Day 23 in France, Kayla's pov
"Try this one on and then the red one. After that we'll look at shoes and accessories and..." Comte's voice got quiter. The reason?
I was tired and want to go back to the mansion.
We walked around the city since morning, from shop to shop, because we were looking for dresses for special occasions.
What kind of special occasion?
Mozart will perform his newly composed music in three days and he said he will take me with him, because I partly helped him with his music.
I was stupid not to think of buying even one dress when I went shopping with Leonardo.
Comte is bombarding me with dresses.
It takes me 5 minutes to put on or off one of those heavy dresses and I wore around ten of them already and it does not seem like Comte will be satisfied soon.
"Comte! Thank you for your generosity and the dresses but why so many? You know...I will not have the time to wear all of them..." at the last part I felt sadness creep up inside of me.
Comte stopped at my words and looked at me.
I'm sure he was studying my sad expression because he stopped everything and asked of we could be left alone for a while.
After the the people who helped me dress and serve Comte tea left, he stepped towards me.
"Ma Cheri, you are right there is not much time left, but if you remember what I said the that time we talked, we will make sure that you will have the best time here. That is what I am doing right now too.
This will be your first and surely last time in a theatre in the 19th century Paris. So I will make sure you will be the number one at Mozart's concert."
Comte smiled gently at me and put his big warm hand on top of my head.
"You need to show him that you will give him your full support, right?
Since you came into his life he opened up a lot. I am thankful to you."
Seeing his genuine eyes look back at me I knew that he was speaking only the truth, but I didn't want to acknowledge it.
I can't. If they are even nicer to me I don't know if I can muster the strength to go through that door.
I never would have thought that Comte's words would have such a great impact on me.
I looked down away from him and I felt my eyes getting teary.
'I miss them already...even though I'm still here...'
I took a deep breath to calm my emotions and looked at Comte again giving him a smile which he returned.
"Let's finish this up quick then we can go and eat at a café. What do you say ma Cheri?" He asked while letting the people back in and I gave him a nod.
'Get yourself together Kayla... don't let your thoughts ruin the mood.'
...
"I never would have thought that that my first time eating ratatouille would be in 19th century Paris! Now I can finally check, eating ratatouille like in the movie ratatouille, off my list!"
We arrived at the mansion and I walked a bit faster then Comte while we were nearing the doors of the mansion.
"They really named a movie after a food?" Looking at Comte it seemed like he didn't know, if he should question it or laugh at it.
I laughed to myself at his reaction.
Stepping through the door everything went black.
"What the hell?!"
I could feel two hands on my eyes and someone behind me.
I put mine over the hands and tried to peel them off.
"Now, now. Have you never heard that, if you come home and someone puts their hands over your eyes that you should not move?"
I heard a bit of sarcasm in the voice and I knew the voice all to well because I heard it every day.
"Arthur. What are you doing?"
"Nothing." I swear I can see his smirk in front of my eyes.
I pinched him in his hands and I heard him scream. Now I'm satisfied.
"Comte what is happening?" I tried to ask again because I didn't get an answer before.
"I said nothing~" Arthur answered instead of the one I asked and I sighed at him and let him lead me wherever he wanted. Comte only chuckled and followed us.
...
"Now right. Then left. Right. Left. Right. Lef-"
"Arthur!"
"OK, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He said.
"If you walk any slower we will be there tomorrow. Uh- a bit to fast! Now faster. Slower. Faster. S-"
"ARTHUR!!"
He only laughed out loud at my reaction.
"I hate you."
"Love you too."
This time I laughed a bit at our silliness.
...
After like two minutes I think we arrived at our destination because we stopped.
Comte knocked on the door and opened it shortly after.
We stepped through it and Arthur still didn't take his hands off.
"For your information I still can't see anything Arthur..."
He didn't answer me again and now it was time for revenge.
I put my arms behind my back and tickled him on the stomach.
With that I got him to retreat and back off and he took his hands away to protect his stomach from my tickle attack.
"Allright! I surrender! I surrender!" He somehow got out between his laughter.
"I never want to be on you bad side. Seriously." I heard behind me.
When I turned around I could see that all of the residents are in the room with me.
"Did something happen?" I asked clearly confused to why EVERYONE is in the same room, smiling and standing together as if they were waiting for me.
Napoleon stepped forward.
"Yeah, you."
