1 Not a dream

Chapter 1

Ring!! Ring!!!

"Hello."

"Bonjour. Is this Miss Lisa Hart?" She asked, the French assent is prominent.

"This is she. How may I help you?"

"You have been selected for the internship program in the restaurant de la Paris." She says.

"Oh my GOD!!! Really!?" I shriek.

"Oui. You are also required to be at the present next week Monday at 10am Parisian time or we will assume you did not want the spot. As per requirement, you were meant to request for a visa during the registration. So, if you leave tomorrow, someone would be waiting for you and the rest of the interns at the airport when you arrive. Your flight ticket has been sent by email."

"Thank you so much!! Seriously thank you this is a dream come true!!!" I say in glee. I had applied for a visa prior just to be ready and it was granted months ago.

"De rien Miss Hart. I wish you safe travels."

Beep Beep.

This cannot be true.

Am I dreaming?

Maybe I should pinch myself.

"Ouch." I hiss.

"So I'm not dreaming. I'M NOT DREAMING!!!"

"MOM MOM!!" I scream her name as I rushed down stairs.

"Honey what is it. Are you hurt? Did something happen?" Concern etched on her face.

I shook my head vigorously.

All the running left me breathless.

"Breath Lisa. And then tell me what it is." I breath in and out.

"Okay okay. You know that internship program I applied for at the beginning of the year?" she nods and gesture for me to continue. "Well they just called and-d-d, I'VE BEEN ACCEPTED!!!"

"Oh my sweetie, that's such great news. I'm proud of you." She says lovingly.

"I have to leave next week–which is in three days, 'cause my flight has been booked." I looked at her with a sad expression. I don't get to spend time with her before I go.

She did the unexpected and hit me in the head with her wooden spoon.

"Ow Mom!! Why'd you do that!?"

"Because you are being silly. How is leaving in three days a bad thing?"

"Because I don't get to properly bond with you before I go."

"Ow!!! Mom!!" She hit me with the spoon again.

"Mijita, you've been leaving with me all you life now. I think we've bonded enough. I want you to go out and see the world and stop worrying about your Mom. Now go pack before I hit you with the spoon again." She smiles at me and I smile back.

"Yeah I don't want to get a concussion before my trip."

"I'm wondering how you got in. You don't know French." She says, turning back to her cooking.

"I know the basics?"

"Like?"

"Like, Bonjour, Excusez-moi, Merci and-" I trail off trying to rack my head of all the French I've been supposedly learning.

I got nothing.

"Mi querida, you're hopeless. I'm pretty sure everyone knows these 'basics' you just mentioned."

"Mamá!!" I groan.

"At least I taught you Spanish well. To a good length. I'm a proud Hispanic mother." She says with a wink and I laugh.

"Yeah you did well." I say before leaving to pack.

For those of you who don't know me, let me introduce myself.

My name is Lisa Camilla Hart. I am a twenty year old half Spanish, half English girl and head I know, it's quite the combination and to top it off I'm going to France. My life is full of diversity. My parents are divorced 'cause it just was not working out for them. They are on good terms though but during the process, my Mom got custody of me and then she moved to the U.S. while my dad's stayed back in Manchester and got married to my step mom Elaine. She's the nicest step mom ever. She has this relationship with my Mom, I think there best friends now. And I have a cute stepbrother. He's name is Jake and he's not so little anymore. He's fifteen now.

I love cooking. I love it so much. My mom loves cooking also and she taught me most of the things I know-mostly Spanish cuisines. Elaine taught me English cuisines, but I suck. It took a lot of practice and a lot of YouTube videos to get where I am now. My Mom thinks it's a blessing and a curse that I love cooking and want to open a restaurant someday, but I'm and absolute disaster in the kitchen. ironic right. I literally need adult supervision, which is weird cause I am an adult. This is the reason I applied for the internship program in France. I want to expand my knowledge, this way, I'd be able own my own restaurant in the near future and serve the different dishes that I've learnt. I'm not ready to let go of my dreams. I want to prove to others that you being bad at something doesn't mean you can't have the passion for it. This is me willing to learn and be less of a disaster in the kitchen.

And also I want to go to France, Paris specifically. I heard it is so beautiful and Eiffel tower lights up at night. I so excited for the trip, the new people I would meet,

and maybe,

just maybe,

I would,

Learn how to speak French.

What? you thought I was going to say find love. Ha! Right! Find love!

The fact that I got accepted is unbelievable. Well I know for a fact that I won't fall asleep tonight. My body's just too excited.

"Camila?"

"Ma!!"

"Dinner's ready. Come down."

Yay food.