Chapter 6
I’m sweating. This is the worst-case scenario. I glance over at Tyler to see that he’s still texting someone.
I ask, “Are you texting Mademoiselle Alvarez to tell her that we’re locked out?” I’m bracing for her to rain hellfire down on us.
“No,” says Tyler, not looking up from his phone, “because I’m not a complete moron.”
I choose to let that slide—for now. “What are you gonna say when she sees on her app that we’re not in the boys’ dorm?” I ask.
“For all she knows, we’re asleep right now.
” Tyler smirks, self-satisfied. Without another word, he leads me to one of the stone flower planters in the corner of the courtyard.
Nestled in the leaves of a lavender bush is his Apple Watch, the strap looped around a branch.
“I switched the device that’s trackable by Mademoiselle Alvarez over to my watch instead of my phone.
And this flowerpot is right under where our room is, so it looks like I’m—or I guess we’re—in the room. ”
“No way,” I say, in total awe. I look up at the fourth-floor window right over the lavender bush. The lights are off. Is Gaston sleeping?
“I’m texting Gaston and Nneka right now,” says Tyler, as if reading my mind. “I’m telling them we’re staying out all night.”
An alarm bell in my brain flashes red. “You’re telling them what? We can’t stay out all night. Ask them to come down and open the door for us right now!”
Tyler shakes his head. “And risk us all getting in trouble for breaking curfew? No way. I mean, if you think about it, this could be a good thing … from a certain point of view. Paris really comes alive at night.”
I sigh. He’s such a know-it-all. “Because you’ve been here before, of course.”
He nods. “Once. My dad brought Mom and me here for a summer vacation when I was fourteen. The trip was meant to be a sorry-for-being-a-complete-asshole gift for my mom, but … it was kind of miserable. And I always wanted to come back and see Paris on my own.”
Hmm. I want to ask more questions about why the trip was miserable, but before I can, Tyler goes on.
“We can explore the city, get back here right at seven a.m. when the door opens again, and sneak up to our beds before Mademoiselle Alvarez even wakes up.”
My mind is racing as fast as my heart. I can’t imagine pulling off something like this. I reach into my tote bag and touch my to-do list with a clammy palm. It occurs to me that if I had the luxury of like eight solo hours, I could probably accomplish everything on my list.
Yes. One hour for each item, with time to spare! It’s perfect.
No. I’m being insane.
“Absolutely not. If we turn ourselves in now,” I argue, “and tell Mademoiselle Alvarez it was all an accident, she might show us a little mercy. If we get caught after staying out all night, then we’re really going to be expelled.”
“Relax, will you?” Tyler says. “It’s like you’ve never snuck out before.”
“No, I haven’t,” I say defensively. “I’m not used to breaking rules. Not all of us have endless safety nets beneath our safety nets.”
“You act like you know everything about me,” Tyler says. There’s a glint of a challenge in his eyes. It’s almost like he does remember our former friendship and is just waiting for me to bring it up first. But no. I know that’s not true.
So I refuse to take the bait. I ramble on, “My biggest act of rebellion was dropping AP Mandarin in sophomore year to start all over with Beginner French One.”
Tyler arches an eyebrow. The right side of his lip curls up, in a smirk so smugly handsome I almost want to punch him. “How’s that an act of rebellion?” he asks.
“I was really good at Mandarin,” I say, trying not to sound braggy.
“Ms. Paley in the college counseling office said it’d be a big mistake to start all over in a new language so late in high school, but I did it anyway.
I chose Mandarin in middle school because I had some idea in my head that it would be the most useful for the future, like if I went into international business or something.
I mean, can you imagine me in business?”
“No, I can’t,” says Tyler distractedly, back to typing on his phone.
I don’t appreciate how quickly he agreed with me.
I feel like firing back, Now you’re acting like you know everything about me.
But instead I blather on, “That’s why I still don’t speak French all that well, even though Mademoiselle Alvarez says I’m one of the most dedicated first-year French students she’s ever taught. ”
Tyler snorts. “Wow. You’re a real badass.”
I glower at him. “How did you get so good at lying? Are you a sociopath or something?”
“That’s up for debate. But no, I snuck out a lot in New York,” he says nonchalantly.
“Really? Where did you go?”
“I dunno. Parties. The subway. Gay bars.”
“You’ve been to gay bars?” I ask, impressed.
I picture Tyler, dressed in his Gossip Girl–like prep school uniform, crawling out the window of his fancy Manhattan apartment and climbing down a fire escape.
Bribing his uniformed doorman. Taking a yellow cab through the sparkling city streets, the Empire State Building looming in the distance.
“How would you even get into gay bars?” I ask. “Fake ID?”
