LA mall ( one of them at least 🤪 ) 🔝
"This what call mall?"
I shook my head in anger as this guy has been asking me questions nonstop. I shouldn't be surprised, he's never been here before but back off!
We haven't even found a parking spot yet and he's shaking in his seat waiting to get out.
My parents forced me to take him here. To learn about the "American life" and what people supposedly do here. They act like we are so much different from the French.
I have school tomorrow and I'm wasting my last weekend day showing him around the mall and buying him shit.
"This is a mall-."
"Ooh!! People walk with coffee in hand?!" He gasped, pointing at a group of people walking with Starbucks coffee in their hands. I rolled my eyes, wondering if he's serious.
"Yes. What do you think this is? Don't people walk with coffee in France?"
"No, no, no! We sit at table with friend and discuss the world over coffee and tea. No walking with. That is rude." He shook his head in disappointment, facing back forward.
"Well you aren't in France anymore so get over it."
"Cannot!" He shook his head again, and I narrowed my eyes at him." Ooh!" He looked outside the window again, spotting a girl in short ass shorts that weren't bad either. Too bad I have a girlfriend.
"Women, too reveal!" His face scrunches up, and I wonder if he likes anything. The guys over here would be all over that. And here he is saying that's 'revealing'. Exactly, that's the point.
When I found a parking spot I swerved in, realizing the person that was pulling out was being crept upon by another car who wanted this good spot. But now it's mine.
"Ooh! Why car so big?" He asked, trying to open the door and it was still locked. A look of panic showing on his face.
"The fuck?" I mutter, unlocking the doors as he opened it. Stepping out as did I.
Once we were out the sound of hip hop and pop music echoing through and hearing the bustle of people and their conversations.
"Ooh!" I watched as he walked off, and I had to follow after him like a babysitter because he has no idea where he going or how to go back.
"Arthur!" I finally use his name when he's not responding to me at first. But he does now when he stops, turning around as he looks down." Stop walking off. I didn't know you were still a child! Stay by me and don't run or walk off unless you tell me first! I don't have time for my parents to punish me for losing you!" I spat, and he frowns.
"No punish. I be good." He nods, smiling as he firmly plants his feet next to mine. Looking down at me, waiting.
I nod, facing forward as I walk on. Going inside as I look to see him looking over his shoulder and staring at whatever he's staring at.
"It's rude to stare!" I smack him, and he jumps.
"I stare not at you. I stare at ice drink."
I roll my eyes, knowing he's either talking about ice water or a Frappuccino.
"You mean Starbucks?"
"Stars in the bucks?" His eyes enlarge like saucers, and I almost crack a grin at his stupidity.
"No." I walk towards the place, abandoning my previous plan. Pouting to the place." Starbucks. It's a coffee place."
"Coffee place? Sit at table and drink?" He asked, and I nodded - sorta." Got idea from France."
I snort, shaking my head as we walk inside. Immediately attracting eyes as we went to the front. Women's eyes on me and he gazed up at the menu.
But I started to realize some were going to this guy, and it pissed me off. I'm much better looking than him, I think. Damnit! Now I'm contradicting myself against him!
"What is expresso?" He asked, a lady in the front coming to his aid in no time.
"An expresso is a small cup of-."
"I want!" He turned to me excitedly, nodding as women came near him. Because he's stupid and it's obvious he's not from here.
"Okay than." I smirked, taking out my gold card, and giving it to the girl. She narrowed her eyes at me, and I knew she knew that this guy didn't know what he was about to drink.
"I excited. Never had expresso. You going to get?" He got all excited over an expresso and I shook my head.
"I want you to taste it for me." I say, smirking as I watched them make it.
"Okay."
Once she slid it to him he took it, walking to a table that was clearly occupied.
"Arthur!" I hiss, the girls giggling when I grabbed his arm.
"Drink?"
"You don't just sit at peoples tables like that? You're so rude!" I yanked him up, and apologized to them. But one girl stood as she grabbed his other arm.
"You guys can stay." She said in a soothing voice, and Arthur looked at her hand that was touching him. He looked to me first, and I rolled my eyes. Walking to a seat next to the girl and he sat across from me.
Once we were down he sipped on the expresso. Slamming it down on the table as a huge smile came onto his face.
"Expresso good!" He chanted, and the girls giggled as one placed her hand on his. Making him flinch as he looked at her.
"You're not from here, are you?" She asked, and he cocked his stupid head.
