Homecoming Choices

Posted on Fri Apr 21st, 2023 @ 4:08pm by René Rouen & Vienna Quinn

2,049 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Bangor or Bust
Location: The Appalachian Trail Cafe in Millinocket, ME
Timeline: 25 August 2010 - 10am

René had been wandering around the town of Millinocket looking for someone, anyone, he knew had been on the bus here. The three athletes had ditched him over an hour ago and he had thought about going back to the bus, but that could have gotten the guys into trouble with the teacher.

René was actually enjoying walking about by himself as he wasn't going to have to do only what the three jocks would want to do. He figured he would only need to find them by about 2pm to arrive back at the bus by the 3pm departure time. He felt like grabbing a soft drink and made his way to the Appalachian Trail Cafe. He spotted Vienna, the daughter of the host family he was staying with in Bangor.

Courtney, Madison and Brin were sitting with Vienna at an outdoor table at the Cafe, doing what teenage girls do best, talk about boys. Courtney looked over her cup at Vienna. "I heard from Jordan Tyler's sister, that he was thinking about asking you to Homecoming. Totally cliche, but what is Captain of the Cheer Squad going to say to our star quarterback?"

“To be honest I’ve no idea!” Vienna grinned. “He’s handsome enough, but he spends so much time preening himself, and combing his hair I’m surprised he has any hair left!” She smiled before spotting René, actually glad to see him. He was looking a little lost so she waved him over. “René over here..”

René started over towards Vienna and her friends. He was happy the were getting along better than the first week he'd been at the Quinn home.

Courtney eyed René curiously before glancing back to Vienna. He was actually quite good looking in her opinion. "Push comes to shove, René could take you to Homecoming. That is unless someone else snatches him up first." 'Like your best friend,' she thought.

Vienna glanced over at René she couldn’t help but notice Courtney’s glance in his direction as well. Given the choice she liked René more than the star quarterback. “Grab a seat René” Vienna smiled warmly. “We were just talking about you, Courtney has suggested that maybe you’d like to escort me to the Homecoming?”

René stood next to the table. He seemed a bit confused by the question. He glanced at Vienna. "We'll be going home at three this afternoon. Mademoiselle Turner told us that this morning."

Madison and Brin couldn't help but laugh. Courtney gave René a smile. "Homecoming is the Fall dance that is the night after the first football game of the year."

Vienna offered an apologetic glance and smile. “I’m sorry I didn’t explain that very well did I?”

René shrugged. He offered up a smile back to Vienna. "In France I go to school year round. We have simple names for our school dances. Fall and Spring are called Formals and Winter and Summer are Balls."

Brin looked up at René. "What kind of classes did you take in France? Are they different than the ones you are taking here?"

René nodded his head. "A bit different. We take three aptitude tests in what you would call middle school and high school. General aptitude exams. Those that place high can attend university. About half go into a trade or crafts program."

“I’ve never been to France” Vienna looked at René curiously, "What’s it like where you come from?”

René pondered the question for a moment. "Paris is similar to Bangor in many ways and quite different in others. It's a bustling city, but one steeped in history and culture going back for hundreds of years. Long before your American Revolution."

Courtney sipped her latte as she looked up at René. "Paris? Isn't Paris the city of love? Does René have a girl he had to leave when he came to America?"

Vienna gave René a curious look, did he have a girl he liked back home? The nearest she’d had was her friend Ethan, but they weren’t anything more than friends. Though at present Ethan was missing after the death of his parents. “Do you have a girl at home René?”

Courtney glanced at Vienna for a moment before settling her own gaze on René. "Yes René. Is there a special girl waiting for you back in Paris?"

René looked at both Courtney and Vienna, a slight blush touching his cheeks as he shook his head. "No, there is nobody I call my amor back in Paris." He noticed that the girls were nearly done with their drinks. "Since I am up and was going to grab a soft drink anyway. May I bring something back for everyone?"

Vienna smiled warmly. “A lemonade would be lovely, thank you René.” She was starting to appreciate René’s thoughtfulness, up until now she’d found it annoying how he always helped her parents when they asked, but she was slowly coming around.

Madison made a request for raspberry tea, Brin a pepsi, Courtney started calling off some concoction that involved soy milk, foam, a double shot of something. His confusion prompted Courtney to stand up and smile. "You know, I will just go with you." She glanced at an arriving trio of boys who were laughing. "Hey Jordan, take my seat. I'm going to help René get drinks."

René glanced at the trio, instantly recognizing them as the guys that had ditched him earlier. He turned and walked over to the outside window counter to place the order he had, Courtney close behind him.

Vienna watched as Courtney headed off with René, she offered a polite smile as Jordan took Courtney’s seat. “Weren’t you guys supposed to be showing René around? I don’t call disappearing on him showing him around.”

