Rêveries

Chapter 23.

I'm getting quite used to being woken up in the morning, but lately it feels as if the universe is getting a bit more creative each day. This morning I wake up from getting a call, not from my mother this time, but from Svea. She and I talk on occasion but it's been getting less and less since I moved from Sweden.

"Bonjour ma fille," Good morning my girl, she says when I answer the phone. I see she's finally learned some French. Well, three words, but it's more than when I left.

"Bonjour, qu'est-ce que tu veux à neuf heures du matin?" Good morning, what do you want at nine in the morning? I ask her, challenging her French.

"Jag kan faktiskt inte mer franska än så, men jag har en fråga... eller flera," I actually don't know anymore French, but I have a question... or multiple, she says. I hum for her to continue because I'm too lazy to get words out. "Han den där kompisen du har, som du bor hos..." That friend you have, that you live with... she starts.

"Arthur or Charles?" I ask her, I don't even have the energy to fully struggle with Swedish right now. I understand it, speaking it requires more energy.

"Charles," She says and I almost laugh at how ridiculous it sounds when she struggles to say it with her accent. "Jag kommer bli lite upprörd om du skaffat en pojkvän och inte sagt något till mig," I'll be a bit upset if you've gotten yourself a boyfriend and haven't told me, she continues.

"That's not a question and what does that have to do with Charles?" I ask, finally opening my eyes and paying some attention to the call.

"Nej, men..." No, but...  She sighs loudly, "Céline, har du och Charles börjat dejta?" Have you and Charles started dating? She asks and I put a hand over my eyes. Damn it, I forgot that news actually can reach her too. If I know her correctly then she searches for my name on twitter every morning when she wakes up to make sure no one is saying a bad word about me.

"No..." I sigh, "No, it's just..." I shake my head and I try to explain it, "No."

"Okay so let me get this straight... No?" She switches to English as she realizes I'm too tired for the Swedish. She's an angel, really.

"Charles got Evie to go with Pierre and then they all wanted me to come too so I wouldn't be the only one not going and Charles needed my help with something, so we just went together as friends," I tell her the short story, not too many details. We're good.

"Okay, gotcha," She says and then she stays silent for a bit, "But you do know people think you're confirming dating rumors, right?" She asks.

"Mia told us it might happen," I sigh, rubbing my eyes, "That's Charles' PR manager. But we might just leave it alone and let it die out by keeping a little distance from each other or we'll just flatly go out and say that we went as friends," I tell her.

"Well... anyways I think he should be happy he got to bring you, these rumors have to be so good for his image, being rumored to be with such a pretty girl I mean," She says and I smile.

"Oh stop it," I chuckle while I let myself break out into a smile as I'm reminded about what Charles said to me the night before.

Me and Svea spend some time catching up together as Evie just sleeps peacefully next to me. She's woken up when Charles and Pierre come into the room as usual and they both seem surprised that I'm up before they storm the room. I switch to Swedish as they walk in, telling her that they've invaded my space and need to hang up. We say goodbye while Charles pushes me towards the middle of the bed and lays down next to me. Evie wakes up and looks at Pierre with her usual morning irritation as he gets into bed next to her.