When In Rome #ONC 2020 [COMPLETED]

1. Omnium Rerum Principia Parva Sunt - the beginnings of all things are small

The smell of alcohol hit him as soon as he entered the bar. Laughter overpowered the music. Conversations swirled in a dirty cloud of smoke, the stagnant stench of e-cigarettes and joints hiding within the collaboration of mephitic odors. The crowd was young, for the most part, students from the university nearby. Zach wound his way through the bodies to order a drink - the dark local beer he has been pining for all day long. Before he even got the bartender's attention, he felt someone melting their warm body to his from behind, and he knew Liv had found him.

"Did you miss me, babe?" He smiled down at the ginger-haired girl hugging him tightly.

"You're nice and cold," she responded, pressing her warm lips to his cheek, missing his mouth. Zach took note of the dress she was wearing tonight. The low neckline and sleeveless design made him wonder if this was one of Rachel's dresses. The excess fabric being pleaded together by a belt confirmed it. Although he had to admit, it looked terrific on Olivia, giving her an almost ethereal look was is not for the constantly dropping shoulder strap breaking the illusion of a goddess, only to reveal the hot mess underneath.

"How much did you have to drink?" Zach asked. Liv smiled up to him with glossy eyes that give him the answer before her mouth does, "just one."

That was always her response if she had one too many. Zach wanted to say something, but before he could, the words were knocked out of him by a slap on his shoulder.

"Oh, lighten up, Zachariah. Livy and I are just having fun." Rachel said as she leaned on the bar, her blond hair tossed over one shoulder of her white blouse. She lolled her head to one side, undoing another button of her white blouse to show just a little skin. She wasn't drunk yet, but she liked to give the impression that she was. Advantageous use of one's surroundings, she called it. Zach called it manipulation.

The bartender was there to take her order in a flash, eyes dropping only momentarily to her décolletage.

"Do you guys want something? Zach, a local dark and Livy another wine?" Rachel asked, not even waiting for either of them to respond before confirming the order to the blushing bartender with a wink.

"Babe, did you hear? Rachel got the job!" Liv squealed, unable to contain her excitement.

"Yes, how could I have missed the 1001 texts you girls send on the group app," Zach jabbed sarcastically before raising his long await beer to his blond friend. "Congratulations, Rachel! I guess you'll be moving to Rome soon?"

Rachel raised her wine to meet his toast, "probably next week. You guys should totally come and visit! I already know all the best pizzerias in Rome."

An arm wrapped around Rachel's waist, pulling her close to Lloyd, who Zach hadn't even noticed up to this point. "Well, hopefully, they won't all get to know you, or we might have to roll you back to the States." Lloyd joked.

Rachel slapped his hands away. "You're just jealous that these thicc hips will be rocking Rome soon, instead of your dorm room bed."

"That was one time!" Lloyd stammered back, becoming as red as a tomato.

Rachel rolled her eyes, "then why are you acting so salty, handsome?"

Lloyd sputtered like a fish with the shade of a lobster. Glancing at his friend, Zach knew that even such a backhanded compliment was too much for the boy to handle. He silently urged Lloyd to just say something, but Liv bulled right over him. "Thanks for the offer Rach, but I'm afraid we won't be able to afford a trip to Rome anytime soon with all the-"

"Yeah, student loan debts, low pay, I know." Rachel finished with a mischievous glint in her bluebell eyes. "So, what if I were to convince Mr. Moretti to fund the trip?"