1. Chapter One
KARI
I was sitting here trying to figure out how I was going to ask my mom and dad to let me go to Paris earlier than we’d agreed.
It was the last year of high school, and I had been selected to study abroad for my senior year.
Out of all the students who applied, they picked me, and I still couldn't believe it.
I had read the acceptance email at least fifty times just to make sure it was real. I was so damn excited.
Not only was I about to spend my senior year in Paris, but my seventeenth birthday was in October, which meant I'd be celebrating it in one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
The program officially started in August, but I wanted to leave as soon as school let out for summer break.
Me and my friend wanted time to get familiar with the city and have some fun.
The only problem was I needed my parents to say it was okay.
I knew that my dad would be the problem, but if I could get my mom on board, then I knew he’d say it was cool.
He did whatever she wanted. In my dad’s eyes, I was still his sixteen-year-old daughter even though I’d be seventeen in a couple of months.
I had a feeling he was gonna shut that shit down before I even finished my sentence.
My phone beeped and I knew I had a text message. I grabbed my phone on nightstand and it was a text from my friend, Evan.
Evan: Did you ask them?
I sighed before typing back.
Me: No.
Evan: Just let me know. We're supposed to leave next week.
I stared at the message for a minute before locking my phone.
Damn, I had to suck it up and go talk to them. If I didn't ask tonight, I was going to keep putting it off. I took a deep breath and left my room in search of my parents. When I made it down to the family room, my dad was having drinks with Uncle Zelan at the bar.
“Hey, Dad. Hey, Uncle Zelan. Where is Mom?” I asked, looking around the room, nervous as hell.
“Hey, Cupcake.” Uncle Zelan stood to pull me in for a hug.
“She’s in her office working on PURE. Why, what’s up?” He asked looking over at me.
“I need to talk to you both.” I walked over to the intercom and hit the button. “Mom, come to the family room please.” I waited for her to respond.
“Coming,” she said and minutes later she was walking into the family room.
“What’s up, baby girl?” She smiled, wrapping her arms around me then placing a kiss on my cheek.
“Ummm…Mom, Dad. Since I’m going abroad to Paris, some of my friends have decided to go early so that we can enjoy Paris, and the surrounding countries before our studies start in August. I was uhhh…I was wondering if I could go with them?” I asked.
“Sure,” My dad said, and hearing him say “sure” so damn easily, had me looking at him crazy. I wanted to touch his head to see if he had a fever. “Are you guys going a week before?”
“Ummm. No, dad. They’re leaving next week, a few days after we get out of school for summer break,” I clarified.
“Ohhh, hell no,” he snapped.
“Dad, pleaseeee,” I begged. “I really want to go. I’ve done everything right all through high school, and I want to do this.
It can be my birthday and graduation gift.
Please all my friends that got accepted is going.
Mom, please talk to him. He won’t ever let me do anything, it’s unfair.
” I pouted, folding my arms across my chest.
“Kari your ass is sixteen. What the hell I look like allowing you to go to Paris by yourself? Now, if you want to go, we will take you over there a week earlier, before your classes start. But the answer is no to you going with your friends.” He looked at me and I lost it.
“Why are you like this? It’s like I’m in jail! I have straight A’s, a 4.2 GPA in school, and I’m Valedictorian. Please dad! We won’t be by ourselves; one of our classmates’ sisters is going with us to make sure we’re safe, and she’s an adult,” I cried.
“Kari, the answer is no. Now I can give that shit to you in French, so you’ll know how to speak it when you go in August.”
“Kari, calm down, baby. Juelz maybe you should think about it.” My mom sighed, and I just stood there crying.
“Ciera I’m not thinking about anything. She’s too young to go,” he snapped.
“Juelz, if there’s going to be an adult with them, then I think we should let her go.
If we feel that something is going on, then she can come home.
Don’t just dismiss her like that. I understand your concerns, but this is her last year and she’s headed to college.
We can only keep a hold on her for so much longer and then she’ll be old enough to do whatever she wants.
It’s smarter for us to give her a little rope.
Kari has worked so hard in school, and I think we should let her do it,” My mom told him.
“Ju, let her go explore the world. You only get to live once, and baby girl has done everything right. What could possibly happen if an adult is with them?” Uncle Zelan looked over at him.
