The girl doesn't say anything, skulks in her bedroom. I have to force her out.
My teen took her shopping to Topshop on Saturday. She sat looking miserable.
"It's too expensive" she eventually pouted
"So let's go to Primark" says my teen helpfully. But she didn't want to go.
There was a party in Harlesden Saturday night. I was worried. Harlesden is murder mile. Another mum dropped them off and picked them up. I was doing the Underground Restaurant so this was really helpful. Although my teen was annoyed that they were picked up at a quarter to midnight.
"The party went on till two am" she complained "only losers leave before midnight".
Personally I think that midnight is fine for just 15. At the party the French exchange student sat in a corner the whole time.
My friend 'Kurt Cubain' came over Sunday. Blonde, dreadlocked, he's just back from six months in India. He was lighting up joints and strumming the guitar. God knows what the French exchange student thought. When he left I tried to bring her out of herself.
"He's just back from India!" I announced cheerily
She nods.
"Would you like to travel?"
More nodding.
"Are you going to stay in Epinal?"
She shakes her head vigorously. A bit of animation there.
"Where would you like to go? "
A word, muffled "London?"
"Would you like to go to India?"
Enthusiastic nodding. That's the longest conversation I have managed with her.
(I think her mind is a little blown by us, London, the UK. It certainly has not been comfortable. But possibly she'll go home with her horizons broadened. This is real education, which is not always comfortable.)
Our lot are exchanging with the year above from Epinal. Have to. The Epinal kids are so unsophisticated.
We must speak English to her. But it's hard to estimate how much she understands. Because she won't ask.
The school seem to have a policy of mismatching the kids. Therefore the 'year slut' from the French school was paired with the 'year geek' from the Lycée. This was such a disaster in France that the 'year slut' refused to stay with him on the London leg, and went to stay with our 'year slut'.
The French 'year slut' brought over £350 and spent every penny. At least she has a lust for life.
I guess my teen is the year outcast and they've matched her with the French year 'straight'.
