by Amanda Adair
She waved at me but then turned to the secretary’s office.
FRANCINE
I need to get my schedule. See you
Right. She didn’t have her schedule yet. It wasn’t until I sat in the classroom, listened to Mr. Hernández, that I realized two things. (1) I forgot to tell Francine that French is extracurricular at Maywood and that it isn’t taught until the eleventh grade. I didn’t know if she speaks French. (2) I might have forgotten how miserable my life is during summer, but I then remembered. My life was still that miserable chaotic piece of shit that it was before. Nothing had changed. That day I entered the school building with a smile that disappeared after ten minutes of the first class.
“Collect your books at the library later on,” I heard Mr. Hernández say. “And bring them on Wednesday.”
Francine texted me that she wanted to meet me for lunch. I agreed. When I entered the cafeteria, alone, I saw her at the counter, filling her plate with salad. She waved at me, but I froze and stopped walking. Next to her stood Tammy. Again, Francine waved. She probably thought I hadn’t seen her.
I waved back and smiled. Tammy squinted her eyes. I knew what she was thinking. She made it obvious with her facial expression, her body language. Why the hell does she wave at that looser? Why would anyone actually want to talk to me, know me, hang out with me? It was in that very moment that I knew if Francine leaves me behind as well, I would lose my mind.
“Hey,” Francine said as she walked towards me, with Tammy following her.
“Hi,” I said. “How is your first day?”
“Great,” she said. “Do you know Tamara?” Francine looked behind her. Tammy still looked annoyed.
“Yes,” I answered.
“How do you know each other?,” Tammy asked. On her tray she had fries and a burger.
I looked at her. “My father works with her host mom. How do you know each other?”
I never talk to Tammy or her clique, and I was proud that I didn’t freak out. Sometimes my heart begins to race when they approach me. Because of fear. Because I never know what they’re up to, or because I know they’re up to no good.
“We’re in Ms. Neiman’s biology class,” Francine said. “Do you know her?”
“She’s strict, isn’t she,” Tammy said to Francine.
“I don’t know her,” I said.
“So, we’re going to Tammy’s after school,” Francine told me and smiled.
For some more truth or dare? I had to think of the night that ruined everything. The picture was still out there. Most of the students still sent it around, saved it, copied it and laughed about it.
“Okay, cool,” I said.
“Let’s sit down,” Francine said. While walking towards a table she told me, ”Do you wanna come?”
No. “Yeah.”
Francine, Tammy and I sat at one of the round tables, and ate, as Piper and Penelope appeared in front of us. I put down my fork.
“What are you doing?,” Piper asked and gave Tammy that why-do-you-sit-with-Sammy-look.
“This,” Tammy said and pointed at Francine, who sat between us, “is Francine. She’s from Marseille in France. She’s new.”
“Francine,” Piper repeated. “That is so funny, Francine from France.”
“I know, right?,” said Francine and smiled.
Piper and Penelope walked past me and all the way to the other side of the table and sat down next to Tammy. I wasn’t sure what would happen. I thought about it. (1) As soon as they realize Francine is my friend they could turn down both of us. (2) They could accept Francine in their group and make her abandon me, show her the photo of my breasts and laugh at me together.
“I’d love to travel to France,” Penelope said and started eating her salad.
“I’ve been there twice,” Piper said. I didn’t know she liked traveling.
“Where?,” Francine asked.
“Paris,” she replied. “And Monaco.”
“That’s not in France,” Francine corrected her.
“Oh, well,” Piper said, “somehow it is, France is all around Monaco, isn’t it?” She starts laughing.
“Kind of,” Francine said. They seem to get along, for now. “I already told Samantha I want to go to Las Vegas this year.”
“Amazing,” Piper said. “Love it there.”
“You’ve been everywhere, huh?”
Piper gave Francine a shocked look. “No, I have lots of places left on my travel bucket list. London, Moscow, Tokyo.”
“You should come to France then,” Francine suggested, “we can do a trip through Europe. All of us.” She even looked at me for a second.
Was that it, the moment I had been waiting for? The moment I would finally make friends in Maywood, belong to a group, become popular?
Tammy just nodded. “I want to see London so badly.”
Was that my opportunity to fit in? Or to be accepted at least? Really?
“I’m done,” Piper announced. “See you after class.”
“What’s your next class?,” Francine asked me just when Piper and Penelope got up.
“Math.”
“So do we,” she said.
That afternoon I didn’t feel alone. I wasn’t alone. Francine sat next to me during math. Tammy and Anna sat next to her. Most of the others were interested in the pretty blonde girl from France with the cute accent.
“French accents are so nice,” I heard Elliot, who technically had a girlfriend, whisper.
“Imagine her screaming your name with that accent,” Jason answered.
I rolled my eyes when I heard it.
The guys obviously liked her. After class, while we all walked to Tammy’s, Francine told me Tammy’s mom was had been a famous newscaster, but then she married Tammy’s Dad, a businessman. She then became a fulltime housewife to take care of Tamara, her older sister Zita and her younger brother George. How did Francine already know that much about her? I didn’t even know if Francine had divorced parents or siblings.
