Lost in Paris Read Free

long lighter, careful not to burn the paper. I walked to the rope line that held people back from the edge of the cliff, and just like Henri had pantomimed, I pushed my lantern out toward the stars, letting it catch in the breeze. I watched it glide into the sky, which was blacker, with brighter stars, than in Pennsylvania. And I made a wish.
    All the tourists in group C and hundreds of others threw their lanterns into the sky too. It was cool how the wind got under the lantern’s paper edges and lifted it, as if the flame was hanging by a parachute. It looked like a swarm of slow-moving fireflies gliding in the blackness until the twinkle of the lanterns blended into the sparkle of the stars.
    Henri stood next to me. “Did you wish?”
    â€œYup. And I’m very good at keeping secrets,” I said.
    â€œI will tell you mine. I cannot hold a secret.”
    I said, “No. Don’t. Then it won’t come true.”
    â€œIt still might,” Henri said. “No one knows.”
    â€œI’m still not telling you mine.”
    â€œD’accord,” he said. “My wish was—”
    I put my hand over his mouth. I don’t think I’d ever actually touched a boy’s lips, besides JTC’s (that’s my abbreviation for Josh, Topher, and Charlie). And when I covered their mouths with my hand, they would lick it. So gross. I moved my hand away before Henri could consider doing the same. “Don’t tell me,” I said.
    He slouched like he’d given up.
    I didn’t know how long wishes usually took to come true, but these lantern ones seemed to take effect fast, because I was already having an awesome time in France with Henri.
    Just then he blurted out, “I wish Les Bleus win the World Cup!” And he ran away.
    Leave it to a boy to waste a wish on soccer!
    I chased him and caught him easily.
    â€œ Mon Dieu , you are very fast for a girl.”
    I smacked him in the arm. He rubbed it. Maybe I’d run a little too fast and smacked him a little too hard. Icould hit JTC as hard as I wanted, but I had to be more careful with other boys. “Now they’re going to lose and it’s going to be all your fault.”
    â€œThey cannot lose.” He rubbed his arm. “They are formidable !”
    My phone vibrated in my pocket. This only happened when I got an important update in my Twister social media account. I looked at the notice flashing on my screen. It was from Shock Value. It said, Concert: Shock Value has added one additional spot to their tour. PARIS. One night only.
    â€œShock Value is coming to Paris!” I practically yelled in Henri’s face.
    My phone vibrated again. Another Twist from Shock Value. It said, Paris concert SOLD OUT.
    â€œHoly cow! It’s already sold out,” I said.
    â€œA cow?” Henri asked.
    â€œSorry. It’s just an expression in English. Kinda like ‘oh my gosh!’”
    The phone vibrated for a third time. What now? It said, Shock Value ticket contest! Follow the hunt around Paris and win tickets to the special one-night engagement in Paris.
    â€œCheck this out.” I showed Henri.
    â€œCow!” he yelled.
    I looked at my watch. We’d only been here for fifteenminutes, but we had to get on this contest, like, double pronto.
    â€œWe’ve got to get Beef to get this train moving.”
    â€œTrain?”
    â€œBus. Small van, actually,” I clarified. “We’ve gotta start looking for those tickets!”
    Henri waved me ahead. “Ladies first.”
    Yeah, my wish had already started.
    Beef leaned against the van, going with the paper clip again. “Hi there,” I said. “Bonjour,” I added. “I kinda have to get back to the hotel, like now.”
    â€œWhat’s the rush?”
    â€œYou see, there’s this band; I really like them. They’re called Shock Value.”
    â€œWho doesn’t love Shock Value?” she