Between Generations

Chapter 2

Remy and Nathan slept through mathematics and AP English. The aging Ms. Bustier was droning on and on about Shakespeare that no one cared about. While Remy and Nathan snored beside her in the back row of the ancient classroom, Lise wrote down the sonnets on the board, craning her neck over Hubert Hauet's head. Even if her and Remy and Nathan's desk was higher than the one in front of them, Hubert was still too tall for Lise to see the board right.

    The classroom was in desperate need of renovations. It had been the same for almost forty years, with scratches on all of the long desks on each of the levels. The carpeting incited gags if a student looked for too long. The sunlight beaming down onto Lise's Shakespeare notes was broken by numerous stains and cracks on the glass.

Despite being an AP student, Lise could only focus on how Ms. Bustier's hair blended from bright orange to gray as her eyes followed the tips of her hair to the roots. A few strands kept falling out of her bun. She rested her head on her arms, watching some of the strands fall out of her hair entirely and float down to the floor.

    She's just about ready for retirement...

    Someone bumped into Lise's shoulder, knocking her backpack by her desk over. Notebooks slid out of the bag, and landed on the steps below. She whirled around, and noticed a caramel-skinned boy with a look of disgust on his face. He ignored her annoyance, picking up his pencils that had scattered down the steps.

    "Excuse me. I believe you owe this young lady an apology." Nathan's voice beside her deepened with authority.

    "No. I believe I don't. She was in the way," the boy grumbled.

    Nathan tensed, and moved to get up. Lise put a hand on his arm, shaking her head. He sat down again.

    The bell rang.

    Within seconds, the classroom was empty except for Lise, the two sleeping boys, the aging Ms. Bustier scrambling to get her notes together, and Zoe. Who just happened to be the most popular girl in school.

    Zoe Bourgeois, Nathan's twin sister, who wanted nothing to do with him, and vice versa.

She cast her glossy red hair over her shoulder as she glanced up at the three of them. She stood up daintily and strode over to the teacher. "Ms. Bustier, I'd like to be the new student's guide," she said.

    "Huh? Oh! Why, how kind of you, Ms. Bourgeois!" exclaimed Ms. Bustier. She chuckled softly and suddenly noticed the students sleeping at the back of the classroom. "Excuse me! Mr. Bourgeois! Mr. Bruel! Ms. Kubdel! Please, go to your next class!"

    Can I just not be a good student right now? Lise thought miserably. This seems so pointless.

    "Bro, I just don't wanna..." Remy moaned exaggeratedly. Nathan responded with a snore.

    "I gotta go to AP bio now. See you later, guys," Lise yawned. She forced herself up and pulled on her backpack. She stumbled down the steps sleepily, and exited the room.

    Zoe stopped her outside of the classroom. "Stay away from Sebastien. He's mine," she hissed.

    Lise rolled her eyes, much to Zoe's dismay. She'd clearly been expecting more of a retaliation. The name Sebastien meant nothing to Lise, though she assumed that it belonged to the rude caramel-skinned boy.

Lise turned and headed to her next class. Same old, same old. Just a normal day in my normal life.

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    Lise stumbled down the white steps out of the school, groggy despite the bright sunny day.

    Time to go home and take a nap, then study for my AP classes for the next six hours.

    She shifted her backpack, contemplating dropping out of high school. Just another day in my...normal...life. Lise sighed, feeling a burden settle on her shoulders. I don't belong...somehow. The weight of dissatisfaction was starting to settle in again.

    Lise had one of these moments almost every day. She'd be hanging out with her parents, watching them compete against each other over the weirdest contests, Lise laughing her head off, then the feeling would settle in. Or she'd be listening to Nathan and Remy discuss the latest theory, Lise listening intentionally over a cup of hot chocolate, then it would happen again. Her mood would drastically change, and nothing would make her feel better until the next morning. Then it would start all over again.

    And the fact that Lise had no idea what caused these drastic mood changes made it all the more exhausting.

A flash of gold at the edge of her vision startled her awake, snapping her out of her reverie.

Lise stopped in her tracks.

She'd walked right up to the bakery without even realizing it. It wasn't on her usual way home. The strange pulling rose in her stomach again.

Something's inside there.

A familiar voice spoke inside her head, making Lise freeze.

...the survival of the Holders depends on it...

    "Hey, Lise."

    The note's message bounced around in her head. She could almost hear a young woman's voice calling, pleading to her.

    The survival of the Holders...? What does that mean? What is it that the survival of the Holders depends on?

    "Lise?" A hand rubbed her shoulder.

    "I..." Lise's hand shook. Images flashed in her head. Something dark blue...it almost looked like hair...but she couldn't make it out. What am I seeing? Why am I getting these...visions? The faded paper crinkled in her grip.

    "Lise?" Remy's grip was firm now.

    "What's wrong with her?" Nathan caught up with them, his concerned eyes averting between Lise and Remy.

    "I heard someone," Lise whispered, gripping her backpack straps. "There's something inside the bakery...something that the survival of the Holders depends on."

    "The Holders? Wait, you mean...the Miraculous Holders?"

    "I...there was a voice in my head. I'm not joking. I'm not crazy. Seriously. Let's go inside."

    "What are you guys talking about?" a high voice demanded, startling Lise again. A slender redhead was walking down the steps toward them. She had her hands on her hips, and a very stern look on her round face. Her dimples showed as she pursed her lips. She sauntered over to Remy. Her red eyebrows furrowed. "What's this?" she asked, searching the boys and Lise. "What's going on?" She turned to her twin brother. Nathan shrugged.

    Lise frowned. "This voice...It just came out of midair."

    Zoe stared at Lise. Suddenly, she laughed. "You guys are such losers," she snorted. "Ooooh, another conspiracy theory." She tossed an imaginary note in the air and strolled down the sidewalk, whipping her long red hair.

    Lise watched her go. She knew that Zoe had a lot of trouble living with only men in her home. She had her father, her twin brother, and younger brother, Jean. Her mother had disappeared nine years ago, and she had trouble knowing how to fit in all throughout middle school. Lise's heart had always panged for her, even though Zoe ditched her back in middle school because she wasn't 'cool' enough for her.

    "Let's go. We can talk about it at your home," Nathan said, placing a hand on Lise's back, guiding her in the direction of her apartment. He led his friends down the sidewalk.

    Lise wasn't sure why the bakery had such a big impact on her. It was just a bakery...right?

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