“Do you have any brothers or sisters?,” I finally asked because it bothered me so much that I didn’t know that.
“No, I am a,” she said and stopped, searching for the right expression.
“An only child,” I said.
“Yup,” she said.
“Sometimes it’s easier not to have any siblings,” Piper interfered. She put her arm around Francine’s shoulders.
“Piper, right?,” Francine asked.
“Piper Flores,” she answered. What is wrong with that girl? Why does she always tell us her last name?
“Flores is such a nice name,” Francine remarked. Why is that always the answer? “So, you have siblings?”
“I have a sister,” Piper said. “Half-sister. She’s younger than me.”
“What’s her name?”
“Tessa,” she said. “Tessa Maas.”
“I’d love to have a younger sister,” Francine said enviously.
“You wouldn’t, I promise,” Piper said. “Tessa is allowed to do anything I wasn’t at her age. That sucks. Or maybe it’s because of my stepfather.” She rolled her eyes, then smiled at Francine. Piper’s the best teacher when it comes to being fake friendly at first but evil behind that façade.
When we all sat on an outdoor sofa on the large modern patio I still didn’t understand why nobody had uninvited me yet. Did they now let me hang out with them because of Francine? I waited for someone to suggest playing truth or dare again and make fun of the new girl, which was our beloved French girl. Tammy’s house is bigger than most houses in Maywood. They have a huge entrance that leads to the living room with a large smart TV and huge windows.
“I have a bottle of French champagne,” Tammy suddenly said.
“Isn’t champagne just expensive sparkling wine?,” said Penelope. “I don’t care if it’s from France.” She turned to Francine. “No offense.”
“None taken.”
None taken. That was something I taught Francine. A few weeks b
efore she didn’t know what to respond to no offense. She used to reply not bad.
“Can I ask you a question?,” Piper said. It was obvious that she was talking to Francine. She wouldn’t talk to Penelope or Tammy like that, it’s way too polite. And she never talked to me.
“Sure,” Francine said.
I didn’t recognize that Tammy got up until she reappeared with a bottle of what must be champagne. She put the bottle in the middle of the garden table, which had the same height as a coffee table. There were three glasses. Probably she thought I wouldn’t drink.
“Two of us have to share a glass,” she said. Maybe she saw me staring at those glasses. “The rest is in the dishwasher.”
“We can,” Piper said and looked at Francine.
“I don’t even need that much champagne,” Francine replied. “I’ll just check if it tastes like the champagne that I know.”
“You guys drink a lot in Europe,” Penelope said. I wasn’t sure if it was supposed to be a question or a statement.
“Not really.” Francine was laughing for a moment. “I mean look at those American high school movies. You drink a lot.”
“This is not a movie,” Piper said.
“You’re probably right,” Penelope said. “We do drink a lot in the States.”
“I don’t drink that much alcohol,” Francine said.
“Not yet,” Piper said and giggled. She opened the bottle and poured the light liquid into one of the glasses. “Try it.”
Francine swirled the glass in her hand and took a sip. “It’s a good one.”
She put it back onto the table, then Piper grabbed and emptied it. “Love it. Almost as good as the ones my stepdad keeps in the basement.”
“Are those PR samples?,” Tammy asked.
Piper sighed. “No, just gifts from business partners.”
“What does your stepdad do?,” Francine asked.
“PR.”
“What’s that?”
“Public Relations.”
Francine smiled. “Oh, that’s RP in French.”
“Funny,” Penelope commented but didn’t look up from her phone.
Penelope just wanted to grab the bottle of champagne as Francine got up. “I should go now. My host mom doesn’t want me to be out so late.” I expected Piper to comment on that. I had known her for a while, not as a friend but as someone who had to spend seven hours every day in the exact same building as her, sometimes even in the same classroom.
“Alright, sweetie” she said. “That’s the downside of having a host family I guess.”
And that was it. No mean comment. What happened to those girls? At this point I didn’t know that being friends with Francine, that hanging out with those girls meant losing something I needed the most. I shouldn’t have gone to Francine’s party.
28
During the next couple of weeks Francine served as a getaway from Piper’s torture. I was actually accepted to sit next to Francine while she sat next to the other girls. For a moment I thought they might accept me as part of their group now, but I was wrong. I made the mistake to try to sit down next to Tammy. Francine and I weren’t together in all of our classes, so I thought I could sit with them anyway since I did exactly that during all of our other classes. Tammy looked at me like I was sick and pushed me away with the help of Jason. I wanted to tell Francine, but I couldn’t. I didn’t understand the difference, so how could I explain to a girl that had just arrived here why they didn’t allow me to sit with them. Why they prevented me to sit with them whenever she wasn’t around. Nothing made sense. Since Francine didn’t have time to throw a party for her arrival in Maywood she planned one for Halloween.
“How about a theme party,” she asked me as we waited outside the girls’ locker room. Penelope and Piper were in there, getting dressed and freshening up their makeup. Francine and I didn’t have P.E. but she got a text from Piper. They wanted to grab a coffee or so.
“Isn’t Halloween enough as a theme for your party?,” I asked.
A girl came out of the locker room. “Hey,” she said to Francine.
