A Summer in Paris (2 page)

“And maybe seeing Danny once or twice?” Kristy teased.

“Well, sure.” Jennifer cast her friend a clouded look. “Is it so strange that I want to spend the summer that way?”

“No, not at all. I understand how you feel. This trip to France sounds like fun to me—a little scary maybe, like Ms. Darcy was saying, but still fun—but I can see that it’s not for everybody.”

Jennifer sighed. “I just hope that Nina understands, too.”

“Nina? Why shouldn’t she?” Kristy was truly surprised by her friend’s comment.

“Oh, you know how Nina is. She’s so ... so
romantic
about things. She expects life to be the way it is in books. Traveling all over the world, meeting exciting people, eating out in fabulous restaurants-—”

“It sounds terrific to me!”

“I know, but it’s not what
I
want. I’d be happy just staying in Weston. To tell you the truth, I’m even a little bit nervous about going away to college in Hartford in the fall.” Jennifer shrugged her shoulders. “I guess I’m just one of those people who’s not very adventurous. The idea of having to face a lot of changes scares me.” Nervously she added, “So what do you think? Do you suppose Nina will think I’m crazy for turning down a chance to live in Paris for two months?”

Kristy slung a friendly arm around her friend’s shoulders. “Jennifer Johnson, I think you should stop worrying about what Nina thinks—or anybody else, for that matter. We all have to do what’s right for us.”

Instead of feeling relieved that Kristy understood her lack of interest in spending the summer abroad, however, Jennifer was still bothered by a tense, gnawing feeling in the pit of her stomach. After all, she may have convinced one of her best friends that she was only doing what she felt was best for herself. But there were still two other people whom she would have to convince.

And convincing her mother and father of
anything
had never been very easy.

* * * *

“Nobody’s here,” Kristy announced cheerfully after unlocking the front door of the Connors’ spacious home and walking inside. She was not at all surprised, or the least bit disappointed. In fact, she was glad. She loved having the entire house to herself. She enjoyed the silence, the feeling of being on her own. Especially since lately it seemed that the rest of her family had no purpose in life other than to drive her crazy.

“Where is everybody?” Jennifer asked, following her into the kitchen.

“My dad’s on one of his business trips. Want something to eat?”

“Sure. I figured your dad was working. But how about your mom and Kerry?”

Kristy just shrugged. “Oh, they’re probably at some stupid audition.” She opened the refrigerator and stuck her head inside. “All we have is ginger ale and root beer.”

“Root beer. Wow, your little sister is at an audition? Where?”

“In New York, I guess. I don’t bother to keep track anymore. Hey, look. Oreos!”

“Isn’t it exciting, Kristy? Having a little sister who’s a celebrity?”

As Kristy turned around to face her, a bottle of root beer in one hand and a package of Oreos in the other, there was an odd expression on her face. But before she had a chance to answer Jennifer’s question, there was a commotion at the front door.

“Hi-i-i!” Kristy called.

“Hello!” Jennifer joined in.

But instead of having their greeting echoed, Jennifer heard Kristy’s mother saying, “Now, Kerry, you’ll
have
to add tap lessons. I know you already have ballet class, and of course there are your voice lessons, but it’s absolutely essential that—”

As Ms. Connor and her eight-year-old daughter Kerry came into the kitchen, they both seemed startled to find Jennifer and Kristy there.

“Oh, hello, dear,” Kristy’s mother said. “I didn’t realize you were home already.” She cast a quick nod in Jennifer’s direction. “Goodness, what time is it?”

“Three-thirty. The same time I always get home.” Kristy sat down at the kitchen table, deliberately choosing a chair that forced her to turn her back on her mother and her sister.

Jennifer was puzzled. But she smiled and said, “Hi, Ms. Connor. Hi, Kerry. Gee, you sure are all dressed up. And is that makeup you’ve got on?”

“Of course.” The little girl was wearing pigtails and more makeup than seventeen-year-old Jennifer had ever worn in her life. “I was at an audition.”

“That’s what Kristy thought. What were you auditioning for?”

“A Broadway play.” The little girl tossed her head. “And I got the part.”

“Wow!” Jennifer’s blue eyes were wide. “You’re going to be in a Broadway play?”

Kerry nodded. “I’m playing a six-year-old in a new musical. It’s going to be the hit of the season.”

