When in Rome

Chapter ⑤

Chapter ⑤

Adeline

I don't know why I'm here.

I glance up at the pitch black sky missing the serene sparkle of the stars. A hum fills my ears as a jazzy beat echoes into the night from a pile of stacked up radios. There's exactly four large kegs located a few feet away from me, most likely holding a enormous amount of alcohol. And nerves twist around in the pit of my stomach as I stare at the massive group of dancing bodies, all huddled together under the dim glow of the artificial lights of the city.

A street party.

Somehow Mia discovered a college a few blocks away and it just so happens that tonight they decided they were going to throw a party—on the street. I believe I mentioned before that I'm not the type of person who goes out and parties, but now for some godforsaken reason I'm here, standing on the outskirts of it all.

"Wow," Georgia breaths standing on my right.

Mia grasps my left arm. "Isn't this great?" Great? I'd prefer to you a different adjective. Crazy? Yeah, a bit. Nerve-racking? Yup, that too. Oh and absolutely horrifying? Ding, ding, ding—we have a winner.

"Mia." Georgia laughs. "Look at her face she looks completely terrified." She points at me and then they both step in front of me, removing the grinding bodies from my line of vision. Seriously, though, we are in a different country, there's college kids grinding up against each other, and there's alcohol. Who in their right mind wouldn't be terrified?

"Whoa, Ade, you need to calm down, it's just a party," Mia says placing a hand on my shoulder and they instantly slump back down from their tensed position. "You don't have to drink, I'm not going to drink, and the guys are here, too." I give her a deadpanned look seeing as "the guys" she's referring to already seem to have assimilated into the crowd. "Okay, listen." She sighs brushing a piece of waved hair away from her face. "Georgia and I are going to go see if they have any water while you stay put and when we come back you're going to be all pumped and ready to party, deal?"

I nod my mind not really registering what she just said, but then I watch as she and Georgia disappear into the crowd and realize that they just left me here...alone.

Initiating panic mode.

I tense up again as a breeze blows past me, brushing a few strands of hair into my face and making goosbumps breakout aross my skin. I rub my arm now regretting the black v-neck t-shirt I'm wearing and for allowing Mia to convince me to not bring a sweatshirt. I glance down at my feet for solace, but seeing my jean shorts hit me about mid-thigh and my grey converse, I find none.

"So, what brings you here?"

I jump back prepared to run for my life, but seeing a girl standing right in front of me I allow myself to relax again. She stands a good few inches taller than me, her long hair slightly disheveled and flowing around her shoulders, but instead of my dark chocolate color hers is more milk chocolate. The thing that makes me accept the fact that she's not a psychopath trying to kill me is the fact that she has really bright blue eyes, that are smiling and look pretty sincere.

Looks can be deceiving. My brain chides, but I shake the thought away realizing I've just been staring back at her the whole time and can't remember what she said.

"I, uh." I open and close my mouth not knowing how to respond and she laughs.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. You just seem like you don't want to be here."

"I don't," I respond a little to quickly making her laugh again.

"Same here. By any chance have you seen a girl with blonde hair," she brings her hand up to her shoulder. "About yay high, wearing a sparkly, almost disco ball like, tube top?"