“Hi,” Francine said smiling.
Francine turned back to me. “You’re right. We should go buy a costume. I didn’t bring one to America to be honest.”
“We could drive all the way to Philadelphia or Pittsburgh,” I answered, “but it’s easier to just shop online.”
“Anna’s mom owns a concept store downtown,” she said. I didn’t even know that there was a store, let alone that Anna’s mom’s the shop owner. “We can go there. This time of the year she sells costumes.”
Francine decided to hand out the invitations the next day, so we went to Anna’s concept store after school. Though I was glad that I was finally being invited to parties, that I finally hung out with people, I still didn’t fit in properly. I had been in Maywood way longer than Francine and wasn’t ever truly accepted by any of the girls. Now that I was with Francine it was alright to be around them.
“What do you think?,” Francine said as we arrived at the store.
There was a huge sign above the front door: Cloud Eleven. The store was encircled of a grocery store and a drug store. This was the town center of Maywood, a miserable street with a few tiny stores and a meadow with benches, a playground and a fountain.
Francine stared at her phone and began reading, “As I’ve told some of you already I’ll host a Halloween party. A costume, scary or just creative, is a must.”
“Yeah, great,” I said as we entered the store. A bell rang as soon as the door swung open.
“Not too kitschy?”
“Not at all,” I assured her.
The store that belonged to Anna’s mother literally sold everything. I saw UGGs and Louis Vuitton bags, smartphone cases, socks, shirts, jackets, coats, jeans, jewelry, lightboxes, accessories for dogs and cars, and at the very end of the showroom there stood two racks with costumes. A woman who must be Anna’s mother – she had the same curly blonde hair – stood behind the counter and greeted us.
“Hey, Mrs. Kaschak,” Francine said. I wasn’t aware of how many people Francine already knew. We didn’t hang out every day. Those days I didn’t meet with her, either alone or with the others, I went to the library or stayed at home. Not much had changed.
“What do you think of this one?,” Francine interrupted my thoughts. She held a hanger with a red costume in front of me. It was supposed to be a red riding hood costume.
“Cute,” I said and looked at the other costumes. Besides the traditional vampire, witches and zombie costumes there was a pineapple costume, a blue dress and platinum blonde wig for Daenerys from Game of Thrones, the red and white Jingle Bell Rock outfit from Mean Girls, and several other costumes that I didn’t immediately recognize.
“I love this one,” I said and grabbed a hanger with a golden skirt and long-sleeved shirt as well as a headband with golden stars.
Those were the costumes we picked. It took us less than ten minutes to choose our outfits. Francine was uncomplicated and reminded me of my friends back home. Home to me meant Toronto and San Francisco, the places I had lived at longest. Francine asked me to help her prepare for the party. On October 31st after school we went to her house. The first thing we did was get dressed and put on our costumes. Then we decorated the living room, patio and porch with fake spider webs, glitter, pumpkins and light chains. After that we started baking chocolate cupcakes.
“We can make them look like spiders or bats,” Francine said while she shoved the baking tray into the oven.
“Bats?”
“With half an Oreo each as wings,” she explained. “I saw something like that on Pinterest. It looks good.”
“I bet.” I walked away from the open-plan kitchen and into the living room. I sat down on the sofa and looked at the decoration.
“Looks good, huh?,” Francine said and let herself fall onto the other side of the sofa. “I’ve never celebrated Halloween.”
“What do you celebra
te in Marseille?,” I asked.
Before she answered Francine grabbed a small black remote from the side table. As soon as she pressed some buttons several light chains illuminated. The room and patio were covered in white, pale yellow, green and blue lights. “We…”
“Pretty,” I interrupted her.
“Yeah,” she agreed. “We celebrate some kind of carnival. I mean there are also a few Halloween parties but it’s not as huge as it is here.”
Out of nowhere came a memory of Halloween in San Francisco. I shook my head as if I could shake the thought away.
“Everything’s okay?,” Francine asked.
“I’m good. I just miss my home, that’ all.”
“Canada?”
I nodded. “And California.”
“I get it,” she said, “after some weeks I understand why this is different from a big city.” I then thought she missed Marseille, but I was wrong. “To be honest this is exactly what I wanted. I wanted this American small-town experience.”
I understood why she liked it. After one year, I thought, she could just leave it all behind, go back to Marseille, continue living a wonderful life. I was stuck here. Little did I know that Francine would soon be stuck in Maywood as well.
“Oh, yeah, sure.” It didn’t sound like I meant it.
“Piper told me stuff about you,” she suddenly said.
“What stuff?” I felt my whole body tense up.
Francine shook her head. “It doesn’t matter, Samantha.”
“It does,” I said angrily. I didn’t want to react like I was offended.
“Hey,” she said calmly. “
The doorbell rang and interrupted our conversation. Francine hurried to open the door. I thought she would find out, but she already did. Of course, Piper couldn’t just shut up.
“Hi,” I heard Francine say.
I remembered that we forgot to decorate the cupcakes with frosting and Oreos. It doesn’t matter I told myself. There was enough food in the kitchen, chips, cheese straws, mini pizzas, gummi bears, chocolate chip cookies and much more.