“Yeah, I had one. But I usually didn’t need it. I guess I just look old and haggard. From all that hard living.”
“Ha ha.”
I study Tyler’s skin glowing in the bluish light of his phone. It’s spotless aside from the traces of light, feathery stubble on his chin and upper lip. Doesn’t exactly say hard living.
But he does look a bit more sophisticated than a typical sixteen-year-old—for sure, much more mature than me.
He could pass for a college student, maybe—a hot frat bro.
It’s the way that a lot of super beautiful A-list celebrities already looked like full-grown adults in their high school yearbook photos, as if their features figured out their optimal arrangements a long time ago, while the rest of us stay a little unformed, trapped in our awkward phases that might turn out to be permanent.
It’s all the more shocking and unfair considering that I’m actually three months older than Tyler.
“Anyway,” says Tyler, finally looking up from the screen, “Gaston and Nneka are going to cover for us.”
He hands me his phone to read the full text exchange.
TYLER: Me and Ben missed curfew. Locked out
GASTON: U serious bro?
NNEKA: OMG NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!
I glance up at Tyler. “You have Cody saved in your phone as”—I click on his contact info—“ ‘Gaston De La ChestHair’?” The question just pops out of my mouth.
Tyler shrugs, laughing. “I changed it for the trip. It’s kind of hilarious.”
That’s not something I’d ever expect someone like Tyler to do—it’s funny and sort of sassy, and Tyler just seems so … one of the bros. But I shrug off the moment and look back down at the phone.
NNEKA: Alvarez is going to kill you both. She just came by the girls’ dorm. She’s gonna text the whole group when she gets back to her room.
NNEKA: Which could be a while ’cause girl can barely walk. Those snails got her in a bad way.
TYLER: I have a plan.
TYLER: Leaving my Apple Watch in the courtyard … looks like we’re still in the dorm.
GASTON: Bro ur a genius
TYLER: Ben and I are gonna explore the city. Not gonna tell on us are you?
GASTON: I’m no snitch
NNEKA:
NNEKA: Tbh I’m jealous … like why didn’t Gaston and I “accidentally” miss curfew too LMAO.
Suddenly, a new message flashes on the screen; it’s from a different text thread. I’m so startled when I see it’s from Mademoiselle Alvarez that I drop the phone. Using his basketball-star reflexes, Tyler snatches it out of the air before it hits the ground.
“Careful!” he admonishes me. “This phone is our lifeline tonight.”
“Sorry,” I say. “That is very true.” Must protect the phone at all costs.
I look over Tyler’s shoulder to read Mademoiselle Alvarez’s message, which she sent to the whole Paris spring break group chat.
MLLE ALVAREZ: Bonsoir étudiantes!
MLLE ALVAREZ: The ladies are all in bed like nine perfect angels.
MLLE ALVAREZ: Hommes, I know you are as well?
GASTON: I’m in bed like a good boy. Dreaming of my Belle.
NNEKA: My hero!!!!
KAREN:
MALIA:
TYLER: Ben and I are here and accounted for!
GASTON: Yes, I can confirm they’re both here
GASTON: Ben is already asleep like a sweet baby
GASTON: And Tyler sleeps naked … you heard it here first
KAREN:
JOSIE:
MALIA:
MLLE ALVAREZ: ARRETE, all of you!! That means STOP.
Tyler rolls his eyes. “Gaston’s laying it on a bit thick, don’t you think?”
“Well, do you?” I ask without thinking.
“What?”
“Sleep in the nude?”
Tyler smirks at me. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”
“No!” I insist, crinkling my nose. “Don’t flatter yourself, puh-leeze.”
“Then why’d you ask?”
I don’t have an answer for that one. I hate myself for the way my brain works, but I can’t get the image out of my head. And it’s objectively not-unappealing.
Ugh. I shake my head, pushing the image far away.
A new text comes in.
MLLE ALVAREZ: I have to thank you all for bearing with me today.
I know I’ve been a little bit on edge, and those escargots didn’t help.
Lol. But I want all of you to stay safe.
And my second hope is that you have an unforgettable trip and understand how much beauty is out there for you in the world to discover.
I know we had a few hiccups, but all of you are very special.
I’ll see you bright and early tomorrow in the lobby at 8 a.m.! I’m sure I’ll be feeling 100% by then …
I feel a surge of shame for lying to Mademoiselle Alvarez and for being the trip’s biggest “hiccup” by far. But Tyler doesn’t show a single ounce of remorse. He switches back over to the thread with Gaston and Nneka.
TYLER: OK, thanks for covering for us. Gaston, you were doing the most tho
GASTON: It’s called ACTING
NNEKA: HAVE AN AMAZING NIGHT YOU GUYS!!!!
NNEKA: And Ben, I hope you get to do all the things on your list