Jordan glanced in René’s direction for a moment and shrugged as he took the chair next to Vienna. "The guy is a bit weird if you ask me. He's just...too damned polite with everyone. I swear he would stop us every time in front of a store to hold a door for everyone."

Vienna sighed. “So? What’s wrong with that? You guys never heard of manners?” She shook her head.

Courtney stood next to René at the window and waited patiently for their order. She knew her order would take a few minutes. "So...about the Homecoming dance in a few weeks. You have any idea about who you want to ask to go? I personally know of two girls at school who really want you to ask them."

René gave Courtney a startled look. "Excusez-moi!" He had reverted to his native language due to his surprise. "Who are these ladies if I may ask?"

Courtney gave René a coy smile as she moved closer and took hold of René’s hand. "Well, one of them is me. I would rather not say who the other one is."

Vienna frowned as she saw Courtney’s quick move on René, without further ado she rose from her seat and walked over. “Making a move on René already Courtney?” She looked at René, “I believe I already asked René to escort me to the homecoming dance.”

Courtney gave Vienna a catty look. She turned to René. "Why don't we let René decide who he would much rather escort to the dance. Though one thing you should know. You go to the dance with Vienna you might get a short kiss on the cheek. You will get a way more lucky with me. I can promise you that."

Rene looked at both young woman. He knew if he picked one or the other of the two lovely ladies before him, he would cause the other to be hurt and angry with him. He also knew that his choice would end the friendship between these two. He gently extracted his hand from Courtney’s.

"Order up!" René turned to the Cafe employee at the window with the tray of drinks. He handed the girl a twenty dollar bill and took the tray.

Jordan stepped up next to Vienna his angry gaze on René. "What’s this about you taking Vienna to Homecoming?"

René looked at the intimidating figure of Jordan and shook his head. "Nothing Monsignor Tyler. I won't be escorting anyone to the Homecoming dance."

Vienna offered an apologetic smile to René before looking at Jordan. “Give it a rest Jordan! I didn’t say I’d be going with you.” With that she walked away to go and sit down again.

René carried the drink tray to the table, Courtney and the boys on his heels, and handed out all the beverages. Courtney stared daggers at both Vienna and René before turning to Madison and Brin. "Come on girls. I feel like checking out the music in the town square.

Jordan whispered to Dave and Steve before sitting down next to Vienna. He gave her an an apologetic expression. "Vienna, come on. Don't be like this. I wanted to take you to Homecoming. We're going to have a lock on becoming Homecoming King and Queen."

Vienna gave Jordan a blank look. “What makes you think I want to be homecoming Queen? Just because I’m popular, and you’re the star quarterback it doesn’t mean we have to be together. Plus you’ve got the merry twosome there..” She motioned to Dave and Steve, “To keep you company, they’re never far away.”

Jordan gave Vienna an imploring look. "Vienna, look. I am sorry we ditched René earlier. I will apologize to him. Just...think about going to Homecoming with me okay. Please?"

Vienna gave René a look, he had said he wasn’t taking anyone to Homecoming. “I’ll...think about it. That’s not a promise.”

Jordan followed Vienna's gaze back towards René standing by the entrance. He sighed and turned to Vienna. "The guy is living in your house. Your parents would have a major meltdown if they found out you two had a thing going. You really want to bring that kind of drama into your home?"

René stood patiently on one side of the entrance to the Appalachian Trail Cafe and pointedly ignored the two football (American-style) players standing a few feet away on the other side of the entrance. A group of tourists exited the building and for a moment Dave and Steve lost sight of René. When the crowd thinned, there was no sign of René.

The two teens stepped over to the table. "Um guys, René disappeared."

Vienna glanced worriedly around, “Where could he have gone?” She stood up looking around. “René? Where are you!?” She looked at Jordan. “Don’t just sit there! Help me find René!”

Jordan hopped up from the chair and shot a reproaching look at Dave and Steve. "I told you guys to keep an eye on him. One simple task and you both managed to screw that up."

Dave shot back with an angry look. "Dude, he slipped away in the crowd that walked out of the café. You're the one that wants to kick his ass so much you find him."

Steve nodded in agreement. "Yeah man. This is your problem. We're out of here."

The two other jocks set out in the direction Courtney, Madison and Brin had gone.

Vienna shook her head, if anything happened to René she would get into so much trouble. Plus she liked him more than she really admitted.

Jordan was frustrated. He did see René as a rival when it came to Vienna, and the thought of kicking the French kid's ass had seemed appealing at the time, but he now felt genuine concern. "I am sorry. I will help you find him and nobody is kicking anyone's ass. Okay?"

Vienna nodded and offered a smile. “Thank you Jordan, I appreciate that.” Just at that moment Vienna’s phone chimed.

The message on Vienna's cell phone was from René. 'Need to think about things. I will meet you at the bus at 2:30 this afternoon. Promise.'

Vienna breathed a sigh of relief. “It’s okay, René needs some alone, he’s meeting us at the bus at 2.30pm.”

 

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