“Baby, let her go. I’ll make sure to check on her daily. Me, Ari, Toya, and Grams will even take some trips over there to check on her. It is Paris and you know the girls love a good shopping trip to Paris.” My mom kissed his lips, and I could see him instantly melt.
“I want to speak to the adult that’s going with you all, and you’ll have a guard with you at all times,” he said.
“Dad, please I don’t want to be the odd ball. Please no security, none of my friends would want to hang with me,” I begged.
“Kari your ass is pushing it. I want a call every other day, and me and your mom will come out to visit,” he told me and I jumped up and down then ran to jump into his arms.
“Thank you, dad!”
“I want the information, Kari.”
I hurried and texted him the number he needed.
I was happy as hell; I hugged and thanked my mom for helping me then I ran upstairs to call my cousin, Tiana.
Because just like me, we were for sure thought that my dad was going to say no.
I didn’t know what kind of power Ciera Kassom held over my dad, but I aspired to be like her one day.
Thank God Uncle Zelan was there to boost for your girl too.
I couldn’t believe that I was actually headed to Paris!
One Week Later
My mom and dad dropped me off at the airport, and I swear my excitement was through the roof.
I had dreamed about this moment for months, and now it was finally here.
As we walked through the terminal with my luggage, I spotted Marley and her older sister, Sherri, coming towards us with their luggage.
The second they saw me, Marley got excited as hell.
“Kari!” Sherri called out.
The two of them ran over to us, and we immediately pulled each other into a group hug.
“Heyyyyy!” I squealed, unable to stop smiling.
“I can't believe we're really doing this,” Marley laughed.
“Girl, me either!” I turned toward my parents.
“Mom, Dad... you remember Marley, right? Dad, this is her big sister, Sherri. You spoke on the phone with her. She'll be with us in Paris."
“It's so nice to finally meet you, Sherri,” My dad said.
“It's nice meeting you too.” Sherri smiled. “I have an itinerary of things for us to do, and I made you both a copy with my email and phone number on it.” She handed the paper to my mom and all I could do was scream “hell yeah” in my head.
“Thank you for agreeing to go with them and looking after our daughter,” My mom told her.
“I promise I will," Sherri reassured and turned to me. “Kari, we already checked our luggage in, we just came out to wait on you to pull up. So, all you have to do is go check your bags in.” Sherri grabbed one of my bags that I was holding.
Jeff unloaded my bags, and my mom and dad helped me get everything in. Once we were done, we headed up to the security checkpoint, and that was as far as my parents could go. My mom was going to try and get a pass to go to the gate with me, but I begged her not to.
“You know the rules. Call your mother and me every day. Keep your phone on and stay aware of your surroundings. Oh yeah, and don't be running around Paris like you’re crazy with no home training,” he demanded.
“I got it, dad.”
My mom wiped a tear from her eye before rubbing her hand in my hair like she’s done a thousand times growing up.
“I'm so proud of you, Kari. This is an amazing opportunity for you. Enjoy yourself, learn everything you can over there, and make memories you'll never forget,” she said and pulled me in for a hug.
“I will. I love you, Mom."
“My love for you is never ending.” She smiled.
We walked through security, and my mom and dad were still standing there waving at me. Once we got through, we rushed out of the area and far away so that my parents were out of sight.
“Got damn! That was the hardest shit I’ve ever done. Your dad’s stare down made me nervous as hell. You better live it the fuck up over there,” Sherri said laughing.
“I know that’s right.” Marley gave her a high five. “I’ll see you in August. Oh, and bitch do everything I would do.” Marley winked.
“And is!” I laughed and hugged them before we went our separate ways, and I headed to my gate.
“Hey, Kari. I started to text you. We’re about to turn this shit up,” Evan said, kissing my lips. I felt so damn giddy inside, like was this really happening?
My girls always had my back. We set all of this up so that I could go to Paris and spend some time with my boo, Evan.
He wasn’t my boyfriend, but we’d been messing around for a few months now.
Evan went to one of the private academies that was next door to my private school.
I’d known him for a while, and we hit it off immediately.
I liked him a lot and hoped that he felt the same about me.