I've been wanting to write something that had something to do with France for a while so this is kind of fun. Plus I'm practically fluent in French so this is kind of me just showing off.
25th of July, Three Years Ago
"What do you mean you're going on vacation?" Rai demands.
"I mean, I'm entitled to two weeks vacation every year, and I need a break. So I'm cashing those two weeks in now."
"And what am I supposed to do while you're- where are you going exactly?"
"Spain." I deadpan.
"Do you even speak Spanish?" Rai asked.
"Si."
"Do you speak more than one word?"
"He podido hablar español desde que implantaste en mi mente toda la historia de Puerto Rico." I respond.
"You could have just made that up."
"I said, I've been able to speak Spanish since you implanted the entirety of Puerto Rico's history in my mind."
"Oh my god, fine, go to Spain, but if a big crime happens here and you miss it, that's on you."
I plan on missing it, in fact, I plan on missing all missions. "Fine."
- time skip -
Three days later, I was gone. I transferred all my savings to a private banking account where my parents couldn't access. I sold my truck. I packed up everything necessary, turned off my location, cut out my tracker, and left. I told Rai I was going to Spain. I wasn't. Instead, I was going to France. Paris actually.
I remember scribbling a letter on a ripped out notebook page explaining why I left. I remember getting crappy, yet intoxicatingly addictive coffee in the airport. I remember checking my luggage and boarding the plane. I remember arriving in Paris and settling into my previously bought flat. I remember breathing out a sigh of relief before starting to laugh and cry. For the first time in years, I was free.
- time skip -
Present
Rai's Point of View
It's been three years since Henry ran off. I remember the day I found out what really happened. I'd been relaxing in the Man Cave when I was called by the lovely Siren Hart. I picked up the phone, fully prepared to turn on the charm, but before I even had the chance to say 'Hello', Siren frantically asked me if Henry was at work.
I confusedly replied, "No? Isn't Henry in Spain?"
"Spain?" She had yelled. "Why the hell would he be in Spain?"
"Where else would he be? Isn't he on vacation?"
"Vacation." Said Siren rather simply. "Is that what he told you?"
I was beginning to get worried now. "Yes, that's what he told me. What's going on?"
"I woke up this morning to find my son gone, his things gone, all his money from his account had been liquidated. There were clothes in garbage bags entitled, "For Charity", his bed had no sheets, pillows, or blanket, his phone, charger, everything, gone. All that was left was a note." Siren had cried.
"Siren, what did the note say?" I had asked.
"'I'm sorry for whoever this hurts, but I need to start over. I can't be trapped in Swellview forever. I need to be free. I'm sorry. Don't look for me.'" Siren read off.
"What!" I yelled in shock.
"Rai, I don't know what to do! I tried to find his phone but the locator is off! His truck is gone, his money is gone! Everything is gone!"
"Siren, hold on one moment."
I remember quickly putting her on mute and quickly yelling: "Schwoz!"
After filling in the foreign scientist in on the situation. He immediately went to the computers, quickly trying to launch Henry's tracker, hoping that it would tell us where he was. Instead, it read that it was at Henry's house.
"Rai, something is attached to Henry's lamp."
"Is it super small, black and rectangular?" I remember asking.
"Yeah?"
"Siren, there's something I need to tell you. Henry has run away and it's my fault."
"What?"
"Henry is Kid Danger."
"You're joking."
"I'm not. For the last five years, Henry has been Kid Danger, and I think it's finally caught up to him."
"You think he's been kidnapped?" Siren gasped, her worried voice making my heart ache. It wasn't the most pleasant experience to explain to a worried mother that her son had run away and had been lying to her for nearly five years.
"No, nothing of the sort, I think he's finally decided that it's too much and he left."
There was more to the conversation, but that was all I cared to remember now. It hurt hearing Siren cry. It hurt seeing the betrayed faces of Charlotte, Jasper, Piper and Schwoz, and it hurt even more remembering that Henry just left.
- flashback -
Charlotte came down the elevator first. "Hey Rai, what's up?"
