Page 10 of The Other Side of Together

He shrugs off his suit coat, throws it over the back of the chair, and sits. My nerves spark under my skin becauseMarcus strolls through my head in his soccer shorts while I stare at his dad.

“I’m sure you’re aware there’ve been multiple women who’ve vanished from this neighborhood in the last year or so.” He leans forward and rubs his chin, scruff rustling against his palm. “We’re busting our tails to find them.”

My body relaxes and I sit back in the chair, nodding. “Is there some way I can help?”

“Actually, yes.” Detective Miller leans his forearms on the table’s edge and the seams of his shirt strain while he studies the paper in his hand. He shifts in his chair and looks from it to me. Green eyes, not blue. “Su Ling was reported missing this morning.”

My heart drops and I lean forward, hand on my throat, my voice barely squeezing out. “Baba said she called in sick…”

“Detective Miller, good morning.” Baba’s voice echoes through the dining room from behind me and Detective Miller glances over my head before I twist in my chair, looking over my shoulder. Baba weaves around tables and Detective Miller stands to greet him. They shake hands but Baba’s smile is tight, like it might snap into a snarl any minute.

“Mei Li.” He speaks down to me where I still sit in my chair. “Better get going. Don’t want to miss the bus.” His words are like a clenched fist.

I grab the spray bottle and rags, leaving my chair scooted out for Baba but he stays standing. I nod at Detective Miller, then dart toward the kitchen, the news about Su Ling holding onto my ankles and dragging behind me as I grab my backpack and push through the back door.

CHAPTER 6

On the subject of time travel. If you could choose one day to revisit, what would it be?

I think I’d choose…hmmm…something from my recent past. Like…last night, maybe? Skip right past the alley part and start at the fire escape conversation. That was a first. A good first.

Mei

Didn’t know that girl has purple contacts. Or that girl who’s always in crop tops wears blue eye makeup. Too distracted by her five belly button rings. I make eye contact with every girl walking toward me in the hall between AP chem and AP History. That girl’s smiling but I can’t remember her name. I give her a chin nod and look over the crowd, catching any girl’s eye to see if hers say anything. So far, big zero percent.

I turn into the science room and weave toward my table. Tavah looks up from digging in her backpack as I slide into my seat, throwing my backpack on the table. I glance at her and she smiles. Green eyes. Silent green eyes. But they kinda sparkle even in florescent lighting.

I unzip my backpack and search through it for my science folder.

“How’s it going, Marcus?”

I hold her gaze for a solid three seconds. Nope. This eye language is solidly a Mei thing. “Hey. Good.” I smile at my binder as I slide it out and slap it on the table. “How’s it going with you?”

Her eyebrows jump and her smile spreads across her face, bright and shiny. Sparkly eyes, sparkly smile. “A little ready to get this AP test over with.” She taps her pen on her binder and leans her elbow on the table, turning toward me. “Six weeks and high school’s officially in our past. Kind of weird, right?”

Oh yeah. Graduation. College. But first, AP test. Chemistry homework I don’t care about unless it’s about the chemistry between me and Mei.

“Yeah. Crazy.” I pull out my phone and check my messages. Still nothing from Mei. She has my number. She could text any time. Not that she would. She has a boyfriend. Or not. She wasn’t totally clear about that.

Mr. Lomax sails into the room, apologizing for being late because his wife had to bring his laptop. “Phone away, Miller,” Lomax says, plugging his laptop into the projector.

I shove it in my bag and flip open my notebook, copying what’s on the screen but not absorbing any of it because Mei’s smiling in my head. My pen hovers over my notebook. I wonder what class she’s in right now. What guy’s lucky enough to sit next to her. If she’s seen Face Eater again. If her lips are still intact. I drum my pen against my notebook. What’s she doing with him? Is that what girls like her go for? Like I’d even know.

I side-glance Tavah who’s staring at the screen and remember what Johnny’s said about her and the other girls screaming at our games. Is there a guy who’s jealous I’m sittingnext to Tavah like I’m jealous of whoever’s sitting next to Mei? I’ve had at least two classes with Tavah every year since seventh grade, and we’ve never had a full conversation. She’s definitely pretty. Like all bright and shiny and always smiling. Glossy lips. Shiny brown hair to her shoulders. What would she look like if she wore it in a ponytail like Mei? She’s actually opposite of Mei in most ways—tall, athletic. Volleyball player, maybe. Green eyes that don’t say anything except that she’s pure energy. Totally different from Mei’s that have layers I still haven’t reached. Freckles on her arms. Mei doesn’t have any freckles.

Tavah shifts and kicks me. “Sorry,” she whispers, and I meet her eyes again. Still nothing.

Lomax writes some chemical reaction I should know but I’ve got my own chemical reactions going on from thoughts about Mei.

My leg bounces beneath the table, trying to burn off my Mei rush, but I’m skipping all the barriers and what ifs and I’m at the first kiss. In some crazy cool place. Kinda dark but not too dark so I can see her reaction. Nowhere cliché like Golden Gate or Muir Woods. Somewhere like…Mile Rock Beach. Yeah—paddle board to the rock at sunset. With a blanket. Don’t want either of us to be shivering or her lips to be too numb to feel anything.

“See you tomorrow.” Tavah smiles as she stands and throws her backpack over her shoulder, and I snap back to chemistry class which wrapped up while I was mentally paddling toward my first kiss with Mei.

“So?” Aunt Audrey stabs her fork into the baklava sitting between us on the café table and I scoot in my chair so people can pass on the sidewalk behind me.

I slide the plate toward me when violent hunger claws at my stomach.

“Still winning the motorcycle?” She raises her eyebrows and chews.

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