Chasing the Stars

Chapter 5 - Paris the City of Light

Isaac and I had a pattern now. I would read him some of An Imperial Affliction on the plane ride, then we would sleep, so we were refreshed when we landed. I awoke to the sound of music as we were descending. I realized I fell asleep with my headphones in, and ironically the song "How to Save a Life" was on. I listened to the lyrics "Where did I go wrong? I lost a friend. Somewhere along in the bitterness. And I would have stayed up with you all night. Had I known how to save a life." I thought about how much I had in common with this song. I blame myself everyday for not being able to help Gus. I must have done something wrong because he certainly didn't. I would have done anything to save him, but I didn't know how to save his life. I love listening to music. It helps me clear my head and think clearly.

...

We landed about an hour ago for our 7 day stay; my luggage was lost (of course). Lidewij is sending money for a shopping trip. My parents, Isaac, and his parents dropped their luggage off at our hotel, the Pullman Paris Eiffel Tower, which had the most amazing view. My mom practically dragged us off to the Eiffel Tower and we ate a delightful lunch of a Romaine Salad, Lamb Burger, and Baked Crepes. After lunch, we went out to explore and see some major sights. We returned to the hotel and slept for the night.

----------*IN HAZEL'S DREAM* -----------

“I'm in love with you," he said quietly.

"Augustus," I said.

"I am," he said. He was staring at me, and I could see the corners of his eyes crinkling. "I'm in love with you, and I'm not in the business of denying myself the simple pleasure of saying true things. I'm in love with you, and I know that love is just a shout into the void, and that oblivion is inevitable, and that we're all doomed and that there will come a day when all our labor has been returned to dust, and I know the sun will swallow the only earth we'll ever have, and I am in love with you.”

-------------*Reality*-----------------

"I love you too, Gus, I love you too." I whispered into the night.

...

When everyone was awake, we found a note outside our hotel room:

Dear Hazel,

Please enjoy your shopping trip

Love,

Lidewij

P.S. I hope you enjoy your breakfast; I suggest the eggs.

We ordered eggs from our room-service menu as it seemed like the best choice after the note. When our cart arrived, there was a beautiful bouquet of orange tulips with a note sticking out of it.

"My Love Hazel Grace,

I hope you enjoy the flowers. As you may have noticed, your luggage is gone. That would be my doing. I had them forward it to your next destination so this might lead you to venture out and do some shopping. Hint: I DO LOVE SPRING! Good Luck finding the best store for buying a beautiful summer dress for your riverboat tour tomorrow.

Love Forever & Always,

Augustus"

Spring? I like spring too, but that was not a helpful clue. I went to my fellow travelers to ask if they had any thoughts.

My mother, being the genius she is, answered my plea for help. "Well knowing Gus, he would want you to join in and try everything French, even the language. I think you should find out what the word spring means in French and go from there."

I Googled what spring was in French. It turned out that it was Printemps, the name of a famous department store here. So assuming this was the clue, we headed out for a day of shopping.