Winicker and the American Boy

Winicker and the American Boy — page 3 — One I AM AN AMERICAN Today Today is the first day of spring Springtime in Paris is the best time in Paris My Grandma Balthazar says it’s the best because the cherry trees are covered in fluffy pink blossoms Mom says it’s the best because of all the new spring clothes She runs the Paris office of a fashion website In the winter Mom’s website sells boring black boots and long coats In spring it sells pale pink shoes and yellow dresses Dad says it’s the best because he can spend hours writing his book on an open terrace with a cup of espresso Which I guess is different from spending hours writing his book in the kitchen with a cup of espresso

Winicker and the American Boy — page 4 — I think it’s the best because my teacher said she has an exciting surprise for us on the first day of spring That’s today by the way What do you think it is I ask my FBFANDN French best friend and next door neighbor Mirabel Plouffe We are walking to school together Mirabel Plouffe sniffs the air To me it smells like hyacinths That is my very favorite flower and No Mirabel Plouffe I say I don’t mean the smell I mean the surprise What do you think Mademoiselle Bennett’s surprise is Mm says Mirabel Plouffe She stops walking for a second and blinks at the sun Maybe it is a very interesting assignment Maybe it will be a research project and we will visit one of the historic bibliothèques in Paris NO Mirabel Plouffe I say Mademoiselle Bennett said she has a surprise for us She

Winicker and the American Boy — page 5 — didn’t say she has a punishment or a homework assignment for us Mirabel Plouffe frowns a little She loves homework assignments Maybe it’s a class pet I say Like a hamster Mirabel Plouffe is still frowning I hope it is not a hamster I do not like rodents I like cats Or birds I love des oiseaux I will take you to Marché aux Oiseaux one day the Sunday Bird Market It is remarkable to see Mirabel Plouffe likes things like watching the news and playing the clarinet and going to bird markets I don’t like any of those things but I do like Mirabel Plouffe Maybe the surprise is a pizza party I say We used to have those at my old school in Three Rivers Mrs Autumn-Robert would order us a pizza and pass around napkins Everybody got pizza grease on their jeans by the end of the party

Winicker and the American Boy — page 6 — Mirabel Plouffe looks down at her uniform skirt Maybe it will be something less messy she says Maybe We walk the rest of the way to school along a row of bright green trees It isn’t cold but the breeze makes my face and hands chilly I pull the sleeves of my uniform sweater down over my hands I smell the air Mirabel Plouffe is right It smells like hyacinths Or some kind of flower anyway I don’t know I’m not a flower expert When we get to room 3A my desk cluster looks different Our desks are in groups of four Usually there are three other people at my cluster My FBFANDN Mirabel Plouffe our friend Amal Aziz and our not friend Maizy Durand Maizy Durand makes fun of my silver hair which is silver because of an incident with Grandma Balthazar’s hair dye She also makes fun of my name She makes fun of Mirabel

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