Where would I even begin? Oh yeah, hey Charlotte, Henry's gone and I don't think he's coming back. How's your morning going though? You could see my predicament.
"I, uh, well you see, uh, can we wait for the others?" I asked hopefully.
Charlotte gave me a calculating and bewildered look before responding, "Uh, sure?"
She settled on the couch, pulling a book from her bag, though I could tell she wasn't reading it as she was taking a considerably long time to turn a page.
Next was Jasper, he bounded from the elevator, seemingly happy about something or another. "Hey guys! What's up?" He asked.
"With me? Nothing. With Rai? Something, he just won't tell us until Schwoz comes from wherever he is in the Man Cave and Piper and Henry arrive." At the mention of my - former? - sidekick's name, my heart clenched. He wouldn't be arriving, I'm not even sure when I would see him again.
"Suspicious." Jasper joked.
"Maybe he's going to pitch the Man Cave amusement park idea again." Charlotte snickered.
Jasper laughed. "Or maybe he's going to get another obnoxious painting done of himself."
"Or maybe he's finally going on vacation." Charlotte guessed.
As they laughed and spit theories, I felt my heart clench in sadness. Seeing them happy made me remember how sad they were going to be, it broke my heart. Because what was the point in them being happy now if they're going to be sad later? The answer was, of course, because they would be sad later.
Finally Schwoz joined us, sitting uncomfortably next to the two oblivious teenagers. After another five minutes, a very worried and obviously stressed Piper Hart came down the elevator. Her hair wasn't even brushed, just haphazardly thrown into a bun. She had tear stains on her cheeks.
Charlotte was on her feet in less than a second, making long strides to the young blonde. "Piper? What happened?"
"He's gone." Piper whispered. Silently I thanked whatever force was listening that I didn't have to break the news to the two teenagers.
"Who's gone?" Jasper asked worriedly.
"Henry, he left." Piper replied, her tone not changing from that of shock.
"What do you mean he left? He's just gone to Spain." Charlotte explained confusedly.
"No, no he's not. That's what he told us but he's run away. He packed up everything, liquidated his account, he's gone." Piper tearily responded.
Jasper and Charlotte looked at Schwoz and I, waiting for a shocked reaction that was never going to come. "You knew?" Charlotte asked.
"Siren called fifteen minutes before you all arrived." I clarified.
"We're going after him, right? I mean, we have his tracker?" Jasper pointed out.
"We don't, he cut it out." I inform them.
"Well, we can track his phone-"
"It's turned off."
"So we go to Spain! We go all around the world for all I care, we are finding our friend!" Jasper yelled angrily.
"Jasp-"
"How could he do this?" Jasper whispered. "We're his family."
"It's Henry, we've never been able to stop him from doing anything. He- he's just-" Piper stammers, trying to find the right words.
"He never bloody tells us anything! There's always something we don't know about Henry! If he told us what was going on, we could have helped, but no! Instead he runs away to Spain, if that's even where he is!" Charlotte yelled.
"Well, Spain is a good place to start." I sigh.
- time skip -
We went to Spain and of course, never found Henry in Spain. We searched for a long time, but in the end, life keeps moving. If Henry didn't want to be found, we wouldn't find him. Life moved on, the pages kept turning and time kept ticking. It wouldn't be an accurate statement to say that we moved on, but we didn't continue to search like we did. We went back to Swellview, broke the news to Siren and Jake and we kept living. We took down criminals, spent Christmases together, celebrated birthdays. Life kept moving, so, so did we.
But Henry's departure never stopped hurting.
- flashback over -
But what hurt even more was that at this very moment, Henry Hart was sat on a bench listening to music and drinking coffee.
On the first year anniversary of Henry's departure, we'd gone to Charlotte's cabin for the weekend. King Quick came and took care of Swellview for the weekend.
On the second year, we went out of town for a week. Lady Laser came to take care of the town.
But this year, we decided to spring for a bigger vacation. King Quick filled in again. We agreed on Paris. We never thought we'd see Henry again since he was apparently in Spain, and we'd already looked for him in Spain, which is why it was so jarring to see him just casually relaxing in a park in Paris.
