Chapter Four
"So, do you want to go out this Saturday?" Etienne asked for the tenth time today.
It turns out, the other twin has a case of ADHD. It's the disorder wherein a person has too much energy. And excessive energy is lethal to this certain child who has this disorder. Or at least that's what Francois told me. I do believe that Etienne's not dangerous. It's just that... He's the exact opposite of the Etienne who shies away. Like for example, the first half of school was spent by trying to keep Etienne away from sweets. Any kind of sweets. It means if he did ate loads of sugar contaminated food, he might die out of sugar rush. He won't be allowed to walk back to his dorm room alone or let alone let him be there by himself. His hyperactivity might cause his death.
So as much as possible, all of us try our best to keep an eye on him. And this time around, it's my turn to bring him back to his dorm room and accompany him while Francois finishes his football practice (Also known as soccer. ). The rest of the boys are busy with matters of their own. Bree on the other hand, went to a date with a specific guy she refused to name.
I let out a tired sigh and stopped walking. Etienne paused too and faced me with a cute smile. Though he's still moving non - stop. "No, Etienne. I won't go out with you this Saturday. Obviously you're not in your right state of mind. Eventually, you will forget all about this or keep quiet."
Etienne pouted. "All day long I have been waiting for an answer. And you gave me this?" Clearly, he's disappointed.
I placed my hand in his shoulder and stared straight into his eyes. "I'm sorry Etienne. But No. No, just no."
"That's three rejective words. And it hurts. Anyway, maybe you won't agree when I'm in this form." He walked ahead of me and I quickly run up to him. Scared that he might commit suicide. "Pero esta es la única manera que podría tener la oportunidad de hablar con usted. Es por eso que me comí toda la barra de chocolate."
"Excuse me?" I recognize this language as Spanish. But I'm not a spanish major. I don't speak this language. I knew I should have taken it when I was still in my lower grades. Now I regret it...
"Nothing. I said nothing."
"I did understand a word. The last part? Is it about the chocolate?" I asked him curiously.
Etienne shrugged. "I have no idea." Again, he tried walking faster again.
"Wait." I rolled my eyes, keeping up with him. "I thought you're french? How come you speak spanish? You know what, you guys are confusing. Sebastian is british but he speaks in an american accent. Francois is french and he's been studying in this school for a while now, yet he doesn't know how to pronounce words properly. And you, you're french but you don't have the accent when you speak in english. You have a british accent. And now you're speaking in spanish? Like what the hell! Are the people here multilingual?"
Etienne laughed beside me and placed his hands inside his pocket, still keeping the fast pace. "Sebastian is half - american half - british. He has a dual citizenship. But he grew up in america so the accent doesn't apply on him. As for Francois and I, I'm just really a fast learner and let's just say my brother's slow."
Well at least I can see something normal here. A twin insulting another twin. I could barely tell Etienne from Francois right now since Etienne is not wearing his glasses. Without the other twin's blonde hair, I could never tell them apart.
"Dude, you guys are as complicated as putting together a huge puzzle. I don't understand why you're too damn mysterious. Clearly, all of you are dark holes lacking clarity. I can't see right through you." I blabbed, stating my obvious observation.
"And why would you want to see right through us? Are you some kind of a detective to scan each of us?" He asked still squirming around.
Etienne's current position bothers me a lot. I find it quite distracting when a person keeps on moving. Though I'm trying my will power to restrain myself from screaming at his face and order him to stop.
"Let's just say... That you guys are an enormous mess." I retorted.
"What do you mean?"
I myself can't explain what I just had said. All I know is, I'm never ever going to give Etienne Sennet any sweet material.
I shrugged and said, "I have no idea."
