Bad A** (UNEDITIED RAW VERSION)

Part One: June-21

Paris.

            I was in Paris. I always had a small desire to go here, the city of love. But it was the last place I could imagine the door leading to.

            For lack of better things to do, I decided to walk around and see the sights. The eifle tower, a large threaded structure, could be seen in the distance. It was how I recognized the city. I began walking towards the tourist attraction, passing coffe shoppes and floral stands.

            A lot of the women wore fancy dresses, making me slightly uneased in my gym clothes. I took quick glances at the botiques along side me, full of models and designer clothes.

            I walked by one with the prettiest black gown I have ever seen. It was sweet and tough at the same time, giving it a breath taking apperience. The floor length dress had pleating, gathering, and spikes. It was strapless, the bodice tight fitting leather. Spikes followed the heart like curve at the yop of the dress. The skirt fell down with gathered silk, ripped netting and lace, and a few tares fixed with pins. It was...bad a**.

            I stood there for a moment more before I noticed something out of the corner of my eye. Two boys around their early twenties, one wearing a green v-neck T-shirt and the other wearing a light blue polo shirt, were looking at me.

            They were glancing at me, and talking. Out of curiosity, and the fact they were cute french boys, I wandered over there. I pretened to not notice them, I was merely window shopping.

            That is until I was in hearing distance. I stood in front of a casual store, filled with jeans skirts, tops, and sundresses. My ear stretched for thier words.

            “Yes, I’m sure that is our target,” The green clothed boy whispered to the other in french, “She has the strawberry blonde hair and see, look what’s around her neck. That’s Riley Preston.”

            I gasped and looked at the two boys, who looked back at me and then at each  other. We both paused for what seemed like a heart pounding hour.

            I ran, confused of why I was being chased and unsure of where I was going. I decided just to head for the tourist attraction and weave through the crowd of sunglassed women. My breathes were short, my steps long.

            I paused in the middle of the crowd, hoping they would pass me. The crowd was tall and I was short. I could be easily missed.

            “Where did she go?” One of the boys hissed.

            “Over there, in the crowd,” The other whispered, “the only one with that hair color”

            “Darn,” I slipped by an old women crawling along with her cane and ran down an alley, heavy foot steps echoing behind me. I came across another street and ran into the first building on my right.

            It was a gym, which was good because my clothes blended in.

            I walked over to the weights and bent over to lift them, hiding my hair from the window in the process. The boys ran past the gym not even a scond later. Why was I their target?

A girl exited a door to my left, duffle bag in hand. That must be the ladies locker room.

            Taking a deep breath to relax, I followed my instincts by walking into the locker room and directly to a locker. I acted like I owned it and dug through the backpack to find a romper, a jacket, shoes, accesseries, and a pair of sunglasses. I smiled when I found they were all close enough to my size.

            As quick as I could, I changed into the clothes, keeping on my tanktop and spandex shorts. When I picked the T-shirt back up, a clack sounded on the Tile floor.

            The saphire necklace Hunter gave me laid on the floor. It was expensive and the boys words echoed through my head, look what’s around her neck. They were after the necklace.

            Too bad for them, I’m not handing it over. I opened up the nearest locker and took a small red clutch. I leaned over, picked up the necklace, and dropped it in. I was ready to go.

            With one look around the corners, I stepped out of the emergency exit in the locker room. I slipped on the shades and strutted in the high heels. The heels would be hard to run in, but they help me blend in with the crowd and I could always ditch them if I need to.

            I walked past other women, checking out my romper, and swaggered down the street. Then a wig shoppe came up on my left. The boys words flowed through my mind the only one with that hair color.

            On my way past, I swiped a carmel brown wig from a display case, I turned the corner and stuffed my hair underneath the net. I slid the wig on and walked out of the alley.

            The store windows reflected a comepletly different person. I almost looked bad a**.  Almost.

            I started for the tourist attraction, the eifle tower, once again. I power walked across streets and down side walks.

            “Where did she go?” I glanced at the two boys standing beside an abbandoned looking building, “She must be here somewhere”

            “Let’s check the park area,” the polo shirted one suggested, “We passed the enterance on the way...”

            I grinned slyly as they fled down an aisle, in search for me, and I stood only a few feet away from them.

            I continued on my walk to the eifle tower, the red clutch in my hands became sweaty in the summer heat. The crowd grew thicker and thicker on my way down. I became less and less noticeble. Something I actually enjoyed.

            When the tower climed the sky before me, my eyes caught those of a familiar women. I walked towards her and she returned to her magazine. When I sat down she clucked.

            “At least you made it here,” She turned a page, seeming dissapointed, “Might not have brought the token to pass, but you made it to the drop off point unharmed and unfollowed.”

            “Token?” I asked, slipping off the red high heels.

            “The saphire necklace,” She sighed and closed the glossy booklet, “It was your mission to pass it on to me here at the redevouz point, without any followers. We made it a small chalenge by not telling you anything.”

“You mean,” I opened up the red clutch and slipped the necklace out, “This necklace Hunter gave me?”

            “You have it?” She gasped and swiped the gem, “And you brought it here so fast.”

            “I was kind of being chased...” I said, kicking my legs back and forth.

            “And you were unfollowed? It’s amazing! Most of my students aren’t ready for something like that. Some are, but not many.”

            “It wasn’t that hard,” I said in attempt to stop her complements and praise, “I just listened to Hunter’s advice, relax and follow  your instincts.”

            “Yes, Hunter,” She shook her head,stood, and motioned me to follow her to an alley way. She opened up a door and we went through it, ending back in the hallway leading to her office. “Riley, you can go back to you cabin. Hunter should be there to escort you to your other exams. I have to write down your score and make a few calls.”

            “Wait, Dean James,” I said before she could close the door. “Are we in france?”

            “No, that was a hollogram” She said, closing the door. I stepped out and smilled at Mrs. Honey. She grimenced and looked back down at her papers. Out side, Columbia was ablaze in the sunlight. She was so bright, I couldn’t look at her and I had to walk with my head down.