SAY MY NAME - [J. DESCAMPS]

TWO

I had stole one of my dad's book before leaving this morning : The Prince by Nicolas Machiavel, thought it would be a great distraction during break... Well, I should've know better.

At least I looked smart ?

So here I was, sitting on a bench in the courtyard with The Prince as my only company, finding myself analysing every person my eyes landed on.

I recognised some of my new classmates, smoking like half of the boys in the court. It seems to be the only thing they do, besides throwing pieces of paper at girls in the classroom. How boring of them.

I also noticed Jean, who was leaning against a wall, laughing at something a boy with curly hair told him. Pirate boy, or should I say Descamps, was there too. He smirked at them while exhaling the smoke of his cigarette, and my gaze remained on him more than it should have.

So that was the best friend. Since when were they friends anyway ? I didn't remember Jean talking about him. Actually, I didn't remember Jean talking about any of his friends to me, although it's not very surprising : we've known each other since our childhood but as we grown up we saw each other less and less every year...
So yeah, maybe that dickhead was the best friend he never told me about. Yet, I couldn't help but feel upset.

I wasn't jealous, I was worried. Joseph Descamps was trouble, I didn't even know him but it was enough to take a look on him to find out.

I wonder how did he loose his eye at such a young age.

As if he felt my gaze on him, his only eye found my eyes. Panicking for having been caught staring, I quickly turned my head away just for me to be facing the girl from earlier, the one who smiled at me in class.

"Hey !" she said with a bright smile. "Can I join you ? You seem to be bored."

"Hey, of course you can!" I told her enthusiastically, trying to forget what happened a few seconds ago.

"I'm Simone," she presented herself while taking a sit next to me, handing me her hand.

With a smile, I just grabbed her chin and kissed each of her cheeks. "My aunt and cousins in Paris," I began to explain when I noticed her incomprehension, "they only salute each other like that. It's called la bise and it's a very old way to say hi, people had stopped to do it because of epidemics in the past, but I've heard that it's coming back so..." I shrugged. "And I'm Rose, by the way."

She chuckled. "Well Rose, I think I'm going to follow the trend. I rather prefer this than shaking hands like old mens. What are you reading ?"

My face twisted into a grimace. "I tried to get into The Prince but... it's not really my cup of tea."

"Watching the boys over the courtyard is more pleasant isn't it ?"

I cracked a smile when she started raising her eyebrows suggestively. Prise la main dans le sac. "They're just less boring than Machiavel, that's all."

"It's your first day of school, right ?" I nodded. "How are you feeling ?"

"I think I'm good..? Though I didn't expected for the boys to act like cunt such early in the day but I'm not surprised..."