A Summer in Paris

“Better watch out!” Kristy Connor cried dramatically. “I just saw Ms. Darcy in the hall, and I could see from twenty feet away that she has that special gleam in her eye. You know, the one she always gets whenever she’s about to spring a pop quiz on her favorite advanced French class.”

“Oh, no! I sure hope not.” With a loud groan, Jennifer Johnson glanced up, watching her friend as she plopped down at the desk right next to hers. “Cheerleading practice ran really late yesterday— until after five. The big game against Clinton High is next week, and we still have a zillion new cheers to learn. I got home so late that I didn’t have a single
minute
to study those new irregular verbs Ms. Darcy just assigned.”

“Are you sure it was only the big basketball game that was keeping you so busy?” Kristy teased, giving her wild red mane a toss in a useless attempt at keeping her hair out of her eyes. “Or was it the
captain
of the basketball team that kept you away from all those wonderful verbs?”

Jennifer giggled. She was a perky blue-eyed blonde, her pretty features complemented by the light makeup she always wore. That plus her interest in the trendiest clothes made her look as if she had just stepped off the cover of a magazine.

“Well ... Danny and I
did
go out for a Coke afterward. The whole crowd was over at Burger ‘n’ Shake, talking about the big game. It was like the entire senior class had suddenly gotten a bad case of spring fever, and believe me, studying was the last thing on anybody’s mind. I got home so late that my mother was ready to ground me.” Jennifer rolled her eyes. “Fortunately, this was one time I managed to talk her out of it.”

“I didn’t study, either,” Kristy said. “Nobody was home, and I just parked myself in front of the TV.” She sighed. “Well, if we are having a surprise quiz, at least one of us is guaranteed to get an
A.”
She gestured toward the pretty dark-haired girl sitting in front of her. “Right, Nina?”

Nina Shaw looked over her shoulder and smiled. As she turned, her shining dark brown hair, hanging down almost to her waist, caught the light, creating a shimmering effect.

“You know I don’t mind studying French,” she said, her large brown eyes shining with sincerity.

“Now
that’s
an understatement if I’ve ever heard one,” Kristy returned. “Nina, you love everything French. French cooking, French novels, French songs, French movies ...”

“And don’t forget those handsome French boys,” Jennifer added with a grin. “I bet Nina would just love to meet some.”

Before the dark-haired girl had a chance to reply, however, Ms. Darcy’s voice interrupted the girls’ friendly banter.

“If the three class chatterboxes can manage to stay quiet for a moment,” their teacher said, striding toward the front of the classroom, “I’d like to make an announcement.”

Jennifer, Kristy, and Nina reluctantly lapsed into silence. As they looked up, however, they were surprised to find that Ms. Darcy was smiling.

“No, this time it’s not a quiz,” she went on with a gentle laugh.

Ms. Darcy had a wide, sincere smile, which was just one of the many reasons she was one of the most popular teachers at Weston High School. She came around to the front of her desk, leaning against its edge as she continued addressing the class.

“What I have to say to all of you today is a lot more exciting than that. In fact, I’ve actually got some good news. Some
very
good news.”

Jennifer and Kristy exchanged puzzled glances. Nina, meanwhile, leaned forward in her seat.

“Weston High has just had a great honor bestowed upon it. Ours is the only school in Connecticut that has been invited to participate in a brand-new foreign exchange program. It’s being run by an organization called the Project for International Exchange.”

David, one of the few juniors in the class, raised his hand. Without waiting for Ms. Darcy to call on him, he called out, “You mean kids from other countries are going to be coming to live in our town? They’re coming here, to Weston?”

“Not exactly.” Ms. Darcy hesitated, meanwhile glancing at all fourteen of her students. Everyone could sense the excitement in the room. “Actually, you, the students of Weston High’s advanced French class, have been invited to spend this summer in Paris.”

“Paris!” Nina exclaimed. “Paris,
France?”

Ms. Darcy laughed. “That’s the one I’m talking about. As part of an effort to bridge some of the gaps that exist between our culture here in the United States and the cultures of other countries, a handful of high schools have been chosen to send students who are interested in living abroad to foreign countries for the months of July and August. The students who participate will live with a French family in Paris so they can learn about life in another country.”

She picked up a flyer from her desk, a sleek, colorful folder that looked like a travel brochure, and glanced at it. “The students who participate in the program will spend their mornings attending special classes at the Sorbonne, the finest university in Paris. Studying the language, the history, and the culture of France will help them get the most out of the experience.”

“What about the afternoons?” David asked.

“Those are left free for sight-seeing, reading, studying—or whatever. The main purpose of the program is to allow young people to experience life in another country. How you spend your time is really up to you.”

“Wow!” cried Sharon, who was sitting next to the bulletin board. On it were large colorful posters picturing some of the great castles of France. “Imagine spending the whole summer in France. Visiting these beautiful
chateaux,
the ones I’ve been drooling over since September. Seeing all that gorgeous countryside that the great artists painted, men like Claude Monet and women like Berthe Morisot. Touring the famous cathedrals and going to the museums and eating French pastry all day ... Gosh, I can hardly wait! Where do I sign up?”

Ms. Darcy laughed. “I appreciate your enthusiasm, Sharon, and I hope that many of you will decide to go. I certainly hope that all of you will at least give it serious thought. It is, after all, the chance of a lifetime. But there are some steps that those students who are interested have to take.”

“I get it,” David broke in. “You mean like asking our parents’ permission before we start packing our suitcases, right?”

“Something like that. That comes first. Then, there are all kinds of forms to be filled out. There are passport applications, questionnaires that will help match you up with the host family that is best for you.... I’m afraid that there’s quite a bit of paperwork involved.

