French Lessons

[Addison Sloane]

There was always something Addison regretted not doing well in when she was in high school, which was French. It was cliched, yes but she managed to spend one week in France to be an opening act for a local band, very small gig, and she got stuck with a translator which wasn't exactly the most smooth transaction she could ever have been through so now that she was back in Kalispell for good, she figured why the hell not find someone who could help her out?

As fate would have it, as she was having this thought while walking out to her car after classes for the day, she chanced upon her schoolmate who just so happened to be a French native. What were the odds?

"Uh...excuse me! Er, are you Francois?" She asked after clearing her throat. She tacked on a smile as an afterthought.


François Laffont

[François Laffont]

Franck was glad that, although he still had an accent, people were not systematically thinking he was French through it. It was there, he could not help it. He toned it down as much as he was able to but there were still some words, some sounds, difficult for him to pronounce the way most people here did. In the end, he figured it did not matter. He was foreign. It was a fact. He was not ashamed to be a little French boy. Well, it was hard to call him little when he stood at over six foot tall but the point remained.

To him, accepting the fact he was French and could be sometimes teased about it was like accepting he had brown hair or blue eyes. People could say whatever they wanted, it would remain like that. So he stopped caring about it, simply hoping people wouldn’t try and say French words to him. The way they butchered them sometimes, it sent a shiver down his spine.

It was why he let everyone call him Franck. François was not the hardest French name to pronounce but some students had a hard time understanding the S at the end was not pronounced at all. So he went for Franck. Except someone, as he was on his way out of school and back home, called him François. He looked around and his eyes landed on a small brunette girl. Her emotions were pouring out of her and onto him, making him frown as he wondered why she felt like this. “Yes, that’s me. Why do you ask?” He kept his tone as polite and soft as he could as he talked to her.

[Addison Sloane]

Addison nodded and her smile widened. "Hi. So I pronounced your name right, right? Frawn-swah?" She asked with a slight head tilt. Much as she was already embarrassed asking him of this, he needed to know so she didn't butcher her future teacher's name.

"Anyway hi. I'm Addison. I don't know if we've met but I know you from your yearbook picture and you were on our prom court last year, right? Congrats by the way. I didn't attend so I couldn't vote. Anyhow," Addison then realised she was talking way too much and decided to cut her word vomit short. "I had a reason calling your name." She laughed shortly in awkwardness.

"I'm sure you get this often and I know it must get so tiring but I wanna learn French and you're French so who better to teach you than a native speaker right? I'm willing to pay. However much you want. I've got no budget so ask for however much...I mean wow no that does not make me sound good. But bottom line, French lessons. Do you give them out? At all?"

[François Laffont]

It really should annoy Franck when they tried to say his name, especially when they couldn’t. But he was not like that and she actually said it pretty well. In fact, other than the obvious American accent she couldn’t get rid of, she said it right. “That’s it,” he confirmed with a nod for even more proof that it was right. “But you can call me Franck if you prefer.” He would, just because it would be weird for him to keep hearing her say it like that all the time. Again, the thought that his second was far more difficult to pronounce came to his mind and how glad he was not being called Guillaume François instead of François Guillaume.

It was a strange way to introduce and greet someone. It was at least what he thought when she did so. “I was in the prom court for the this year and last year actually,” he said but he tried for his tone to show it did not matter. He didn’t really want to be known at the prom prince who later became the prom king. That did not matter to him at all. She said all of this pretty quickly. He was still certain he got most of what she said. Had she spoke faster, he likely wouldn’t have and his head would be spinning. It was why he was so thankful she stopped a moment and went straight to the point. Or at least introduced her point.

“Yes?” She had a reason to call his name and he was curious to hear it. He actually didn’t get people asking for French lessons that much and was surprised she would ask him that. He wanted to object about a pay but he was also unable to believe someone would ask him to teach them, even if it made sense. “Well, I never...” he began when she finally let him speak. “I don’t know if I’d be a good teacher but I guess I can try. Why do you want to learn French?”

[Addison Sloane]

Nodding, a little relieved she didn't butcher it up, Addison smiled and squinted slightly when he offered an alternative. "Like your money Franc?" She asked with a teasing smile, shaking her head after the fact. Why she was still so bent on pronouncing his name was beyond her. They should really get off that subject.

