Lost in Paris Read Free Page A

asked. “I love that one they call Clay. Too bad he quit. Anyway, they’re still great.” She looked at her watch. “But we’re on a schedule, and this bus don’t move until it’s time.”
    â€œRight. I totes agree with you on Clay, and schedules. I love to be on schedule,” I said. “But the band, Shock Value, they’re having this contest for tickets to a one-night concert they just added right here in Paris. And—”
    Beef dropped her paper clip, jumped into the bus, and started honking the horn. She took her phone out and brushed her finger across the screen, scanningpages. She honked again and again. Then she stood on the ground next to the hotel bus with a megaphone. “Let’s go, people! We’re cutting this excursion short because musical history is being made. Shock Value has just announced a new concert and I wanna get tickets. Let’s go.”
    Everyone hustled to the bus as directed. I grabbed Henri’s shirt and tugged him to run faster.
    We sat near Mom and Brigitte and waited for the last few people to get on the bus. “Let’s go, Wheels,” Beef called to a man in a wheelchair, who was taking longer than everyone else. He was hardly secured when she threw the bus into drive and skidded through the gravel parking area.
    Now she wore a headset thing that dangled a microphone in front of her mouth. “For those of you less adept at social media than moi , I’ll fill you in on the four-one-one Twisted from Twister.com.” She aggressively navigated around other cars pulling out of the lot. I had to hold tight to the seat in front of me so that I didn’t fly into the aisle. “Shock Value has announced a one-night concert in Paris and a contest for tickets.”
    â€œThey haven’t been quite the same since Clay Bright left,” Brigitte said.
    â€œWho’s that?” Mom asked.
    Brigitte explained, “Clay was their guitarist and he wrote their music. One day he quit—”
    I interrupted. “He didn’t just quit. He disappeared. Like, totally off the grid. Even his bandmates, who were also his best friends, claim they’ve never heard from him.”
    Brigitte nodded and continued, “The band didn’t replace him. They’re still the most awesome band around. It’s impossible to get tickets.”
    â€œWho’s talking?” Beef barked. “Listen up, people, or you’ll miss the critical deets. The show sold out in four minutes, a new record. But front-row tickets and backstage passes are being given away to three lucky people who follow a trail of clues that the band has left around Paris. If you haven’t noticed, I know pretty much everything about Paris, so those babies are as good as mine.”
    â€œMom, we absolutely have got to get tickets,” I said. “I’m in Paris; they’re in Paris. It’s like it was meant to be.” I didn’t wait for a response.
    â€œWhere’s the first clue?” I called to Beef.
    â€œSeems like someone wasn’t paying attention to the instructions before we left the hotel,” she snapped. “The world would be total chaos if people just called out anytime they wanted.”
    I raised my hand, but she didn’t call on me.
    â€œThe first clue will be released at nine tomorrowmorning. For those of us participating in this treasure hunt, we have to prepare before getting a solid eight hours of shut-eye,” Beef said. “I know you all want to be on my team. But, there are only three tickets, and since we don’t have time for a formal application process, I’ll pick.”
    Beef was scary and mean and picked her teeth with a paper clip, but she was a tour guide. Who would know more about Paris? Please pick me!
    She looked at the man in the wheelchair. “Wheels, there’s something I like about you. You’re with me, but we’re gonna have to add a little