Dark Faïz ( Book 1 ) [ COMPLETED]

Chapters 1-1

The sound signal, to remind us to fasten our seat belts, pulled me out of my thoughts. Kimberose's voice, with the words "I'm Sorry" in my ears, failed to cover the captain's announcement that our Airbus would land in the next few minutes. That's when I saw, through my window, houses as far as the eye could see. The modern buildings stretched all the way up. I discovered a world totally different from the one I knew. We had crossed the Dome without my noticing, a thin, almost invisible wall that had covered the state of California for several decades. I took a look at my seat mate, a beautiful woman in her forties, with red hair, who then smiled at me.

- "It's Downtown," she explained, "the business district of LA."

- "That's it, I'm in."

I had whispered these words without even realizing it. As I turned back to my window, I realized that I had left my southern suburb of Paris for Los Angeles, a city in the United States, where for many years now it was so difficult to get permission to stay. Part of me was getting impatient to meet my host family. Damn it! Classes start on Monday. I'll barely have time to get to know her this weekend before my first day of school. Indeed, I arrived a week late in the middle of August, due to minor administrative problems with my university study contract. The Voltaire program between students and universities was an opportunity for me to go and live abroad, especially in one of the most mysterious countries in the world. My need for distance was stronger than anything else. I believed in this new beginning. At that moment, I thought of all the people I loved and left behind. Heartache made me wonder if this three-year program was a mistake. I really hoped to get used to it and to integrate into this new country, this new city.

- "If you need to take a transport from the airport, I recommend a shuttle or an Uber. Taxis will cost you much more," my neighbor kindly informed me.

- "Thank you, but someone should come and get me."

I then wondered if all of the Mattew family would come to meet me at the airport. As the rear axle touched the ground, I closed my eyes. Landing was still a time when I couldn't help but be anxious.

With my two suitcases on my cart, I headed towards the exit. That was when I saw the crowd waiting in the arrivals' hall, panels in hand. I looked for my first name on one of them, but without success. After a while, I almost got used to the idea of going to find out about the shuttles when I heard a voice calling out to me.

- "Zoe?"

As I turned around, I discovered Mrs. Mattew, who made a small movement to retreat when she saw me. I was used to this kind of reaction due to the rare color of my eyes, which reflected an intense smaragdin green. Until now, I had only seen her once, on one of the e-mailed photo exchanges where Mrs. Mattew introduced me to her family a few months earlier. This woman, with her classy and distinguished appearance, seemed humble.

- "Hello, Mrs. Mattew, " I said.

She let out a warm little laugh.

- "Call me Lily. That's my first name. Did you have a good trip?"

- "All right, it went pretty fast."

- "Perfect. Let's go, then. My car is in the parking lot. I'll help you with your luggage."

In her light blue Mustang, Lily tried to make me as comfortable as possible. She told me about the city and its thirteen million inhabitants, the habits of Californians with their cultural code...but nothing about her family, so I decided to ask her a few questions about them.

- "Have you participated in this type of university program before?"

- "No," she confided to me with a broad smile, "you know LA is almost self-sufficient. It makes things complicated."

While driving, she took a quick look at me. Suddenly there was a hint of sadness in her voice.

- "You're the first! " She pulled herself together immediately, " Don't worry, we are happy to welcome you during this school year. I think you and Victoria will get along very well."

Victoria was Lily's daughter, who was sixteen years old. We were nearly the same age. I knew that the Mattew also had a son, but unlike the rest of the family, I had never seen him in the photos exchanged.

- "I did not have the pleasure of seeing Faïz in the family photos. Does he still live with you?"

Lily's smile vanished and she suddenly became very serious. Her raven black hair was long and fine, and she also had very clear and perfect skin, like a porcelain doll. Her black eyes, so expressive, took up a large part of her face.

- "Yes, he lives with us...most of the time. He has a loft in Downtown LA."

There was a moment of silence and then she continued.

- "My son is very discreet by nature, Zoe, and unfortunately not very talkative. I hope you can make a connection with him in the future."

The tone of her voice did not leave much chance of that happening. She added,

- "I must admit that this exchange program between universities and students made us hesitate at first. We agreed to be part of the host families, thinking that it would be a good way for us to be better accepted in the Baylor University community and thus open up to other horizons."

I looked through the Mustang's window. This city seemed really huge to me. Coconut palms were along the roads, and highway networks crisscrossed everywhere. In the distance, the hills seemed to surround us. The Dome, on the other hand, could barely see itself, and it blended into the scenery. I was going to miss the towers of my "Les roses" district. I saw myself again with Prescillia and Aurore, my two school friends, but also my neighbors, listening to hip-hop and R'N'B downstairs. Music and dance that most of the time turned into a guaranteed laugh. With studies, it was my daily life in Paris.