Later on, at dinner time, Bree gave me a long speech on how I should have listened. Yesterday, when she told me about the chocolate obsession, she was actually talking about giving him a small piece and that they've been trying to keep him away from it. Etienne loves chocolates and as a teen who suffered from ADHD for about his entire childhood, chocolates are like his drugs. And this sweet creamy substance is the only thing that pushes his ADHD to this extent. To major hyperactivity. And something that goes with this disorder is having dyslexia. Which Etienne has overcome already. I don't know how but he did. He said he got used to the normal ones already. Francois said that Etienne will be back to normal by tomorrow. Which means going back to being gynophobic. I just assumed that he's gynophobic but Francois explained that he's not. He's just naturally shy around girls.
That same night I decided to call my friends in America. Kara and Ezra are step - siblings. Kara's dad married Ezra's mom back in fifth grade. And by that time, the three of us were already best of friends. At first they were not cool about the arrangement, seeing that they didn't even know that their parents are secretly seeing each other. But then later on, they got used to it.
"Hey girl friend!" Kara's voice shrieked.
"Hi guys!" I said. I realized that by this time, they're still in school. But knowing both of them, they might have skipped.
"I hate you Frances! Why did you leave us? And you didn't even mind giving us an update." Ezra said.
I smiled apologetically and raised my two fingers giving them a peace sign. "I'm just busy with adjusting in a new environment. Hope you can forgive me."
Kara broke into tears and smiled. "Of course honey boo. We will forgive you."
Ezra rolled his eyes and slapped Kara's back. "Shut up! Seriously? I bet you found new friends that's why you completely forgot about us."
I felt guilty admitting that what Ezra had said is true. "You could say that..."
Ezra fake glared at me. "I knew it!"
"Whatever Ezra. Anyway, if you found new friends, maybe we could all hang - out. Paint our nails and oh! I'm getting highlights on my hair!" Kara excitedly said showing her pink hair. She actually dyed it pink back in sophomore year as a "sign of rebellion." Her mom completely disapproves of it saying that she had ruined such a beautiful blond hair. And I'm sure her mom will ground her for a year if she finds out about adding more colors to her daughter's precious hair.
"I think that's a bit impossible Kara. One, I'm all the way in England. And two, most of my new found friends are lads. There's only one girl who could paint her nails with us." I explained.
Ezra's jaw dropped and he smirked. "No shit. Did our fragile Frances Morris finally decided that she wants to be a player? Oh my gosh. This is a huge news!"
I rolled my eyes at Ezra's stupid conclusion. "Seriously? Enough of me. How about you guys? How are things back there? Anything I should know?"
Kara and Ezra shared glances and gave me a pitiful look. Something's off. I could just tell it.
"Well... We were having our usual jogging mode this morning when we passed by your neighborhood." Kara explained, casting her eyes downwards.
Ezra shook his head. "France, we saw your things lying outside your front lawn."
My eyes widen in shock. "What things?"
"Your bed, the picture frames, books, and everything." Kara said.
No fucking way. Does that include the treasure chest which contains the things my mom had given me? "The treasure chest? Is it included?" I asked worriedly.
Both of my best friends nodded slowly. "There's a truck of Shelby's Donating Center in front of your house loading your things."
Fuck. My dad. My dad and that damn bitch. "Guys, I'll call you later. I'll just give my dad a piece of my shit."
Ezra and Kara nodded in understanding and ended the skype call. I got my cellphone above my desk and went out of my dorm room. I ended up going to the rooftop.
After four rings, my dad answered the phone call. "Frances, can you please call later. I'm busy right now. I'm trying to finish some illustrations for Mrs. Davis's house."
My dad's an architect. He's quite busy most of the time due to his work. Drawing houses, commercial buildings, all sorts of shelters. But that's not the catch right now. I'm here to discuss something more important than Mrs. Davis's house.
"Dad why did you donate my things to Shelby's?" I asked.
"Frances, not now honey. Please." He said sounding very angry.
"No, dad. Why? Is it Stephanie's idea? I know that she's trying to cut us out of the picture so that she can have her happy family with you. You know what dad? I'm fine if you donated all my things. Except the treasure chest mom gave. So where is it?!" I yelled.
