Clueless

Phase Three

Phase Three

         I stood ready to defend myself from this—this girl. Who knew what she had done to my family?

         “Sorry, Elodie, that was the fastest way down!” Mommy laughed, “Don’t worry. Angeletta is a friend. She’s the daughter of Madame LaBrune. You know her as Mrs. LaBrune, my college classmate. Elodie, Angeletta, Angeletta, Elodie. Angeletta is going to be your French tutor while your father and I work from nine to twelve back at the resort.”

         I was in shock. Pure shock. Yes, I knew Mrs. LaBrune from a few times that my parents mentioned her, but…My parents had let some stranger pull me down a locked shaft…consciously! There was something I wasn’t in on…the same way I was never invited to any of those Bat Mitzvahs at school. It was like a secret just for them.

         “Um…okay,” I replied, “But why’d we come down like this of all ways?” I asked, “Usually, tutoring facilities are in a well-lighted room. Not the dark bottom of a four-foot drop.”

         “Well, we thought using the short cut would be quicker and easier,” Angeletta defended the little cellar room, “To go the normal way would mean crossing the street, going up the stairs, going down the stairs, and finally coming in here. See, that little drop was much faster and even little Diana enjoyed it.” I sighed. All right.

         “All right. Your first tutoring session with Angeletta will be this morning. Peter and Belinda will be taking Diana to la Notre Dame and they’ll be spending three days going into the country from there,” Daddy explained more muddled information into my already-super-confused brain, “Now, you two girls have a good time! Elodie, we’ll be having lunch at the café, but still come back to the resort to check in with us so we can all walk here together. And Angeletta, next week, remember!” Next week? I was positive they were all hiding something. Maybe even Diana knew!

         I watched as my family climbed up a short ladder reaching a small platform, the place that Angeletta had shoved me down through. One by one, they disappeared and said something like, “See you guys!” or “Have a good time!”.

         I turned to face Angeletta, who had somehow gotten out of character. She looked excited and outward, but not girly. She looked a bit like my classmates, maturely kind. I was still considered “immature”. I was tall, yes, and I acted like an angel in class, but inside, I was really no older than the preschooler Diana was.

         “Hey,” Angeletta mused with a completely different voice. She sounded a little more outgoing than before. Another contrast: I was a complete “nerd”. I had had an “A” streak since Day One, and wasn’t going to break it. I had few friends who could handle my personalities of extreme seriousness, intelligence, and playfulness.

         “So…shall we begin?” Angeletta asked, “Est-ce-que tu parle français?”  I nodded. Of course I spoke French! I was taking French as school.

         “Oui,” I replied. Angeletta nodded and motioned for me to follow her through a narrower passage into a lighted room with a few chairs and a round table with a mini-fridge on the side.

         “You want a coke?” Angeletta tossed me a red can with the infamous “Coca-Cola” written down the side, “So, I suppose we should get to know each other before we start, huh?” I pulled open the can and took a refreshing sip. Mmm…