"What? You've been on the court for two years straight? Damn. Nobody else wanted the post?" She chuckled, showing she was definitely joking around. She even added an awkward punch to his pretty firm arms, which she regretted pretty quickly. "Sorry." She pulled her hand back and slid them into her jeans pocket.

Glad that he was agreeable to become her teacher, she nodded and held two thumbs up. "That's great to hear." When asked why, Addison chuckled and shrugged. "Travels, mostly. I spent a few weeks in Paris and had to tape a dictionary to my head. Suffice it to say it was a rather unpleasant few weeks."

That done, Addison adjusted her straps and decided they should get a few details straightened out. "So, I'm going to work my lessons around you, which means whenever you're free, night or day, it doesn't quite matter. How's about three days a week? Would that be enough? Or is that too much?"

[François Laffont]

He never heard someone compare his name to his money. In fact, he never heard of people knowing the name of his money. Other than the euro, of course. “Well, we don’t pronounce the c for the money,” he explained. Still, he considered it incredible that one knew as much. “How did you know?” Obviously, he was not talking about the fact that he was French, although she might not find that as obvious. People always assumed he came from France. Turned out they were right.

He chuckled at her comment but he was not entirely sure if that was a joke. In doubt, Franck tended to smile and chuckle though so it was what he did. “People must like me,” he just said with a shrug. Again, this might come off as false modesty but Franck was not being vain here. He really was like that. He barely moved when she punched his arm. He didn't get anything from her that could suggest she was being sarcastic or mean so he wouldn’t hold it against her.

Franck winced when she explained. “Parisians are not known for being very nice, even amongst French. You ask anyone from other counties, they’ll all say they are... well, I guess the nice term would be annoying but I get assholes fit more their meaning.” Not that he liked calling his countrymen assholes, especially since he never really seen for himself if they were like that.

She was already working on the details but Franck was still trying to think of a way for it to work. Watch French movies with English subtitles? No, that wouldn’t do. Translate songs? Yeah, but he would have to do it twice, one word by word and the other properly. He didn’t have his old schoolbooks. “They are giving French classes at school, maybe you can take those? And I can help you whenever you need help. Like translate sentences for you or help you with the verbs. We do have a few more grammar rules about verbs, I think...”

[Addison Sloane]

"Uh...haha well you know...I read. And like I said before, I traveled over there and I went to places where the Euro wasn't accepted." She shrugged fiddling with the hem of her dress as she did so.

Nodding, Addison pointed out some facts she herself picked up. "Well you seem like a nice guy and you're really cute so you know...people like nice and cute around here, don't they?"

Addison laughed at Franck's description of his people and shrugged. "I wouldn't say assholes. I've met assholes. I'm one myself but yes, they're pretty brutal." She agreed with a nod and a laugh.

"Oh that...that actually makes more sense. It's just that my schedule is actually pretty tight and I don't want to do anything like...official or whatever. Would you mind it terribly if I like called you if I had any problems with some stuff?" She asked. "Pertaining to the subject I mean."

[François Laffont]

It was funny that she’d be a little embarrassed to admit such knowledge. There was nothing wrong in that. In fact, she should be proud to know things like this. Sur, other country’s money was not exactly something very important to know, unless you travelled a lot or loved to play crosswords, but it was still knowledge. And she obviously liked French culture, enough at least to want to learn more French. Not everyone could say the same. . “So you’d like to travel to France again?” Although he probably shouldn’t make it a question, since there seemed to be little other reason to want to learn French. Well, she could want to visit other countries speaking mostly French but he still figured France could be a destination she’d like to visit again someday. Franck felt the same, even if he doubted he’d ever go back. The temptation would be too big and the pain too great.

He chuckled at her words. He was not going to blush from them but close to. “Well, thank you,” he replied. She was not flirting with him, was she? He didn’t pick anything that felt too much like flirt but if she ever went there, he’ll have to tell her. He didn’t want anything awkward between them and if she wanted French lessons more in order to learn more about her French teacher, she would be disappointed. He gave her a surprised expression at the way she called herself. “You don’t look like ne to me,” he assured her. Who would call themselves an asshole?

