Chapter 4
During the flight, I took my notebook out from my plaid knapsack and started to write in it. It was the same notebook I had earned from winning the regional Spelling Bee. This was the notebook I wrote down all my feelings in. This was so private; I couldn’t even let Charlotte see it! And this was what I wrote:
Dear myself,
I will share my feelings with me and only me. So far, I have lived in an orphanage, met Ms. Odette, and made new friends. My new best friend is Charlotte. Sadly, Ms. Odette has been kidnapped and that is the only reason I am on this plane to Hollywood. Yes, it is THE Hollywood in Los Angeles, where all the famous movie stars live. Now you might be wondering how I got this ticket to L.A., but remember the time when Charlotte and I went to Mr. Olivier’s store? I saw a sign that said, “ Buy Any Three Items and Get a Plane Ticket to Hollywood for FREE!” At first I thought it was too good to be true, but then, at the airport, Mr. Olivier gave me my plane ticket! Well, that’s all for right now, and I hope you don’t mind being squished in my knapsack, because someone closely resembling Charlotte is walking down the aisle.
Love,
Marie

Hold on a moment there. Charlotte? CHARLOTTE?? What was she doing here? I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I tried to do self-consolation, where I thought; Charlotte is an average-looking French girl. She has normal brown hair and normal brown eyes. Therefore, she could easily be one of the flight attenda-suddenly, my thoughts were interrupted. “Hey Marie,” she said. How did she know my name? Maybe she just read the passenger list, I thought. But she said it in an aristocratic way, just like Charlotte would always say to me. But lots of flight attendants are aristocrats! I tried to hide my face. “Knock, knock,” she said. “You there? Or are you just zoning off? I know you can’t resist a little tickle…” her voice danced playfully.
Finally, I admitted my existence. I said, “Hi,” like a pathetic loser to her. “Why are you here?” I asked.
“No, the better question is why are YOU here?” she pointed out.
“You can sit down, if you want, pointing at the spare seat next to me.” I tried to change the subject. She agreed, and ordered us each a Gateau Napoleon. We ate in silence, and we kept on ordering food until
our bellies jiggled, chock-ful of French pastries. Then, realizing I hadn’t answered her question, I told her what she wanted to know, and a little more to make up for the lost time.
She replied, “You know, there is not much a girl can do in America to find a kidnapped orphanage owner. And even including the one hundred American dollars you found, that still won’t be enough to help you learn English and still have a place to stay while looking for Ms. Odette.
“Good point,” I managed to mumble. Then, I realized a moneymaking opportunity! Alfred had once told us a joke that someone traded a paperclip for a pen, which he traded for a pencil box, which he traded for a broken small kitchen appliance, which he fixed up and sold for fifty dollars, with which he bought a mini television, which he traded for a signed baseball from Barry Bonds, which he sold for a car!
“Zoning off again?” she asked playfully, tickling my nose with Acorn’s fluffy tail.
“I feel really tired,” I grumbled to no one in particular.
I was just about to doze off when the pilot said, “Almost landing! All passengers must put on their seatbelts. Flight attendants, instruct passengers on putting their heads down while landing.”
“Uh,” I murmured, tightening the seatbelt. “I thought it was bedtime. But look out the window! Bright and sunny! Nice weather! No clouds!
Thanks for listening to Weather Daily.” I giggled at my own joke.
“Psst, your head is supposed to be between your knees!” Charlotte reminded me.
“Oh.”
“My ears hurt.”
“So do mine.”
“I think you’re supposed to eat something during the landing.”
“No. That’ll just make you airsick and throw up all over the place…”
“Speaking of throwing up here goes…” Charlotte threw up in the barf bag.
“Eww. You just purged.” She burped, and used the edge of my dress to wipe her mouth. “Double eww! Did you know that you just used the edge of MY dress to wipe the remains of the barf?”
“Oops. Sorry.”
“Actually, you’re supposed to open your mouth when your ears start hurting and-“ blah, blah, blah, blah, and blah. It was just like in one of those Peanuts cartoons where you never hear what the teacher says. Instead, all the teacher says is “Wah, wah, wah, wah.” I was so tangled up in my thoughts that I didn’t notice all the other passengers were filing off the plane with their carry-on stuff. Wow, I made it through fifteen hours on the plane!
“Let’s go!” Charlotte ordered. She pushed the pressure point on my back. It was then that I realized everybody else was getting off the plane. I took my knapsack and Charlotte took hers. I guess you could say that we looked funny, two girls with a dog nipping at their heels. So there we were, walking as confidently as the FBI in Los Angeles on a mission to find a kidnapper and the victim.