A Slice of Life

[Spiderstar]

The following is a collaboration story between myself and Cloverstar. It is not intended to be a role-play. This thread will be locked until our story is over, as we will be posting new chapters periodically. Some of the topics presented in this story will be PG-13, so please only continue reading if you are willing to read a story that may briefly mention or involve alcohol or violence.

Noëlle

It was only the second day of Winter, but it was already frigid in the little town of Runswick. Noëlle hurried across the street, clutching onto her toboggan with one hand, with the other trying to keep warm in her coat pocket. Once she was safely across Shepherds Road she slowed down and stepped inside the Express-O Café. It was nearly five in the morning, but there was still a decent sized line in front of the counter, with a mix of tourists and locals trying to get their coffee and blueberry muffins. Considering the little shop was located right beside the subway, it was always packed, and it's also how it got it's God-awful name.

Noëlle smiled as she finally reached the counter, handed the barista a card, got her breakfast, and walked over to a table located directly in front of the front windows. She sipped at her coffee nervously as she peered outside. Another train had just come in, and more people were bustling into the main streets of Runswick like cattle coming out of the barn for the first time after Winter. Noëlle loved trying to figure out where tourists were from. Considering half of the women from this train had North Face jackets on, she immediately guessed Americans. The rest of the tourists seemed to be French, and were likely only here while waiting for another train to bring them to their own towns.

Noëlle had the pleasure of waiting another half an hour for her own train. Well, it wasn't truly hers. An exchange student was coming to Runswick, some kid whose name she couldn't quite recall. All she knew is that she had been assigned the task of picking them up from the station and bringing them back home. She was both excited and nervous about the whole situation. Noëlle loved tourists, be them American or Dutch or Chinese, but she couldn't help wonder if the person that would live with her for the next six months would live up to her expectations.

The clock showed five thirty, and the next train had finally arrived. Noëlle held up her little sign with her family name (Pascal) so that the student would be able to identify her. She felt a strong sense of excitement and unease at once as she saw the student make eye contact with her. Time to start the journey, be it good or bad.

[Cloverstar]

The music blared loud and long in his headphones as Jason sat back, hands shoved in his pockets while he stared up at the train ceiling without really seeing anything. Next to him was his backpack, stuffed with all the materials his mom had triple-checked to make sure he had packed, and at his feet were a bag and his luggage. 

She'd said this stay in France would be good for him--he needed "fresh air and new people to meet and a new place to be for a while", according to her. Normally, he trusted her judgement. This, however, he was dubious about. He was hardly social enough at school, and he didn't see how that would change in a new country he could only barely speak the language of because of two years in French classes. 

Jason rehearsed some basic translation of English to French in his head. My name is Jason Cho. Je m'appelle Jason Cho. Thank you very much. Merci beaucoup. He knew the family, the Pascals, he'd be staying with would be able to speak English as well, but he didn't like the idea of relying on them for translation to get around in France. Letting him stay with them was generous enough; he didn't need to burden them more.

He heard a screeching as the train came to a stop and glanced out the window. Runswick. 

As people began to move down the aisle, crowding against each other, he fumbled to turn off the music and hang the headphones around his neck. He slung it back over his shoulders, pausing only to reach for the rest of his luggage, before making his way out and stepping off of the train. He glanced around, scanning the crowd--some were holding up signs. One of them had "Pascal" on it, held up by a woman. He caught her eye and suddenly felt a little clammy. He'd never been very good at introducing himself to strangers.

Jason picked his way through the crowd towards her. He stuck out his hand a little awkwardly. "Hello," he said, deciding not to embarrass himself by attempting French. "I'm Jason Cho. It's a pleasure to meet you." 

[Spiderstar]

When Noëlle saw the boy she couldn't help but smile at him. Had he not said anything directly to her, he easily could have been mistaken for any other regular tourist. He seemed a bit lost, and considering he was looking around for someone it was clear he didn't exactly know what he was doing or where he was going. When he stepped up to her she smiled. He introduced himself, Jason Cho, what an interesting name. She immediately guessed he was Korean-American. He had manners, which was nice, although he seemed a bit nervous, or perhaps shy. "It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Jason. I'm Noëlle, Noëlle Pascal, but I'm sure you already got the last name." She said nervously, tapping on her sign. Speaking in English was still an odd feeling to her, even though she had learned it as a little girl. It's grammar structure was far too different.

She put the sign in a waste bin and signaled for Jason to follow. "Come on, we'll go back to the house first. I hope you don't mind walking, because I do not have a car, and the house is a little over a mile away." She said, grinning sheepishly. In all seriousness she did have a car, and definitely could have brought it to pick Jason up. But she had figured that walking home may be a good way of getting to know the exchange student. Learn what he liked, where he was from, and tell him the same things about her. She hadn't considered carrying luggage and such all the way back home. Oh well, maybe she could play it off as if someone else had taken the car to work when they got home.

[Cloverstar]

Jason tentatively returned the smile, hoping that was enough. He was still trying to remember exactly what he'd learned about France in his classes, but all of it came up in haphazard segments and most of them were useless right now. The first thing he remembered about etiquette was kissing on the cheeks in greeting, but that was too awkward. It probably said something about him that his face seemed to catch on fire when he thought of it.

He started a little when Noëlle spoke again. "Oh--yeah, that's fine," he said, before cursing his choice of words. "Yes. That's fine." He hoisted his bag over his shoulder and began to walk, finding himself wondering why she didn't have a car. Who didn't own one in this day and age? Her house wasn't far, so maybe she didn't need it. Or maybe she just preferred other methods like walking and taking the bus. Wow, you're really good at speculating a lot about someone you just met.

"Which street is your house on?" Jason asked.