This too could sound like she was flirting with him. It could easily be just an excuse to have his phone number. It was what had him hesitated for a moment. “Sure, I get it. Hope it’s fine with you like that. It’s just... I’m no teacher so I wouldn’t really know where to begin. I still have my old French books if you want to practice with those...” It better just be for that matter that she would call him. Not that he would hang up if she felt the need to talk to someone, but that was just the problem. She might get ideas.

[Addison Sloane]

"Oh dude, you have no idea. Not quite like anything else, experiencing the culture firsthand over there...it's one of those things you want to fully immerse yourself in before you kick the bucket, ya know?" Addison grinned, not fully aware that not everybody would actually find the saying familiar. Especially someone who wasn't even native to the English language.

Addison was also not fully aware that her naturally flirtatious nature was coming off of her so she didn't know to dial it back a little. Not that anything ever came out of her flirting. People seemed to think she was more awkward than flirtatious most of the time. Maybe it was all due to the fact that she was so tiny and snarky most of the time. But that Franck thought she was should have been enough for her to pull back. If she knew.

Doing a curtsy at his affirmation that she didn't look like an asshole, Addison thanked him in French. The only thing she did well in that language.

Pleased with herself and also that Franck didn't seem to mind the arrangement, she took her phone out and handed it over to the French boy. "I totally understand. Kind of how I would feel giving out music lessons. I just need someone who knows what the hell they're talking about ya know? So just save your number under Hawt French Tutor or something and I'll give you a call sometime."

[François Laffont]

Dude. Even if Franck knew that, anatomically speaking, he was a dude, he didn't hear that word often to talk of him. Anyway, he didn't have time to think of it too much as he was amused by her talking of immersing herself in the French culture with a French boy. He frowned at the mention of ‘kick the bucket’ but since he got the rest, he preferred not to ask. “I know. I’d like to go back someday. I didn’t exactly visited France a lot when I lived there,” he answered, even though he knew her comment didn't really ask for an answer.

Addison seemed flirtatious and Franck did pick out something that could probably be translated to thinking he was good looking. Or hot. But he knew it was something people couldn’t control. She could control the flirt however so he tried to be careful and sense if she was really flirting with him or not. If she was, he would gently make her understand he was not interested. There was no point in humiliating her or breaking her confidence by turning her down too hard. But he was gay. That alone would explain why it was not going to work between them, ever.

He had a soft laugh as she thanked him. “You know that word well too,” he replied. It was good but that would not get her far in conversations. She pulled out her phone as he agreed at least to this. He hoped he would not end up regretting this. Frank got his phone number and she loved to send thousands of texts. Sometimes to say she found something amazing he had to see. And sometimes just to say that her sweater was itchy. He had to remind her he did not have her fortune to pay for all the text messages he sent her for her to get the message and calm down.

“You play music?” he said, not thinking she gave lessons but mentioned this as the skill people might ask help from her over. He tried not to flinch at her words and the name she said he should register his phone under. “I’ll go for Francois. It’s my name and I suppose you don’t have a lot of friends with a French name, no?”

[Addison Sloane]

Tilting her head slightly to the left, Addison frowned at Franck's response before realisation hit her. "That makes sense though. You don't really go around where you live. If you don't have to." The pause, unintentional as it was, brought up some weird memories from when she was forced to live on the streets. She just hoped that whatever ability Franck had, it would not pick up on any of it.

"Why thank you!" She flipped her hair exaggeratedly with a chuckle. "And yes, I do. I'm actually a singer. I really have to up my game here in Kalispell. Nobody seems to know me." She laughed, rubbing the back of her head slightly.

His reaction to her little joke had her just slightly confused but she didn't say anything until he responded verbally. "Yeah no I don't. Except Izzy but he isn't actually French. Anyway thank you! You'll probably regret agreeing to this but I'm glad you're going against your better judgment." She grinned childishly and pocketed her phone, holding her hand out with a smile.

"Thanks again, Franck."

[François Laffont]

“I doubt it’s every American who visited the Great Canyon or Mount... Rushmore, is that it?” Franck said after nodding to her comment. He never even visited Paris, the capital. It seemed inconceivable to people when he said that. Funny, as he doubted many of them saw their capital. But every Frenchman seemed to come from Paris when you talked to people. Even if Franck lived not that far from the city, he went only after his power manifested, and only until a recruiter came over to bring him here. “I didn't travel a lot as a kid,” he still felt the need to specify.