"Me? Did I do something wrong if so then I apologise." I said even though I'm sure that I didn't make any mistakes or cause problems.
"You did something really bad and you don't even know it hondje?"
Theo stepped forward.
"What?"
"Are you serious right now?" Mozart said and stepped forward as well.
"Guys you're scaring me..."
I stepped back but only crashed against a chest.
"Nah, nah where are we going now?"
Arthur said and put his hands on my shoulders. I looked back and he smiled at me.
"Arthur, guys! It's not funny anymore! Stop!"
I didn't know what to do but when I looked forward again I could see that the others are coming closer to me.
"Guys...?"
And then...
"NOW!" I heard Arthur yell and in the next moment...
...they tickled me.
"G-Guys, hahaha, s-stop it, please, hahaha, g-guys!" I can't protect myself from all of them, so I had to accept defeat.
"I-I c-can't, hahaha, any-anymore, please" tears formed in my eyes from all the laughing and they didn't stop, not until I was completely out of breath.
...
"Comrades I think we finished the mission." Dazai said even though he sat the whole time and did nothing to help them, except firing them on not to stop. I'll make sure later he'll regret ever saying those words.
Everyone sat down on a chair, couch or leaned at the wall. Leaving me laying on the floor still trying to catch my breath.
I rolled down on my back. I'm sure I look like a starfish right now.
Opening my eyes I could see some looking at me with a amused facial expression.
They sure had fun having me at the edge of peeing my pants.
After a minute I finally had the strength to sit up again.
"OK, you guys had your fun, but could PLEASE someone in their right mind explain to me now what the hell is wrong with you guys and it better be a REALLY good reason."
I looked around who would take the risk and to my suprise Isaac stepped forward.
"Isaac, I don't want to take out my anger on you so please..."
But he didn't step down.
"Kayla." He said in a series tone and I flinched a bit, but still looked him in the eye. He was serious and didn't want to play.
"Kayla, are you happy?"
"Huh?"
'Am I...happy?'
I looked around everyones expression got serious. Nobody was smiling anymore.
"What? I don't know what you guys mean, of course I'm h-"
"Cara mia, you are smart, but sometimes don't listen to what your conscience tells you to say.", Leonardo said and walked over to middle of the room, where I'm still sitting on the floor and crouched down.
"Listen to what this tells you too." He said and pointed with his finger at my heart.
'My heart?'
"I..."
I don't know where to start...
As if Leonardo understood me he stood up again.
"Maybe we should start to encourage you?" He referred to the other men beside him.
Vincent was the first to step forward.
"Kayla. I really can't describe how thankful I am to you. From artist to artist I'm sure you know how bad it is if you can't find any inspiration anymore." He stopped in front of me and held his hand out to me.
I took it and he helped me stand up.
"Since the day I saw you in the field of flowers I overflow on ideas to draw and share with the world.
And that is all thanks to you."
"My broer is not wrong and I have something to tell you too." Theo stepped next to Vinc.
"Firstly I'm sure you realized that you helped many of us in different ways, some more and some less, but that's not the point.
You brightened our days now its our turn to do the same for you."
He put his hand on my head and ruffled through my hair.
"And I really enjoy our bickering, we have from time to time about the stupidest things." He then smiled at me and I kind of smiled back to him the best I could.
While we stood there together in the middle of the room, we heard someone clear his throat.
Mozart joined the round.
"There are only three days left until the concert and I know I said that you only need to attend it, but now I have a condition." He said and now he was standing in front of me.
"If I don't see that childish smile on your face then you are banned from attending." He said and purred his fingers next to my mouth to pull it up into a smile.
"That's more like it."
After he let go of my face I looked around the room.
Everyone was smiling, some more some less, but still a smile.
I looked down at my feet and I felt my body shaking.
"Cara mia, you allr-"
"Pfft-hahaha..." my body was shaking from the laughter that it could not contain anymore.
I tried to control myself, but it took some time.
After it was quiet again I looked to them again.
"Napoleon, Isaac, Arthur, Leonardo, Vinc, Wolf, Dazai, Jean, Theo, Sebastian and Comte." Saying their name I looked each of them in the eyes. They looked back at me with warmth or satisfaction.
"I love you guys." I said with a big grin.
Afterwards we all talked, joked or even danced together to some music Mozart was playing on the violin, until sleep found us.
If I had known that this
would be the last moment
I would spend with them in harmony, then I wish I had enjoyed it more
then I did.