PENSIONNAT - VERSION ENGLISH - BOOK FINISH

° 11 °

- We do need to talk. Do you remember your father coming to the house?

- Yes, I remember. He's the reason I'm in this "school."

- Well, I'm not going to beat around the bush, but he wants custody.

- What? Custody? Me? He wants to keep me? But he never wanted to keep me!

- Yeah well... now he does. He thinks that now that you're in high school, you need to be "well taken care of."

- He's serious!

- HE KNOWS! Mom had yelled to cover the sound of my voice. That you don't trust him and he also knows that he's made a lot of mistakes...

- He has made ONLY mistakes mom!

- And he is fully aware of that, but I think he has changed Ella.

- Rho maman.... you always do....Rha....it's infuriating.

- At least try. And anyway, we have no choice. He brought in a lawyer.

- That's great. And when's this good news coming?

- Not this vacation, but maybe next.

*****

The house. My village. My room. I needed them to get over the news. I wasn't shocked or surprised, and even though I had mentioned missing him, I wasn't happy about the news. I was just angry. Pissed that he decided, without ever talking about it, without ever saying why, when to come and when to go from my life.

I put my bags in the living room and went straight upstairs. Nothing had changed. My room was exactly as I had left it. Mom had come by to clean up, but she had been careful not to touch my stuff.

I went down a few steps and sat down. I took the opportunity to look at Mom in the living room... I thought she was beautiful. No matter what she did or who she did it for, it was always with such compassion and kindness. I could always count on her. Her only flaw? Daddy. She loved him. Time passed and he got worse and worse, but she still loved him.

I think I resented her for that. Because of him, we had suffered, cried and suffered again! So why did she still believe in him?! I didn't understand her.

- Ella! We're going to eat!

- I'm coming!

I walked down the remaining steps past an old photo. There was Dad, Mom and me, sitting on a village bench. We looked happy, but already there you could see Dad's blank look...
I huffed angrily. What right did he have to play with Mom's feelings?

I joined her in the kitchen and continued to set the table. Her eyes, filled with a little sorrow, were watching me.

- You know my dear, I can refuse your father's request... I can get a lawyer and take him to court...

I'd really like not to see my father, but if she took him to court... I think I would lose her at the same time that he would turn his back on her for good. And I didn't want to lose her.

- No, it's okay. Who knows? Maybe he changed this time! My mother smiled again.

- How about tonight we do something in front of the TV? We could see what movies are on and watch one, just the two of us? What do you say?

- Yeah, let's do that!

*****

My first week of vacation went by quickly. I had already finished my homework and was corresponding with Max. Since we could not use the "Ghota" communications, we could not communicate with Grayce. To use them, you had to know how to "dominate" your soul. Something we hadn't learned yet.

In one week, I had resumed my little habits of going to see FRESH where I listened to the gossip of the village. I also had time to meet an old classmate, from my old high school.

- Ella! It's been a long time! We don't see you in class anymore! What's going on?

- Uh, I transferred to another school.

- Oh, right! And how is it going?

- Uh... well... The flash of the dead professor Fouchard brought me a bitter sweat.

-Do you have any new classes?

- No, I don't. I'm in a normal school. Totally normal and banal! Well, I have to go. See ya!

Okay. To avoid: all the people I knew in my old school.
And without even seeing it coming, the second week was already coming to an end. A little too quickly for my taste!

- Mom! I don't have any dresses! Prom is... AH! I forgot to tell you about it...

- What is it, sweetie? I was in the kitchen!

- Uh, nothing! Everything is fine! I was looking for my shorts, but I found them!

- Okay. I'm going back!

What am I going to do? Tonight I have to make my entrance into the world and I don't have a dress planned!!! Maybe if I wear a pair of slim-fit shorts it will pass.... Rha! No it won't! And I can't even count on Grayce! How can I do that?! And besides, I haven't even told my mom about the "ghost" stories. And I didn't even tell her about the dance...
Well, let's think about it.
MAX... !

TEXTO:

□ Hey can you take me to the dance tonight?

■ HEY! Yeah I can! I'll come by around 5pm. By the time we get the ride and everything! 💀👻

□ Okai this works :)

Well, first problem solved. Next, tell my mother...

I walked slowly down the stairs and saw her reading in her armchair. Reading had always been her moment of escape. I was almost ashamed to interrupt her!

- Mom... Can I talk to you?

- Yes, what is it?

- Max is asking if he can pick me up tonight? There's a paper we want to finish together. He said he'd take me to school on Sunday.

She was thinking. Lying wasn't easy, but I had to tell her about my blue blood in peace. I couldn't throw that in her face. And then maybe she hadn't told me anything, only because she was "human". I didn't want to put that, right away, between the two of us.

- Well, okay... But you text me on Sunday when you're at school, Ella.

- Yes, Mommy! I will! Well, I'm going to go pack, because he's coming over around 5:00! I love you!

I quickly ran off to pack my things. I only had one bag this time. But it was big enough to put my books and a few things.
And now I had the main problem... the dress.

- But how could I forget to buy an evening dress? I had two weeks to do it! Okay. Calm down. You'll figure it out. I wonder how Grayce is doing... Oh, yeah! The signature!

I took my old high school notebook and copied Mom's signature. I took the prom paper and meticulously started copying the signature.
Once finished, I savored my successful masterpiece. I blew on the ink, in order to make it dry, to revive my guilt, but strangely, I absolutely did not want to miss this ball...

- Well. That's done.