CHAPTER TWO

“Adieu Gwen. It was nice meeting you. Vous étés très amusant. I found your little antics quite endearing.”

I looked up from my map of Paris to see the person I wanted to see least. The creepy black bag of his was gone, most likely hidden away somewhere in the airport, but he probably had a billion other hiding spots to tuck away his little weapons on his person. He was holding out a card to me which I took to inspect.

“It’s only my mobile number. Ring me up sometime if you ever find yourself across the channel. Just mention your name and where you met me—I have a terrible memory. Right, so I’m off for the Chunnel.”

I was nervous talking to him so I wasn’t surprised to find that I didn’t even say my own good-byes to him. My hand hanging limply by my side I watched as Rodney walked towards customs with his luggage. Just as I was about to return to studying my map of Paris I felt an arm on my shoulder. I froze.

“Day la con gai dep cua me.”

Hearing that familiar Vietnamese phrase, “Here’s my pretty daughter” I recognised my mum. She’s unique in her own way of throwing in Vietnamese sentences with English ideologies. But mostly she’s embarrassing when she does that.

I almost jumped out of my skin when I first felt that hand on my shoulder. Then I was ready to act like the usual ungrateful daughter that I am. Sometimes my mum’s usage of the Vietnamese language pisses me off because she’s just not the type to speak it too often. My mother is a first generation American-born Vietnamese who just sucks at speaking the native tongue. She tries though…

“Get off of me. We need to get our luggage.”

“Your dad’s got it. Lets go find him. How was the flight Gwen?” She kept her arm around my shoulder as I sighed.

“I sat next to a complete psycho. Why didn’t you book me a seat in first class with you?” I almost ran into a little girl so I moved away from my mum. “Hey mum, can you even speak French?”

“Un peu.” She held up her fingers in a pinching movement.

I smiled. She really does try sometimes but I’m stilled pissed at her.

The airport was filled with people. I could hear a clash of languages going on. There were mostly confused tourists at the luggage claim when we got there. Off to the side were a few businessmen in designer suits chatting on their expensive mobiles probably making important calls to their CEOs in many different languages. With my mom still leaning on me and the two of us lazily making our way to the baggage claim, I started to look for my father.

I spotted him in the corner talking to some guy. He looked a little familiar so I craned my neck a little to catch a glimpse at the sod.

“…know you’re going to school in London?”

I saw a familiar black bag the side of the man my father was talking to. I tried even harder to see what the guy looked like from the neck up.

“…visit us during Christmas.”

My mom poked me in my side. My automatic reaction was to double up and protect myself from being tickled. I waited a little and looked up to see my mum’s eyes looking at me with a smile in them.

“Huh?”

“You didn’t even hear a word I said. I said that you’re enrolled at a high school in London.”

I must have stood there with my mouth hanging open for the longest time. My dad walked over and gave me a playful punch to the arm, shocking me out of my stupor. Had I heard my evil mum correctly?

“I’m guessing your mom just told you about school. How was the flight?”

I wanted to scream and cry and hide at the same time. Instead I just grabbed my suitcase and stormed away from my parents. I didn’t care where I was going since I was already in an unfamiliar landscape and I was dead tired. I kept walking until I realised I needed my parents to go through customs. Dammit.

They were always pulling tricks like this on me, telling me at the very last possible moment where I can’t back out of it. Actually, this time I’m going to have two whole months of summer to deal with the unfamiliar bit of news. And I’m going to make hell for my parents if it’s the last thing I do. I sat down at a bench and waited to see if my parents could find me where I was.

“You again!”

I thought I was going to faint. Today isn’t my good day either.

“Sod off. You Brits invented that term, right?” I smiled widely.

He sat down next to me. “I think I just met your father a while back.”

Oh god. So he was the one my dad was talking to. My day just keeps getting better and better. I don’t think I’ll like London once I get there just because of this here chap. I hope my dad didn’t tell him that I was going to school there.

“So you’re going to attend the sixth form in the good ol’ UK, I heard.” He grinned broadly at me. “That was a good decision in my opinion.”

I looked around for his weapon bag. I didn’t see it again. He’s a good hider. So instead I tried to focus on his physical appearance to forget about that bag. His green eyes still make me jealous that he could have natural green eyes. His skin was quite pale and his face was clean-shaven—actually, now that I give it more thought, Rodney looks like he’s a lot younger than early twenties. Now I’m guessing he’s twenty at the very most. His features are dark—dark chestnut hair that falls into his face a little, a firm profile, high cheek-bones. I looked again but this time I found his vibrant green eyes staring at me, stunning me from saying and doing anything but fidgeting under that frightening stare.

“Right. So sixth-form, is it? Do you attend it?”

He chuckled. “If you ever see me there, then you’ll know.”

I glanced at the clock hanging on the walls to turn away from his glance. It’s amazing that he makes me forget about my parental troubles so quickly with his arresting presence.