"No, no. Name is Arthur Louie Martin and from France. Hello." He recited exactly what he said to me. And they giggled at his accent.
"Say something in French for us." One of them asked, and he licked his lips.
"Mon ami a l'air contrarié alors je pense que je devrais y aller." ( My friend looks upset so I think I should get going. ) He says, looking at me. Some of the girls giggling but stopping when ever he stood, walking off.
I roll my eyes, standing up too to walk after his ass.
"Hey!" He turns around at the entrance, making me glare at him." Who said you and I were ever friends?" I growl, and he cocks his head.
"We not friends?"
"No the hell we not. I will never be your friend. Let me say it in a language you'll better understand. Nous ne serons jamais amis, stupidass." ( We'll never be friends, you stupidass. ) I spat, and a look of hurt starts to accompany his face.
I fold my arms, walking on. Dylan told me that being mean to him like this would result in it coming back at me. With his level of confidence, I'll be just fine.
"Qu'est-ce que je fais de mal?" ( what'd I do wrong? ) I heard him mumble, and I rolled my eyes. Being here, is what he did wrong.
I was perfectly fine before. I didn't tell them to give me a brother - I mean I did! But I meant for them to get frisky and make me a brother. Not bring me a stupid one who isn't good with English. He looks nothing like me, not that race matters.
But in our case, it does! When you have a brother or sibling in general, they look somewhat like you. They have the same eyes, same hair, same skin, same almost everything!
I'd be fine if they brought me a sibling who looked somewhat like me. Not the Exchange student they call a brother for me. Exchange brother I should say.
I roll my eyes, realizing I was on a escalator. I turned around, not seeing him behind me. Only met with-.
"Bella?" I saw my girlfriend and her friends, and she squealed when I said her name. Hopping onto me once we got to the top of the escalator. Resulting in me having to move to the side so that we weren't trampled.
"I was waiting for you to notice me behind you. But you were so deep in thought and I love seeing your thinking-face." She smiled, and I grinned. But I was too preoccupied on that guy.
My parents will kill me. This mall is huge and he could be anywhere. I don't know how far I walked and he probably walked away from me to rebel like a child or something!
"He's doing it again." I hear Bella whisper to one of her friends. Making me realize when I think my jaw clenches back and forth. When I'm really thinking I start caressing my eyebrows almost.
"I have to go. But it was nice seeing you. I'll see you tomorrow-."
"Wait! What's wrong? We can help." She gestured to her group. Making me realize I'm about to ask for help finding a stupid guy from airhead Barbie dolls.
I walk on, nodding as she stays next to me. Her group behind me as I explain my situation.
"So I got a stupid Exchange brother from France whenever my parents went on a trip. They sent me here with him so that he could get a look of the 'American life'. But I..." I looked down at her, and she looked up at me, waiting." I lost track and before I knew it I was up here."
She giggled, smiling as she wrapped her arm around mine.
"Well good thing you have us. It shouldn't be hard to spot a sexy French man."
I flinch at her words.
"He's not sexy. He's just French."
"Either way. What does he look like?"
I snicker, knowing we'll find him easily.
He's tall as fuck, looks foreign, looks like a gangster if his face is set right, and he's black. Not to be rude, but we shouldn't have a hard time finding him.
"You'll know when you see him." Is all I say, and they all giggle.
But soon our searching starts to become shopping. Seeing myself go in a Gucci store and looking at shoes and bags. Some for me and some for Bella.
Leaving and going to Louis Vuitton next, I got so distracted on looking at stuff for me that I forgot all about my search for the stupid guy.
"Bella, I'll be right back." I tell her, and she nods as I rush out the eighth store we've been in.
I start jogging through the place. Going down a escalator where the last time I saw him.
Standing in the exact spot I remember, I look around. Coming with nothing as I just saw more and more people walking in.
I started to panic. Not to the fact that I lost him. But to the fact that if I go home without him or my parents call, I'll be toast. I can forgot all about the football game that's coming up soon.
But I soon thought...what would a French guy do in America? Where would they go...?
I looked, seeing a mini World Market near me. I snorted, rushing inside. Looking around I went to the French section, not surprised to see the guy standing at the food section. Holding a packet of...cheese in his hand.
"Arthur!" I called, and he looked. Waving with a big smile on his face I walked to him. Wondering why he wasn't pissed or glaring at me.
After what I said to him... Oh who cares! He seems to have the worst short term memory it seems.
"What the hell is wrong with-."
"Why cheese so low?" He asked, and I stopped.
