The serenpidity is the ability to make an unexpected discovery by chance. The serendipitist is the person who knows how to take advantage of unforeseen circumstances and, above all, does not allow chance to dominate them.
In France, 1963, Lily-Rose...
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♡
:; You're no good for me Baby, you're no good for me You're no good for me But baby, I want you, I want. - lana del rey 💟
Voltaire High Cafeteria, 12:42 PM
The cafeteria buzzed with its usual activity as students jostled to find a seat and get their lunch.
Lily-Rose settled at a table, her lunch tray in front of her, ready to start her meal with the girls from her class, chatting about their French teacher and how unpleasant she was.
As they laughed together about Barbe Bleue and Lily-Rose took a spoonful of her food, a glass of water splashed onto her.
Surprised, she looked up to find Joseph standing right next to her, a smirk playing on his lips. The other students fell silent, watching the scene with curiosity. Typical of him.
"Oops, sorry princess, I think my glass slipped," he said in a falsely innocent tone, but mischief sparkled in his eyes.
"Really ? Water ? You can do better than that," she replied, standing up to face him, ignoring the voices of Michèle and Simone advising her to ignore him.
With a mischievous smile dancing on his lips, he continued, "Oh, I'm sorry, princess," he said in a contrite tone. "It wasn't really intentional, but you know what they say : water wets."
She was about to reprimand him when her eyes caught the peculiar expression on his face. A shiver of indignation ran down her spine as she realized where Joseph's gaze was fixed.
It prompted her to lower her gaze, and it was then that she noticed with horror the water that had made her top transparent, revealing the lace of her bra.
A mixture of embarrassment and anger rose within her as she locked eyes with Joseph, realizing that he had deliberately orchestrated the situation. She felt her cheeks flush under his lingering gaze.
Instinctively, she crossed her arms to cover her chest, trying in vain to conceal the effect of the water on her garment.
He raised his hands innocently, but a teasing smile stretched across his lips. "Hey, it wasn't me who told you to wear a white top, princess."
The remark made her boil on the spot. Without thinking, she raised her hand and delivered a resounding slap that made his head turn to the side. He remained speechless for a moment, surprised by her reaction.
"What are you staring at ?" she snapped, not breaking eye contact.
He quickly recovered from the blow. "I was just making sure you don't catch a cold," he retorted, a smile playing on his lips.
She raised her hand to slap him again, but before she could do so, the supervisor, Paul Bellanger, entered the cafeteria. His eyes scanned the scene, and he intervened immediately.
"What's going on here ?" he asked in an authoritative voice.
Joseph smirked while Lily-Rose, still seething with rage, tried to regain her composure. "Just a little accident, Mr. Bellanger," he replied in a falsely innocent tone.
The adult frowned, his gaze shifting from him to Lily-Rose. "An accident, really ?" he said, his eyes scrutinizing the two teenagers suspiciously.
Lily-Rose felt her stomach knot as silence hung in the air. She looked away, suddenly feeling embarrassed under the headmaster's scrutinizing gaze.
"I think it would be best if both of you came to my office," Mr. Bellanger declared sternly, motioning for the two teenagers to follow him. Murmurs rose in the cafeteria as the three of them left the room.
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𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐏𝐈𝐃𝐈𝐓𝐘
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Supervisor's Office, 12:46 PM
Lily-Rose sat with her hands clenched on her knees, while Joseph stood nearby, his insolent expression unchanged.
Paul Bellanger, behind his cluttered desk, looked at them over his glasses. "Alright, explain to me what happened in the cafeteria. Descamps, can you explain why water ended up on Miss de Montclair's shirt ?"
Joseph hesitated for a moment before responding, "Well, sir, I was drinking and accidentally spilled my glass on her. I certainly didn't mean to intentionally wet her."
Lily-Rose clenched her fists, outraged by his blatant lie. "That's absolutely false ! He deliberately aimed at me," she exclaimed.
The accused rolled his eyes.
The adult frowned, looking back and forth between the two teenagers. "Descamps, this kind of behavior is unacceptable. You need to respect your classmates."
He shrugged. "Whatever you say, sir."
Mr. Bellanger sighed, seeming tired of the students' quarrels.
"I'll take appropriate disciplinary action against you, Descamps. You can both go back to class now."
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𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐏𝐈𝐃𝐈𝐓𝐘
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Hallways of Voltaire High, 12:55 PM
She strode briskly down the school hallway, her footsteps echoing on the tiled floor as she emerged from the supervisor's office. Beside her, Joseph followed, a smirk stretching across his lips.
"You know, I think that shirt looked better on you when it was still wet," he remarked, eyeing her now dry shirt.
She rolled her eyes, irritated by his comment.
"Oh, come on, princess, it wasn't that big of a deal. Just a little water."
Lily-Rose shot him a glare. "You never seem to have anything better to do than to bother me, do you ?" she said, exasperated.
"Oh, I see the princess has some spirit," he commented, a smug smile playing on his lips. "I didn't expect you to slap me. You're quite the first. Well done, it'll make our little game even more interesting."
"Don't get it twisted, this isn't a game for me," she declared firmly. Still perturbed by the situation, she couldn't help but continue. "You're just desperate. No woman wants you, so you take it out on me to fulfill your pathetic fantasies."
He raised an eyebrow, taken aback by the fierceness of her response. "Oh, really ? And what makes you say that ?" he asked provocatively.
She crossed her arms. "Because you're a self-absorbed narcissist who only thinks about himself. You'll never be capable of loving anyone but yourself," she spat out with barely concealed contempt.
"Ah, so that's how you see me ?" he said, an ironic smile tugging at his lips, amused by her frankness. "And you, princess, do you think a man will ever truly love you ?" Lily-Rose held back a sigh, thrown off by his question.
"Perhaps I'll find someone who'll love me one day, but it certainly won't be you." He paused to face her, scrutinizing her with his single eye.
He lowered his head slightly so their faces were at the same level.
"Let me tell you, princess, you're far from impressing me."
