Peculiar Girl. Part 2

So, after that train adventure, I got to my cousin’s place in Chicago, right? And guess what? My aunt decided it was the perfect moment to remind me I’m “still just a kid”. She said, “Steph, honey, you can’t just wander off on your own here. It’s a big city!”. I mean, I get it — she’s worried. But also… I’ve literally been to three countries this year. I think I can handle the L.

Anyway, the next day, my cousin Lily and I were supposed to go to the Art Institute. Auntie made us promise to stick together and text every hour. Classic. So we’re there, checking out these super old paintings, and I’m totally zoned in on this Van Gogh — the way he uses colour is like… it’s not just art, it’s a mood, you know? — when Lily nudges me and whispers, “Look at that guy by the Monet. He’s been following us for, like, two rooms”.

I glance over. Dude in a beige trench coat, holding a brochure upside;down. Super suspicious. But here’s the thing: instead of freaking out, I get… curious. Because why would someone follow two 11;year;olds? Is he a spy? A lost tourist? A museum security test?

So I say to Lily, all casual, “Wanna find out?”. She goes pale. “Steph, no!”. But I’m already strolling over, Lily trailing behind like a nervous shadow.

“Excuse me”, I say, smiling my most polite smile. “Are you lost? Because that brochure’s upside;down, and also… you’ve been walking the same path as us since the Impressionist wing”.

*

Lily and I burst out laughing. The guy — his name’s Mark — ends up showing us around for an hour. He even knows all the best spots for photos. On the way out, he winks and says, “Next time, I’ll leave you two off the list. No need to stalk geniuses”.

Later, Lily’s all, “That was so weird!” and I’m like, “No, it was interesting”. Because see, that’s the thing about travelling and talking to strangers: most of the time, the scariest stories turn out to be the coolest ones. And also? Auntie never has to know we technically “wandered off”. That’s what cousins are for — backup and plausible deniability.

P.S. Mark sent us the photo he took — the one where we’re both staring at the Van Gogh with our mouths open. It’s going in the portfolio. Next stop: New York? Who knows. The road’s calling.


Stephaniia
https://t.me/stefanias_world

MY RHYTHM
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*Oh my gosh, you guys, this is so annoying! One whole paragraph is gone from the text. I swear I’ve been trying forever to put it back, but this website keeps making it vanish. The part that’s missing? It said the guy who was kinda “spying” on us — not really, though! — was actually planning a whole riddle adventure for his niece. Isn’t that neat?