by Kitty Parker
I rolled my eyes. "Need I remind you that I can't walk?"
A rather evil grin crept over Jane's face. "That shouldn't be a problem."
They definitely had something cooked up.
Was I scared?
You bet I was.
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"This is so degrading!" I hissed.
Kurt rolled his eyes. "Oh, suck it up."
That was easy for him to say. He wasn't the one being pulled along through the gardens at Drottningholm Palace in a bright red children's wagon. He was just the one pulling it.
As it turned out, there was a family with three kids staying in a room on the floor below us in our hotel. After some puppy-eyed begging (and perhaps a small monetary incentive, a.k.a. cash), Jane had managed to convince them to loan us their wagon for the day. I, of course, wanted absolutely nothing to do with the whole crazy shenanigan, but I didn't really have a choice. Eden, my supposed best friend, summoned Kurt to come carry me down to the lobby, where my "chariot" awaited. I was beyond pissed. Mostly, though, I was just embarrassed.
The wheels of my completely cool and envy-inspiring ride crunched along the pebbled path as our little group (my roommates and I, Kurt, Matt, and Bryce) made our way through the gardens. I had to admit, they really were beautiful. But, honestly, they weren't worth the weird looks I'd been receiving from passersby. They probably all thought I was some sort of mental patient out on a "field trip," and Kurt was my nurse or something.
"Ooo," Brigid suddenly squealed. "Let's all get a picture in front of that fountain!"
"Great idea!" Eden chimed in. She then began to arrange everyone in front of a large and ornate fountain that stood in the center of a circle where two gravel paths met. The palace itself was framed in the background.
To my utter dismay, Kurt began to drag me along when he went to get in the picture. The last thing I wanted was a physical reminder (such as a photograph) of my current degraded state.
"Kurt!" I shouted, causing him to look back at me, amused. "Stop pulling me! There's no way I'm getting in that picture!"
He cocked his head to the side and grinned. "You don't really have much choice in the matter, do you?"
My mouth hung open as he turned around and continued pulling.
That dirty little…!
I did the only thing I could think of. I grabbed a handful of the small pebbles that made up the path and chucked them at Kurt's back.
He turned around, a huge smirk planted on his face, and started to wag his finger at me. "Now, now, Lotte. We don't throw pebbles at other people. It isn't nice."
Way to make me feel even more like a little kid, Kurt!
Ignoring my glares, Kurt continued to pull me toward the fountain.
"Put Lotte's wagon in the front so she'll be in the picture!" Matt innocently suggested. I added him to my mental list of people to castrate.
When everyone was arranged, Eden asked a man passing by if he would mind taking our picture, then handed him her camera and ran back to her spot.
"One, two…" the man began to count off, looking through the viewfinder.
"Wait a second!" Kurt shouted. He nudged me in the back. "Lotte! Smile!"
My scowl deepened. "No!" I stubbornly refused.
"Smile, damnit!"
"No!" I could feel the mounting tension between the two of us.
Jane rolled her eyes. "Oh Kurt, let her scowl. It makes the picture more entertaining anyway."
So, the man took the picture with me still scowling. As the camera flashed in front of me, I couldn't help but wonder if this whole truce thing would ever really work out.
Chapter 9: I'm Happy Just to Dance With You
Despite Brigid's fears about the concert in Stockholm being held on Friday the thirteenth, it went marvelously. Eden's duet was beautiful, as was Jane's, and, in an effort to prove to Brigid that there was nothing wrong with having a concert on a Friday the thirteenth, I completely nailed my aria. Seriously, I did. Mr. Faulkner even gave me a goofy thumbs-up as I left the stage.
I'm not exactly sure why, but for some bizarre reason, I was possessed with a certain curiosity about Kurt's singing voice. I sang in two quartets with him, and this time I actually paid attention to how he sounded. I was actually pleasantly surprised. His deep bass's voice was melodic, yet rumbled slightly on the low notes in a way that, although I was ashamed to admit it to myself, I found rather sexy.