“Uh-huh…” I stared at him again, wanting to say more, stuff like You’re hot. Will you go out with me? But it’s not within my nature to do bold deeds like that. That stuff is only reserved for pretty girls who have all the self-confidence in the world. Plus, he’s only another handsome guy in the world.

“Right. So I see your parents coming this way. Tell your dad I’m all set, will you? I’m honoured to he chose to do business with me. I’ll be going out of Paris by train. I’ll see you later if that’s what destiny chooses.”

He winked at me when he said those last few words and got up to walk away. I wonder what he meant with “if that’s what destiny choose.” And just what sort of business had my father agreed to with him? Rodney can’t be trusted, in my opinion. Who knows what he does with those guns of his. And I hope my father is smarter than that.

I got up to met my parents as I kept thinking about what deal my dad had made and just about fell on my face in a French airport. I got up quickly enough, glanced around, and found that my parents were laughing at me. Typical. I glanced down and saw that I had tripped over a black bag. It was pretty similar to the one that Rodney had on the plane.

I felt my blood run cold.

“Something wrong Gwen? I’ll take that bag if you want.”

“No, no. It’s fine. I got it Dad. You have a lot of stuff to carry already. Mom should take a few things off of your shoulders.” I glanced at my mom who was just dragging her suitcase behind her. “I’ll take this bag.”

We all began walking towards customs but I asked to go to the lavatory first. Safely enclosed in my cubicle I rummaged through the black bag, cursing Rodney if it was his bag with the incriminating evidence inside. Instead I found a tonne of pamphlets, a single composition journal, and a pair of gloves—all very normal items by my current standards.

I rejoined my parents.

“Recovering from your fall from grace, Gwen?” my dad chuckled.

I cringed. Normally he doesn’t poke fun at me.

“Oh boy, lets go. Traffic is brutal out there,” my mum said, breaking up the potential word battle and throwing my dad a quick look. “I want to sleep in a real bed tonight.”

Sighing all three of us queued up for customs. I hate customs, but today I’m frightened for my life. What if I really have Rodney’s bag and the weapons are hidden away somewhere inside the bag? I might be charged as a terrorist. I might not like staying in France and starting over a whole new life, but I definitely do not want to spend my whole new life in a prison in France.

“Excuse me miss, what are these in your bags?”

I wonder if the customs officer could hear my heartbeat. My face feels like it’s burning. I’m starting to sweat. I really hope I’m not going to jail.

“Pamphlets and brochures for places I want to visit in Europe. Gloves for when I’m cold and a notebook to write about my travels.” I lied through my teeth, I hope she can’t tell.

“Ok.” She slid my bag through the x-ray machines and I held my breath, walking through the gate, starting to feel nauseous.

We both made it without incident. I joined my parents on the other side after I grabbed the black bag and followed them outside to where the taxis were waiting. Suddenly Rodney popped out of nowhere and shook my father’s hand and nodded at my mother.

I hate him. I thought he was leaving for the UK immediately.

I watched as he handed my father an envelope. In turn my father gave it to me. I opened it as Rodney and my mom looked on with amused expressions on their faces.

Looking inside I found a ticket for the Eurostar—the train that runs under the English Channel into London—and a wad of foreign money. My face remained blank.

“When am I leaving then?”

My mom hugged me. “We decided you should leave in a week, at least after you’re familiar with the home we’re staying at in Paris. And this is Rodney, honey. He is going to be staying with you for that journey so that you’re not lost.”

Holy shit. I’m going to have to spend a whole week with Rodney the psycho.

“Rodney. Yeah, I sat next to him on the plane.” I gave my mum a pointed look which I’m ninety percent sure she didn’t understand. “But I have a week to stay with you guys.”

“Unless you want to go immediately. Rodney was kind enough of wait for a week to escort you and I’m sure he’ll be very happy to leave as soon as possible.” My dad interrupted the conversation.

My dad is usually ok on my list of communications between my parents. Today I really hate him though. Enough to spite him. “It’s ok. I’ll go today. You have everything all set for me in the UK, I’m assuming, right? Just send me your address in Paris and I’ll visit you when I can. “

“Well, ok. I guess we depart here then Gwen.” My mom moved to give me a long hug. “You have your laptop, right? Rodney’s promised to set you up in your new residence with a family in London—apparently it’s his sister, right, Rodney?”

He nodded obediently. I wanted to throttle him.

“So, once you get there, just send us an email. We’ll look into getting you a bank account and sending you spending money.”

Stiffly I hugged my father and my mother. They really do have everything figured out. Sometimes when that happens, I just feel like they want me out of their lives. I followed Rodney.

“I’ll see you later then. I love you mom. Dad.”

“Congrats on being so cold-hearted, mate.” Rodney commented.

After I left my parents with that generic farewell Rodney and I got into a cab and headed into the city. Hooray for my parents. They managed to acquaint me with a psycho who carries around guns that disappear into thin air. And they managed to have said psycho baby-sit me and deposit me into a foreign country with their explicit permission. Congrats indeed.