I looked at the price, seeing the usual 2.99.
"That's how much cheese cost. It's not expensive. Yes, cheese is cheap here. How much does cheese cost over there?"
"A twenty euro."
I snorted, snatching the cheese out his hand as I put it back. But he grabbed it back, staring at it like a freak.
"Why does cheese cost so much?"
"Cheese means delicacy. Cheese means celebration. Cheese means offering." He got all serious, nodding every time he said cheese.
"Well, cheese over here is just a food that gives people gas and is used all the time on pizza and spaghetti." I tell him, and he shakes his head.
"America, so weird!"
"Ha! You're one to talk. You know what weird is because you look in a mirror and see it everyday." I laugh, and he shakes his head as puts the cheese back.
"No, no. I do look in mirror and see no weird. But America is weird."
"Why is that?" We walk out the store, and he looks around until he points at a guy with his pants sagging then points at a few people wearing comfortable clothing like joggers and loose shirts.
"Why do wear such clothing? Are not in house? What about belt? Pants will fall without." He says in a hurry, panicking when he saw someone running inside." Is not rude to run inside? And whistle can make place fall down."
He grabbed my arm, pointing at my pants that were just track pants.
"Why?" He points to his pants, all formal and shit. Seems to me that he's wearing extra slim suit pants and a shirt that was too tight along with classic Pumas. Hmph, didn't realize he sorta had style.
"Because in America this kinda stuff is cool-."
"What is cool? Here?" He asked, and I started walking again as we were standing in the middle of the walk through.
"Cool is hoodies, Adidas, Nike, Jordan's, Yeezys, some Pumas, and track pants and stuff. For guys at least."
"Why?"
"Because it is."
"Why?"
"Because people like it."
"Why?"
"Because it's cool to everyone like I said!"
He cocked his head, looking away then back at me. I swear if he says-.
"Why?"
I laugh, shaking my head.
I didn't have an answer for him anymore, but I was only laughing because he's so annoying. People wouldn't typically keep going on like this with questions.
"Tell me what's cool in France." I tell him, and he smiles.
"Cool is being polite. No whistle-."
"Oh this?" I do the cheesy whistle guys sometimes do at girls, and the guy shakes his head.
"No, no!! Rude! Cool is formal and gentleman. Smart, take care of self, and dedicated to love. Love family, has good job." He nods, and I roll my eyes.
"That's almost like here. You guys are too traditional."
"Yes. What wrong?"
I explain to him how America isn't as formal and is more laid back. How we don't always wear formal clothing like where he's from and some wear jeans. But how guys don't look as good in jeans, but women are fine.
"I don't get. What about sweating?"
I frown, wondering how out of everything I just said, did he get "sweating'' from?
"What the hell is that question?"
"At house Mom turn on thing called AC, 'cause of sweat?"
"Okay one," I roll my eyes,"she's not your mom. She's my mom. Second, AC is the air conditioning, helping to cool off the house. Because people don't really like sweat."
"But no AC in France."
"I don't care." I fold my arms, losing my sudden kindness. But I suddenly saw Bella walking around, and I stopped. Pulling the guy back behind a stand.
"What wrong?"
"My girlfriend. I don't want her to see me."
"Girl of the friend?"
I shake my head, waiting for her to walk far enough. Once she disappears I stand back up, knowing she's looking for me.
I don't have a problem with her or anything. I just don't want her seeing him. Not that I don't trust her and all, but still.
"Why hide?"
"None of your business. Let's go. Now."
I stood, walking quickly and found him easily keeping up with me. The steps I took were a lot compared to him. I would take four steps and he'd take two. This giant freak.
When he saw us exiting he smiled down at me. And I frowned as my face scrunched up like I smelled a fart.
"What?"
He grabbed my hands again, nodding at them and I tried yanking out his grasp. Eyes going to us.
"Merci beaucoup!" ( thank you very much! ) He smiles, and I have to look away.
"Let go of my hands!" I yell, making him flinch. I jog to the car, pissed off for some reason. Seeing people's eyes and they were probably thinking we were something. The way the girls awed and guys had raised eyebrows. It pissed me the fuck of.
When he got inside, he looked confused.
"What wrong-?"
"Don't speak to me unless I tell you to or ask you a question." I growl, starting my Bentley. Seeing from the side of my eye him nodding.
I tried being cool with him. But if he's gonna keep up with that and that shit, I'm done playing nice. He's about to meet the real me tomorrow.
About to see me at my high at my kingdom I like to call, high school.