In Fair Verona

XIV

"All of maman's family is in France and we haven't met them all too much. However, the same is for Madeleine, all her family is in France except her sister who doesn't do thanksgiving. Then Edgar was born in Germany so his family is there. It's tradition that we've always spent it with them."

"If their dad is German why do they have french last names?"

"Oh Madeleine wanted her kids to have her last name. Maman did the same. Papa's last name is Davis and maman wasn't letting us have that last name."

"Oh."

"And you know him, he's a total pushover and never wants to make anything a big deal so he just let her."

"Why did everyone leave it till now to tell me that we're going to theirs for thanksgiving?"

"I don't know," Phoebe shrugs. "Every year we switch who's house it's at. Last year it was here. I remember when we were younger, Isaac and Auguste accidentally knocked the turkey onto the floor. Maman was livid."

"Vous tous—" Gwen stops when she sees me. "You all ready?"

"Yup. Grace is meeting us there, right?"

"Grace isn't coming this year," Gwen says, clearly annoyed. "She's spending thanksgiving weekend in Paris."

"Oh."

"She doesn't see her family plus she has to pay plane tickets to fly down for a weekend then return for school. Why would she do that?"

"Boyfriends family?" Phoebe shrugs.

"She's spending thanksgiving with them and she hasn't even told me about him yet. Ridiculous."

"Whatever. She probably needs a break from that airhead Felix constantly flirting."

"C'est n'importe quoi. Let's go."

Phoebe hops up and snaps her fingers to grab Auguste's attention. He's on the couch smiling at his phone. He's wearing a black and white horizontally striped shirt. Between his shirt and Grace's beret, they do like to dress like stereotypes.

"What's he smiling at now?" Gwen says.

"I don't know. Where's papa?"

"Richard!" Gwen calls upstairs. She says his name in a thick french accent.

Finally Gwen gathers everyone up at the door so we can leave. When we're in the car driving there I realize I've never been to Isaac's house.

"Ugh I'm so jealous Grace got to go to France," Phoebe whispers to me. "Last time we went I was eight or something. We went with Madeleine's family."

"Gwen and Madeleine are pretty close aren't they."

"Oh yeah. They grew up in France together. They were next door neighbours. Then they went to school here. Madeleine met Edgar who was an exchange student from Germany and they got pregnant with Felix. They didn't know which country to live in so maman who was dating papa here convinced them to move here."

"Oh. How did Edgar and Madeleine talk to each other?"

"Oh they both speak fluent English."

Phoebe continues.

"Anyway. Maman went back and forth between here and France and Grace was born in France like Felix was. They're the only two."

"Oh."

Phoebe's voice gets quieter.

"Maman described it like some fairytale and that she was in love with papa. Now they're like any old couple."

"In love with someone from another country. Hm, kinda like Grace."

"Meanwhile, this dork," Phoebe kicks the back of Auguste's seat. "Is in love with some girl from high school."

"Falling in love in high school? Probably going to last like a year."

"Maybe, but Auguste is a miserable brat and she found a way to make him smile so maybe it isn't just a cheesy high school crush."

"I can hear you," Auguste mumbles.

"See, miserable."

The car comes to a stop and I recognize we're in someone's driveway.

We all climb out of the car and go towards the door. It's couple minutes of parents chatting at the front door while we all stand there till we all go and do our own thing. Gwen goes to the kitchen with Madeleine, who's wearing a autumn themed robe, and Richard and Edgar go drink beers in the living room.

Auguste walks upstairs and Phoebe stands with me.

"Unlike someone, I'm not just going to leave you alone in a house that isn't yours." Phoebe says to me.

It's quiet.

"You're too much like Auguste, it's unbelievable sometimes."

"Well, we are related," I say sarcastically.

"I hope you know that's what he would say," Phoebe says as she leads me to the kitchen.

The kitchen is a filled with plates and cutting boards.

Madeleine and Gwen have their aprons and have already busied themselves.

"Same time as every year?" Phoebe asks.

"Yes. Last year, however, it was twenty-thirty."

7:30? 8:30?

"If we don't burn anything this time we should be on time." Madeleine turns around and smiles.

"Okay. I'm going to do the kids', well now teenagers I guess, traditional game of Mario Kart."

I raise an eyebrow.

"I've been in the lead with the most wins for years now," Phoebe says proudly. "Before me it was Grace."

"Okay. You go do that."

Phoebe leads me upstairs and she knocks on Isaac's door.

"Come in."

Phoebe opens the door and inside is light blue walls. There's a big window that has a view of a huge tree. Both Auguste and Isaac are there.

"Guess what time it is."

"Mario Kart!" Auguste says. Actually excited.

"Yay," Isaac groans sarcastically.

"I am one point of from beating Phoebe. If I win this year and I'm the best."

"This is year twelve," Phoebe says. "I've got three. You, Grace, Isaac and Clement all have two. Amber has none, and Felix one. Also if you win then you would be tied with me, genius."

"And we've got a new player," Isaac says.

"Ready there Moretz?" Phoebe laughs.

"Of all games, Mario Kart."

"Oh yes, five to nine year olds like to play a round of Call of Duty."

"I'm seventeen and we're still not aloud any video games beside Mario and wii sports," Isaac snorts.

We play for the next bit. Isaac gets very competitive. Auguste surprisingly isn't.

I end up second to Isaac. Phoebe third and Clement fourth.

"This tradition has always been dumb," Felix says running his fingers through his blonde hair.

"You say that every year you sore loser," Clement says. "Have you ever got better then last?"

"Oh be quiet."

"Dinner," Madeleine calls from the kitchen.

"And perfect timing," Phoebe says.