Charlotte and Piper were laughing and drinking lattes, discussing where to go next, while Jasper and Schwoz were looking at the map on Jasper's phone. Which is why they didn't notice I had stopped walking, causing Jasper to bump into me.
"Rai? What are you doing?" Charlotte asked, concern on her face.
"He's- Henry- Henry's right there." I gasped, pointing.
They all followed my gaze until they laid eyes on a three years older version of Henry. I don't know what I'd expected, but this wasn't it. He had slightly longer hair which was a bit more fluffy and cropped than it was when it was gelled back. He was taller and more filled out. He even had what looked to be the beginning of a beard, or at least light stubble.
The five of us all had different reactions. Jasper was smiling, relieved to see that his friend was alright. Charlotte held a mixture of relief and annoyance. Schwoz was confused. I was in shock. But Piper, Piper was furious. Before any of us could stop her, she marched over to him, grabbing his attention before slapping him across the face.
He looked at her, nearly choking on his coffee. "Where have you been!" She yelled, annunciating every word. Bed empty, five sentence note, everything gone! You could have been dead for all I knew!"
"Foutre." Henry cursed in French. "Uh, in my defence, I did plan on coming back at some point." He defends weakly.
"Is that supposed to make me feel better? It's been three god damn years! That's three Christmases, three birthdays, thirty six months, one thousand ninety six days, and all without even a word from my older brother. You told us you were in Spain!"
"Piper, can we please go back to my flat, people are staring."
"I don't give a shit!"
"Excusez-nous, désolé." Henry apologises to the onlooking people. "Mon sœur est un peu folle."
"And when the hell did you learn French?" Piper demands.
"I've been living in Paris for three years. What did you expect?" He cooly responds.
"I think she expected you to be in Spain." I finally spoke up.
Henry looked beyond his sister, finally noticing that it wasn't just his sister in Paris. "Foutre- this- this is not how I wanted this to go, so can we please go back to my flat?"
"Fine, but don't you think for a moment that this is over." Piper sneers.
- time skip -
When we entered Henry's home, it hit me by surprise. It looked nothing like how Henry's room looked back in Swellview. It was a studio flat with large windows. The view was spectacular. You could even see the Eiffel Tower. His flat was mostly neutral tones. His couch was brown leather that seemed to have gotten darker in some spots, no doubt from coffee stains. The walls were green and lined with bookcases. One of them was dedicated to us. There were photos of him and his sister, him and Jasper and Charlotte of the day they went to the pier, there was one of myself and him passed out on the couch after a late night mission, and so many calls that day. And then there was one of us all together. The other bookcases were lined with books. It's weird, I never knew Henry read so much, but now that I look at it, the books were all in French. He was probably trying to get better at the language.
By the couch was a table that held a lamp and a coffee mug in the shape of an octopus, which I remember him naming Mildred. Charlotte had given him for his seventeenth birthday, the last birthday we got to spend with him. Henry had left four months before his eighteenth birthday.
Besides the living room, there was a small kitchen that still had dishes in the sink as well as a bathroom that was somewhat obstructed by the door being almost shut. I could see Henry's bedroom.
"Sorry if it's a little messy, I didn't expect company." Henry said. You know, I had heard him talk before now, but it's only now that I realise that he's adopted something of a slight French accent.
"Yeah, speaking of which, when the bloody hell did you expect to see us again!" Charlotte snaps.
Henry opens and shuts his mouth like a fish. It would have been comical if it weren't for the issue at hand. Finally he replies, "I'm not sure."
Piper chuckles a deep and menacing laugh. "You're not sure? Really? Is that the best you got? Henry it's been three years without so much of a text!"
"I did send one text." Henry defends himself.
"Yeah! It read 'I'm alive, don't bother searching for me.', what the hell Henry? You were gone for two weeks before you sent that text! And even that was from a burner phone so we couldn't track you down." Jasper yelled. "Like what the hell were we supposed to do if something happened? How were we supposed to contact you?"
"My phone never stopped working." He responded quietly, voice edged with guilt. "I got and read every text you ever sent."
