Internet Famous Page 14

  He pulled back. “Sorry, Madi. I shouldn’t have—”

  His apology jarred the words from her chest. “Y-yes. I … You can. Yes, you can kiss me!” Her embarrassment was matched only by her panic. (Molly Ringwald would be eye-rolling at the lame response.)

  Laurent smiled, a crinkle of lines reaching all the way from the edge of his eyes to his hairline. “Merci, minette.”

  Their lips met.

  Madi had kissed a few boys before: one at a middle school dance, two in high school, but they were nothing like this. It was like comparing deep-sea diving to wading in a paddling pool. Laurent’s lips were persuasive as he moved them against hers. His hand in her hair guided her forward ever so slightly, and Madi’s hands slid up his shirt, moving almost without her realizing it. He tasted like the cinnamon gum he’d offered her during their walk. She breathed him in—the scent of water, and green growing things, and under that the scent of Laurent’s cologne, flooding her senses.

  The kiss deepened. Where she’d been cold minutes before, she now burned. Laurent seemed to have an innate warmth. It spread from his mouth—tenderly moving over hers—to her cheeks—flaming with heat—to his hands—behind her shoulder and around her waist—all the way down to her toes. The kiss went on and on, until Madi couldn’t think. She moaned as he released her mouth. But instead of ending it, Laurent’s tongue traced its way back to the shell of her ear, his hands moving restlessly under her jacket.

  “Si belle … si gentil…” he murmured.

  The French endearments were so perfect—too perfect!—and that struck Madi as utterly absurd. She began to giggle.

  “Oh God,” she gasped. “I’m sorry. I didn’t—”

  Laurent froze. “Madi?”

  Sudden laughter broke free again. “It just sounded so funny, so weirdly perfect and surreal—I mean, this doesn’t happen in real life—It’s not you, it’s—”

  Laurent took her laughter as a sign to return the kiss to her mouth. He pulled her closer with one arm while, under the cover of her jacket, his free hand explored. She gasped as his fingers traced over her shirt and bra. Everything disappeared except the taste and feel of him. There was no fumbling, no bumped noses. It was a lingering, endless moment, and Madi was certain Laurent must be able to feel her pounding heart through the layers of clothing. She gasped as he broke away, both of them panting.

  “Je pourrais rester heureux toute ma vie, tant que tu seras a mes cotes,” he murmured.

  She fought down more laughter. “What does that mean?”

  Laurent smiled, but it wasn’t his usual lopsided grin. This one shone from the center of his face, spreading into the corners of his eyes and over his cheeks. Madi had never seen anyone so beautiful, so earnest.

  “It means I’m happy to be here.” He patted the rock. “Because you are here, too.”

  And then he kissed her again.

  *   *   *

  It was twilight when they walked down the paved path that led from the ruins to the residential neighborhood. Streetlights buzzed at intervals, but it was near dark, the sidewalk wrapped in shadows. Twice, Madi tripped. The first time, Laurent caught her before she fell, but the second he wasn’t fast enough, and she ended up flat on her back on the grass on the side of the pavement. After the perfect evening in an otherwise dismal week, the universe’s sense of humor had returned.

  Nice, she thought sourly. A real class act.

  “Madi? What happened? Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine,” she said as Laurent’s worried face appeared upside down above her.

  “Are you sure? You tripped on—”

  “Totally sure. Just a klutz.”

  Laurent reached down a hand, hoisting her upright. Madi stretched cautiously. Other than her ego, nothing seemed damaged. “Now that you’ve seen my classy moves,” she said, “you might want to—”

  “Wait!”

  “What is it?”

  “There,” he whispered. “I saw something move!”

  “Where?”

  “Over there. See? By that tree with the V branches.” He leaned forward, eyes wide. “There it is again!” he gasped.

  Madi peered into the trees. The first streetlights were a good two hundred feet away, the street that led to home glowing like a beacon, but there was nothing—as far as she could see—that barred their way.

  “I dunno, Laurent. That just looks like a tree to me.”

