Paris was a culture shock. I wasn't used to it- any of it. The language,
the people, the food- especially the living on my own. Sure, I had been
living in my own house since I was 21, but I always had Robb and mom and
dad and Nina and Gus. Now I had me and that was it. Me and the ghostly
image of someone I had lost- who had lost me.
Since I was little I always wanted to be like Jo in Little woman by Louisa May Alcott. I always wanted to be one of the guys and write fabulous plays and then move to New York and fall in love with a gorgeous teacher who was everyth9ing I had needed. Well, I had done some of that- I was a writer and I had fallen in love with MY professor. But it just wasn't like the book. It never was.
"Hi. My name is Josie Gellar and I'm from Chicago. That's all the way back in America. I'm 17, and I'm here because my dad sent me to live with my aunt for a year. Only now my aunt is dead, and I'm stuck here until I have enough money to get back home." Even to me it sounded like a lame lie- but that's what Gus had wanted me to tell everybody. I stood there at the podium, looking at a sea of teenage faces, some with the glazed, stoned look in their eyes, others paying so close attention it was laughable. It was my first day at this new private school. I couldn't even pronounce the name, since I spoke no French. I didn't know what to do. Luckily I was able to get the American translation of all my textbooks, and I had a host that spoke well enough English, but I still was back to feeling like an outsider. The lonely feeling in the pit of my stomach reminded me of high school. I did what I always did when I got that lonely feeling- I started to do crafts. So right after school that day I headed to the nearest craft store and bought myself a brand new scrapbook. I picked up my mail and headed home, where I was praying a call from Aldys would be waiting. I was so happy for her now- she and Guy were finally going out and I knew that's what she wanted, as much as she had always tried to tell me differently. I was hoping she would call and let me know how everything was back in South Glen. But it wasn't Aldys's voice on my machine when I got home.
That voice. The deep voice that wound his words like only an English teacher could. I hadn't heard that voice in at least. a month. I hadn't been expecting him to call- ever. And now here that voice was, telling me how sorry he was and how much he wanted to see me. And I wanted to see him. More than anything I wanted to see him. But he didn't leave a number and I had no idea how to reach him. I guess it just wasn't meant to be. Fate was pulling us in two different directions, and as much as we wanted to double cross fate and go back the way we came, it's just wasn't possible. There is nothing harder to do than cross fate. And so I picked up my mail and my bag of crafts, but for once the cutting of backboard didn't soothe me.
Since I was little I always wanted to be like Jo in Little woman by Louisa May Alcott. I always wanted to be one of the guys and write fabulous plays and then move to New York and fall in love with a gorgeous teacher who was everyth9ing I had needed. Well, I had done some of that- I was a writer and I had fallen in love with MY professor. But it just wasn't like the book. It never was.
"Hi. My name is Josie Gellar and I'm from Chicago. That's all the way back in America. I'm 17, and I'm here because my dad sent me to live with my aunt for a year. Only now my aunt is dead, and I'm stuck here until I have enough money to get back home." Even to me it sounded like a lame lie- but that's what Gus had wanted me to tell everybody. I stood there at the podium, looking at a sea of teenage faces, some with the glazed, stoned look in their eyes, others paying so close attention it was laughable. It was my first day at this new private school. I couldn't even pronounce the name, since I spoke no French. I didn't know what to do. Luckily I was able to get the American translation of all my textbooks, and I had a host that spoke well enough English, but I still was back to feeling like an outsider. The lonely feeling in the pit of my stomach reminded me of high school. I did what I always did when I got that lonely feeling- I started to do crafts. So right after school that day I headed to the nearest craft store and bought myself a brand new scrapbook. I picked up my mail and headed home, where I was praying a call from Aldys would be waiting. I was so happy for her now- she and Guy were finally going out and I knew that's what she wanted, as much as she had always tried to tell me differently. I was hoping she would call and let me know how everything was back in South Glen. But it wasn't Aldys's voice on my machine when I got home.
That voice. The deep voice that wound his words like only an English teacher could. I hadn't heard that voice in at least. a month. I hadn't been expecting him to call- ever. And now here that voice was, telling me how sorry he was and how much he wanted to see me. And I wanted to see him. More than anything I wanted to see him. But he didn't leave a number and I had no idea how to reach him. I guess it just wasn't meant to be. Fate was pulling us in two different directions, and as much as we wanted to double cross fate and go back the way we came, it's just wasn't possible. There is nothing harder to do than cross fate. And so I picked up my mail and my bag of crafts, but for once the cutting of backboard didn't soothe me.