Charlotte in Paris by Annie Bryant Read Free Book Online Page B

haven’t been so very good at keeping in touch with anyone but you. I kind of thought everyone might have forgotten about me by now.”
    “How could you think they would forget you , Charlotte?” Sophie wondered, elegantly sipping her hot chocolate. “You live in America. Everyone wants to hear about your adventures. They all want to know if you’ve ever seen Tom Cruise or Natalie Portman.”
    I smiled as I took a bite of my croissant and wiped the buttery flakes off my chin. This was why I loved being a world traveler. I’ve learned that there are amazing people everywhere, and now here I was, ready to see my old classmates again.
    After we finished our meal, Madame Morel insisted that I sleep for a while, even though I was reluctant to waste even one moment of my visit.
    “We will leave you in peace for a few hours, and there will still be much of the day left for exploring,” Madame Morel gently assured me.
    Sophie and I went back to her room. I loved how it was decorated all in cream and deep rosy magenta. Very sophisticated, I thought. As I took off my sneakers and crawled into the roll-away bed the Morels set up for me, I reminded myself to describe it to Katani. Sophie sat down at her desk and took out her schoolbooks.
    “I’m going to study as much as I can until you wake up. If I can get ahead on my assignments, then this week will be like a vacation for moi aussi …me too!” Sophie quietly began to read and write in her notebook.
    Despite my earlier protests, I found my eyelids getting heavy. Just as I was about to drift off, I bolted upright.
    “What is it?” Sophie asked, startled at my sudden burst of energy.
    “I forgot to call my dad!” I exclaimed, hopping out of bed. “Is it okay if I use the phone in the hallway? My dad got me an international calling card to pay for long-distance calls.”
    “ Bien sûr! Of course!” Sophie said, gesturing toward the door.
    I found the calling card in my wallet and took it with me into the hallway.
    “Charlotte?” Dad sounded tired when he answered the phone.
    “Hi, Dad. I’m here. I’m sorry I forgot to call earlier,” I said quickly.
    “It’s okay, Char. I’m glad you finally remembered, though. I was getting worried, but then I checked online and saw that your flight landed safely, so I decided to waita little while before checking up on you. How is everything going?”
    “It’s amazing, Dad. I can’t believe I’m back here. It’s just like I remembered it…almost as if I never left. I was afraid that I wouldn’t remember my French, but it’s coming back to me no problem.”
    “That’s great, kiddo. Have fun and be careful, okay? Say hello to Sophie and the Morels. And don’t forget to eat some escargots for me.”
    How could I forget? Snails—no one in America understood how tasty snails could be all smothered in butter and garlic. Yum! I smacked my lips.
    “Bye, Dad. Love you…and thanks so much for letting me do this.”
    “You’re welcome, Char. Love you too. Remember to keep a journal now.”
    I hung up the phone, went back into Sophie’s room, and crawled into the bed all over again.
    “Good night, Sophie,” I said.
    “Good morning , Charlotte,” Sophie replied, pointing to the clock.
    I giggled and then snuggled into the soft comforter and drifted off to sleep.
     
    When I woke up, the sun was shining brightly through the gaps between the shade and the window. It took a moment to realize where I was, and I grinned as the events of the past day came flooding back.
    I hopped out of bed, smoothed the comforter into place,and quickly tied on my running shoes. I found Sophie in the kitchen, stirring a big pot of soup.
    “Hello, sleepyhead. You were asleep for almost four hours. Did you have a good rest?” Sophie asked.
    “Yup, I did. I guess I needed it. Can I help you in here?”
    “Nonsense!” said Madame Morel. “You girls go enjoy the rest of the afternoon. Just make sure you are back by seven o’clock for