Exchange Student
Chapter 1: Moving in
Paris was not what I had in mind for my senior year of high school. I moved to Paris over the summer as a full year exchange student from Houston, Texas. Being an American exchange student was hard enough for me to graduate, but to actually be in a school full of French students, let alone being socially awkward, is just nerve racking! And I'm in here for my whole senior year? What was my mom even thinking? I know my mom is a worker for the Student Exchange Program, but this is rediculous!
Maybe it wouldn't be too bad, seeing how everything is around this city. It's Paris, the city of lights! With music, food, and fun that I could definitely enjoy this school year. But all that isn't going to change one bit of what's going to happen for the next week, the beggining of my next, and last, school year.
But moving in wasn't too bad. When I got to Paris, I waited in the airport for my new exchange family. I felt like I waited three hours, so I check my phone to see what time it was. Turns out three hours was only twenty five minutes when my exchange family came. "That was fast," I thought to myself, "how'd they manage to get here?" My new parents looked like a normal family, my new dad a buff man with a brown hair and mustache (Marinette's dad), and a woman with a dark blue, almost black, colored hair and an outfit that looks like it was made in China (Marinette's mom).
We all greeted each other and I told them my name, which is Fauna by the way, and told them a little about myself. They had a translator with them, who is a nice guy named Trevace, who I was also told that he was from America too, and also a highschool student, like me. He translated everything my new parents were saying about my new life and daily schedule, even how I was going to be a sister for the rest of the year. I wasn't surprised, since I have three siblings on my dad's side, two brothers and one sister, who I took care of since they were little, my youngest brother being born a year after my seventeenth birthday.
Three hours went by and I went to my new home, which is also a bakery close to the school. The aroma of bread, cookies and cakes galore hit me like a breath of fresh air. I could tell I was going to like it here. My new mother called out to the girl who was going to be my new sister. "Marinette," she called, "We're back!" The voice upstairs shouted back "Coming, Mom!" I sighed, knowing to wait for my new sister to come down. She did just that, with her dark blue haird pigtails, and she looked at me as if I were someone she didn't expect to see.
"Maybe the outfit was too much," I said to myself, looking down at my shortsleved, grey Wonder Woman T-shirt with light blue skinny jeans. I looked back up at her to see her squealing like a fan girl, "Oh my gosh," she said, running up to me and hugging me tight, "You didn't tell me you were adopting me a big sister!" I had my eyes widened, "Adopt," I thought to myself, "was I being adoped in this program?!" Her dad chuckled and said, "No, honey. She is an exchange student, meaning that she will only stay for the school year. But she will be your big sister for the school year." "Oh," Marinette replied with a sad look. I felt bad for her so I gave her a reassuring look and said, "Don't worry. I'll make sure it will be the best year you've ever had!" Of course being French, she didn't know what I was saying until Trevace translated it to her. Then she understood, "Oh, OK." She then shouted for joy and ran up to her room to clean up her room and put in the extra bed.
Her parents told me what times to go to bed and wake up for school, and the rules and regulations of the household. After that I went up to my new room with my new roommate/sister and pulled out my laptop. It had the background of Yoshi Young, a boy in my original high school who I had a crush on. I sighed when I looked at that picture, being the youngest male model of Gazette magazine. Then I went to my Video chat and called my mom. Her face was on the screen, having long, dark brown, curly hair like mine except longer. "Hi, honey," she said, smiling at the camera, "how was the flight?" "Great, Mom," I reply, flipping my hair out of the way, "I got here safely. And I met my new family for the new year."
Mom nodded, "That's great, dear. Be sure to do what they say around here, always keep up the good work and sing very well." "I will," I replied, knowing that my true passion is music, "And I will keep my voice in tact too." Mom nodded, "Good, I love you." I gave her a blow kiss from my laptop camera, "I love you too." We said our goodbye and then I closed my video chat.
Marinette had an electronic translator and translated her question which was "That was your mom?" I nodded yes, and then she typed another question, "Do you know any songs from France? I overheard you loved to sing, so I was wondering." Luckily I had my translator on my phone so I can translate back, then I said "No, I only know English songs." "Oh," she said back, "OK. I was just wondering." I typed, "Would you like to hear one of my videos?" Now she nodded yes and I went back to my laptop. I then went to my video file and showed her one of my cover songs from Rocket Wild, an artist that I listen to. She saw one where I was singing 'Color Code' by that artist and she was amazed. She then typed into her translator very quickly, "Wow! You are so incredible!" The only word I was able to say without my translator was "thank you."