  Laurent nervously shifted from foot to foot. “I’ve seen a lot of horror movies,” he said in an anxious voice. “This is not a good place for us to be alone. The woods are the worst place to be.”

  Madi burst into raucous laughter. “Are you kidding me?”

  “No, I just…” He stepped behind her. “I saw something move. I really did.”

  Madi tried to squelch the sound, but another wave of giggling rose in her throat. “This is Millburn, Laurent. You’re totally fine. And this is hardly the woods.”

  “But the trees—”

  “We’re in the suburbs,” she said, still laughing. “The trees were planted here.”

  “But there could be animals…”

  “A raccoon, maybe.”

  Laurent grabbed her hand. “Are raccoons dangerous?!”

  “Not really. I mean, they can be a nuisance, but they won’t, like, sneak up on you and attack.” She giggled again.

  A branch broke in the bushes and Laurent let out a high-pitched yelp.

  “Relax,” Madi said, biting the inside of her cheeks to stop the laughter. Laurent really did look terrified. “It’s going to be fine. Sarah and I always walk this way. Seriously! The night we went to the Metrograph, she was hiding out here by herself.”

  A dog barked, somewhere nearby, and Laurent jumped. “But what if it’s something else? Someone dangerous. Like a—a—”

  “Horror movie?” Madi said, fighting for composure.

  “Exactly!”

  Madi stepped forward. “Hey!” she shouted to the woods. “If there’s a guy in a hockey mask out there, I’m gonna kick some ass.”

  “Don’t!”

  She lifted her voice. “Hear that, mask face?! You better move or I’m gonna attack!”

  “Shh!” Laurent said with a nervous laugh. “I don’t think you’re supposed to goad strangers into attacking you.”

  Giggling, Madi grabbed his hand and tugged him down the path. “I really doubt it’s a serial killer. It could, however, be someone trying to sell us life insurance.”

  “Are you sure?” Laurent’s feet dragged the deeper they got into the treed section between shore and street. “In New York, I tend to follow my gut, and right now it’s saying this is not the smartest thing I’ve done.” His fingers tightened around hers. “I don’t like this. Would it be okay if we went back the other way?”

  “To the Inn?” She scoffed. “Not a chance. I’d rather face a serial killer.”

  The nosy owner would ask Madi a million questions about her and Sarah, why Madi had left the regular high school (as had happened the last two times they’d met), and—inevitably—about Laurent and who he was. Madi’s burgeoning love life would be on the front page of the Tri-State Herald before they’d even made it to the street.

  “Come on,” she said with a grin, putting her arm around his back and leading him away. “There’s nothing here. It must’ve been wind in the trees or something.”

  “Er … all right.”

  They were perhaps ten yards from the street when Madi felt Laurent start to relax.

  “Thank you,” he said with a sheepish smile. “I’m not used to being out in…” He waved at the trees around them. “Nature.”

  “I’d hate to see you camping.” She laughed.

  Laurent shuddered. “Not a chance.”

  “You sure? It might be fun.”

  “Not my kind of fun.”

  Madi grinned. “Don’t worry, I’d protect you.”

  “You would?”

  “Of course I would. Besides, I
told you. There was nothing to worry about. The shadow you saw was probably just—”

  “What’s THAT?!” Laurent screeched as the bushes directly next to them began to move.

  A hundred things ran through Madi’s mind: that serial killers really should choose more productive ways to spend their time, that her sister Sarah was going to be out of control when their parents broke the news Madi had been murdered, that it was a really stupid twist of fate that Madi had found the man of her dreams only to lose him, and last—

  That really looks like a squirrel.

  “RUN!” Laurent bellowed as the little creature took two bouncing steps toward them and stopped, staring at them with interest.

  “Wait, Laurent. It’s just a squirrel!”

  Between gales of laughter, she chased Laurent up the street. When she caught up to him, he was under a street lamp, gasping for breath.

  “It was a squirrel.” Madi giggled. “Just a tiny little squirrel.”

