ribbons 🎀 ~ Vassili Schneider (on hold until summer)

Part 4

June 1961, Lille, France - Lycée Faidherbe (Past)

Theo could not stop smiling. It was the end of first year, and everything was going the way he liked.

He sat next to Antoinette, like he had every day for that last two weeks, and listened to his friends talk as his smile seemed to grow further.

His dinner was lost to him as he and Mathieu joked about the retirement of their old French teacher and her replacement who they had learned to be Madame Toussaint.

He couldn't stop himself from glancing back to Antoinette after what seemed to be only minutes and giving her another smile.

Today she had decided to let her hair down, something she had been doing more often, and it caused her to smell more strongly of honeysuckle.

He was not complaining.

Her cheeks were slightly flushed from the heat of the great hall and her brown eyes wandered mindlessly to many faces.

Occasionally, she would add something to Nadine's rant, but for the most part, kept silent. As he came to think of it, she had been quite reserved all day, almost as if she was in a haze.

He kept looking at her until Mathieu punched him, annoyed his words were falling on deaf ears. 

What could she be thinking of? Why does it have all her attention? Why does he not have all her attention?

His answer soon came, and much to his disappointment, it was the person he dreaded most.

Thomas, of course, it had to be him.

As he made his way over to their table, Theo could not help but notice Antonette sitting up straighter and looping her hair behind her ears which frustrated him further.

Thomas stood right in front of Nadine as they talked, the younger sister shooing him off seconds later. As he turned to leave, he gave Antoinette a soft smile before vanishing again in the busy dining hall.

The girl was bright red and Theo had never been angrier. He hated how much she focused on him, how much she adored him, and how he seemed to hide Theo completely from her view. He hated him.

-

August 1961, Lille, France 

Antoinette sat with Nadine in the open space behind the girl's home. The brunette had spent the last month of her summer over at her friend's seeing as she lived near their boarding school they would attend in a week. With her father out of town, there was no reason to stay home.

Nadine had put on Souvenir, Souvenir for what felt like the 100th time that day as she tilted her head back, falling fully into the grass.

The girl next to her had more wandering thoughts on her mind. Thoughts of soft blonde hair through her fingers, wandering hands across her face and skin, pink lips against hers.

She had not seen Nadine's older brother much since she had gotten there as he had spent most of his time out with his friends. In fact, she hadn't seen him in three weeks.

Her heart jumped at the thought of seeing him again tonight as he had promised his parents and she couldn't help the small smile it brought to her face.

Twice. She had kissed him twice now, this was excluding the kiss he had left on her cheek in early June. And how much she wanted to kiss him again.

-

It was late into the evening now and Antoinette sat at the dining table, hungry as ever.

She soothed out her blue summer dress as she waited patiently for the cooks to bring out their dinner. The idea of this was absurd when she had first arrived here, only Nadine and Theo were wealthy enough for such things.

Nadine's father asked both girls how their day was and Nadine answered absentmindedly, followed by an echo of a door shutting.

The sound grabbed the attention of those at the table to see Nadine's mother walk in with Thomas.

Thomas was back.

Antoinette's face flushed a light pink and her heart began the beat faster.

His hair was slightly messy and he wore a deep chocolate brown jacket, the same one he wore in June when-

A girl walked in behind them. She was tall and beautiful, her hair long and almost seemed white from the amount of shine it seemed to have. Her blue eyes glanced around the room shyly and she carried a kind-hearted smile. She looked like an angel. She was perfect.

Antoinette seemed lost until a kiss was left on the beautiful girl's head. And with that, her mind went blank.

Thomas introduced the girl, Marie, and guided her to sit next to him. 

As the three sat down, Antoinette tried so desperately to stay composed. She kept her eyes fixed on the boy until he spared her a glance with a sweet innocent smile. 

She was upset, so very upset. Her fingernails clenched the sides of her once again wrinkled dress and a knot built in her stomach. She felt sick and her face was burning.

She managed a faint smile before looking away.