Sheridan and Thorndale is actually the Notre-Dame Cathedral. Who knew?
By the time it grows too dark to see our map clearly, we’ve visited Palace of Versailles on the outskirts of Merritt, the Centre Pompidou (Paris’s famed cultural center is Merritt’s run-down movie theater), and walked down the Champs-Élysées, also known as Main Street. Thankfully, our last stop is the diner for some chocolat chaud, which Zeke assures me is just as delicious as the rich chocolate drinks at Angelina, the famous French teahouse.
“Is the decor just as well worn?” I tease as I put one of the unused paper placemats from our booth under my legs so that the broken vinyl seat cushion doesn’t cut into my skin. Which is when Zeke starts propping up pictures of the real Angelina all around us. Tables set with teacups and creamers filled with chocolate, the name of the salon de thé in Paris in uppercase gold lettering on everything. Plates of macarons in every color imaginable.
“I wish I was there right now,” I murmur, trying desperately to fill the walls of this run-down diner with the images of Paris. “I know lots of people dream of going to Paris. But I want it so badly, I can’t stand it. I want these gilded mirrors and the gorgeous hot chocolate mugs and everything. I want to see the architecture, stand at the corner of Rue Saint-Martin and Rue Saint-Denis, where the unsuccessful June Rebellion took place. Where the barricades stood.”
My voice cracks and this time I’m glad that I’m able to rein it back in.
“You will,” Zeke says. “Soon. Anyone who can apparently quote back street locations from Les Misérables can’t be kept away.” And it sounds almost like a promise. As though that was even possible.
TEN
IT’S THE SECOND FRIDAY NIGHT at Huntington and all I want to do is sleep. I’m so grateful that the founders of this country chose July 4 as the day to mark independence, because I desperately need a break from class. I need a break from French. And from studying and from reading and from being nervous that my fluency level won’t be high enough to get me into the Paris School. The long weekend can’t come fast enough.
I drop onto my bed, shoes still on, and hope I can sleep until noon. That’d be . . . too many hours to count with my mushy brain. And then I’ll figure out where the barbecue is and find out if there are fireworks. Tomorrow.
“There’s a bunch of people going to Chutes and Lattes for a games night if you’re interested,” Alice says, and all I can do is moan. Sleep. All I care about is falling asleep.
“Come on, it’ll be fun.”
This time moaning feels like too much work. Trop de travaille. My brain is broken. Mon cerveaux est cassé.
I can’t stop thinking in French. Je ne peux pas arrêter de penser en français.
Merde.
“Please, Abby. I need to get out of here.”
I roll onto my side and make out Alice’s face in the low light of the room. My last act before collapsing had been to close our drapes. I figured when Alice got in, she could use her reading light for whatever she needed.
But for once, writing isn’t what Alice needs. “Why do you want to go out?” My words are muffled by my pillow but I know Alice hears them because she bites her lip.
“I need to show my dad I’m participating in school life, not just going to class.” Her words are mumbled because she can see the problem. She’s not participating in school life. At all. She hangs out with me, goes to class, and she’s lucky if she remembers to eat. Her dad is right to be concerned.
I’ve been so focused on French and Zeke and speaking with Zeke in French and all the odd vibes between us that I haven’t been a good friend to Alice. She really should go to trivia night. And there’s no way she’ll go alone.
True, I’ve been daydreaming about sleep since two o’clock, but for Alice I’d be willing to get out of bed.
“Any chance you have some of that delicious dark chocolate with almonds and sea salt hidden away?” I grumble.
Alice bounces a bit on the balls of her feet. Who knew Alice bounced? “You’re the best!” she says, and she runs to get the chocolate.
“Here’s the thing you should know about me,” I whisper to Alice as we follow the large crowd to Chutes and