Page 12 of The Other Side of Together

My apartment’s dark; Dad’s working all night on the missing girls case, so there’s no rush to get home. Exceptmaybe a shower. But Guo makes me laugh and lets me raid her fortune cookies. Teaches me dirty Chinese phrases. Plus…note from Mei. Not a bad way to spend a Wednesday night.

I wipe my palms on my shorts and settle back into the chair as Guo shuffles back outside and hands me a teacup which I sniff, then raise my eyebrows. “Is this more of those weird herbs that will get me high like last time?”

She waves her hand. “One cannot get high on Love Potion. Especially not you.”

“Ouch. What’s that supposed to mean? What’s wrong with me?”

“Nothing’s wrong. You just need lots and lots. You’re never with girl. You always walk down the street, keep your eyes straight ahead. I’m the only girl you talk to.”

I choke on my tea as I laugh, wiping my chin with my palm. “Nice try, Guo. I know you were watching me talk to Mei last night while you scrubbed invisible spots on your window.”

She studies me, then grabs my chin between her fingers and sizes it up. I’m not sure if I should stare into her eyes or close mine. I don’t want my first real kiss from a woman who’s practically my grandma. “Something on my face?”

“Yes—all your secrets. Many great things.” She hunches her shoulders and laughs.

“Like?”

“That you will be a great lover.”

“Oh, wow. Alright.” I push myself up, pick up my bags and teacup, then walk into her shop, weaving through racks of Chinese robes and waving Good Fortune cats toward her kitchenette in the back room. No way I’m talking about this with Guo. I set my empty teacup on the counter, but miss because it’s like I’m floating. The cup shatters against the tile and when I look down, my feet are still on the ground, surrounded by glass shards. My head hovers somewhere above my body and there’s a halo around my vision, butI’m…warm. Relaxed. A little fearless.

Guo scurries in and grabs a broom which I take from her, mesmerized by its bristles sweeping against the terra cotta. I sweep and sweep, swirly patterns circling my feet until the room tilts. She totally laced my tea. Gripping the broom, I lean it against the wall and slowly turn to Guo who’s holding out her huge glass jar.

“Fortune cookie?”

“You drugged me.”

She waves her hand. “You’re a silly boy. Fortune cookie?”

I fumble for the jar and pull one out, sliding out the fortune and popping the cookie in my mouth then reading the fortune out loud. “‘The best year-round temperature is a warm heart and a cool head.’ So wise,” I drop it in the garbage can.

“Oh, please. I’ll do better than that.”

“Yeah?” I take another fortune cookie and toss the slip of paper in the garbage.

“Yes. I saw how you looked at Mei Li’s house before you came in my shop. You like her.” Guo smirks and nods, folding her arms. “Mm-hmm. You will find love with Mei Li. She will make you smile every day. I know.” She points to her head. “You will love Miss Zhang deeply.”

She’s staring at me, and I’m supposed to say something but all I can get out is, “Dude, Guo, why does it feel like I’m floating? Am I?”

“She steps behind the register, bends down, and holds up a Magic 8 ball. “You ask Magic 8 if you will fall in love with Miss Zhang.” She demonstrates how to ask it a question, then shakes it and holds it toward me.

I fumble it out of her hand and glance at her. How did she know that during practice, Coach yelled at me because my head was back on Mei’s fire escape, my imagination making my eyes say a whole lot they would—hopefully—never actually say to her. But what if they do? That whole thing was soweird. But so cool. I wanna try it again, though I’ll definitely have to censor my eyes.

Guo pats my arm and I drag myself out of my surprisingly vivid imagination, though my head’s still floating somewhere above me. Beside me? Doesn’t matter—not screwed on right if I’m having this conversation with Guo and a Magic 8 ball.

I laugh as I ask the question, the air around me tinted purple. “Is Face Eater Mei Li’s boyfriend?” I shake the ball, turn it over. Squint to read the answer. My sources say no.

Okay. So far, so good. Kinda like this thing. I glance at Guo, then ask Magic 8 another question. “Does Mei Li Zhang think I’m the hottest guy she’s ever seen?”

It is decidedly so.

I roll my eyes and shake the ball again. “Will I fall madly in love with Mei Li?”

You may rely on it.

Guo crosses her arms and grins. “You see?”

“You don’t even know what it said.”

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