Determined to leave my shameful thoughts about Kurt's voice behind in Stockholm, I stepped off of the plane and into Barajas International Airport in Madrid. After getting jostled around by the crowd a bit, Eden followed.
"This is going to be great!" she exclaimed. "I've always wanted to see Madrid."
"I've heard that the nightlife's pretty awesome," I replied.
Eden grinned. "That should make Jane happy."
"What should?" asked Jane as she caught up with us.
I grinned at her. "The amazing nightlife in Madrid."
As though she already knew about it, Jane smirked and nodded. I had to wonder if she'd been hitting up Wikipedia again.
After claiming our bags, the three of us clambered onto the waiting bus. The back, which had three seats in a row, was free, and we made a beeline for it.
"So guys, let me give you a…hypothetical scenario," Jane began, leaning in toward Eden and I from her position on the aisle. "What if…we snuck out and went clubbing tonight?"
Eden and I took a minute to mull this over.
I grinned. "Are we forming a little conspiracy here, Jane?"
She tried to look innocent. "Just a little one." She pinched her thumb and forefinger together to emphasize the point. "But seriously, you can't go to Madrid and not go to at least one club. We're…experiencing the culture."
I snorted.
"Seriously, guys," Jane went on. "Couldn't we go clubbing? I mean, the drinking age here is 18, and all of us are 18, so it's not like it's illegal."
I rolled my eyes. "As if they check ID anyway. This is Europe, you know. Liquor laws here are much more lax than in the U.S."
Eden snorted. "And yet the U.S. seems to have a much greater problem with drunk people. Go figure."
There was a pause.
"So how about it, guys? Clubbing?" Jane's eyes lit up as she looked at us eagerly.
Eden raised an eyebrow. "I don't think Mr. Faulkner would be too big on the idea."
A mischievous grin spread across Jane's face. "Who says he has to know about it?"
All three of us giggled like idiots, causing the sophomore clarinetist in the seat in front of us to turn around and give us a weird look. Jane wiggled her fingers at him, and he turned around, having probably decided that the three of us were either drunk, stoned, or clinically insane.
The bus started up, and we made our way toward the hotel.
"Alright," I whispered to Jane. "I'm in on this clubbing thing. What about you, Ede?"
Eden nodded. "Sure, I'll go."
Jane's grin widened. "Great. We should invite the boys, too. You know, to protect us from rapists and whatever."
"Rapists?" asked Eden skeptically.
I smiled knowingly at Jane. "You just want an excuse to get dirty with Luke again."
She raised an eyebrow at me. "Get dirty?"
I shrugged. "It's the phrase that came to mind, ok? But yeah, I do think that we should invite them."
"Alright, so who are you guys referring to when you say 'the boys'?" asked Eden.
Before I could define the term, Jane jumped in. "Luke, Bryce, Matt, Kurt, Adam, and Elliot."
I frowned. "Does Kurt have to come?"
Eden cocked her head and gazed questioningly at me. "I thought you guys were on good terms?"
I bit my lip. The truth was, Kurt still somewhat annoyed me. It would take a lot of time and effort for me to be on truly good terms with him. I didn't really want to share that piece of information with Eden, though. She'd been so proud of me for learning to "love my enemy," and I
really didn't want to let her down.
I just shrugged. "Yeah, I guess."
"Then what's the problem?" asked Jane.
I sighed. "I guess there isn't one. He can come."
She nodded. "Good."
"Should we invite Brigid?" asked Eden.
"We can," I replied. "But I don't think she'll want to come. She's still kind of traumatized from that party back in London. Whenever anyone brings it up, she freaks."
Eden nodded in understanding. "I'll ask her anyway."
The bus pulled to a stop in front of our hotel. The aisle was immediately jammed as everyone tried to get out at the same time. In the back seat, Eden, Jane, and I remained sitting, not bothering to stir at all. We were going to be there for quite some time.
