Hi guys! This is my first fic...so no flames plz! Henri's 11 years old in this, Sarah is 18, and James is 17. I'm very sorry to say that our Ben Franklin has passed away. On with the fic!

chapter 1: A Little Joke Between Friends

"Wake up!"

Henri groaned. Sarah's shrill British voice had startled him. He looked at the sundial on his desk. It was 7:30. "Why did you wake me up so early, Sarah?" he asked groggily. "I thought you knew," she answered through the door. "There's a new reporter for the Gazette, and she's supposed to arrive today, in a couple of hours, actually. I wish that you will be nice to her. You might know her, even," she added with a grin. Henri, with a puzzled look on his face, reluctantly got out of bed and shuffled to his washroom.

"What's wrong, son? You're usually done with your porridge by now!" Moses exclaimed. "Oh, uh, nothing," Henri quickly replied. He sighed. "All right. When I was little, before my parents died, I had this friend. She was my best friend, and we would play together every single day. Then, when I ran away, she promised me she would come to see me as soon as she could. But she never came. I just wish I could see her again." "What was her name?" Sarah inquired. "Oh, what was it again...oh yes! Her name was Cecile." James dropped his spoon with a clatter. "What's wrong with you?" Henri said. "You looked like you just saw a ghost...or a girl!" He chuckled knowingly. James gave him a look, not exactly a what-are-you-talking-about look, but more of a don't-talk-about-it-right-now-with-her-here look. "Well," he said. "Let's go pick up our new recruit!"

About an hour later, James, Sarah, and Henri were on their way to the ship. James and Sarah were laughing uncontrollably, and Henri could not understand why.

On the ship, the new girl was writing in her notebook, a letter to her friend:

Dear Henri,
By the time you get this letter, you will have realized that I am the new reporter. I'm sorry I haven't written to you very often, but now I won't even have to write to you at all, because I'm here in America! I hope you can read this, because I know you've written to me telling me all about your friends, and learning a new language and how to read. I, too, have learned English, from my teacher.
I miss you very much, and I hope that your new friends will accept me as part of their country, as I...well...you know already. No need for me to explain it again.

Your true friend forever,
Cecile, aka La Fille D'amant

end chapter 1

Translation to La Fille D'amant : Lover Girl. You'll see why she writes this in the next chapter.