with this fucking music! FUCK ME. FUUUUUUCK. I make my way for the door, Anna at my heels. 

The cold slaps me in the face as we exit the bar. Snowflakes are falling. I search frantically for my phone and finally find it in a coat pocket. I call Ellie, and as it rings I feel more and more nauseous. No answer. I scream. 

Anna jumps backward. "What's going on?"

"What's going on? What's going on? I'll tell you what's going on. That girl in there, the one who wanted to kill me? That's Ellie's roommate. And she saw us dancing, and she's called her, and she's told her all about it."

Anna furrows her brow. "So what? We were just dancing. Who cares?"

"Who cares? Ellie's freaked out about you as it is! She hates it when we're together, and she'll think something's going on--"