He did get something out of Addison for a moment but without the context for the emotion, he could hardly tell what caused it. Sometimes, it was easy, like someone suddenly lustful after a pretty girl passed by. But not every emotion was that easy to explain. He didn’t want to ask her, not when it vanished almost as quickly as it came. It was easy for emotions to come and go. They followed thoughts and did not always reflect the person’s current emotional state.

The flip of the hair. More flirting? Franck was not doing anything to encourage her though. At least, he didn’t think so. But he was slowly growing uncomfortable with this. He tried not to think about it. “What kind of music do you play?” Talking was better than wonder if she was hitting on him.

He wondered why she brought up Izzy if he was not French and his name didn’t sound like Franck’s at all but he did not ask her. When you are friend with Frank Cox, you learn not to ask questions whenever something acted strangely, you just go along. “I should regret it?” he asked as he handed her phone back. He nodded as she thanked him again. Silence then showed between them. Franck was thinking that he would likely miss his bus at this rate and he wanted to know if he should start running or wait for the next one. Only one way to find out. “You wanted to start now or that was all?”

[Addison Sloane]

"Yes," Addison pointed a finger at Franck, nodding in agreement. "Exactly. Ooh you're smart. I knew I picked the right one." She punched him lightly and winked with a laugh. "Parents loved you too much?" She joked, not realising she was hitting way too close to home. Of course, the comment was a double edged sword as she felt the pain that came from having no parents at all. She forced an awkward laugh and shook her head.

Glad for the change of subject in which she thrived in, she blew otu a sigh of relief and perked up considerably. Thankful for the reprieve and the chance to talk about something she loved, Addison started to answer. "Pop. Top Forties. Ballad. Songs that make you just wanna dance you know? I call it my feel goods." She shook her shoulders a little in dance. "Cause they make me feel good, get it?" She chuckled, seemingly amused at her humour.

She looked at Franck as he asked his rhetorical question. Or what she hoped was a rhetorical question. Laughing, she shook her head but didn't answer in response to that particular question. She did pick up on the fact that he seemed to want to be anywhere else but here.

"Oh...oh no not now. Hey, do you need a ride? I mean...you were going in the direction away from school and...well, I musta stopped you from going somewhere else. I've got a car parked just there. Would you like me to drive you wherever? The least I could do."

[François Laffont]

Franck laughed but couldn’t really see how knowing it was called the Mount Rushmore made him smart or good to give her French lessons. Well, maybe that made him smart or at least a good partner for a game of Trivial Pursuit. What it had to do with his parents loving him too much was even harder for him to get and he had a light frown as he did not fully understood her line of thoughts there. He still answered though. “You could say that.” He perceived pain from her and that made him puzzled a little more. The pain lingered on but it went away slowly and Franck couldn’t help but wonder if it had to do with her parents. Not wanting to pry, he kept that thought to himself.

He nodded, glad that this negative feeling he, or she, put on her just went away as they talked of music. He grinned as she shared the type of music she played. “I love that kind of music. It just puts a smile on your face, non?” He laughed with her as she danced a little to prove her point. “I get it,” he assured her as if the laugh and brief nod of the head he gave her was not enough to tell so.

She suddenly seemed to realise that Franck might have been going somewhere before she stopped him. “I was just heading home, bus stop’s over there,” he said, nodding his head towards where it was located. She offered him a ride and once again the thought she might have tried to flirt with him came to his mind. But she didn't seem to be trying to do that and just asked him. “I don’t want to be a bother.”

[Addison Sloane]

"Lucky." She nodded as she played with the strap of her bag, the pain got just a little too much to bear. She was glad for the subject change and nodded in agreement with his statement. "Exactly." Her hand extended towards Franck, palm up.

"Oh it's no trouble at all. Seriously. Like I said, it's the least I can do. You're agreeing to a long time of dealing with me." She chuckled before gesturing for him to follow her to her second hand car.

"I could also eat. Do you have anything else planned? We could grab a bite before I send you home."