  “I didn’t think it was. The shadow seemed a lot bigger. Perhaps a bear.”

  She wiped happy tears from her eyes. “That squirrel,” she gasped, sides aching, “was not the size of a bear!”

  He slid his arms around her and pulled her against his chest. “In either case, thank you for saving me. You’re my hero.”

  Madi leaned in for a kiss. “Anytime…”

  *   *   *

  Madi sat in the front seat of her father’s car, phone in hand, the trees blurring as they spun past. She replayed the last hours, a knowing smile on her lips. Laurent would text as soon as the train left the station, but there’d been no word yet, so she scrolled through the posts on her dashboard, waiting.

  Yes, Madi thought. That’s exactly what I want. Her smile faded. But I can’t see how it’ll be with Laurent if he’s returning to France when his student visa ends in a month.

  In the backseat, Sarah hummed tunelessly. In the front, Charles Nakama drove, looking inexplicably chipper. He whistled along to the radio. Madi flicked back to the messages on her phone. C’mon, Laurent. The impromptu date had been amazing, but as the night spread its dark wings over the town, she found herself caught between hope and fear. Things with Laurent were clearly heating up. Madi had no issue with that at all! It was that she couldn’t see a way for it to work. He was leaving in mere weeks. As if drawn from her thoughts, a message from Laurent appeared.

  the train is on its way. an obnoxious man is trying to talk to me, so i’m texting you instead. missing you terribly.

  me, too. thank u for coming today. i needed it

  you’re welcome. are you sure you can’t come to schenectady next weekend? please, please, please, please, please, please!

  sadly, no. i wasn’t kidding about my english assignment or studying for finals. madlibs is going on hiatus until i get my rl figured out & that SUCKS

  would it help if someone guest-posted on your blog?

  but who’d do that?

  i don’t know. maybe me or one of the other madlibbers? hey! we could do it from morag’s house. (she’s the one hosting the rewatch.) we could TOTALLY do that for you.

  OMG—would u & morag do that for me??? not forever, just while i’m catching up on my new assignment. i could send a schedule, if that helps

  for you, madi? anything. send details and i’ll make it happen

  u r the best. srsly

  merci. and now, sadly, I must go. my phone is dying, and the man in the next seat just pulled out a brochure to show me. (gah! I may have to purchase insurance just to escape.) talk to you soon. bye!

  Madi glanced up as the sign for Millburn appeared, the transition occurring between one house and the other. The city was one part of a larger whole, more an appendage than its own entity, something Madi couldn’t help but understand. She was here, but she wasn’t anyone important. She had a role, but there was little more to it.

  “You seem pretty quiet tonight,” her father said.

  “I just have a few things I have to do when I get home.”

  He cleared his throat. “Look, Madi. I … I know how difficult things have been for you since your mother left.” His gaze darted over uneasily. “And I was thinking about it. You’ve always been so good with helping out with Sarah, and while that’s great, the downside is that your mother and I have started expecting it.” He stared forward, hands tight on the wheel.

  “It’s fine, Dad.”

  “Look—all I’m saying is it’s really good to see you happy. You’re smiling again these days.”

  “I am?”

  “Yeah. You are. And it made me think about my own teen years. God! I didn’t do half the things you do. Only had myself to worry about.”

  Madi had no idea how to respond. She’d always imagined her father born middle-aged.

  “And I’m … I’m sorry about the pressure you’ve been feeling the last few weeks. It’s just hard when your mother’s away.”

  “I know, Dad.”

  “For what it’s worth, I want you to know I’m going to try harder. Call me on it, if I don’t.”

  “Um … okay?”

  “So did things go all right with Laurent tonight?” Her father smiled to himself, and that left Madi uneasy. He was a worrier by nature.

  “Yes. Why?”

  “Well, I figured with school ending in June, you two might be making plans.”

  Madi felt her face begin to burn. “Plans for what?” she croaked. Oh God, please don’t answer that. PLEASE don’t answer that!

