Alpha's and Eiffel towers [On Hold]

-||10|| planning plans

Soon the others came, still in the same bubbly headspace as yesterday. Joah and Finn were indulged in a conversation with the girls all the while Nino walked by their side like a father figure taking his quartet. I slid towards the window side of the booth to create space, which Max did too, resulting in us once again sitting across from each other. A silence that had settled itself with the newcomers was delightfully broken by Madame Minous putting more food on the table. "So, how'd you guys sleep last night?" I asked, trying to forget what had happened before they joined us. "All was well until someONE," Jackie said, raising her voice and turning her head towards the juvenile," decided I needed to arise". Anna smiled at her, giving it the fakest she could give. "But why deodorant?" Finn asked in a tone as if she'd lost her marbles. "Because there was nothing I could fill with water," Anna simplistically answered which made Jackie look wildly round at her once again. "That was your first plan?" she asked rather flabbergasted, yet Joah stirred the conversation before an answer could be given, "Despite that, we can now all enjoy the best food you can find on Parisian grounds". Max turned to him with raised eyebrows," You only say that because your mother owns the place". Slightly pink in the face Joah grinned and looked down, clearly showing the truth had been revealed. "But you have to agree with me that it's one of Paris' highlights,' he defensively said which Max seconded.

After the rest got their requested meals and Joah was painfully greeted by his loving mother a subject of yesterday resurfaced. "So, do you all still want to go to that dancing later tonight?" Joah asked which made the duo next to me nod synchronized. I saw them move their gaze onto me, but I quickly shook my head. Jackie responded by resting her head on top of my shoulder and whining: "Come on, this is your only chance you'll get to go out in Paris". "Jack, if I don't go out in Antwerp, then I won't be going out in a foreign country," I answered whereafter Anna tuned in. "Jane, you're not gonna get away this time," she said and I grinned. "I'd rather crawl in a public poubelle* if needed to escape, don't try me," and with that sentence, laughter filled the table once again.

*= garbage can :)

When everybody calmed down, Joah seemed to think it was worth another try: "Come on, one night isn't going to kill you". "And they sell non-alcoholic soda's," Finn added eagerly. "Once again, I'm not the person to go out with, I don't even have the right clothes to hang out in a sweaty, teen filled bar," I said simply, yet Anna flew onto my words like a vulture on a decaying carcass. "I always pack extra's, sweetheart," she said grinning, clearly thinking she had the upper hand now. "There's always a lot of security so you don't need to worry about that either," Nino chimed in, which made me realize I hadn't heard him talk at all today. I didn't want to overthink it anymore, but yet, I did. Maybe this was the time to stop carrying my past with me and try again, but a gut feeling like history was about to repeat itself threw me off once again. "Sorry, guys, you're not taking me with you this time," I said, holding back an inkling of guilt. "Jane, please?" The words felt more like begging at this point.

"Let it go, man. You shouldn't force her into something like this," Max said all of the sudden. He'd been Switzerlanding this whole time, which made me forget about his presence all at once. Everbody's eyes moved towards him, and to my surprise, closed the chapter. When the chatter grew again at our table, I mouthed a soft 'thank you' to Max, who smiled at me before swimming his way back into the conversation. "So, everything will start at 8 'o clock. It's better to be there sooner than later or else we'll have a hard time getting in," Joah said and I stopped him quickly. "Wait, are you sure we aren't doing anything with school today?" I asked, but the scared looks I expected where replaced by big grins from the girls. "We asked Jones when we got downstairs, but he simply told us that this vacation literally costs way too much to add field trips to the mix," Anna said which made me grin, it wouldn't be our school without cripplingly low budgets. "We'll come to your lobby at half past 8, don't forget your ID," Finn said, which sealed in their plans.

"This night is going to be amazing," Jackie said while we were making our way back to the hotel. We'd left the boys behind since Anna and Jack wanted to start preparing. Our breakfast had quickly turned into a late brunch, so by the time we set foot on the Champs-Élysées again, it was already past 1 pm. "Anna?" I said carefully, pulling her gaze from the surroundings to me. "Yes?" She answered quickly and I collected my breath. "Do you think some people's... touch feels different than others?" I asked cautiously whereafter Jackie's grin entered the picture. "This is about Max, aye? What did he do?" She asked, stretching out the last 'o' playfully. She clearly wanted to jump up and down from curiosity and excitement, but Anna was quick enough to pull her close with her arm around her neck. "Well, we were just sitting down and I was just thinking and I'd kind of started... spiraling, you know. When he noticed he... well... put his hand onto mine and everything just changed," I said, subconsciously petting the hand with my fingers where he'd touched me. Jackie's eyes seemed to grow to twice their regular size while Anna just gave me her signature big grin. "I told you there was something between you too," she said calmly, but self-confidently. I pressed my teeth together and frowned slightly. "But what do I do from here? I just feel so strange around him," I rambled nervously and Anna stopped in her tracks. "Well, if you really like him -which I'm certain you do-, let those feelings fly. Maybe showing him will uncover his feelings too," she advised me, whereafter Jackie jumped in. "Maybe he's your perfect partner, like one chosen by the God's above," she said dreamily as if she was performing a monologue and I poked her in the side. "Okay, put that theatre kid back where it came from," I said teasingly and Anna put a hand on my shoulder. "Maybe the universe meant to send him flying into our table," she said, making me declare her officially as crazy as Jackie. I shook my head," are you planning on turning my life into a conspiracy theory?". Anna raised her shoulders mischievously, after which I noticed the Mc Donalds where everything had happened ahead of us. By very unfortunate luck the woman who seemed to have wanted to kill us with her broomstick was sweeping the patio. I saw her eyes fly up from the floor to us, rightful anger dancing behind her pupils. Yet, she remained completely still, her hand clenched around the stick of her broom. "Is she... gonna come for us?" Jackie whispered and I shrugged my shoulders carefully. "We will just pass her very quickly," Anna said and as if we were walking on eggshells, we passed the restaurant without receiving a kick from the employee. In that time she hadn't even blinked, as if she was a sleeping hound waiting for their owner to go to sleep so she could snap his neck. It seemed like she wasn't allowed to move, as if she was limited to the few square meters of the patio.

When we were able to pass into our known sidestreet we sprinted the last few meters back to the hotel, as if she was still going to come for us. Now that we were walking into the lobby, I knew what I was going to do. I wasn't going to work against Max. There was something with that boy, and whatever it is, it's bringing up a part of me I don't even know myself.