Alpha's and Eiffel towers [On Hold]

-||12|| hotel 'o clock

After spending a subconsciously long time wandering on wheels, we'd made a stop at a café little away from the Champs-Élysées. Currently, someone had pressed mute on our situation, because not one of us had dropped a word in a short while. Yet no uncomfortable cloud had swarmed around our table, it seemed to give me time to think; something he'd busied himself too with. We just said there, two sorts of strangers turned away from each other just to look out on the bubbling nightlife passing us by.

I felt calm, a feeling that didn't camp with me all too often. Stress was a friend that hung out with me day after day and had started dominating my life as if it was its own. But now, every bit of said emotion seemed to slide off my shoulders, all at once; leaving with the cool breeze passing by that regulated the temperature to a fine degree.

While I was stepping off my thought-train, I caught Max's eyes on me. He seemed as lost as me, yet the moment I returned back to earth, he'd landed too. He smiled while I took a sip of cola he had ordered for me earlier. "I wonder how Joah and the rest are holding up against your girls," he said and I grimaced. "Beware, they may seem innocent at some times, but from what I've heard from the parties they've passed in Antwerp...," I answered and he let his glass swirl between his fingers," like what?".

I stared at him, daringly," Oh, you don't want to know." A short silence fell while a group of teenagers — clearly under the influence of something — danced over the street; singing an accompanying song. "Nino will make sure they'll get home safely," he cleared and I nodded. "But why is he so serious? I've hardly seen him smile since we met," Max laughed and put his glass out of his own reach. "Well, I think he's rather untrusting of strangers and as he's kind of a father figure for us, doesn't want us to fall into a dumb trap or something," he explained and I grinned. "So he's kind of your babysitter?" I joked and I raised his eyebrows. "Well, honestly, he is," I agreed and I started to laugh," but after a pint or two he should've loosened up by now." I shook my head and fished a strand of hair out in front of my eyes," I think he'd get along great with Anna." He leaned back in his chair," I do truly think your duo is probably as crazy as the other Parisian teens here." I nodded," definitely, hopefully, they're in our hotel room on time." When the words left my mouth, we'd both gotten a lightbulb of realization pop up above our heads; he looked me dead in the eyes, slightly petrified. "What time is it?" I asked quickly and he hoisted his phone out of his pocket. With his face cramping, he looked up at me,

"00:53 AM."

I jumped up from my chair, forgetting I was still wearing wheels instead of flat soles and almost facepalming into our table. While trying to catch my breath, my dumb brain had to state the obvious: "I have to be there at 1 AM!". A few annoyed French men turned away from their beverages to throw a pissed look, but I couldn't care less; I didn't want to get cuffed to a teacher for the rest of the week. Max nodded and stood up calmly — clearly having learned of my mistake — and put down a 10 euro bill before hoisting the oh-so-sketchy-to-leave-behind sports bag. "Follow me," he stated and started rolling off the terrace, onto the big street.

It was a great zig-zag trip from then; the street had gotten busy and if we didn't want to get into a collision with some very drunk straight dudes —who were dressed like they have a damn good lawyer as their father — we had to turn at every tile. Why so many Parisians felt the need to stand still in the middle of the sidewalk, I can't tell you. We crossed the street and rolled into an alley, one as cliché as the books would describe it. As if Max had felt my growing dislike for the route, he slowed his roll just enough to take my hand and take it in. The same feeling that had washed over me in the restaurant that morning overtook me; electricity crawled into my nerves and spread from there. Yet it didn't have a negative effect, I felt the energy flow through me and the untrusting feeling quickly slide off my shoulders. The lit end of the street came quicker than I expected and we'd officially reached the Champs-Élysées. I didn't yet see the side street leading to our destination, which only made me worry even more.

Without letting go, Max pulled me next to him and we started rolling downhill; dodging every obstacle and swirling around other humans. I felt how with every turn I started to lose more control and balance, but I knew I couldn't stop now. Between the drunk men and the stoned teens, we found our way, now finally seeing the alley approaching us. When that sight had taken all my concentration, I didn't notice the street we had to cross and forgot to get ready to carefully step onto the sidewalk. I felt the tip of my skates hooking onto the border's stone and how my whole body started to shift forward. Yet I never touched the street-stones, because Max clearly had better reflexes as me and had made me fully depended on his balance. He pulled me back up and held both my hands while I was trying to calm down and stand still at the same time. "Are you okay?" He asked rather concerningly. I nodded out of breath," just got scared, what time is it?". He took his phone and showed his screen, showing the big 00:57 at the top. "Three minutes left, shouldn't be an issue," he said and offered his arm to let me hook in. I accepted and we went back on a roll. Luckily fewer people were wandering this part, most had crowded around a street artist across the street.
While he led me, my eyes had quickly moved to his. I didn't truly understand why he wanted to help me right now; but before I could question this situation, even more, he caught my gaze with a smile. I returned said facial expression, only to realize that made the feeling of our touching arms only stronger.

Maybe I'd never got held by a boy like this, but I was positive it's never supposed to feel this way.

Only when the alley came into view, I dared to loosen the breath I was holding. We turned in and rolled into the lobby onto the carpet, the thing I was definitely not prepared for. I slipped, fell, yet landed in a great position to try and untie these little speedy devils. "Jane, you're late," a teacher — I didn't expect to still be here—  said, approaching me. I felt my mood drop, there goes my trip. "That's not true sir, it has only just turned 00:59!" Max said, clearly hyped up on adrenaline. I looked at him but quickly started to try and untie further like a maniac. When I was finally freed, I started my sprint on socks, literally. Max followed close behind me, into the stairwell.

"I don't want to scare you," he said while we started on our second to last stairs," but we have like 30 seconds!". I took a deep breath and started skipping steps like my life — more like my vacation — depended on it. This is more sports I've ever done for any class at my school. Finally, we reached our hall, where I met Mr. Jones. I bolted towards my room door and started banging on the door like crazy. I knew to try to find that damn key card would've made me lunch for Jones, so physically attacking the wood was my only option. As if Anna had been waiting behind the thing, it opened almost immediately and I just jumped in. "Thank you, Max, see you tomorrow!" I yelled, before closing the door and hearing Jones approach rapidly.

"That was on the verge, Jane!" I heard him thunder from the other side, followed by the booming laughter of Max.

—
Wayoo I turned 18! Also thank you for 100 reads :) I really appreciate it

Don't fail this day,
Speedystayshere