___
~~~~~ (*****^-^*****) ~~~~~
___
Conner and Bree brought Granny Pearl down the steps of the Lumiere des Etoiles casino and journeyed to the train station as fast as possible. They made it just in time and were the last ones to buy tickets and board the train. Their compartment wasn't as nice as the other two had been, but Bree didn't mind, just as long as they were going to Germany everything was right in the world.
The compartment door abruptly slid open to reveal an aggresive-looking train attendant. His eyes narrowed when he discovered Conner and Bree behind the door.
"Passports, please," the attendant demanded.
"Why do you need to see our passports?" Conner asked.
The attendant squinted his eyes at Conner's reluctance. "We've just gotten word of two runaway American teenagers tourists," he said. "It's protocol to check the identification of every passenger on board that matches that description."
Bree tensed up and felt Conner do the same next to her. They had come so close to the portal but there was no way out of this one now. Bree could practically hear Conner's brain trying to think of excuses.
"But these are my grandchildren," Pearl said in perfect English.
Conner and Bree turned their heads so quickly they almost gave themselves whiplash. ^Had she been coherent the whole time?^
"I understand that, madame, but we still need to check their passports," the attendant insisted.
"Fine, fine, fine," Pearl said. "Let me get my purse and I'll find them for you."
She slowly went through her bag: one pen, one piece of hard candy, and one coin at a time. She pulled out wads of tissue and folded-up notes and stamped letters she had forgotten to mail. The attendant grew impatient waiting for her to retrieve the passports.
"Where did I put those passports?" Pearl said. "We were just in Monte Carlo and I put them in my pocket, then when we got back on the train I put them in my suitcase- yes, they're in my suitcase! If you wouldn't mind kindly waiting another moment, I'll have a look for them in my suitcase."
"That's quite all right, madame," the attendant said. He had run out of patience for the day. "I trust you. Please forgive the intrusion." He slid the door shut and they heard the footsteps travel down the hallway.
Pearl put her belongings away and then looked up at Conner and Bree. Both were staring at her with wide eyes and mouths agape as if she was on fire.
"So where are we off to next?" Pearl asked them sweetly.
"Have you been aware of what we've been doing this entire time?" Conner asked, completely mortified.
"I'm old, but I'm not ancient. I can speak English, too, you know," she said.
"And you let us take you around the continent willingly?" Bree asked, just as mortified as Conner.
"Yes," Pearl said. "You seemed like nice kids at the train station in London. I wasn't sure what was going on at first but I knew it would be good fun once we got on the train."
Conner and Bree looked at each other. Both wore the same bewildered expression.
"I ran away on my own adventure when I was your age," Pearl said. "I fell in love with a circus clown named Fabrizio and followed him around the globe."
"Did you get caught?" Bree asked.
"No, and after six months of following him, I finally had the courage to tell Fabrizio how I felt," Pearl said.
YOU ARE READING
The Mind Behind The Beanie || ✔
Fanfiction"Oh, Conner- I forgot I had something I was going to ask you," Bree said. His answer surprised her. "Ask me anything," he responded. This sudden confidence surprised her but she continued as planned. "Do you have a crush on me or something?" Bree...