If Piper was mad before, it was nothing in comparison to now. Her cheeks heated to a violent red colour, her eyes wild. When she spoke, it was quiet, cold and deadly. "You got every message?" She growled.
"Uh, yeah, I did." Henry replied sheepishly.
"Ok, Piper, take a breather before someone gets hurt." Charlotte says, taking the younger Hart out into the hallway. Just before she walked out the door, she turned around. "But don't think I'm done with you."
"Henry mate, what happened? You just left?" Jasper asked, emotion filling his tone.
"I just couldn't take it anymore. Everything was just getting to be too much, I just- I couldn't do it anymore. I didn't like the normalcy of it anymore. I just- I outgrew Swellview."
"So let me get this straight. You packed up everything, told us you were going to cash in your vacation time to go to Spain, instead you went to Paris, left a note and only told us you were alive, because everything was too normal? That's it?" Schwoz confirmed.
"A sugar coated version of what happened but yes."
"I'm gonna kill this kid." I state.
"Look, I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but if I did, you would have talked me out of it, and I probably would have stayed working with you, and I would probably have more PTSD and anxiety than I already have and-"
"Wait what? PTSD? You don't have PTSD." I exclaim, we never did anything that warranted post traumatic stress disorder. "That doesn't make any sense. If you're going to argue your point, at least don't lie."
Henry's cheeks heated in what I thought was embarrassment at being caught in a lie. "What do you mean, 'That doesn't make any sense'?" Oh I was very wrong. That was definitely not embarrassment. It was Henry's turn to be angry now. "I wake up from nightmares so bad that I'm crying! I lived in constant fear that a criminal was going to figure out who I was and who my family are! Over the course of five years I broke bones, I bled, I cried and I felt pain like no other! But physical pain had nothing on this! I had anxiety so bad that I could barely sleep a night without nightmares!" He snapped. "You know what? Will you look at this!" He quickly rummaged through his couch side drawer before procuring a medicine bottle filled halfway with small, circular white pills. He angrily threw them at my chest.
I briefly looked away from my angry - former? - friend to retrieve the bottle from the floor and read the label.
Nom: Henry Hart
Date de Naissance: 03/11/2002
Adresse: Boulogne Billancourt
Date Prescrite: 29/09/2019
Dernière Date de Recharge: 17/09/2022
Ordonnance: Lexapro (10mg, 30 comprimés)
"Yeah I can't read this." I deadpan.
"It's a prescription for Lexapro dumbass." Henry snapped. "I got a prescription seven days after arriving in Paris. I just had to get it filled as I already had the prescription, but you have to realise that my anxiety was so bad that I had to go on medication. And I'm still on it. You may have given me a few fun years but you screwed me up man, our crimefighting adventures destroyed my mental health. I was so broken that I ran away 8,892 kilometres. I ran all the way to Paris, that's how trapped I felt." Piper and Charlotte had rejoined us now, clearly having heard the commotion.
"Kid you could have talked to me." I point out, though my case was starting to seem weaker and weaker, I had no idea Henry felt this way.
"Oh I could have talked to you, could I? Merde, pourquoi j'y ai pas pensé? Oh yeah! I did!"
"Real quick, I only got two thirds of that." Jasper added.
"I did talk to you!" Henry yelled. "I tried to talk to you four years ago, when we were bringing Whistling Susie, or we thought we were bringing Whistling Susie out to the desert. You started out listening, sure, but then, do you remember what you did?"
"I fell asleep." I admitted shamefully.
"Tu t'es endormi! Tu putain š'est endormi!" Henry yelled. Though I don't speak French, I'm sure Henry wasn't speaking very kindly.
"Ok, none of us know French." Charlotte pointed out.
"That's the bloody point!"
"Look Henry, I can't change what I did four years ago, but that's in the past-"
"No it's not. Not really. I spend late insomnia induced nights trying to think of what I did that would have caused you not to care about my mental health. Were you awake when I told you that sometimes I wished I wasn't Kid Danger, that I had just left and never turned back? No? Were you awake when I told you I wished that I had ran off with the Wall Dogs when I had the chance? No? You weren't? What about when I said that sometime's I wished that Mark's electric abilities killed me? No Rai, you weren't. Because if you did, we wouldn't be having this conversation in Paris putain de France!" He roared.
