La Vie En Rose |MÅNESKIN|

Chapter 1

2017, Paris, France

         That summer in Italy had been incredible, but it was time to go back to real life and to start a new school year. But this year would be different because Michelle was going to spend the first term of her junior year in Rome, and she was so excited. It was her great aunt idea to sent her aboard for a few months to let her discover the world a little. Of course, she already knew the city because of her trip, but she did not really want to go anywhere else. Michelle had loved Rome, well she had loved every town she saw in Italy, and she could not imagine spending three months somewhere else than here.

"Are you all packed? You're sure you're ready?" Asked her great aunt, Catherine.

         For as long as she could remember, Michelle had always lived with her great aunt. Her dad was always away for work, that is what it takes to work in the French Embassy in New Zealand, and her mom... her mom had always been nowhere in sight. But it did not matter, Elle did not need her, she needed only herself to be happy.

"Yes, Auntie Catherine, I'm sure I'm ready. Everything will be fine." Said Michelle.
"I know you'll be fine, Michelle, I just want to be sure that you won't forget anything here." Stated her aunt.

         The brunette just smiled while closing her suitcase, she would be fine, it was not her first term abroad. When she was fourteen, she went to a boarding school in Scotland for a semester, it was the best semester of her life, but maybe this one would be even better. Michelle and her aunt put the luggage in the car and drove to the airport, she had been there so many times in her life. There were no holidays without traveling around Europe, she had visited so many countries in her life, met so many people, Elle could not imagine her life without traveling.

"I'll ask one last time, Michelle, just to be sure, are you ready for this? You're sure?" Asked the old lady once again.
"Auntie Catherine, I'll be fine, you don't have to worry. It's not my first travel, you know." Laughed the brown-haired teenager.
"Yes, but you're not a little girl anymore, Michelle, you're a beautiful young woman and I know Italian boys really well." Stated Catherine, making the girl blush.
"Catherine!" Shouted Michelle. "I'm going to Rome to increase my Italian, not to go out with boys."
"We'll see that, Michelle Darling, we'll see." Smiled her aunt. "Have a nice time in Rome, Dear, call me whenever you want, whenever you need."
"I'll miss you, Auntie Catherine." Told the teenager.
"I'll miss you too, Dear." Spoke Catherine, before kissing her great-niece forehead.

         The teenager smiled one last time then she took her luggage out of the car and walked toward the gate, these three months would be great, Michelle knew it, she could feel it in her heart. The flight was quick, barely two hours later and Elle was on the Italian ground searching for her host family in the airport. She spotted them easily, they were holding a sign on which "Welcome, Michelle" was written in Italian, with little drawing around, it was sweet. She walked toward to them and smiled widely.

"Hi, cara, you must be Michelle." Said the lady in Italian. "I'm Chiara, and here's my husband, Angelo."

"Nice to meet you." Answered Michelle trying her best, she had a strong French accent when she spoke Italian. "It's so nice of you to welcome me."

"The pleasure is ours, cara, let's go home, all right?" Smiled the man, Angelo.

         They were the family Michelle would stay with for the next three months, they seemed to be really nice. The drive from Fiumicino to their house was quite long, but it did not bother the brown-haired teenager, it gave her the chance to have a look on the beautiful landscapes of the Lazio region. The De Luca's flat was located in one of the best neighborhoods of Rome, Trastevere, Michelle knew it because she had looked on Google before her flight. She was really excited, actually, she was quite sure she had never been that excited about a trip, she would go to a particularly good school, live in a beautiful neighborhood, everything would be perfect.