"Dammit. Don't talk to me like that! You have no right to-"
"No right to what dad? To scream at you? I have every right to. You sent me to this place without consulting me. Then you donated my things to a shelter? Dad you are so unfair!" I back fired.
It's so unfair that Stephanie gets to decide whatever she wants, meanwhile Harry and I are deprived of our own free will. I need that treasure chest. Every single memory of my childhood is there. The video tapes of our family vacations and when my parents used to be a cute couple. She can't just take that away. She'd be too cruel if she did.
"Calm down, Frances. The treasure chest is safe. I got it along with the picture frames before it even reach the truck. I'm already having a bad day due to this problem so please, calm down. I talked to Stephanie and told her not to ever mingle with your things. I don't know how this news got to you and your brother but I both know how mad you both are. And I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry." Dad said. I could just imagine him massaging his temples. A sign that says he's stressed out.
So Stephanie also donated Harry's things? She's exceptionally cruel. I hope she burns to hell. Where she truly belongs. How could she just walk into our lives and change everything? How?
"Dad, I love you and you know that. But you'll be the biggest jerk in the whole wide world if you continued dating that bitch. Open your eyes! She's manipulating you." I told him.
"You're not going to change my mind. And do not ever call her a bitch. She's my wife." Dad said in a pissed tone.
I hanged up on him out of fury. I hate Stephanie. My dad used to be a good man. A very wise man. But how could one manipulative lady control him like that? I used to look up to him like he's my hero. But now? That hero turned to zero. I miss my family. The family wherein my parents love each other and not throw things against one another. The family that Harry and I deserves.
Defeated, I turned around and decided to go back to my dorm. But when I turned, I found Etienne sitting by the door holding a telescope, watching the starry night.
"Stella." He muttered.
Stella? Is he with someone else up here? Oh no, he might have heard me talking to my dad.
"How long have you been here?" I asked him, still worried that he heard me and a certain Stella heard me too.
"Ever since you got here." He quietly mumbled.
I suppose he's back to being the shy Etienne. I didn't even notice him when I got here. Maybe because I was too preoccupied bickering with my dad.
"Anyway, I gotta go. And who's Stella?" I asked him. Maybe Stella heard me too and she might be the biggest gossip girl in this school. I might talk to her and plead not to tell anyone about my argument with dad.
"Stella is italian for stars. I'm actually watching the stars." Etienne brought the telescope to his eyes and observed the stars.
Blush crept up to my face. I feel so embarrassed assuming that Etienne is with a certain girl up here. What was I thinking? I was the one who said he has a gynophobia and now I'm also thinking that he's up here watching the stars with a girl.
"Oh." Was all I said. I still feel humiliated. "Uh... I thought you like history? How come you're star gazing?"
Etienne got up from the corner he was sitting and placed his index finger to his lips. "It's a secret between you and I." He turned around leaving me lost in thoughts. I don't get him. He was asking me out earlier and was interacting with me. And now he wants me to keep a secret and acts like he never talked with me?
Relax Frances. ADHD remember?
Etienne stopped walking. "Oh and Frances, I promise I won't tell anyone." Then he left.
So he heard. But Etienne is a quiet person, unless I let him eat chocolate or any sweet material. I can trust him.
"Les garçon sont les étoiles."
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Hey lovely readers! Sorry for the long wait. I hope this chapter will make up for it. A bit of translation over there at the last sentence. It means, "the boy and the stars". Again, I used a translator so feel free to correct me. And I've been reading about the education system of England and I'm still very confused. So if there's someone who knows about it, please send me a private message :)
Question of the chapter: who do you think she'll end up with?
Frances and Etienne moment at this chapter *winky*.
So who ship Fretienne? Anyone? Please comment below.
Vote, comment, and yeah.
Hart hart ❤️❤️ ActuallyItsAnonymous
bye!