5 : Pretenders

I wake up with a terrible headache. Celia grunts beside me, signifying the same pain.

- How do you put up with this every weekend?

- Keep your voice down," she begs.

I laugh at her remark, because quieter than that is telepathy. I drag myself out of the sheets, not without difficulty, and go down to the kitchen to get some paracetamol.

I see that I'm still wearing my dress and shirt. I do what I didn't dare to do last night: smell the shirt for perfume.

I'm so overwhelmed by this intoxicating scent, which reminds me of something without my being able to define what it is, that I have to take the time to sit down for a minute.

I shake my head to clear my head, reminding myself of the migraine I'm having, and continue my descent.

- Bonjour ma beauté," says parrain, handing me a glass that already contains the effervescent medicine.

- Hello, godfather, thank you very much.

- How was your evening?" he asks mischievously.

- Well drunk, but it was great.

- You seem to have made up with James?

- Yes, I have. I apologized as soon as I saw him again, because I was so sorry. He was so sweet all evening.

- You're not dating her, are you?" he exclaims in panic.

- No. But what if I was?

- Well... It's just that if you're not a companion... I wouldn't want you to suffer, my beauty...

He said all that, stammering and fumbling for words. He's lying.

- But of course...

- Hello," growls Celia, appearing in the kitchen.

Parrain hands her another glass with a paracetamol and I swallow mine. I then grab lunch for both of us.

- Where's Mom and Dad?" I ask, not seeing them around.

- They've gone away for a few days to find a cure for you-know-what," he says with a knowing look. So I'm staying with you until they come back," he adds, this time with a big smile.

I feel mine spread across my lips to my ears and jump off my stool to leap at his neck.

- How did you get that shirt?" he asks, an eyebrow raised in curiosity.

- James gave it to me...

- Why?" starts Celia again.

I didn't want to answer Celia, but Godfather asks the same question simultaneously. I think back to last night, from the time we left to the bathroom episode.

- He was there," I say simply, looking into Godfather's eyes.

His eyes darken and he pinches the bridge of his nose.

- Hurry up and get ready after breakfast, it won't be long before we're off to the fair," he says, regaining his composure.

Yesterday was a fantastic day at the funfair with our godfather! We ate cotton candy and candy apples, and came home with lots of presents. Before we left, Célia prepared all the outfits she wanted me to wear this week.

So this morning, after a shower, I put on the first one. A white shirt with khaki shorts and wedge-heeled sandals. I tie my hair up in a high ponytail, something I haven't done in a very long time. I usually wear my eternal dancer's bun. Some jewelry, as Célia advised, not forgetting the perfume I'm almost choking on, and a touch of make-up to match my outfit.

- My beauty, you're glowing," says Godfather, setting my breakfast down in front of me and kissing me on the forehead.

Célia is delighted with the way my outfit looks when she sees me leave the house.

- What a bombshell!

I do a curtsy that makes her laugh and get in the car.

- And bewitching, to boot," she says, surely referring to the perfume that fills the air.

- Go on, drive," I say to draw her attention away from me.

- So, have you heard from Eli?" I ask, trying to get her to talk about herself a little before she gets the idea to ask me.

- Did you have time to notice that?

- Why are you so surprised?

- Let's just say you were quite solicited by the male contingent at the party...

- We were just talking about you!

- He wrote to me last night, saying he'd like to go out sometime.

- Great! Give me five, baby!" I say, holding out my hand.

- How about you?

Shoot. I didn't feel like bringing it up.

- Max? James? Dereck?

- Who's Dereck?" I asked in surprise.

- The quarterback.

– I never spoke to him, why are you telling me about him?

– Girl, that guy hasn’t taken his eyes off you all night!

– I didn’t notice.

– So, Max or James?

– Listen, James is my friend and Max... He’s nice. He asked me if he had a chance...

– And what did you say? she asks impatiently.

– That we’d see...

– But why?

– What do you mean, why? I’m not going to date a guy just because he’s nice and good-looking!

– Well, what more do you want?

She parks in the school parking lot and we head toward the building entrance.

“I’m listening,” Célia insists.

“Get to know him a little, for example, find out if we have things in common, if we have the same expectations...”

“Hi, girls!”

Eli, Max, Mathis, and a few other guys from the team approach us.

“Hi,” I say with a smile, while Célia rushes over to kiss Eli.

Max comes over and kisses me on the cheek.

– You look very pretty.

– Thanks.

– Hey! Move over so we can say hi too, says Mathis, making room for himself.

He hugs me and kisses me on the cheek. Max grimaces but lets him do it, seeing me laugh and accept Mathis’s hug.

“All recovered from last night?” he asks, a little teasingly.

I pat him gently on the shoulder.

“Very well, thank you for asking.”

“Saturday, after the game, party at my place, I’m counting on you,” he said, touching my nose and winking.

“Okay, deal,” I said, laughing.

The bell rang, the team walked past us, and I caught Dereck’s eye, tense as usual, but I was quickly surrounded by James’s strong arms, who took the opportunity to give me a kiss.

“Hi, princess, come eat lunch with us.”

“OK,” I replied, kissing him on the cheek in return.

He blushes slightly and turns away when Dereck slaps him on the back of the head.

“Hurry up! We’re going to be late,” Célia says, pulling me by the sleeve at the same time. I wave to James and follow Célia to our first class of the day.

“You’re knocking them all down like flies,” she observes.

“Oh, come on, aren’t you exaggerating a little?”

“I just added Mathis to the list of your suitors.”

“Nonsense,” I laugh.

“You’re really naive, my poor girl. And believe what you want, but James has a crush on you.”