of the day, ‘I’d almost rather do extra homework than have to spend time with my little friend from across the sea.’
‘I’m really lucky,’ admitted Flora. ‘Marie-Louise speaks better English than I do. If I was alone with somebody shy and speechless like Edouard, I’d totally freak out.’
At this point the French gang arrived. Gerard, Jodie’s partner, was wearing shades and he strolled up to Jess and Flora.
‘’Ave you seen Jodie?’ he asked.
‘She’ll be here in a minute,’ said Flora. ‘Have you had a good day?’
Gerard shrugged and sort of pouted, as if to suggest that his first day in England had been not particularly wonderful. Tolerable, maybe.
‘ Bof?! ’ he said. Or something similar.
‘Couldn’t agree more,’ said Jess. ‘My day was totally bof as well.’
Gerard took off his shades, looked at Jess for a moment and grinned slowly.
‘You are phoney,’ he said in a drawly sort of voice. His green eyes smouldered.
‘You may be right about that,’ said Jess, half to herself. ‘But don’t tell anybody.’ Presumably he meant funny . She hoped so, anyway.
Jodie rushed in looking panicky that her precious Gerard was daring to talk to other girls. He gave Jodie a very seductive welcoming smile. She blushed so hard that, for a moment, all her spots disappeared.
‘Come on, Gerard!’ she said. ‘My mum will be waiting – oh, by the way,’ she added, in a kind of public announcement sort of voice, ‘I’ll sort out the camping trip with my auntie Rose, no problem.’ There was a cheer.
Jodie’s certainly Queen Bee at the moment, thought Jess.
Marie-Louise bustled up to Flora. ‘Oh, I ’ave ’ad such a simply wonderful day!’ she said. ‘Madame Lamentin show us a video about British ’istory. Ze Middle Ages. I love zis! Tomorrow we are going to Oxford. I am so ’appy!’
Bless her , thought Jess. Fancy getting excited about the Middle Ages. Maybe it’s because she’s so middle-aged.
Flora and Marie-Louise went off home, and moments later Jess was wishing that she could have had a partner like that. Edouard crept towards her, staring sadly at the floor as if he was too embarrassed to look her in the eye. His crush – if he’d ever had one – was certainly crushed.
‘We’re going to walk home,’ she said. ‘It’s not far.’
Edouard nodded seriously. Jess’s heart sank. Then, suddenly, Fred appeared, grinning.
‘Hi, Ed!’ he said, slapping Edouard affectionately on the back. Edouard produced a shy smile. ‘How’s it going?’ said Fred. ‘Do you fancy being engaged to Jess for a bit? I’m bored with it already.’
‘He can’t understand that much English,’ said Jess, laughing. Edouard laughed, too, and shrugged.
‘Jess – dog,’ said Fred, making a barking sound. Edouard laughed.
‘Fred – pig!’ said Jess, snorting piggishly. Edouard laughed again.
‘What Edouard?’ asked Fred. Edouard paused for thought.
‘Edouard – snake!’ said Edouard eventually, and gave a brief and rather surprising hiss.
‘Laugh? We nearly did!’ said Fred. ‘I’ll walk you both home, as long as I don’t have to hold hands with you. I’d rather hold hands with your friend.’
‘Honestly! You’re all over me all the time,’ said Jess. ‘Keep your distance, can’t you, Parsons? And by the way, Mum and I usually refer to you-know-who as the Queen.’
They set off, and immediately it became awkward. There was only room for two people to walk side by side on the pavement. Edouard immediately dropped back behind Jess and Fred.
‘This is awful,’ said Jess. ‘The Queen seems kind of sad and neglected.’ She stopped and turned. Edouard, who had been looking at the ground, bumped into her and his glasses went crooked.
‘Sorry,’ said Jess.
‘Sorry,’ said Edouard, blushing.
‘Fred wants to talk to you about something,’ said Jess, indicating that Edouard ought to walk in front in a boys-bonding kind of way.
