⌞ long live ⌝

⌞ three : competition ⌝

"Holy shit- I did it... I DID IT! Pour Toi, Ju.."

___

Thankfully, it was a nice day. If it weren't, I would be a little mad that Jules was late. I sighed and looked back down at my watch—almost twenty minutes. Charles had already left with Father to get to the track. And Carmen, as usual, skipped the last half of the day, so it was just me. Again. I sighed again and just sat down on the curb, taking a book from my bag. 

"Again?" 

I looked up. "Oh, hello, sir." 

"Do you need a ride home, Mademoiselle Leclerc?" 

I shook my head, closing the book I had taken out. "No, sir. I'm waiting for my Godfather. He's just a bit late." 

Monsieur Range. The history teacher. He was a sweet man, younger. Single. I only knew all this from the fact that Carmen fancied him. When he had first become a teacher, she had spent days trying to figure out everything she could about the man. He had black hair, darker than ink and wide-rimmed glasses. Soft-spoken, and always the first to check in on students. If I admitted it, he was one of my favorite teachers. 

"Well, I will wait with you. No lady should be left alone like this." 

"Oh, sir. That isn't needed." 

He pulled at his pants at the knee, bending down to sit next to me. "My mother would have my head if I left you out here. Good day or not, Mademoiselle." 

I nodded, knowing that I wouldn't talk him out of it. I had too many meetings in his office, explaining why a grade needed to not enter the grade book or why I needed extra time on an assignment. He wasn't going to leave, probably because he didn't believe that someone was coming for me. 

"What did you think of today's lesson, Eilulia?" 

"Hm? Oh, it was interesting, sir. I always find the French Revolution interesting." 

A smile pulled at his lips. "You know a lot more about it than you talk about in class." 

"I- I don't like speaking in class." 

"I've noticed." He pointed to the book in my hand. "But you like to read about it?" 

I nodded, handing him the book. It was a book I had gotten ages ago from a store, random facts about the French Revolution. I had read it enough to know everything in the book, but I found comfort in it. 

"You're a very smart young lady." 

"Thank you, sir." 

"History isn't your favorite, though?" He grinned at me, a slight tilt to his head. 

"I- no, sir. It's not." 

"No, you like reading but history is not for everyone." He handed to book back to me. "Madame Dubois says you do well in science." 

I nod, looking back at my watch. Come on, Jules... "Yes sir." 

"Are you sure you don't need a ride, Mademoiselle?"