The next morning it was no longer raining, but the sky was still heavy with thick clouds and the wind was strong, a power of 7 said Dominique at breakfast. The sailing course was therefore canceled because there was high risk of damaging the boats or having an accident in bad weather. Those who wanted to try out windsurfing, who laze the weather, offered thrills to those who had enough experience and muscles to stay on the board and control the wind.
"Come on, girls, let's get back to civilization, a day spent in the city will do us a lot of good," encouraged us Anne, "the bus will pass by at ten o'clock and seven minutes, let's not waste time, the next one only comes at 2 pm, it would be too late for us!" She had put on her white jeans that she wore on the first day, her little leather jacket and sneakers, and an attractive joy for life emanated from her. In her red leather backpack, I saw her storing her big black notebook, as if her subjects never left her, as if she was constantly taking notes and developing new hypothesis. The fact that she was a full-time student pleased me a lot and I envied her taste for reflection and her ability to write in any circumstance.
Suddenly, I, too, took my notebook and my pen out of my suitcase, to then quickly put them back in their place... I unconsciously understood that I wasn't like Anne. For me, going out with this group of girls was in itself a new experience, and i'ld have enough to see and hear, to even find the time and the spirit to write. What was I going to write anyway? All that I perceived remained therefore in the realm of impression and sensation, without my being able to formulate any analysis of the events. I had heard Julien shout, I had seen Anne sad and pensive, I had felt her joy in the evening when Julien returned. I remained a spectator, my heart pounding at the rhythm of the feelings of others.
The bus winding in the intermittent rain along the small county roads, it had taken us more than an hour and a half to reach Royan. We were four to sit, Anne, Chantal, Sophie and I, face to face, while Muriel and Delphine were behind and the conversation had been on the city where we were heading, which was the city where Sophie was studying at a school of tourism. She told us that her university was located in the city center, so that students were at the heart of the tourist activity in the area and she knew very well the shops and cafes. "All right, you'll be acting as our guide. It's up to you to lead us where you feel is best... "Anne concluded.
Sophie had, from the minute the bus started moving, a small toiletry bag and a pocket mirror out of her big bag and was trying to finish up her makeup, which she had not been able to complete at the hostel since Anne had pressed us so much. Applying black to her blue eyes was vital to her, then she skilfully combed her eyelids with gray and pink, finally it was the turn of the lips that she liked to have in scarlet or pink candy. It wasn't so easy to carry out because of the unpredictable movements of the bus, and so she interrupted her work with swear words that she'd utter in a half low voice that made our little group laugh.
"The path we're going to take is easy," she said, bending over her little mirror, her mascara pencil in her hand. "Oh, fuck, unbelievable ... the bus is going to take us to the train station, from there we'll walk right back into the pedestrian area, where we find all the ... shops, aah! I almost stuck the pencil in my eye! ... until the waterfront. It's a nice walk. Pass me the red, Chantal ... At the very end, the beach is very beautiful, well, that is, when it doesn't rain that. And then you will see Notre-Dame church which is the symbol of Royan, visible from everywhere, huge, it looks like a cathedral! But it's a rather modern construction, nothing to do with Notre-Dame of Paris. Oh, no, shit! ... a tissue, quick! Anyway, you'll see. Royan was completely destroyed during the Second World War, so everything is rather modern. Yes, it's nice, if you like concrete! In any case, there is the sea and the port and that, I love! ".
She put her equipment in her kit, finally satisfied with how she looked. I continued observing her final work, her eyes highlighted and her mouth rounded with full lips.
"What shops do you want to check out?" She asked.
"We've gotta buy us some outfits for the evening, when we go to Dominique's concerts, it doesn't have to be really chic, but just a little special, a change from jeans."
"Okay, great! I know an Italian shop, which is just great. We are going to go there. The Dolce Vita, it's called ..."
"An entire program we have ourselves! I'ld also like to go to a bookstore if that's possible," said Chantal.
"Me too," Anne said.
"Same!" echoed my childish voice," and these were my first words since the beginning of the trip.
Anne had smiled at me, and leaning toward me she said:
"I'd like to buy a little gift for Julien at the bookstore,will you help me choose?"
***
Sorry for the long break! finally back! Thanks for reading mwaaaah💕
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L'Etoile Rose
General Fiction16 year old Betty spends a summer at a sailing school where she learns to assert herself and find her place in the world of adults. Amazing cover by @sweetsimu !!! She happens to be an amazing writer too! check her out!
