City of Blinding Lights

"Do you want to walk back to the main hall on your own or do you think you'll get lost again?' Audrey asked with a coy grin on her face as Caleb announced that he had to be heading back to the designated meeting point, after having talked for over two hours to Audrey.

They had talked and talked and looking back on it Caleb had actually found out very little about Audrey. She had talked but the things she had spoken about allowed little or practically no insight into her life. Caleb had ended up putting the more personal details of his life forward. By the end of two hours Audrey had found out he was lead guitar and backing singer for a poppy affair of a band and they were going out to Warped tour all summer long after spending their summer holidays driving around Europe to see what the other side of the Atlantic had to offer. They were going to be in Paris for one more week before heading through Germany down to Italy, then flying to London and then back home to the States. Audrey also found out that being in a band had always been of Caleb dreamed of and he wouldn't have it any other way.

Caleb however found out comparatively little. He knew she was from Dallas and that this was her last summer before college, but what she was going to do come September he did not know and Audrey let little information about herself creep off her perfectly glossed lips.

"I think I'd rather rely on you to bring me back to the place where I need to go," Caleb said getting to his feet, a small grin on his face, thinking that he had been subtle in his wish for spending more time with Audrey.

She however knew how boys worked, and had seen straight through him. She smiled to herself and also admitted silently that, had he turned down her offer to walk him back to the entrance of the Louvre she would have been shocked indeed.

And so they retraced their earlier path in amiable silence, despite the fact that so many questions were buzzing around Caleb's mind. He constantly came up with new questions that he wanted to ask her, like what she was doing in Paris, how long she had been here, if she actually liked it and so on and so forth.

Caleb promised to himself that he was not going to rest easy until he had answers to his ever ending questions. However Audrey did not like presenting him with what he desired for. She kept her secrets, dreams and ambitions close to her heart where no one else except she could touch them. They were personal to her, and each secret was hidden away in a box and this box in turn was hiding in another box which held another secret, much like the Oriental boxes that start off large and in the end all you are left with is the tiniest of boxes that holds the most dearest secret and the key to the persons heart whose box it is.

Yet Audrey was in firm denial of such a box ever existing in her. She refused to acknowledge that she had one weakness that would bring her down onto her knees, rather like a member of a Greek tragedy.

Caleb knew nothing of the boxes, he knew very little of her for the present, but he took it as some sort of sign that he had met her again in all the enormity that was Paris. It had to mean something.

He was about to voice this thought to Audrey, regardless of what her reaction was going to be, but he was prevented from doing so by their sudden arrival in the main entrance, and even from the other side of the gigantic hall, Caleb saw the shining beacon that was Kyle's hair. This object suddenly flew towards them and stood eagerly in front of them, shooting Caleb a curious and questioning look.

"Who've you found there?" Kyle asked with a laugh in his voice, taking in the tiny person that was Audrey.

After the formalities were exchanged, Audrey and Caleb found themselves under attack once again, this time from four more boys, all who were just as eager as Kyle to meet the female that dared put up with the presence of Caleb Turman, as they often joked amongst each other that no self respecting female would willingly spend her time with him.

However upon discovering that Audrey was Caleb's saviour, they were much taken to her and showered her with smiles and compliments, on top of which were added squeals of delight when they found out Audrey's hometown. They eagerly asked her if she had heard of a band called Forever The Sickest kids, and their hyperactive enthusiasm was shot down with the most disarming smile and the simple yet resolute word 'No'.

She had won over the hearts of the other five boys within the space of two minutes and it made all of them realize why Caleb had not been able to stop talking about the mysterious American girl, who had saved him from the certain death that being lost in Paris was.

Audrey smiled her smile and talked with the boys, being slightly overwhelmed by their attention, but she felt that was all down due to the fact that she could speak English. They didn't seem to be having much luck with the French girls.

Caleb motioned subtly that he wanted to talk to Audrey alone, and the latter was very surprised in deed when suddenly, upon the war cry from Jonathan, five boys stormed off in a flurry of wild hair and flapping hoodies in search for a Starbucks.

Audrey blinked twice and then let a laugh escape her lips.

"Wow, you must have a riot when you're on the road." She said, a smile still lining the corners of her mouth.

Caleb nodded with the same smile and agreed that yes it was a riot, and defiantly an uncontrollable one. But after issuing this statement, a more serious line could be found in his face.

"I was wondering," Caleb started awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck, "if we could meet up sometime. I'd rather know I was meeting you than pray I bump into you by accident," he said with a small smile, but at the same time preparing himself of a polite declination.

However Caleb was proven wrong, and not for the first time that day either.

"Sure I'd like that," Audrey said nodding enthusiastically.

Caleb let out a breath of relief that he didn't know he had been holding. He sure and delighted smile spread across his face and it was contagious, soon Audrey found herself unintentionally mimicking his smile.

After arranging a place and time to meet they parted ways. Each with their happiness and joy collected together and held close at heart. For the rest of the day, Caleb was told to wipe his love struck grimace off his face by more than one of his close friends, and there were five of them, so they took it in turns to tease him and serve as a constant reminder of what had just happened.

It could not be a more perfect scenario: a handsome boy and a beautiful girl in Paris in the summer. What sounded like the perfect inspiration for your everyday romantic comedy was for once not just a far off illusion on a cinema screen.

It was real.