“Golly, that’s terrific!” Jennifer glanced over at Kristy and saw that she was keeping her eyes down and at the same time stuffing Oreos into her mouth as fast as she could.

“Well, you shouldn’t be surprised, Jennifer, dear,” Ms. Connor said coolly. “It’s not as if Kerry hasn’t been doing plays and even television since she was four. You have seen her cereal commercial, haven’t you?”

“Sure. Everybody in Weston knows that Kerry is practically a star. But a Broadway play? Gee!”

“I thought it was off-Broadway,” Kristy mumbled. “Or maybe even off-off-Broad way.”

Her mother didn’t seem to have heard her. “Kristy, did you read Kate’s letter? I left it on the dining room table. She has some wonderful news.”

“I can hardly wait to hear it,” Kristy muttered. Jennifer was taken aback by her sullen tone, but once again, her mother acted as if she hadn’t even heard her.

“Yes, your big sister has been nominated for May queen at her college. She sent a clipping from the school newspaper. Her picture was on the front page. It’s such an honor. Any one of the sorority girls would have given her eyeteeth to be May queen. Of course, it’s not as if her father and I haven’t been expecting it all along.”

“Mom, since I’m going to be a famous Broadway actress,” Kerry interrupted, her voice an irritating whine, “does that mean I can get some new clothes? I think I deserve a whole new wardrobe.”

“Of course,” Ms. Connor replied without hesitating for a moment. She leaned down and planted a quick kiss on top of her youngest daughter’s head. “Whatever you want, Kerry. Nothing is too good for my Broadway star.”

“Something interesting happened at school today,” Kristy said, finally turning around to face her mother. “The kids who are taking Ms. Darcy’s advanced French class have been invited to spend the summer in Paris. The deal is that you live with a French family, studying the language at the Sorbonne and living in a different culture. It would be a great way for me to spend the summer before I go off to college in Boston in the fall.”

“Why, Kristy, that’s just wonderful!” Ms. Connor’s face lit up, and there was real enthusiasm in her voice.

“It is?” Kristy looked at her, blinking. “You mean you’re really excited about my having an opportunity like this?”

“It sounds perfect. It lasts all summer?”

“That’s right. July and August.”

“It’s ideal, Kristy. I’d been worrying about how I’d manage this summer, what with having to take Kerry back and forth to New York for this play. Sending you abroad is the perfect solution.”

Already Ms. Connor had turned away. “Now, come on upstairs, Kerry. It’s important that you start learning how to remove your makeup properly. Here, let me give you a lesson.”

When they were gone, Kristy looked at Jennifer and smiled sadly.

“See that?” she said, her green eyes shining with tears she wasn’t about to let fall. “I just knew that when my mom found out how important this Paris thing was to me, she wouldn’t hesitate to say yes.”

* * * *

It was past six by the time Jennifer slunk into her own house. The two cars in the driveway told her that her parents were already home. Her mother, Louise Johnson, was back from New York City, where she was a partner in a law firm. Her father, Dr. Paul Johnson, had apparently already finished seeing the day’s patients at the office in town that he shared with two other psychologists.

She intended to delay talking to them, planning to slip upstairs to her bedroom so she could buy herself a little more time. But the moment she placed her foot on the first step, her mother popped into the front hall from the kitchen.

“Oh, hi, Jennifer. I thought I heard you come in.”

“Hi, Mom.” Longingly Jennifer glanced at the staircase. So much for her escape.

“Listen, Dad picked up a pizza on his way home. He and I are just setting up in the kitchen. Why don’t you come and join us?”

Reluctantly she followed her mother into the kitchen, where her father was carefully putting forks and napkins next to the plates he had already set at each place at the table.

“Hi, sweetie,” he greeted her as she came in. “How was school today?”

“Fine.” Jennifer dropped into a kitchen chair.

“I’m just reheating this pizza,” her mother said. “It’ll be ready in about three minutes.” Louise Johnson’s eyes were twinkling. “But in the meantime, I have some incredible news that I’m just dying to tell you. Jen, you’ll never guess who I ran into at the train station this evening.”

“Who, Mom?”

“The principal of your school, that’s who. And
Mr. Kramer had something very exciting to tell me.”

Jennifer feel her heart sinking down somewhere into her stomach. “Oh, really?” she asked. But she already knew what was coming.

