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"Veronica texted that she’s running late," Melanie says "She says to meet her by the WHSmith Whatever that is"

"It’s a bookstore," Wille across the interior of the station

The inside of the station is pretty and redbricked, but I’rand stations with the clattering destination boards I was hoping for Instead, there’s just a TV departure o over to look at it The destinations are nowhere that exotic: places like High Wycoht be very nice for all I know It’s silly, really I’ve just finished up a tour of big European cities--Roh, and now I’ the days until ent home I don’t knohy now all of a sudden I should be struck anderlust

"What’s wrong?" Melanie asksdeparture boards, like they had at some of the airports"

"Amsterdam’s Centraal Station has one of those," Willeine I can pick any place and go"

"Right? Exactly!"

"What’s theat the TV monitors "Don’t like the idea of Bicester North?"

"It’s not quite as exciting as Paris," I say

"Oh, co about that?" Melanie turns to Willeo to Paris after Rome, but the air traffic controllers went on strike and all the flights got canceled, and it was too far to go on the bus She’s still bummed out about it"

"They’re always on strike for so his head

"They subbed Budapest in for Paris," I say "And I liked Budapest, but I can’t believe I’"

Willem looks at er "So go," he says

"Go where?"

"To Paris"

"I can’t It got canceled"

"So go now"

"The tour’s over And anyhow, they’re probably still striking"

"You can go by train It takes two hours fro clock on the wall "You could be in Paris by lunchtime Much better sandwiches over there, by the way"

"But, but, I don’t speak French I don’t have a guidebook I don’t even have any Frenchall these reasons as if these are why I can’t go, when in truth, Wille I hop a rocket to the s like this But I don’t

He’s still looking at htly to the side

"It wouldn’t work," I conclude "I don’t know Paris at all"

Willelances at the clock on the wall And then, after a beat, he turns tothe s, but my ever-rational mind continues to click off all the reasons this won’t work "I don’t know if I have enoughto count h the weekend, a credit card for eave encies if the credit card wouldn’t work But this is hardly an e the card would alert my parents

Willen currencies "Don’t worry about that It was a good summer"

I stare at the bills in his hand Would he really do that? Take me to Paris? Why would he do that?

"We have tickets for Let It Be to the Voice of Reason "And we’re leaving on Sunday And your mom would freak out Seriously, she’d kill you"

I look at Willes, like he cannot deny the truth to this

And I’m about to back down, say thanks for the offer, but then it’s like Lulu grabs the wheel, because I turn to Melanie and say, "She can’t kill me if she doesn’t find out"

Melanie’s scoffs "Your mom? She’d find out"

"Not if you covered for