Peintures vivantes - Joseph Descamps

La vengeance de Joseph

the next chapter will be the final confrontation!!! enjoy your reading💜💜

----------------------- 

Today the class is very empty. But this is no coincidence: Henri, thanks to his position as class leader, has managed to keep us girls, and some of our classmates, out of the magazine business. In fact, there are only ten of us in the class.

As soon as Annick returns from the bathroom, she sits down next to me, and bringing her lips close to my ear, she whispers a little amused. "There are all the others sitting in line, waiting to talk privately with Bellanger. You should have seen the looks on their faces." She tells me.

"Well guys, even though there are only a few of us, I will still start the class. The rest of your friends are under the clutches of Mr Bellanger." Says Professor Couret in a calm voice.

"Today we will read the paper on the assassination of US President Kennedy, who died a few weeks ago."

She announces, starting to hand out copies of the front page of the paper. I notice that there is a giant picture of Kennedy's smiling face. I feel sorry for him and his wife, there has been a lot of talk at home about the assassination attempt. Alain, from the last bench, raises his hand. "Yes, Mr Laubrac?"

"Aren't we going to hear the Beatles song you quoted to us last lessons?" he asks her curiously.

I see Couret's face tighten into a grimace of sadness and uncertainty. "I'm sorry, but I couldn't find the vinyl for you to listen to it. I will endeavour during the Christmas holidays to find the vinyl and do the Beatles lesson." She answers him, continuing to hand out papers.

Professor Couret is wonderful: really, she is the only kind, calm and understanding teacher we have at school this year.

After class is over, Annick, Michelle and I decide to spend the recess break in the canteen, sitting at our table, away from unobserved stares.

"Michelle, have you by any chance heard from Simone? How is she?" I ask her. Simone hasn't been to school for days now, and I'm worried. Michelle shakes her head: no way Michelle hasn't deigned to call Simone to see how she's doing, they're still best friends. "Oh well...do you have her phone number? So maybe I'll call her tonight to see how she's doing?"

"Yeah sure, I'll write it down for you in this corner of the page." She tells me, taking a pen and writing Simone's number above an English sentence about Kennedy. "Anyway girls, I have to confide a fear of mine." Says Michelle in a low voice. Annick and I immediately approach very carefully.

"A few days ago, I saw myself in town with Alain. After we broke up for a second, I went into the grocery store and met Descamps, who then decided to follow me to Alain. Probably to find out what we were doing there." He confides, looking anxious.

"You made up an excuse didn't you?" asks Annick anxiously, adjusting the headband on her blonde hair. "Yes, or at least I think so. After Descamps left, I went back with Alain to the house. I hope he didn't stalk us,' she says in a hopeful, sad tone.

This is a big trouble. Knowing Joseph, if he saw them exchanging romantic attitudes, he will surely seek revenge. I decide to keep quiet and say nothing, so as not to alarm Michelle.

-------------------------------

As soon as I enter the house, Marion greets me with a sudden big hug. She has always been like that, I think. I respond to her hug, holding her tightly to me and greeting her. "How was school?" she asks me, but before I can answer her, my father arrives from the kitchen. "Welcome Romy. Since you are still dressed and with your shoes on, can I ask you a favour?"