"Henry please." Piper begged, which was a weird sentence to even think about because Piper never begged.
He ignored her. "Tu viens dans ma ville, me gifle, je t'ai invité chez moi, seulement pour être rabaissé et horriblement traité. J'explique pourquoi je suis parti et pourquoi je suis content de l'avoir fait, seulement pour que vous essayiez de minimiser mon traumatisme. J'en ai marre. Pars s'il te plait." Henry rants wildly, gesturing just as intensely. Not once faltering as he rants at top speed in his - what? - third language. "Je n'ai aucun intérêt à entendre vos cas faibles pour ignorer ma santé mentale."
"Henry-" Schwoz started.
"Please leave." Henry ordered, his voice going from passion and fire to cold and unnervingly calm. I go to speak when he cuts me off. "Leave my home."
"Henry please, we haven't seen you in years, can't we just have a word?" Charlotte begged.
"You want a word? Sure: Leave."
I couldn't look at Henry's cold eyes. They were so unforgiving and pained. So, we left.
- time skip -
Henry's Point of View
As they shut the door behind them, I felt the tears that had threatened to fall finally let go. I understood their pain of me abandoning them for three years without so much as a call, but who did they think they were? How did they get off on belittling my PTSD?
I looked at the Mildred the octopus mug sitting innocently on my couch side table. I picked it up, anger boiling to the surface. I moved to hurl the pink mug at the wall but it just wouldn't leave my hand. I look down at it again.
- flashback -
"Alright! Last one!" Charlotte announced as she handed me a box wrapped in octopus wrapping paper. I smiled at her as Jasper threw another ball of paper at me, acting way too innocent whenever I tried to catch him.
I unwrapped the box handing the paper to Jasper knowing it would only be ripped, crumpled and tossed back at me. I take the pocket knife from beside me and slit the tape on the cardboard box. When I finally had it open, I pulled out an octopus shaped mug. I smiled at my oldest friend as I examined the mug. It was a weird mug but I couldn't say I didn't like it.
"I love it." I thank her.
"I knew you would." Charlotte grinned.
"Where did you even get this?" I joked, for the first time in a long time, feeling at ease.
"Down at the pier. Remember there was that little shop of weird that you and Jasper found creepy? Well Piper and I went inside and I found that mug and I knew I had to get it for you."
I smile at her. "You know me too well." I grin.
"I love you man." Charlotte smiled.
- flashback over -
I couldn't do it. I looked at the mug in all of it's weird glory. Sure they hurt me in the past and didn't understand my mental health issues, but was that really worth destroying friendships over? After all, I was the one who up and ran away all the way to Paris.
I hadn't even contacted my parents. They had no idea where their son was, how I was doing, or even if I was still alive. I had to call them. I had to let them know that I was ok. I reach into my pocket and retrieve my phone.
Hesitantly, I click 'Mom'. It rings a couple times, which isn't odd because I did get a new phone number, I just had messages from my other number, my old number, come in on my laptop. I can understand why my mother would be hesitant to pick up a +33 France area coded number, but she did.
"Hello?" My mother answers.
He soft voice flooded over me, making me feel like I was floating in memories of my childhood when she would smile at me and tell me how much she loved me. I almost didn't answer I was that effected by the simple sound of my mother's voice.
"Mom?"
I hear a gasp on the other end. "Henry? Is that really you?" She whispered, sounding both relieved and utterly shocked.
"Yeah Mom, it's me."
I don't know what I expected, maybe a 'I love you so much' or a 'I've missed you so much'. Instead, I got: "Where the hell have you been? Do you know how horrible it was to find my only son gone?" She yelled into my ear. "What the hell were you thinking? For three bloody years I had no idea if you were alive or dead! Do you know how that feels? No! Because you could always keep tabs on us, while we had no idea if you were even in America!" She shouts.
"Mom-" I try to intervene.