With each minute I was sinking steadily into a miasma of gloom. Rodney really isn’t all that talkative, now that I think about it. We sat in the cab not speaking. I fell asleep soon after in a dreadfully tired state. The last thing I remember before sinking into oblivion was Rodney’s laugh. I remember thinking that it was a creepy laugh.

“…be careful…”

I was back in that dreamworld with the tall, luscious green grass and delightful sun. I definitely was wearing a skirt. I began to walk through the grass.

Something hissed ahead of me.

I began to turn around and walk back from where I came.

Then I saw that dragon. It was dark ebony and its scales glittered like fire underneath the sun. The cheerful landscape suddenly seemed a lot more sinister. The dragon started to sidle towards me and I remained rooted to that spot, my eyes transfixed with the colour reverberating off its scales.

It stopped a few metres in front of me and laid down again as though it were content to be near me. I found myself looking down at my feet again and this time I found a black bag at my feet. I bent down to open it…

…and something pushed me.

“…this time Rod? Don’t tell me she’s a date rape experiment of yours.”

I could hear a sweet female voice talking somewhere. It was a little distant, but she was nearby. Where am I? The last thing I remember is falling asleep in a cab in Paris.

And Rodney was in the cab with me…

…with that black bag of his that I somehow ended up with.

I forced my eyes open and tried to sit up.

“Oi. Don’t panic honey. I’m Eveline, Rodney’s lovely sister. Your parents called earlier and informed me about you. So you’ll be staying with me for the year. Don’t strain yourself darling.”

She was a petite girl with very dark curls. Like her brother she was quite pale and her eyes were the same shade of lovely green as Rodney’s. She looked to be a few years older than Rodney was—probably somewhere in the middle twenties. She looked sweet.

I turned towards Rodney in the background. “How’d I get here? Where are we, London?”

He chuckled. “I dragged your unconscious body across the platform onto the Chunnel. From there I stuffed you into my car and drove you here. Now I’m going to murder you like Jack the Ripper.”

My expression must have been a horrified one because Eveline began to comfort me. “He’s just kidding. But you were assisted onto the rail and driven here.”

Regretting the day that my parents ever decided to relocate to Europe, I looked around the room. It was a subdued room, the walls were white and the duvet was dark blue. The floors were hardwood and there was a window with a tree branch directly outside it. The ceilings were quite high and on the white walls hung abstract paintings. Welcome to London, I thought to myself.

“Well, now that Gwen is all settled here I’ll be taking my leave.” Rodney turned to leave. “By the way Gwen, if you ever need to contact me, you know where to get that number. Stay away from strangers!”

“You better leave my car alone Rod or else I’ll flambé you. You shouldn’t even be driving without a licence.” Eveline called after him right before a door slammed shut.

I watched as she turned towards me, shaking her head. “I pity you, having to travel with him from Boston. Well, I’m Eveline. You’re going to meet my husband later when he comes back from work. My daughter’s sleeping right now, or I’d have introduced you to her.”

I don’t know what customs I should follow when I’m staying in a complete stranger’s house. Do I hug her and say thank you? Or do I shake her hand?

“Nice to meet you Eveline, I’m Gwendolyn Nguyen. Yeah, my last name is a little hard to pronounce. I’m not really sure what I should say right now Eveline. It’s not everyday that my parents ship me off to live somewhere else.”

“I understand. It’s ok. You’ll be comfortable soon enough. Since you’re living with me from now on, I’m going to consider you as a niece! I’ve always wanted a niece. Anyways, if you feel uncomfortable about anything, let me know.”

She got up to leave the room as I watched, lying back down on my side. When she got to the door she stopped.“By the way, welcome to London Gwen.”

I sighed. I’m never going to get used to London. Hopefully Eveline’s not going to be a scary psycho like her brother. I waited a few minutes, staring up at the bland ceiling. Softly I could hear Eveline cooing to her baby somewhere in the building and there was faint rock playing somewhere. I decided to get up and find Eveline to do a few chores.

First thing I did when I climbed out of bed: I tripped flat out on my face.

Looking for the suspect, I found that it was that black bag again. This time I viciously ripped it open and dumped everything out. The pamphlets fell out but the composition notebook and gloves disappeared. I looked inside the bag but nothing was left. Angrily I tried to throw the bag across the room but strangely enough it was still heavy.

I looked inside the bag again for a closer inspection. Nothing suspicious…

Then I noticed a little thread pulling up from the side. I pulled it. Out came the bottom of the bag. Except beneath that false bottom were the two guns and syringes I had spotted before. And there was a slip of paper on top. With me being the curious creature that I am, I opened it up and read it.

It read: Chinatown is a breeding ground for creatures of the night. Stay away from strangers if you want to survive. These little trinkets will help you if you’re looking for a way to earn some money. Contact me. You’re special. Read that book.

“What the hell?” I whispered, confused.

Rodney seems to be getting more complex each time I think about him. I threw everything into the bag again and zipped up the bag, hiding it underneath my bed.