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laughed. “I’ve always been an early riser,” I said. “I used to sign up for the eight o’clock classes just so I’d be done by two and could have the rest of the day off.”
    Tommy and Shayne looked at me like I was insane.
    “What?”
    “I don’t even know what to say to that,” Shayne said. “That’s just crazy talk.”
    Julia put her hands over Shayne’s ears. “I do the same thing. But when I’m on break, I creep up onto Shayne’s schedule.” The people ahead of them started walking forward. “Oh! Looks like we’re going in. Meet us on the Spanish Steps like around seven? We’ll go for dinner!”
    We waved goodbye and wandered off in search of lunch. Not far from the Colosseum, tucked away on a little side street we found this cute little restaurant where we had the worst pizza I’d ever tasted.
    “Pizza was invented in Italy,” I said between bites. Yes, the pizza sucked, but give me a break, I was starving. “Shouldn’t this be like the best pizza of my life?”
    “Maybe we just haven’t found the right pizza place yet. Perhaps this should be our Quest.”
    “Our quest?”
    “ Oh yeah.”
    “Do we need a quest?”
    “EVERYONE needs a Quest.”
    “I’m not sure I’ve ever had one.”
    “Sure you have. Anything you’ve ever worked for is a Quest. Anything you’ve ever searched for. Quests, whether we name them as such or not, are what make life interesting.”
    I looked at him for a moment. “You’ve thought about this a LOT.”
    “I have.”
    “And you’re trying to make Rome more interesting by questing for pizza? Seriously? Isn’t Rome interesting enough all on its own?”
    “Sure it is. But a Pizza Quest makes it Twice the Fun.”
    We finished the awful thing and then paid our bill. As we started walking, I fished around in the side pocket of my pack for a roll of mints, popped one in my mouth, and held one out for Asher.
    He nodded. “Thanks. I was ready to lick the sidewalk to get that taste out of my mouth.”
    “Right? You and me both. Though, I was thinking gelato rather than sidewalk.”
    “Brilliant plan! Brains AND beauty.” He laughed as I rolled my eyes.
    I squinted at him in the bright afternoon light. “I think if we’re going to go on a quest…” I began, but he cut me off.
    “See? You’re feeling the Pull of the Quest, aren’t you. I knew that would happen. I could just tell by looking at you.”
    I raised an eyebrow.
    “Sorry,” he said, though not looking sorry in the least. “You were saying?”
    “IF we’re going to go on a quest,” I said again, “it should be for something nobler than good pizza.”
    He clutched at his chest, staggering. “Nobler than the Quest for the Perfect Pizza? IMPOSSIBLE. I defy you to come up with one!”
    I scanned the area as we walked. Gelato and souvenir stands dotted the sidewalks, looking so out of place in this most ancient city.
    “Can’t think of anything, can you?” Asher said. “I stand Triumphant. Pizza Quest it is!”
    “Not so fast,” I said, and put a hand on his chest. I pointed at some particularly tacky looking souvenirs in a nearby shop. “I submit to the Triumvirate—of which there are currently only two members so it would be a Biumvirate, if there was such a word—the Quest for the Tackiest Souvenir.”
    Asher gasped as if in awe and then started laughing. “I Stand Corrected!” he shouted, which made a couple of middle-aged Italian men jump and start yelling in Italian. Asher grabbed my hand and we ran, not stopping until we’d turned a corner and were out of sight, out of breath, and laughing.
    Asher went down on one knee in front of me, two hands grasping my one. He bowed his head and brought my hand to his forehead. “I accept your Quest and am honored to be Chosen for this challenge.” Then he let go, stood up, and said, “You know that we’re going to have to stop at every single souvenir shop or stand we come across now, don’t you? You’ve set us up with an Epic