  “I don’t know. Something … together. Like taking a little day trip into the city or—”

  “Dad, stop.”

  “Stop what?”

  “Stop this.”

  “But—”

  “I don’t want to talk about Laurent, okay?” Madi’s face was definitely on fire. She could feel the heat spreading down her neck, onto her chest. In a moment, she was certain she’d spontaneously combust.

  “Why not talk about Laurent?” he asked. “I mean, you two seem good together.”

  “Dad, please!”

  “Come on now, Madi. I’ve been in love before—”

  “Dad! Seriously, though, STOP!”

  Her father smothered laughter under his hand, hiding it by clearing his throat. She saw him look in the rearview mirror and she knew—without seeing—that he’d caught Sarah’s eyes. It bugged her. She didn’t want them talking about her.

  “Look,” her father said. “All I’m saying is that it’s nice to see you happy and out again. Out with people.” He glanced over at Madi. “Real people, as in off the Internet for once.”

  “Dad, Laurent is great, but he lives in New York.”

  Her father shrugged. “Didn’t stop him from coming out to see you tonight.”

  “It’s not only that. I just don’t think the whole ‘dating scene’ is really my thing.”

  “But that’s how you make memories, Madi. High school’s a special time in your life. I like that you’re getting out of the house a bit.”

  Madi didn’t answer.

  After a minute, her father spoke up. “I like your friend Laurent. He’s very polite. Very personable.”

  Sarah’s voice echoed from the backseat, “I’m pretty sure Madi likes Laurent, too.”

  Madi spun around, glaring at her sister. “I don’t!”

  “Do, too.”

  Her father smothered a chuckle.

  And after that, all Madi could do was slouch in her seat and stare out the window, desperate for home. If her sister could see how bad she was crushing on Laurent Abelard, it must be obvious to the entire world. She hated the feeling. Online, she had the buffer of text. Here in the car, her blushing face was visible for all to see.

  “Laurent’s all right,” she muttered. “For a friend.”

  “A friend, hmmm?” her father said with a wink. “Didn’t look like that to me.”

  “Me, either,” Sarah added.

  The next time her phone buzzed again, Madi ignored it. What was the p
oint? Laurent would be back in France by the time summer began.

  *   *   *

  Madi was stretched out on her bed, a pillow under her chin, when the phone in her hand buzzed. She flicked aside the dashboard posts to discover that a text from Laurent had appeared.

  you awake, madi?

  “Laurent.” The frown that had worn a groove between her brows since the car ride softened as she said his name. “What’m I supposed to do with you, hmmm…?”

  Although she appreciated her father’s not-so-subtle efforts to nudge her toward social normalcy, she wasn’t entirely sure she could be more than friends. Not when the deck was stacked so decidedly against them. Did she want to set herself up for relationship failure?

  Unsettled, Madi rolled to her side and composed a quick reply.

  haven’t gone to sleep yet. r u home now?

  just walked in the door. marco and jeannine—my host parents—were very snoopy about you. they worry about me, I think.

  Madi smiled at his words. Her father—after years of watching Madi grow less and less involved with her peers—was pushing her straight into Laurent’s arms. She wondered what Laurent’s host family would think about that behavior. Shoving the pillow under her chest to give herself leverage, she typed in a reply one-handed.

  mmm … are they concerned i’m corrupting u or something?

  they’re just protective. i think they’re worried because i met you online. *gasp* not in the real world.

  Madi smothered a bout of laughter into her pillow. She could only imagine their distress as Laurent tried to explain why he was running off to Millburn to meet up with a girl he’d connected with on the Internet. They must have thought the worst. She smiled as she sent another reply.

  hee! maybe they’re worried i’m stalking you

  i’d invite you in if i found you lurking around under my window.

  u would, would you? (aside: that’s actually a terrible idea, l. promise me u will never actually invite in a stranger waiting outside ur window.)

  i’m KIDDING, madi. yes, i’ll be terribly careful with strange women hanging out under the fire escape. but if it was YOU under my window, i’d invite you up.