Stromae fan fiction

Lesson 2: Je Cours (I'm Running)

We zipped through the building it was pretty empty, looked like what used to be an office building. We finally got to the bus. It didn't look like what I imagined a "tour bus" would look like. His face wasn't plastered on the side with frilly decorations and a letters that read "Paul Van-Haver." It was just a plain brown bus with tinted windows. It looked ominous, you couldn't see anything on the inside of the bus. I started to lose my nerve. What am I doing getting on a strange bus with a strange man that I don't know? I grew up in a small town this was the exact type of thing my parents warned me about before I left for college. I could hear my dad's voice echoing in my ears:

"We know you've heard this a thousand times Elizabeth, but don't talk to strangers. It's a cliché but it's true"

"Don't walk around by yourself at night"

"Keep away from the bad neighborhoods"

It was too late for all of that. But I didn't want to let go of Paul's guiding hand. Something about him made me want to trust him. And I was curious. Who is this stranger that has a mob of fans waiting for him and a tour bus?

He let go of my hand and punched in a code on the door of the bus. There was a beep noise of approval and then a click. He held the door open for me. "After you." He said with a smile. I walked up the stairs, not knowing what to expect. I entered the bus and found myself surrounded by the most luxurious forum of transportation I'd ever encountered. The seats were all leather it was very spacious and the lighting made it look all so much more elegant. I didn't have much more time to inspect because I found four men with confused faces staring at me. "Qui êtes-vous?" A stout looking man said to me. I didn't speak much French but I knew enough from 3 years of in high school to know that he was asking "who are you?" I started to try and answer. It was hard enough to explain in English how could I respond with my mediocre French? At the moment Paul came to my rescue he was two stairs down from me but he was at my eye level. "It's alright Simon. We're giving her a ride home." Paul walked up the rest of the stairs and stood next to me. "Liz, this is Manoli, Yoshi, Florian, and of course Simon. " they all gave me a wave and muttered a polite hello. "Please, sit." Paul offered. I sat at a couch type of chair across from the table the four men were seated at.

"Where exactly are we taking you?"

"Oh, umm.. University of Washington." I managed to stutter. "Just up to the main entrance would be great."

Paul went up to the front to tell the driver. I was left back with the four men. Each of them were wearing a matching outfit. A black and white cardigan, a white button up shirt with a bow tie probably, they had taken them off at this point and had them stacked on the table. They also had matching socks on and shorts. I wanted to break the silence and I was curious so I asked:

"So are you guys background dancers or something?"

They looked at each other then at me Manoli answered "wait you're not a fan, you didn't just come from the show?"

"No, I was on my way home from work when I ran into Paul."

Paul re entered the "living room" and sat next to me on the couch. The driver started the bus.

"I thought she was a fan too, with the outfit and everything I was so sure.."

The men nodded in agreement. I had to wonder what was so significant about my green polo.

" I just... he paused. Umm, I don't know how to say it in English. "Je suppose"

"I assumed." I added.

The men all stared at me. "Parlez-vous français?" Paul asked.

Feeling a bit more comfortable and proud that I was able to correct him, I answered: "Non, je ne parle pas français. Je ai étudié un peu le français à l'école secondaire." (I don't speak French, I studied it a little in High school though."

He looked surprised. "Vous semblez bien! Not many Americans your age speak French so well, unless you're from a French speaking family anyways.."

"But back to what I said, I assumed she was a fan, grabbed her so she wouldn't scream, pulled her into a building, I felt like a fool when she wasn't.