"And on top of that, I find out you were Kid Danger! How many bloody times have you lied to us about an injury or where you were? Every time we saw Kid Danger get hurt and nearly killed on television, only for me to find out that all this time it was you! You told us that you were working a junk shop! Being Kid Danger is a far cry from working at a junk shop."
"Mom-" I try again.
"What the hell was I supposed to do Henry! You were my baby! Are you even in university?"
"Yes, I'm taking criminology at the Institut de Criminologie de Paris." Finally able to get more than one word out without being interrupted.
"I'm sorry, you're where?" My mother screeches, forcing me to pull the phone away from my ear, wincing.
"Paris." I admit.
"Please tell me you mean Paris as in Ontario, Canada, North America." My mother begged though we both knew the real answer.
"Er, no, Paris as in France, Europe." I awkwardly reply.
"For fu-" She muffles the phone as she lets out a string of obscene curses.
"I'm really sorry Mom."
"You better be sorry."
"Am I in trouble?" I ask. It was pretty pathetic though, for the last three years I haven't had to answer to anyone or be in trouble with anyone, now, it feels like my mother has control over me again.
"You bet you're in trouble!"
"I'm really sorry," I repeat.
"Good-"
"Let me finish. I'm really sorry I hurt you and our family, but I'm not sorry that I left."
"I beg your pardon?" Gods she sounded just like my friends.
"I needed a new start. So a few months before I left I applied to the Institut de Criminologie de Paris, or the Paris Institute of Criminology. I got accepted and well, here I am. I'm on my third year."
"Uh, no, you are coming home right now!" My mother fumed.
"I hate to break it to you Mom, but I am home. This has been my home for three years."
"Henry, you don't even speak French." My mother retorts.
"Oh ouais? Je vis en France depuis trois ans, bien sûr je sais parler français!" I respond.
"Ok fine, so you speak French, but are you really going to stay in Paris when your family misses you? I mean when was the last time you saw Piper? Charlotte? Jasper?" My mother argues.
"Well, lets think, I left three years ago on the dot two days ago. So if you carry the one... multiply the three..." I respond sarcastically. "I'd say about thirty minutes ago."
"Thirty minutes ago? Of course, their yearly vacation. I never connected the dots. So, what? You saw them, you must realise how much they miss you. Can't you stop being so selfish and just come home?"
I brush past the selfish part for now. "Mom, what I'm doing is important to me, I know it's not what you had in mind for me but I love my life, even if it's not in Swellview."
"Henry-"
"And I'm finishing school here and I already have job opportunities lined up, though I'm thinking of applying to law school."
"But can't you-"
"No, I plan to go to Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, or just the Sorbonne Law School if that's easier to pronounce."
"Look Hen, I can't say I'm not upset, but if this is what you really want, I can't stop you. All I ask is that you come home for the holidays."
A smile slips on my face, "Do you mean that?" I ask.
"You're my son, Henry, all a good mother wants is for her child to be happy. If this is what makes you happy, then I'm happy for you." My mother replies, though she was thousands of kilometres, 8,892 kilometres to be exact, but I could see her smile.
"I'll be home for the holidays." I say softly, happy that my mother was finally on board with my life choices.
"But I want you to do one thing for me." Said my mother.
My face fell. "What?"
"Call your friends back." She ordered.
"Pardon?"
"Call your friends back." She repeated.
"How did you know I sent them away?"
"Because I know my son, Henry."
"D'accord, je le ferai, mais je ne prétendrai pas en être heureux." I mutter.
"Henry, I don't speak French."
"Fine, I will." I groan.
"I'll talk with you later."
"Bye Mom. I love you."
"I love you too."
Dial tone.
Sighing, I dial my sisters number.
It barely had time to ring before a response was heard on the other end. "Henry?" Piper asks quickly.
"Hi." I respond just as quickly.
"Are you ok?" She asks, a sincere tone messing up her vibe of 'I could care less' that she carried with her.
"No."
"Yeah, I didn't think so." Replied Piper.
"I'm sorry for blowing up at you... in French no less."
