Chapter 17: Adventures with Chloe

The next day, I happily went to the academy.

I arrived early, but she was even earlier.

I asked her, "Why are you so early?"

She said, "Of course, because it’s far. Or do you think it’s because I like studying?"

Sounded reasonable.

After a while, the tutor still hadn’t come. She leaned over and asked, "Are you familiar with the White House?"

I nodded, after all, I’d lived here so long.

She said impatiently, "Why do you look so clueless?"

Me: ...Why the personal attack?

She said again, "Forget it, do you know any fun places?"

I thought nowhere in the White House was fun.

Before I could answer, she said, "Never mind, you probably think nowhere is fun."

I looked at her approvingly.

She said, "My mom said the Rose Garden is beautiful, is it far? Take me there."

She really was the chattiest girl I’d ever met. She pushed me to speak.

I said, "It’s not far, but we have class."

Her eyes turned and she said, "It’s fine, I have a way."

Then she went back to her desk and started writing.

Curious, I looked over and saw she wrote: Teacher, Natalie Thompson has a stomachache, I’m taking her to the nurse, already informed her family.

Me: ...

I said, "Why not say you’re sick?"

She glanced at me perfunctorily, "Next time, next time."

Then I watched her neatly place the note on the teacher’s desk.

She asked me which was the side door.

I pointed it out, and she skillfully led me out through the side door.

I took her to the Rose Garden and said, "See, there’s nothing fun here."

She dragged me into a secluded grove, saying as she walked, "That’s because you don’t know how to play."

Later, we saw a bird’s nest in a tree. She said there must be eggs in it.

She asked if I could climb trees. I said I couldn’t. She said she couldn’t either, but she’d seen others do it.

She thought she could, and then she really climbed up in a very awkward posture.

The tree was very dense. She was on a branch. I asked if there were eggs.

She said no, but there was another nest higher up.

I got a bit scared and told her not to climb higher, but she wouldn’t listen and insisted on seeing that nest.

Then she really saw it. I asked if there were eggs.

She said yes, and happily took out the eggs to show me.

Then she really couldn’t get down. She hugged the trunk and cried, and I got anxious below.

Chloe’s sneakers scraped the bark, and I could hear her breath coming in sharp little gasps as she reached for the next branch. So she cried above, I cried below, and it was almost dark and she still hadn’t come down.

Chloe got tired of crying and started complaining about me, "Stop crying, why don’t you go get someone to help me?"

Getting help would alert the former First Lady. Thinking of her, I told Chloe, "Why don’t you jump down and I’ll catch you?"

Chloe said, "Do you really mean that?"

I really couldn’t think of anyone to help.

So I ran to find Jacob. When he saw my red, tearful eyes, he left his desk and came over to ask what was wrong.

I dragged him to the grove. By the time we got there, it was completely dark.

Chloe saw me and cried even harder, "I thought you weren’t coming, you took so long."

You have no idea how big this place is.

Jacob asked what was going on. I said, help her down first.

Jacob waved his hand and a Secret Service agent climbed up the tree and brought Chloe down.

Just as I was about to explain, another agent said, "Mr. President, the former First Lady is coming."

I weakly asked, "Can you not let her know?"

Chloe was still sniffling. Jacob told her to be quiet, then ordered, "Escort Miss Han safely back to the Han residence."

Then he led me and ran straight into the former First Lady.

I was probably going to be scolded again.

She asked, "What happened?"

Jacob quickly answered, "Natalie said there was a flower over there she hadn’t seen before, and called me over to look."

The former First Lady looked at us, sighed, and said, "Don’t wander around so late, you escort Natalie back."

Then she left.

I breathed a sigh of relief. On the way back, Jacob asked, "Are you that afraid of my mom?"

Me: "Not really, just afraid of being punished to copy books."

Jacob smiled, "Me too."

I told Jacob we got stuck up there because we were collecting bird eggs. Jacob called me an idiot again.

I told Jacob that collecting bird eggs was fun. He called me childish.

When we got to my room door, Jacob asked, "Why did you cry just now?"

I couldn’t answer. I asked Jacob, "Will Chloe come tomorrow?"

Jacob patted my head and said she would.

If Jacob says so, it’s true. He never lies to me.