“Paul, wait until you hear this,” Louise Johnson said to her husband. “Oh, sweetie, I’m so glad that I’m the one to tell you about this terrific surprise.” She took a deep breath. “Weston High has been asked to participate in an international exchange program. The seniors who are taking Ms. Darcy’s advanced French class have been invited to spend the summer in Paris, studying at the Sorbonne and living with a French family. Isn’t that fantastic?”

“I already knew all about it, Mom,” Jennifer said. “My French teacher made an announcement in class today.”

Her mother looked surprised. “You already knew? Goodness, then why didn’t you say anything when you first came in? Surely you didn’t think your father and I would say no to a wonderful opportunity like this, did you?” she added, beaming.

“No, I didn’t think that.” Jennifer picked up her paper napkin and nervously began folding it over and over again. “Mom, this might come as a great surprise to you, but I didn’t plan on saying anything about the Paris thing because, well, I don’t want to go.”

“You don’t want to go!” both her parents cried at the same time. They sounded like a chorus. Jennifer would have started laughing if she hadn’t been bracing herself for what she knew was coming.

She took a deep breath. “Mom, Dad, I want to stay here in Weston this summer.”

“Here ... in Weston?” Dr. Johnson repeated, incredulous.

“Jennifer, what are you saying?” Her mother looked stunned. “Surely you can’t mean it. Why, any girl in her right mind would jump at the chance—”

“I’m not ‘any girl!’ I’m me. And not only am I not jumping at the chance, I can’t think of anything I’d rather do
less.”

“But why?” Dr. Johnson demanded, still puzzled. “I don’t understand.”

“Look, this is my last summer before college. All I want to do is stay home, get a summer job in town, see my friends, spend time with Danny....”

“Oh, is
that
all.” Ms. Johnson sounded relieved. “You’re afraid you’ll miss Danny. Or maybe that he’ll find another girlfriend while you’re gone. Well, honey, I can assure you that Danny is just a high school romance, a sweet case of puppy love that you’ll soon begin to see as nothing more than-”

“It’s not puppy love!” It was all Jennifer could do to keep from leaping out of her chair. “Danny and I really care about each other! It’s not fair of you to say something like that. Besides, if I’m old enough to go to France by myself, then I’m certainly old enough to decide how I want to spend my summer!”

“You do have a point,” her father said. Her mother, meanwhile, was nodding.

Jennifer was annoyed at how calm they were— and how irritating she was finding them at this moment. She would have found it more satisfying if they had started yelling at her. Instead, they were logical, thoughtful ... and totally in control. That was the problem with having a father who was a psychologist and a mother who was a lawyer. Between the two of them, they were always at least two steps ahead of her.

“I’m sure I speak for your father when I say that we both understand how you’re feeling right now,” Louise Johnson said. “This is a difficult, confusing time for you. Of course you feel strong ties to your childhood. You’re not sure if you’re ready to grow up.”

“Resistance to growing up and being on your own is very common,” her father chimed in. “In many ways it’s a terrifying prospect.”

“I can’t stand it when you go all analytical and understanding on me,” Jennifer mumbled.

“Your mother and I both know that this whole time is difficult for you, honey,” her father said. “But it’s about time you spread your wings a little. You’re almost eighteen, and it’s time to leave the nest, to venture out into the world a bit—”

“I’m not a blue jay, for goodness sake!” Jennifer cried. “And I don’t see what’s wrong with being happy exactly where I am.”

“What’s wrong with it,” her mother said calmly, “is that people don’t grow unless they take a few risks. You can’t spend your whole life hiding in a little town like Weston, Connecticut.”

“I
am
going to Hartford in the fall,” Jennifer reminded them meekly, but her words went unnoticed.

“Goodness, Jennifer,” her mother was saying, “the chance to live abroad, to expand your horizons, to feel comfortable somewhere other than the place in which you grew up....”

“Dad?” Jennifer looked at him with desperation in her blue eyes.

“I’m with your mother on this, sweetie. You’ve never been one to look very far outside yourself and your own experience. For a while now I’ve been feeling you need to go a bit beyond your small circle of friends, your cheerleading squad, the security of what you’ve always known. There’s a big world out there, and you owe it to yourself to find out what it’s like. And this summer program sounds like just the thing to get you started.”