The Boy from France Read Online Free

hand, and he takes it, but he doesn’t shake it. Instead, he leans over and kisses me on both cheeks, gently dropping my hand as he does so. He smells like washing
powder and hair gel. Mmm. My cheeks glow hot. I take a deep breath and step backwards, hoping he hasn’t noticed. ‘So, um, did you have a good journey?’
    ‘Yes, no problem, sank you.’
    ‘That’s good. Er . . .’ Someone rescue me, please; I can’t think of a single thing to say. I glance around again for Rosie, and spot her talking to a pretty blond girl,
who must be Manon. I try to catch her eye, to beckon them over, but she doesn’t see me. ‘So, er,’ I manage, finally, ‘have you been to London before?’
    ‘
Non
. Never. Eez first time. In the moment, I like very much.’
    I laugh, nervously. He’s only seen the train station. ‘Cool. Well, we’ll go to my house and dump your stuff and then, if you fancy it, we can take a walk around Camden.
I’ll introduce you to my best friends. Rosie is over there, actually. Although you must be tired. After travelling all day. So maybe you just want to stay in?’ I’m rambling now.
Still, it’s better than saying nothing. ‘Anyway, see how you feel. How does that sound?’
    ‘Yes, eez good, sanks.’ He looks confused. I was probably talking too fast. He grins again and his eyes crinkle up at the corners, two long dimples appearing in his cheeks. I find
myself smiling too, a weird, lopsided smile. My lips are so dry that they’re sticking to my teeth. I wish I’d taken Rosie up on her offer of lip-gloss.
    ‘
Bonjour
Xavier,
et bienvenue à Londres!
’ says Dad, appearing at my side at last and welcoming Xavier in his best French. I hope he’s not going to keep
showing off for the entire month. That would be unbearable.
    ‘Allo,’ says Xavier. ‘You are Veeck’s farser? You speak good
Français
.’ I wonder if he’s going to kiss Dad too, the way I’ve seen the
French boys kissing each other, but he doesn’t. They shake hands.
    ‘Yes,’ says Dad, looking pleased with himself. ‘Call me John. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Xavier. Let me take your bags.’
    ‘No, no, eez OK. I can carry my own. Sanks.’ He picks up his enormous duffle bag and sweeps it over his shoulder, as if it’s no heavier than a jacket. Dad shrugs. I know he
likes to feel useful.
    ‘Right, then,’ he says. ‘Let’s find the others and head home.’ He waves Rosie’s dad over. Rosie and Manon follow close behind. Rosie grins at me. I catch her
looking Xavier up and down and smiling, approvingly.
    ‘Hey, Vix,’ she says, putting her arm around my shoulder. She turns to Manon. ‘This is Manon. Manon, Vix.’
    ‘Allo,’ says Manon. She looks me up and down, the same way Rosie did to Xavier. It makes me feel uncomfortable. ‘I stay ’ere wiz Rosie.’
    ‘Hello. This is Xavier. He’s staying with me.’
    Xavier smiles at me and nods at Manon. ‘Allo.’
    ‘Do you two know each other?’ asks Rosie.
    ‘
Mais oui,
’ says Manon. She leans over to kiss Xavier. ‘I know eem a leetle. We go to zee same school in Nice.’
    ‘She eez a very big school,’ says Xavier. ‘Many students.’
    We all stand around, awkwardly, for a few moments, smiling at each other.
    ‘Right,’ says Dad. ‘Let’s go to the bus stop. It’s just outside.’ He notices that Manon has two wheelie suitcases and offers to take one of them. It’s
pink and only has a short handle, so he has to bend his knees as he walks. He looks ridiculous.
    ‘We take zee bus now?’ says Manon. She seems a little put out. I don’t blame her. I guess she’s probably tired, after travelling all day.
    ‘Yes, it goes to the end of our street,’ Rosie says. ‘It’s not far. Just five minutes up the road.’
    ‘Ah, all of us go togezzer? You leeve wiz Veecks?’
    Rosie laughs. ‘Kind of. But no, not in the same house, we’re just a few doors down from each other. We’ve been neighbours – and best friends – since we were