You've Got To Be Kidding Me You're Staying In London! :ONE:

"Oh and before I forget here are the keys to the apartment and a cell phone so we can get a hold of you," Lucy says handing me these very things.

"Okay, so umm, what's going to happen now?" I say.

"Well today you have an appointment with the best and most trusted beauty stylists," Lucy says.

"Is there something wrong with how I look?" I ask confused.

"Not at all its just to give you a haircut, manicure, pedicure, you know just polishing you up," Lucy says.

"Alright that doesn't sound so bad," I say.

"All ready to be pampered?" Antoine says cheerfully walking towards Lucy and I. Antoine took me to some secluded salon and as I sat there in the chair getting my hair cut while getting a pedicure and manicure, everything was starting to sink in. This was really happening.

"You have gorgeous hair," George says as he cuts my hair.

"Thanks," I say.

"I think, it is fantastic what you are trying to do," Julz my manicurist says. She was a tiny woman with cropped black hair.

"I agree, models these days are just not sexy," George says. Julz just gave George a look.

"What just because I am a gay man doesn't mean that I can't say a woman is or isn't sexy," George says defensively.

"Honestly George," Julz says with a laugh.

"There is nothing wrong with admiring another human being's appeal," I say.

"See Anber gets it," George says.

"I kind of just think of models as different art styles, and right now what's in is modern straight-lined, separated but people like us are more Picasso, real and some-what grotesque in a way that it is chaotically beautiful," I say.

"See that's sexy, intellect and awareness," George says.

"I have never thought that I'd actually learn something from a model," Julz says.

"But you girl, you are something else," Julz says with a smile. Julz finished my nails and George fixed my hair with perfection.

"Thank you so much you guys," I say hugging them after we exchanged numbers.

"You better come back again," George says.

"I will," I say.

"You kick their arses out there," Julz says.

"Well I hope I won't have to," I say with a little laugh.

"Good-bye love," George says as I walked out the door of the salon and into a taxi cab. I told the cab driver where to go and he started off. My over shirt seemed to have gotten something on it so I took it off and wore my cargo jacket over my undershirt.

"Miss we're here," the cab driver says politely.

"Okay great, umm do you mind staying here, I just got to get my bags and then go somewhere else," I say.

"No problem," the old man says with a smile.

"Thanks," I say hurrying into the Gretchen's Inn, and rushing into my room to gather all my things. In less than 10 minutes I had everything in the suitcase and I was back into the cab heading off to the new flat.

"Thank you so much," I say handing the taxi driver the money plus a tip.

"Have a good day honey," the old man says driving off. I looked across the street and noticed that it looked incredibly familiar. I shook my head and looked at the stairs in front of me then to the two bags of luggage. So very carefully I pulled the first one to the top of the steps then I went on to the next one. I was to the last step when I slipped on the slick step and began falling backwards. Bracing for the pain that was going to come I closed my eyes but the fall never came. Instead I was caught by someone.

"You alright?" the familiar looking guy with blonde hair and gray eyes says.

"Yeah, I'm good," I say as the stranger sets me down.

"Anber!" a familiar voice says causing me to look in that direction. It was Rupert.

"Hey," I say embarassed.

"Good thing Tom caught you!" Rupert says hugging me.

"Yeah, I was ready for another broken bone," I say with a nervous laugh.

"You look great," Rupert says looking at my new makeover.

"Thanks, I know I sound like an idiot but what are you doing here?" I ask.

"Live across the street you remember?" Rupert says.

"I wasn't exactly paying attention to my surroundings that night," I admitt.

"I suppose that's understandable, might I ask what you are doing hauling luggage up these stairs," Rupert says.

"I'm staying here," I say awkwardly.

"We let me and Tom help you out with this luggage," Rupert says taking my bag.

"You don't have to you were probably going somewhere," I say.

"Nope just to play some video games, I think that can wait," Rupert says with a laugh. I lead the way up to the flat and I felt more than awkward. We reached the door with c-3 engraved above the sneak-a-peek(seer hole) and I opened the door to see that the apartment was cleaned up with all the tarps off the furniture.

"Nice tv, mind if I see if it works?" Rupert asks pushing the power button. Immediately I saw that the people on the talk show were talking about me. Then it cut to a video recording of Dan getting hit by that jerk. Rupert shut off the tv and I just kind of stared blankly at the tv.

"You alright?" Rupert's voice asks interupting my rapid thoughts.

"Yeah I'm fine," I sigh.

"Is Dan alright?" I ask.

"He's okay just shooting some scenes for the movie," Rupert says. Tom had been really quiet the whole time and I forgot he was even there.

"I'm such a jerk, I didn't even introduce myself to you," I say turning to Tom.

"Its alright,," Tom says with a smile.

"I just got alot on my mind and sometimes I forget, but I'm Anber," I say holding out my hand to shake his.

"Tom," he says shaking my hand.

"Thanks for catching me," I say with a warm smile.

"No problem," Tom says returning the smile. It was very silent for a few minutes with everyone looking around fidgeting.

"Well, I'm going to unpack, thank you guys so much for the help," I say breaking the awkward silence.

"We are having a surprise birthday party for Dan tonight, you should come," Rupert says.

"I don't know, I feel like I'd be instigating the situation," I say.

"Don't worry its a private party, no crazy people with cameras," Rupert says.

"I don't know," I say again.

"You're going that's final, I'll be here to pick you up at 8pm," Rupert says.

"I never took you as a commanding type," I say.

"I'm not really I just think you should go," Rupert says.

"Fine," I say reluctantly.

"Great," Rupert says with a smile. I couldn't help but smile back because his was so contagious.

"Nice meeting you Tom," I say as they left. I unpacked my things and decided to call my parents to see if they wanted to talk to me anymore. It rang two times before my mom picked up. It was a long and emotionally draining conversation but my mom finally realized that this was something I needed right now. She agreed to packing up some of my things and sending them to me and I could do nothing but thank her.

"I love you too," I say, "Alright bye."

After that conversation, I seriously needed a cigarette so I went to my purse and dug out my last one. I went over to the window and opened it. Thankfully I had a firescape so I could sit on the stairs smoking. As I sat there I noticed that I could see right into Dan and Rupert's apartment, I could see that Tom and Rupert were having troubles with the game system. It was really a funny sight, they were stratching their heads in confusion. I was laughing to myself and after finishing my last cigarette I went back inside to change into something clean. I chose a my yellow jersey tunic over some dark navy skinny jeans then I slipped on some pink open toe heels. If I was going to go to this party I had to buy a gift.