"Yeah, that was weird, but also, you shouldn't have to apologise, it's your life, I shouldn't be trying to tell you how to live it." Piper responded.
"I'm sorry I left you all, but I needed to get away."
"I get that, but why did you have to lie about where you were going?"
"Oh please, we both know if I told you I was going to Paris, you would have came and dragged me back to Swellview."
"I know, but why did you have to tell us that you were in Spain of all places?" Piper asked, she had a laugh to her tone, but I could hear the underlining pain.
"I speak Spanish, so it was the first thing that came to my mind." I responded.
"When did you learn Spanish?"
"Long story. Like if it was an episode of a television show, it would take at least 23 minutes to watch."
"That's a really odd way to say something but we were just about to go out for supper, you could join us."
"Where?"
"I don't know how to pronounce it." Replied Piper.
"Alright, I'll come. Where are you staying?"
"May Sun All Bar Hotels le Diamond?"
I laughed at her horrible mispronunciation. "Maison Albar Hotels Le Diamond." I correct her.
"Oh, well, can you meet us there?"
I smile, "Yeah, I can meet you there."
- time skip -
I adjusted my jacket as I got off my bike. I pull my helmet off and shake out my hair so it's not a mess of helmet hair. I look around for them only to see five jaws on the ground. I walk over to them.
"What?"
"When did you learn to ride a motorcycle?" Charlotte asked, startling everyone else out of their stupors.
"When I sold my truck." I responded simply.
"Henry Hart! Why the hell are you riding a motorcycle instead of using a car!" Rai yelled.
"Because it's faster." I replied simply.
"I- I'm going to kill him." Rai whispered.
"Look, let's just go to dinner, there's this great place called O'Bergine."
"Ok, let's go, but we can ask you questions when we do have dinner?" Piper interfered.
A reluctant smile forces it's way onto my face. "Yeah, definitely."
- time skip -
"So, how long have you been living in your flat?" Jasper asked.
"Since I moved here. I bought it before I left town." I answered, taking a sip of wine that nobody else had bothered to touch. Though, to be fair, wine is an acquired taste, a taste I had acquired from living in one of the most famous cities associated with wine.
"Are you in university?" Rai asked.
"Yeah, Institut de Criminologie de Paris."
"English?"
"Oh, uh, the Paris Institute of Criminology."
"You're taking criminology?" Schwoz asked, suddenly very interested in the conversation.
"And psychology. After that I plan to go to Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, or just Sorbonne Law if that's easier to pronounce."
"Law, you never struck me as the lawyer type." Rai mused.
"I grew up a lot in the past three years. I realised that if I couldn't stop criminals anymore with all my PTSD, the least I could do is try to make sure they never got out of prison."
"I'm proud of you." Piper smiled.
"You know, so am I."
"Wait, wait, wait, you need to tell me everything you know about the human psychology! I never thought there would be a day where you knew more about a topic in science that me."
"I don't know if I should take offence or not, but maybe later, I don't think the others want to listen to the ins and outs of human psychology, ok maybe Charlotte does, but now now."
"Ok, so what do you want to talk about?" Jasper asked.
"Well, I'm sure you still have a lot of questions."
"You're right, we do. So, are you dating anyone?" Rai asked, wiggling his eyebrows.
I smile. "No, but I did. Their name was Adel Rousseau, you would have liked them."
"Why'd it end?" Jasper asked.
"Uh, they moved."
"Moved where?" Charlotte asked.
I crack a grin. "Ironically, Swellview."
"That is pretty ironic." Piper mused.
Jasper suddenly looked like they had an epiphany. "Wait, wait, Adel?" I nod. "Adel as in they use they/she pronouns, Adel?" Nod. "Adel as in they always have a different colour in the hair every month?" Nod again. "Adel as in the one from France."
"Yes, Jasper, Adel who uses they/she pronouns, who last time I saw her had pale pink hair, who lived in France."
"The one who said she used to date a guy named 'Enri?" He confirmed.
I laugh. "They never could get the first letter of my name."
"Damn, she's in one of my classes at Memorial University of Swellview!"
"Really? How are they?" I asked, happy that I at least have one connection to my hometown now.