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An hour later, I stood in front of one of the most impressive buildings I had ever seen in my life. I could do little more than stare in awe at the architectural masterpiece before me. The Palacio Real de Madrid, or the Royal Palace of Madrid, was completely stunning. The shape of the building itself, two wings connected by a middle piece that stuck out in an ornate portico, was actually similar to both the Reichstag and the U.S. Capitol Building, but the architecture and surrounding grounds were far more picturesque. The palace was also painted a pale pink, something that I thought added a little something extra.
"How'd you like to live there?" asked Jane, nudging me in the ribs.
"Wow." This was the only intelligent thing I managed to utter as I continued staring.
Rolling her eyes and leaving me to drool over the palace, Jane ran off to find Eden.
After a minute or so, I felt a tap on my shoulder.
"Hey, Lotte, can I talk to you for a second?"
Breaking out of my trance, I turned around to face Matt, who was shifting nervously from side to side.
"Sure, what's up?"
He looked around warily. "Can we go somewhere more…private?"
Confused, I nodded. "Sure."
Matt and I made our way over to a clump of bushes that stood off to the side a bit. I placed my hands on my hips and looked at him inquisitively.
After a brief hesitation, Matt inhaled. "Can you help me with something?" he asked uncertainly.
"Of course," I said, smiling easily at the apprehensive boy before me. "What is it?"
Matt sighed and looked down at his feet. "Well, you've probably noticed this by now…but…I really…I really like Eden."
My smile widened as I laughed. "I'd have to be blind not to see that."
Matt chuckled uneasily. "Yeah…well, could you set me up with her?" He looked at me pleadingly.
I gently placed a hand on his shoulder. "You don't need me to. She's crazy about you."
Matt's eyes lit up. "Really?"
I grinned. "Really. You can ask her out yourself. It's a guaranteed yes."
He was beaming by this point. "Wow! Great!"
"I'll still put in a good word for you, of course." I gave him a wink.
He chuckled. "Thanks, Lotte."
"Don't mention it."
I was surprised when Matt suddenly enveloped me in a huge hug, but I quickly relaxed and hugged him back.
"Hey," I said as we pulled away. "I almost forgot to mention this. A bunch of us are going out to a club tonight, and Eden's coming. Do you want to go?"
"Sure," he answered brightly.
"Good. If the moment is right, you should make a move." I gave him a little nudge.
He chuckled. "We'll see."
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"Lotte, have you seen my straightener?" Jane shouted from the bathroom.
"Yeah, it's lying on the bed underneath your bra." I shouted back. "If you think I'm getting it for you, you're crazy."
Rolling her eyes, Eden removed the offending piece of lingerie with the tips of her fingers and brought Jane the straightener. "What do you need it for, anyway? Your hair's straight as a pin."
Jane shrugged. "I know, but it makes it…smooth, I guess."
Rolling my eyes, I went back to perusing the outfit selections I had laid out on my bed while standing in the middle of the room in my underwear.
I looked over at Brigid, who was lying on her bed, intending to ask her for input, when I noticed that she was busy reading All Quiet On the Western Front. I felt a lump rise up in my throat. That book, along with the movie that was based upon it, always plucked at a certain string in my heart. Perhaps because, in the faces of the dying and suffering German soldiers, stuck back in their trench in 1917, I saw my own family.
"Lotte, are you alright?" My staring had finally caught Brigid's attention.
Forcing the lump in my throat back down, I shook off my feelings of sadness. "Yeah, I'm fine. Which one of these outfits do you think I should wear?" I gestured at the clothes laid out before me.
Cocking her head to the side, Brigid looked over the choices. "I'd say…that top," she gestured to a black tank top with lace around the bodice, "and that dark jean skirt."
I tried the combination on and checked myself out in the mirror. I'm not one to brag, but it looked pretty damn good. "Hey, nice combo, Brig."
She gave a little mock bow with her head.
"Are you sure you don't want to come?" I asked.
She nodded. "Yeah, you all go ahead. I will want full details in the morning, though."
I chuckled. "Of course. I'd never deprive you of a little harmless gossip."
"Alright, ladies," Jane's voice announced from the bathroom. "Feast your eyes on this!"
