Page 30 of The Other Side of Together

Mei: Sure.

As if he’s reading my thoughts from across San Francisco, a text from Mmm slides onto my screen:

Marcus: Today is not close enough to tomorrow.

The rattling bus, the ringing voices, and the cars outside the window screech to a halt.The world rolls together, my throat goes dry, and feeling drains from my fingers.

“Who’s that?” Lin leans against me, craning her neck toread the screen and I bolt up in my seat and turn toward her, my phone facing away from her. “Nick.”

She crosses her arms. “Tell him to keep his gross off your phone. You don’t want to get whatever he’s got.”

Another buzz.

Marcus: You there?

Thoughts blow around my head, and I try to catch a clever one so I can respond, but my fingers are impatient and type Yes! I pause before sending, shake my head at myself, and delete it before texting:

Mei: If by there you mean on a bus headed to school, yes. Very present unfortunately. Where are you?

Marcus sends me a gif of a kid at a desk, eyes rolled back in his head.

Marcus: Mentally? Not on the train to school. Let’s hang tonight. You, me, Buddha, Oreos, movie of your choice.

The wind in my head stops, and the blustery, swirling thoughts drop. Everything is silent until Lin blurts, “Woah!” Her eyes leap at me. “What did Nasty Nick say? You actually squealed. Or actually, maybe I don’t want to know. Never mind.”

Frantic, giddy Marcus thoughts squeeze out all rational ones, battling the fact that there is absolutely no way I can hang out with him tonight.

The bus veers into the school parking lot and everyone stands. My hands shake, disappointment tugging at me as I huddle in my seat and respond to Marcus.

Mei: Can’t. Work. ? But we can hang out mentally.

A GIF of a cartoon cat with tears spraying from its eyes pops onto the screen. I cover my smile with my hand and let hope flutter through me like a butterfly on crack, then type:

Mei: Can’t wait until tomorrow, though.

His response is immediate:

Marcus: 27 hours, 24 minutes. Or more precisely, 1640 minutes. Wanna guess how many of those I’ll spend thinking about tomorrow? Oh, that’s right, you’re not a guesser.

1 *Joke: Why won’t monsters eat ghosts?

*Answer: Because they taste like sheet.

CHAPTER 12

Marcus: 7 eternal hours til Date #2. Capital D. Actually, in my head, it looks like this: DATE #2!!!!!!!!!!!!!*@#$*##@#!!!!! TMINUS7HOURS!!!! But all I can do is text cuz it would be weird to lay in bed and yell it. Texting’s better than nothing, but…texts don’t smile at me.

Mei: Why are you awake at 3 AM?

Marcus: Probably the same reason you are. P.S. Is it weird I was kinda jealous of Johnny *trying* to flirt with you the other night?

Mei: I’m using you to get to your friends.

Marcus: I’d just hate to lose the girl before she becomes my girlfriend.

Marcus: Not that youare.

Marcus: My girlfriend

---