"They're great! She has robin egg blue hair now." I look at Jasper curiously. "I'm studying art."
"Ah." I smile. "She mentioned wanting to study art."
Just as Jasper was about to comment on my ex, the waitress arrives at the table.
"Ah, bonjour, je m'appelle Colette et je suis votre serveur aujourd'hui. Voici vos menus, je serai de retour dans une dizaine de minutes." The waitress says, handing us all a menu.
"Merci, nous ne serons pas très longs." I reply.
"Bien sûr, je reviens sous peu."
As the waitress leaves, my friends look at me expectantly. "Oh yes, sorry, she said that these are the menus and that she will be back in roughly ten minutes." I translate.
"Awesome, well, I don't speak French but these options sound fancy." Rai pointed out.
"Well, that's because they are. But, Charlotte, I recommend the les raviolis épinards et feta." I recommend.
"Uh huh, and what is an épinards?" Charlotte asks skeptically.
"Spinach."
"Ooh, that sounds interesting, and just to be clear, it's feta and spinich ravioli?" She asks. I nod. She nods back before going back to looking at the menu as if she could read it.
"Jasper, le saumon coho. It's an oven roasted salmon with pesto, you'll like it."
"Oh I love salmon!" Jasper exclaimed.
"I know you do. Rai, might I suggest macaroni fumé au fromage avec bacon et ciboulette. Which is smoked macaroni and cheese with bacon and chives."
"Uh huh, and what are chives?" Rai asked.
"They're similar to green onions."
"That sounds pretty good."
"Schwoz, might I recommend the riz crémeux au citron avec porc effiloché. Which is a creamy lemon rice with pulled pork."
"Alright." Schwoz agreed.
"Ok, now me!" Piper announced.
"For you dear sister, I recommend coquille moins d'escargots."
Charlotte nearly choked on her soda in laughter.
"Sounds interesting, what is it?"
I take a sip of my wine. "Snails." I grin.
Piper nearly gagged. "Please tell me you're joking!" Piper loudly exclaimed.
"Yeah, I'm joking. Canard croustillant servi avec une sauce au vin blanc. Which is crispy duck served with a white wine sauce."
"And what are you having?" Rai asked.
"Medium rare steak."
"So, let me get this straight, you gave us all the long French name for everything but when you tell us what you're having, it's just, 'Medium rare steak.'? Where's the French word?" Rai laughed.
"Alright, steal mi-saignant." I chuckle.
"So, tell us about your life! We haven't seen you in a long time. We missed so much, so tell us."
"Uh, ok, well I got here the day after I left, layover stops and what not. I remember feeling an overwhelming feeling of freedom, no offence."
"None taken I think?" Jasper responded.
"Well it wasn't supposed to be offensive. It's not that I was running from you guys, it's just that I was running from a life I felt trapped in. That sounded bad. What I meant was that I felt relieved to be away from everything in my old life. Not you guys! I hated leaving you guys, it's just-"
"We get it kid. You needed to escape, and as much as it shatter me, us, it was what was best for you."
"I just wish I didn't have to leave you guys." I murmur.
"Then why did you? Leave us I mean. You could have told us, could've stayed in contact." Jasper stated.
Before I could respond with another longwinded explanation of my desperation to leave my past behind me, Piper answers. "He couldn't have. He wouldn't have. He never would have been able to leave if he knew how much we were missing him. He never would have been able to stay away if he knew just how much we were hurting, that is if he had even been able to leave." Piper explained, gripping my hand in hers.
"But, I think I'm ready to have you all back in my life, if that's ok with you of course."
They smiled at me. "We'd love nothing more." Schwoz replied.
That night, we ate, drank and had fun, and though there was a lot to make up for from the last three years, I just know that we would be ok.
Oh my gods I am so sorry! I thought I hit publish last night but I didn't! I'm sorry for being so absent lately, I've been so busy. I hope you all have had a wonderful summer, and I hope you are having a wonderful day... or night I guess depending on where you are in the world. It's 1:51 in London right now so I should probably be sleeping... eh.
Cheers!