Cat Nap

[Slam]

((Opening post of Alice Boucher))

Maybe I should just have all my food air dropped in whilst I'm here.

Not moments ago, Alice had been wondering around the local supermarket, eyeing the various products for sale with a look of disdain. They weren't nearly as appealing as any of the markets back home in France, but then she knew that this wasn't strictly something wrong with America: most countries paled in comparison to French cuisine.

That didn't mean she couldn't hate the food on offer here, though.

Whilst the ingredients were no different than what was on offer back in France - they were only ingredients, after all - the pre-cooked meals on offer made her uncomfortable. True, she knew that they had pre-cooked food back home, but the amount of obese customers lazily chucking them into their trolleys made her wince.

The quicker she got out of there, the better.

Paying at the counter, Alice looked around at the other customers. She had been in the country for just over two months now, and she still wasn't much further in her parents dreams of tolerance. To be fair, she had stopped spitting on the idea the moment they had come up in conversation, but she was hardly walking up to them and greeting them; she wasn't unhappy with that predicament, either.

If I can endure for a while longer, I'll be fine...

The sooner her parents could understand she just wanted to go back home and finish her schooling there, the sooner she could be out of the country and back on track.

Oh sure, her choice of university was a pretty sweet deal, but as if they wouldn't already let her do that! Money was hardly an issue, and with her cooking skills she doubted she'd have any trouble making the entry requirements!

Curse her obedient nature! Why did her parents have to raise her so well?!

As she exited the store, she stopped briefly to get her iPod; putting on Alizée, she plugged in the earphones before picking up her shopping bags: whilst she would have to walk through the crowds for at least twenty minutes before she'd get back home, she most certainly didn't have to listen to them.

But boy, was she tired.

Because of the difference in time zone, Alice always had to wake up early if she wanted to talk to her friends back in Nantes, and was usually asleep later than her uncle wanted her for similar reasons. She had been particularly bad last night, staying up till two am before finally turning off her laptop.

Covering her mouth as she yawned widely, Alice looked around for somewhere to stop and catch her breath. Spotting an open bench not but a few feet away, Alice made her way over and sat down, habitually bringing her feet up onto the seating as well.

"Just a few minutes, and I will go home."

There was no harm in taking a quick pause to catch her breath; if people needed a seat then they could just look elsewhere! Besides, it would be rude to sit down next to a complete stranger anyway, no matter how much weight they felt was being put on their calves.

As she left her bags down in front of her, she brought her hand up to support her head, her elbow resting on the bench next to her. Looking around at the customers strolling through the mall, her eyes grew heavier as she looked around. Watching them stroll about their daily lives, she smirked at the thought of them as her eyes slowly drifted shut, inadvertently sending her into a calm, refreshing cat nap.

[Slam]

"Gah!"

She hadn't noticed herself dozing off, but Alice was startled out of her nap when her phone started ringing; a quick look at the screen revealed it to be her uncle.

"Alice? Where are you? You were supposed to be back twenty minutes ago!"

Looking at her phone's clock, she realised that she had been asleep for at least twenty minutes! Falling asleep in public: how embarrassing!

"I'm sorry uncle; I think I fell asleep on the way home."

He nagged her briefly after that about her late nights, which she dismissively rolled her eyes at despite her uncle's best wishes, and then urged her to get going home.

Assuring him she'd be home soon, Alice wiped her arm across her eyes as she took a large yawn in. She began to turn and leave, when a woman's voice called out to her. Alice sharpened her eyes as she turned around, prepared for any mocking or insults for her blunder of falling asleep in public, but instead was offered a friendly gesture:

"Excuse me! You forgot your bags!"

Spying her shopping lying by the bench where she had been napping not moments ago, Alice could see the truth in her words. Nodding curtly at the lady, Alice quickly hurried and gathered her bags. Almost about to leave without a word of thanks, Alice clenched her teeth in irritation as her upbringing kicked in:

"Thank you, madam; it would have been very bad to forget that."

Nodding curtly, Alice turned to leave once again with her shopping in tow; out of earshot of the friendly stranger, Alice scoffed.

((Continued in Lonely Soup.))