Left Alone In Paris

Chapitre 1

Everything Always Goes Wrong In France

He chuckles in that annoying way all boys do when they know they're in control, probably because then we won't say how funny they sound. He holds up my passport that I had sat on the table beside my plate, using it to point at my face, "And you're probably going to forget that here, and then when you rush back here to get it," he leans in, "The plane will leave without you."

I swallow hard, and he hears it I think, since that's when he puts a hand on top of my head to completely ruffle all my hair and make a straw nest out of it.

"Dang it, Din! I'm gonna tell mom, you loser!" The rage escapes out of me, he's been doing this all week. I didn't even know someone could have a bad time in Paris, the City of Love, or Hearts or whatever... Unless you're with my brother.

"Uh-huh." His eyes are half open, making him look like a doofus when he is trying to look unimpressed. And I whack him then too, if he can't look at me properly, it serves him right.

"Ow!" He shrieks when he pulls back, holding his nose.

"Okay! Connecticut people, please listen up!" Our tour guide is standing at the end of the table, facing everyone who came on the 4-H trip with us. Mom saw there was another trip being offered, this time not in our own country, and jumped at the idea since it was fully paid for by the government.

Kadin turns in his seat and acts like a good boy for Kelsey, the college intern/"sexy" tour guide.

"Oooh, look at that sexy babe-" I whisper to him in a singy-songy tune, but he elbows me hard, where I end up choking on the lost air. I punch him back in the arm, even though he doesn't show any reaction, and I turn to Kelsey to pay attention.

"It was nice to spend the week with all of you. I had a really fun time, and you have been the best group I've had so far. So it's kind of sad to see you all go, but hopefully you learned a lot and had fun too. After we all get back on the bus, I have to leave early for the registration office, but Rick will help you onto the plane."

"Oh, well doesn't that suck." I say less a question, more a sneer. "You won't see your Kelsey-welsey anymore before going back to America."

"Mm-hmm, I feel so bummed." He puppy-dog's his bottom lip in a fake way. "I feel like I'll never see her ever again!" And a smile comes back, this time evil.

I catch on to where this is headed, and punch him in the arm. "Hey, I still really miss Jack!" I yell back, and everyone at the table turns to me.

"Jack? Who's Jack?" Our whole group got a big spiel about how I don't want a relationship and they all kept trying to introduce me to random strangers while we were here, also making funny and saying I would grow up to be a major Crazy Cat Lady. I never told them I have a cat.

I blush. And Kadin takes this as his chance to finalize me, lead me to my doom. Good-bye all, Good-bye Lord, good-bye Jack..

"Her cat, Jack the cat," he corrects himself, holding a silly grin to show his pride in a loser sister.

At school, he was the King's Henchman, which I technically wouldn't find joy in, being the other cool kid, but apparently it means a lot to him. Especially since he was a senior this year, he made it sound like he could've measured up to Prince William. And for some other reason, being so high on this social food chain, it is something to take pride over that he is cooler than his little sister, too.

Our group laughs and high fives while I slump till my nose is touching the table. It's hot in here.

~

We exit the crowded café in a huge clump, crossing the roads in our strange formation of a bubble, and slowly decreasing the gap between us and our bus. Finally when Rick counts us and we are loaded, we drive off.