The Crazy Adventures of Aqua Girl

Chapter 20 - Monsieur Aidan

"Wake up, Cascade. You've actually got school today." I woke to the sound of my mother's voice outside my locked door. Beside me, Rufus whined.

"What was that?"

Uh oh.

"Nothing!"

After Blaze Boy left last night, I fell straight asleep instead of deducting a plan for telling Mom of Rufus' return.

I mean, I couldn't say "A mysterious boy superhero arrived at my window at quarter past midnight with Rufus, and came into my room" could I?

Racking my brains, I dragged myself out of bed and pulled my curtains, releasing the daylight outside into my room. What could I say to Mom? I quickly changed into a t-shirt that read 'THE FORCE IS WITH ME' and some black jeans, before scooting out of my room and closing the door behind me, leaving Rufus asleep on my bed.

As I entered the kitchen, Mom was preparing her salad lunch for work, and the radio was blaring loudly, the news presenter saying good morning to San Francisco.

"Good morning, San Francisco! Top news today, another super attacked a nightclub last night downtown, but luckily Blaze Boy was there to save the day, more coming up." Oh, Blaze Boy.

Mom tutted at the news, cutting up cucumber.

"We should really be punishing these supers, instead of letting them fly around doing whatever they like." She ranted, as I found the box of Lucky Charms cereal and began pouring a bowl, hoping Mom wouldn't notice the unhealthy breakfast choice. "They've been killing innocent people lately. Something needs to be done."

Whilst I agreed on the last bit, my Mom didn't know the feeling of flying from your own will, rushing through the sky and looking down at San Fran. I grunted in reply, not wanting to share my opinion on the matter. As I poured milk into my Lucky Charms Mom looked over from her salad prep and frowned.

"Cascade, that's terribly unhealthy."

There's a different bus driver today. Maybe the old guy was a bit distressed after yesterday. This driver was chubby and younger, but still looked bored and uninterested. I climbed aboard the bus and looked to my usual seat to find it empty, and Rachael sat alone, tapping her phone. I gingerly sat next to her and she ignored me, skimming through her Twitter feed. As the bus pulled away into the San Fran morning traffic, I cleared my throat.

"Hey."

Silence. Nothing.

"Are you okay?" I asked, causing Rachael to whip her head round to face me. She didn't look happy.

"Oh yeah, I'm fine." She drawled sarcastically, narrowing her eyes at me. "Just after you ran out of the bus yesterday, the door got jammed and we were rescued by some cool superhero. Yeah, you're a real good friend, Cascade."

Shoot.

I took that as a message, and turned to face the window. I was practically itching to tell Rachael it was me that saved her, I was Aqua Girl, but I knew I couldn't. I shouldn't. It would be too risky. Rachael would be tweeting it in about 2 seconds 'My best friend is Aqua Girl #lit'. I sighed deeply and let the world pass by my window. Soon enough, the bus halted outside school and I followed the trail of kids into the building, instantly losing Rachael in the crowd. Trying to push Rachael to the back of my thoughts, I shuffled into French class, taking a seat at the back. The other students silently filed in, and the teacher eventually arrived. Aidan was almost late, but plonked himself in the seat next to me as soon as the bell rang, signalling first period.

"Bonjour, class. Today we'll be talking in partners about family. You'll be working with the person on your right." Madame Demen exclaimed, writing the words 'Ma Famille' on the whiteboard. I rolled my eyes as Aidan moved his table and chair closer to mine.

"Hi, Cascade."

I ignored Aidan, trying to focus on what Madame Demen was instructing us to do.

"Talk in your pairs about your family, and each member. Talk about who you live with and what happens at special occasion, like Christmas. I don't want to hear any English! Go go go!"

"So, what's up?"

"No English, monsieur Aidan." I muttered, glaring at him. He looked confused at my sassiness (ha!) and opened his textbook.

"Why are you mad at me?" He asked quietly, as Madame Demen patrolled the room.

"Oh, I don't know...maybe because you're a lâche!" I exclaimed, glaring at his hazel eyes.

"A coward?! Why am I a coward, Mademoiselle Cascade?"

"I saw what you did, I saw that only you and Rachael were left in the bus, and I saw that you just abandoned her in the bus!"

"What?! You were the one that escaped first!" I gulped, aware that I couldn't fight back. Of course, I was actually about to save the day, but to my fellow classmates it looked like I had just done a runner, and escaped first, without helping them.

"That was English, Monsieur Aidan. Only French, please." Madame Demen said, approaching our desks. Sighing, I picked up the French handbook and recited a sentence of French in my best accent.

"J'aime ma famille parce qu'ils ne sont pas ennuyeux, comme vous." (I like my family because they aren't annoying, like you)

Aidan looked confused as he translated what I said, then smirked at me, before speaking.

"Tu es mignonne, mademoiselle Cascade." (You're cute, Miss Cascade)

What an idiot.

After half an hour of boring speaking exercises, Madame Demen called the class to attention.

"In your partners you will need to prepare a full presentation in French, out of class. You'll be presenting next Monday. Figure it out between yourselves. Au revoir!"

"I'll be round your house at nine in the morning on Saturday, Mademoiselle Cascade." Aidan mused, before strutting out the class.

I didn't even have time to object.