In a city of Fools

ch1 In a city of fools

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It was pouring outside as Josephine stared out the window of the car. She watched as the reflection of the lights of the cars next to her danced in the dark puddles on the street. Inside the car the temperature was warm and cozy nothing like the cold wet weather of a dark night of March in Paris.

Her parents sat in front in silence as Mozart played. She could hear the tapping of her fathers thumb on the steering wheel as he tapped to the rhythm, but the clicking of the signal light interfered with his rhythm making him go off balance, at least it sounded as such to her. However she would never say this to her father.

Josephine sighed and leaned against the window crossing her left leg on top of her right. The long fancy gown flowed down her legs as she did this and she admired how the silk moved against her skin.

Upon seeing their building Josephine grabbed her black six-inch strappy heels from the seat next to her and prepared herself for the dash she was going to have to make to get into the building.

Her father pressed the beeper for the gates of the building and immediately the doorman came out with an umbrella to get her mother.

“Odette Josephine, wait don’t….” her mother started saying but Josephine dashed out of the car with her heels in one hand and her dress in the other pulled up so that it would not get drenched as she ran for the door.

  How she hated when her mother called her by her full name. Why couldn’t they have chosen a simple name like Lily or Margot or something easier than Odette Josephine!! She did not even look Parisian or French she looked just like what she was, American.  However, before she was born her parents decided to move to Paris for her mother’s career as a museum curator and her father sacrificed his career as a hot shot lawyer in LA to become a wealthy business man in France.

As Josephine climbed into the elevator and passed her key to hit the thirteenth floor she relaxed against the wall of the elevator and wondered how her beautiful baby was. She knew he hated the rain and especially a thunderstorm. Tomorrow she would have to give him extra treats to make him loose the bad temper he was going to have.

The elevator’s doors opened to reveal the pristine luxurious apartment that her mother kept perfectly decorated no matter the season. Then out of the corner of her eye she spotted something grey hopping around her mother white carpet.

She quickly sped over to it “Moonshadow what are you doing out here, I left you in my room!” she said as she picked up her miniature bunny.

She then went into her room closed the door and let Moonshadow hop around freely. She slipped into her pjs and sat on the plush stool of her vanity and stared at herself. Her blonde hair was in a loose French twist, her lips were a slight shade of pink/neutral and her blue eyes popped as her lashes had lots of mascara to make them look extra long and then just a black line of liner on top and bottom. Her mother came into her room as she started taking off the make up and smiled at her. She placed Josephine’s small clutch next to her and helped her by starting to take off all the pins in her head keeping the hair in place.

“you were lovely tonight, my darling” said her mother as she let Josephine’s hair down. She laid her hands on her daughter’s shoulders and admired her beauty.

“Really? I think I messed up on the second to last part” Josephine said turning around to look at her mother.

 “Well for having them sprung this performance on you an hour before you had to go on you did amazing besides its not like anyone else noticed.” Said her father as he walked into her room in his hand a box of Ladurèe macaroons. “Probably only 2 or three people noticed the mistake besides us three. But you need to continue practicing that piece, perfection is key”

Although that was meant to make her feel better it made her want to cry but she was not going to in front of her parents. That would show weakness and a chip on the perfect porcelain doll they wanted of a daughter.

Her father offered her a macaroon and she sullenly took one.

“James! Don’t go giving her that! She has a shooting tomorrow!” screeched her mother.

Oh right she forgot about that job tomorrow. Damn she really wanted to go see her baby tomorrow.  Thinking about this she made a mental note to make sure to buy some apples before going to see him.

She would just have to make some adjustment to her schedule tomorrow.

As her parents left Josephine went to her desk and pulled out her MacBook from her school tote bag. She opened itunes and clicked play on her secret playlist. Secret, because if her parent heard this type of music they would flip the hell out. They only liked her listening to classical music and then some pop here and there but nothing like punk, punk rock, alternative or stuff like that. No horny boy bands as her mother called them.  She sang along quietly to My Chemical Romance as she finished with the final details of her research paper that was due tomorrow.

The small skype icon on her computer bouncing up and down meaning someone was talking to her. When she finished and hit print she finaly clicked the skype icon and saw that it was her best friend Eloise.

(This whole conversation is supposed to be in French but to spare the confusion and the trouble of traducing I put it in Enlgish. Just like the rest of the conversation between Josephine and everyone else except her parents.)

Eloise: “Hey O, how was the Spring ball?”

Eloise: “Quin told me you looked gorgeous and that Mrs. Orlandi made you play the piano”

Eloise: “O…? Josephine?”

Eloise: “are you still mad that I could not go?”

Eloise: “please, talk to me.”

Josephine: “hey sorry, I was finishing my paper

Josephine: “no I’m not mad”

Eloise: “oh thank god I was getting worried”

Josephine: “it was the usual… lots of displays of wealth lots of gossip and the usual boys and girls.”

Josephine: “You know how it goes.”

Josephine: “& yeah she told me I had to do something because I was one of the ladies in charge. Right after the customary dance with my partner she pulled e aside and told me I had to play something.”

Eloise: “what an old hag”

Eloise: “so who was your date tonight?”

Josephine: “Maximilian Grigio”

Eloise: “what? How?! He is one of the highest in position… ?”

Josephine: “apparently I was moved up in position, do not ask me how or why but I was told he was going to be my date for the next events.”

Eloise: “well I guess we’ll find out tomorrow in school.”

Josephine: “yeah, talking of which, I’m going to go, it’s late and tomorrow is going to be a long day. Good night”

Josephine closed her laptop and stared at the blurry image of the Eiffel tower outside her window. She then picked up Moonshadow and went to her bed. She lifted her white fluffy duvet and closed her eyes fighting the urge of crying. Sometimes her parent put too much pressure on her.

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there is more coming but this is it for now.

<3 lani