Page 27 of The Other Side of Together

I glance at the guys, leave the table, and slip around Ellieinto some trees before dialing Mei’s number. I hold my breath.

“Hey.”

My heart jumps toward her voice. “What are you doing tonight?”

“Make your wildest guess.”

“If the answer’s working, we should change that.”

“Wish I had a good reason to take it off.”

“Or…maybe someone will come into the restaurant tonight.” I turn toward Chinatown and Mei’s school full of guys who look nothing like me. I turn a circle, scanning the girls sitting in clumps around the park and along the curb, hunched over their phones. None even compare to Mei. They’re not even in the same game.

“Twice in one week?” she asks through a smile that spreads through the phone to me. “Impressive.”

Jeff yells at me and I glance over my shoulder, then rush, “Gotta go.”

“Me, too, sadly.”

“Don’t be surprised if you see me tonight.”

“I like surprises.”

“Reason 362 why I like you. See you later.” I end the call and walk back to the table and grab my backpack. “Anyone craving Chinese food after practice?”

Johnny pops a fortune cookie into his mouth and reads the paper, then waves it in the air above our table, chewing as he talks. “I love this place! Fortune cookies before dinner, not after, and then, this fortune.” He throws the paper in the middle of the table like a touchdown. “Luck? I’ll take it. Maybe I’ll become the guy all the girls want instead of Miller.”

I snatch it and read, rolling my eyes at Johnny beforeglancing over to where Mei’s washing a table. When she turns around, she catches my eye and smiles, then looks away, scrubbing the life out of that table. I wanna see that smile as much as possible as close as possible as soon as possible. But not too close. Four more weeks. I can do this.

She glides toward the kitchen door, and my eyes get caught in the movement. Maybe I can’t do this.

I snatch Johnny’s fortune and hand him mine. “Nah, man. You got the wrong fortune. This one’s yours.”

He takes it and reads it out loud. “Being alone will bring perspective.” He tosses it on his empty plate and swears.

“Looks like loneliness is in your future. But perspective’s nice.”

He flips me off, then takes a drag on his Mountain Dew. “We’ll see ‘bout that, Miller. I’ll work some magic with our waitress. Watch and learn, boys…watch and learn.”

He leans around Ty and waves his arm at Mei who weaves between tables toward us. She’d be killer on the soccer field.

She tucks her hair behind her ear when she’s close, avoiding my eyes. I’m freaking losing it over the way she moves. She’s wearing makeup tonight. First time I’ve seen her with stuff all over her face and I prefer her without. But she did a decent job of hiding the bruise. Totally prefer her without that, too. Still wanna rip Face Eater apart. Or have Dad do it. Dad would destroy him. Not sure why she’s protecting him.

She smiles at every guy but me. “Ready to order?”

“Yeah, but quick question.” Johnny lounges in his chair and tilts his head back as he talks to her. “If you were to take your shot at any of us here, which black guy would you choose?”

Mei glances at me and her cheeks are either reflecting the red tabletop or she’s blushing, and my leg bounces under thetable. “Since you’re the only black guy at this table, you’ve got a pretty good chance.”

“Told you who’s what.” Johnny slaps his chest.

“But,” Mei continues, “if you want to know who I’d take to the back pantry…I’ll just say…” Her eyes dart directly to mine before wandering back to Johnny. “It’s not you.” Mei turns and her curves move in all the right ways, blowing me completely apart like they’re sending shockwaves across the room.

“Ohh…dude!” Ty laughs to the light above our table. “You should see your face right now. That girl just got all my maddest respect.”

I try to focus on the guys and not how to get to the pantry and what could happen in it, then send her a text, pretending it’s to Dad: Which way to the pantry.

I keep my phone in my lap and Mei in my peripheral vision as she moves around the restaurant, and when every noodle and grain of rice disappears from our plates, she skims toward the table. Without looking at me, she leans across it to hand everyone their bills, and I have an eye level shot of her chest. I swallow and avert my eyes, opening my bill to slide my card inside but instead of a bill, there’s a note:

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