‘Er – what was it I
‘I’m really lucky,’ admitted Flora. ‘Marie-Louise speaks better English than I do. If I was alone with somebody shy and speechless like Edouard, I’d totally freak out.’
At this point the French gang arrived. Gerard, Jodie’s partner, was wearing shades and he strolled up to Jess and Flora.
‘’Ave you seen Jodie?’ he asked.
‘She’ll be here in a minute,’ said Flora. ‘Have you had a good day?’
Gerard shrugged and sort of pouted, as if to suggest that his first day in England had been not particularly wonderful. Tolerable, maybe.
‘ Bof?! ’ he said. Or something similar.
‘Couldn’t agree more,’ said Jess. ‘My day was totally bof as well.’
Gerard took off his shades, looked at Jess for a moment and grinned slowly.
‘You are phoney,’ he said in a drawly sort of voice. His green eyes smouldered.
‘You may be right about that,’ said Jess, half to herself. ‘But don’t tell anybody.’ Presumably he meant funny . She hoped so, anyway.
Jodie rushed in looking panicky that her precious Gerard was daring to talk to other girls. He gave Jodie a very seductive welcoming smile. She blushed so hard that, for a moment, all her spots disappeared.
‘Come on, Gerard!’ she said. ‘My mum will be waiting – oh, by the way,’ she added, in a kind of public announcement sort of voice, ‘I’ll sort out the camping trip with my auntie Rose, no problem.’ There was a cheer.
Jodie’s certainly Queen Bee at the moment, thought Jess.
Marie-Louise bustled up to Flora. ‘Oh, I ’ave ’ad such a simply wonderful day!’ she said. ‘Madame Lamentin show us a video about British ’istory. Ze Middle Ages. I love zis! Tomorrow we are going to Oxford. I am so ’appy!’
Bless her , thought Jess. Fancy getting excited about the Middle Ages. Maybe it’s because she’s so middle-aged.
Flora and Marie-Louise went off home, and moments later Jess was wishing that she could have had a partner like that. Edouard crept towards her, staring sadly at the floor as if he was too embarrassed to look her in the eye. His crush – if he’d ever had one – was certainly crushed.
‘We’re going to walk home,’ she said. ‘It’s not far.’
Edouard nodded seriously. Jess’s heart sank. Then, suddenly, Fred appeared, grinning.
‘Hi, Ed!’ he said, slapping Edouard affectionately on the back. Edouard produced a shy smile. ‘How’s it going?’ said Fred. ‘Do you fancy being engaged to Jess for a bit? I’m bored with it already.’
‘He can’t understand that much English,’ said Jess, laughing. Edouard laughed, too, and shrugged.
‘Jess – dog,’ said Fred, making a barking sound. Edouard laughed.
‘Fred – pig!’ said Jess, snorting piggishly. Edouard laughed again.
‘What Edouard?’ asked Fred. Edouard paused for thought.
‘Edouard – snake!’ said Edouard eventually, and gave a brief and rather surprising hiss.
‘Laugh? We nearly did!’ said Fred. ‘I’ll walk you both home, as long as I don’t have to hold hands with you. I’d rather hold hands with your friend.’
‘Honestly! You’re all over me all the time,’ said Jess. ‘Keep your distance, can’t you, Parsons? And by the way, Mum and I usually refer to you-know-who as the Queen.’
They set off, and immediately it became awkward. There was only room for two people to walk side by side on the pavement. Edouard immediately dropped back behind Jess and Fred.
‘This is awful,’ said Jess. ‘The Queen seems kind of sad and neglected.’ She stopped and turned. Edouard, who had been looking at the ground, bumped into her and his glasses went crooked.
‘Sorry,’ said Jess.
‘Sorry,’ said Edouard, blushing.
‘Fred wants to talk to you about something,’ said Jess, indicating that Edouard ought to walk in front in a boys-bonding kind of way.
‘Er – what was it I
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