“But the very first step is for each and every one of you to think very carefully about whether or not spending the summer living in Paris is right for you.”

Ms. Darcy’s tone had grown serious. “It’s not a simple decision to make. Yes, it sounds exciting— and even a little bit glamorous. It would provide an unparalleled opportunity to learn—and not only about the French language and culture, either.

“But there are other factors to consider.” The teacher looked around the room. “You need to think about what it would be like being on your own. How you would adjust to living far away from everything that’s familiar to you. Whether or not you could feel comfortable in a country in which an entirely different language is spoken.

“And then there’s the problem of fitting in with a brand-new family, one that’s bound to bear little resemblance to anything you’re used to. All in all, it’s a lot to take on. And it’s important to weigh both the positives and the negatives.”

Ms. Darcy paused to take a deep breath. “Now. After all that, are there any questions?”

As Sharon and David and some of the others bombarded their teacher with a dozen different questions, Jennifer, Kristy, and Nina simply looked at each other. Not one of them said a word. But from the expressions on their faces it was clear that two of them were excited over the prospect of spending the summer in Paris, while the third was just plain bored.

* * * *

“I can hardly believe this is really happening,” Nina said with a sigh as she and her two best friends made their way across the expansive front lawn of Weston High. Dreamily she kicked at the dandelions just beginning to push their way up through the stubby grass, barely noticing these cheerful reminders that spring was on its way. “I’ve been dying to see Paris for so long.”

“At least as long as I’ve known you,” Jennifer said, flicking back her shoulder-length blond hair, today held back on one side with a purple barrette that exactly matched her sweater. “I remember the very first day of junior high school, six long years ago. You and I were in Mr. Thompson’s beginning French class, and we ended up sitting next to each other. You were positively thrilled to be taking French.

“I was scared stiff. I never thought I’d be able to learn another language. It just sounded too hard.” She wrinkled her nose. “The whole thing was my parents’ idea. They thought learning French would make me more worldly or something.”

“I remember that day, too,” Kristy interrupted. “Mr. Thompson went around the classroom, asking each one of us why we had signed up for French! I said something about how I’d heard it was easier to learn than German, and everybody laughed. But Nina, you went on and on about how much you wanted to learn about French poetry and art and all that stuff.”

“Yeah, and that was all it took.” Jennifer laughed. “After that, Mr. Thompson
loved
you. You were his favorite student in the class!”

“Well, who could blame him?” Kristy said. “I don’t think Nina ever got a grade lower than a ninety-eight the whole three years she was in his class. Did you?”

Nina just smiled. “I’ve always had my reasons,” she said. Then her smile faded, and she became quiet, making it clear that the subject was closed.

Jennifer and Kristy eyed each other knowingly. They were not at all surprised by their friend’s mysterious behavior. Even though they had all been close ever since seventh grade, there had always been something about Nina Shaw that never let them forget she preferred to keep herself just a little bit separate from everyone else.

She was certainly well liked—one of the most popular girls at Weston High, in fact. And why wouldn’t she be? The fact that she always had a kind word for everyone, despite her slight aloofness, made all the other girls want to be her friend. The boys, too—especially since she was also extremely pretty. With her long, shining dark hair, her large brown eyes, and her attractive, somewhat angular features, she caught the attention of some of the best-looking, most sought-after boys in school.

Even so, Nina chose not to spend too much time caught up in the social whirl. She had her friends, of course, especially Jennifer and Kristy. She dated often, although she had never paired off with one particular boy, the way Jennifer had with Danny. Nina valued her time alone, and she always made sure she kept part of her weekends for reading, taking long walks by herself, daydreaming—and writing.

“Well, one thing’s for certain,” Nina finally said. “I’m going to talk to my parents about this exchange program the very first chance I get. Hmmm, I wonder if I should whip up a chocolate
mousse
for dessert to help get them in the mood?”

Kristy and Jennifer laughed.

“I can’t imagine your parents saying no to something like this,” said Kristy. “I’m sure they’ll know how important it is to you. Besides, didn’t your mother used to live in France or something?”

“My grandmother,” Nina replied. “She spent a year in Paris, studying art.”

“Your grandmother?” Jennifer repeated. “Wow, that must have been ages ago.”

Nina nodded. “It was. In the late 1930s, just before World War II.”

“Well, this is where I turn off,” Kristy said suddenly as the threesome reached the street corner whose location always demanded that they decide exactly who would be going home with whom. “Want to come over for a while?”

Jennifer was quick to agree. “Sure, I’d love to. Hey, I can show you the new cheers we’ve been practicing for the game next week. They’re really awesome.”

“Not me, thanks,” Nina said, clutching her schoolbooks tightly against her chest. “I want to get home.”

“Going to start making that chocolate
mousse,
huh?” Kristy teased.

Nina smiled. “Something like that. I’ll see you both tomorrow.”

“Right. ‘Bye, Nina!”

“Good-bye. And good luck with your parents, Nina.”

As Jennifer and Kristy turned down Emerson Street, they were both silent for a while. Finally, when Jennifer spoke, her voice sounded odd.

“What about you, Kristy? Are you interested in going on this exchange program thing?”

Kristy raised her eyebrows. “Well, sure, Jen. Aren’t you?”

The blond girl shrugged. “I don’t know. I mean, it sounds glamorous and all that. But this
is
my last summer here in Weston before I go away to college. Oh, sure, I’ll be back to visit and all, but it’ll never be quite the same. I’ve just been assuming I’d spend the summer here, hanging out with all my friends, maybe getting a summer job at one of the stores in town or over at the mall....”