As Brigid and I turned our eyes to the bathroom door, a half-dressed Jane shoved a somewhat reluctant and embarrassed Eden into the room. I gave a little whistle.
Jane had somehow convinced Eden to put on the traditional "little black dress." It was sleeveless, had a low (but not slutty) neckline, and showed off her legs to perfection. I meandered over for a closer look, and as I touched the fabric, I found it to be a very soft satin that I would have no problem simply running through my fingers for hours.
"What do you think?" asked Jane.
I grinned mischievously. "I think that Matt's going to cum in his pants when he sees her in that," I muttered, causing Jane to snort with laughter.
Eden, unfortunately, heard my crass remark. "Lotte!"
I smiled bashfully. "Sorry, Eden. But you have to admit, you look insanely hot in that."
She rolled her eyes.
"By the way, Eden," I began, remembering my earlier promise to Matt. "Pay special attention to Matt tonight. I have a feeling that this is going to be a grand night for romance." I gave Jane a wink.
She grinned in response. "I'd better finish getting dressed. The boys are coming by to pick us up in ten minutes."
I glanced at the clock. It read 11:20 PM.
Eden made her way over to vanity table with a small purse full of cosmetics. She never really wore that much makeup, but when the occasion called for it, she was prepared.
I joined her at the table, pulling out my own cosmetics case, and began to apply concealer to a few small red spots on my face.
"So, did Matt say something to you?" Eden suddenly asked out of nowhere.
"What?" I asked, taken aback. "Why would you think that?"
She smoothed a bit of eye-shadow onto her lids. "You don't do a very good job of hiding your winks. I'm guessing that you have some foreknowledge of this 'grand night for romance'."
I sighed, moving on to my eyeliner. "Yeah, he did talk to me this afternoon."
She turned and looked at me expectantly.
"Confidential, sorry."
She scowled.
I shrugged, pulled out a tube of mascara, and began applying it to my lashes.
Jane cleared her throat, causing Eden and I to turn around and Brigid to look up from her book.
We took a good look at Jane.
Brigid gave her a thumbs up and a wink, then went back to her book.
Eden's eyebrows went up to her hairline, but there was still a
smile on her face.
I just laughed.
"Is that a good laugh?" Jane asked.
"Definitely."
Jane stood in the middle of the room dressed in a bright red corset top, a black leather mini-skirt, and black stilettos. Luke would be beside himself.
I turned back to the mirror and put the finishing touches on my makeup, then stood up and surveyed my reflection, even doing a few poses just for shits and giggles.
"That's it, dahling, now turn this way, oh I love it, I love it!"
I let out a squeak and quickly turned around at the cheesy fashion photographer-like voice coming from the door.
Kurt grinned. "No, don't stop! I was enjoying the show."
I forced myself not to glare and just gave him a blank look.
"How'd you get in here?" asked Jane suspiciously.
"The door wasn't all the way closed." Kurt shrugged as he made his way into the room and made himself comfortable on the end of my bed. He was followed by Elliot, Luke (whose eyes immediately became glued to Jane), Bryce, Adam, and Matt.
"You guys ready to go?" asked Elliot.
"Yup." Eden hastily applied her lip gloss and turned around. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Matt look at her intently, then drop his gaze to his feet and blush. How adorable! It warmed my heart to think that they could possibly be together by the end of the night.
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We exited the metro station at the Gran Via stop and made our way to El Sol, the club we'd decided to grace with our presence. After paying the 9 Euro admission fee, we entered and found ourselves in the darkened interior.
"So what first?" asked Adam. "Dance or drink?"
Kurt, Elliot, Bryce, and I shouted "Drink!" at the same time that Luke, Jane, and Matt shouted "Dance!". Eden just stood there looking sort of lost. She'd never had a drink before, I knew, aside from church wine, but judging from the look on her face, I doubted that she was ready to lose herself in the mass of gyrating bodies on the dance floor either. Everyone looked at her, waiting for her to make up her mind.
She hesitated. "Er…drink?"
Matt looked sort of disappointed.
"Shall we split up, then?" I suggested.
