You And I

Chapter 7: Early Morning Anticipation

It was Monday, and I was up way too early. Excitement buzzed through me as I woke up at 3 a.m. I didn't even feel tired-just a weird sense of anticipation, knowing I'd get to see Mei again. I threw on some clothes, made myself breakfast, and even packed a lunch. By the time I was heading out, it was only 4:30 a.m.

As I was about to leave, my mom noticed me sneaking out. "What's the rush?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

I scrambled for an answer. "Uh, I just don't want to be late," I said, hoping she wouldn't press further. Thankfully, she was convinced and let me go.

The streets were quiet as I made my way to school, my thoughts racing. Why am I so excited? I thought. It wasn't like I hadn't seen Mei in forever-just the weekend had passed. Still, I couldn't shake the feeling that I couldn't wait to be around her again.

By the time I arrived, it was just after 5 a.m. The sky was still tinged with early morning hues, and the school grounds were silent except for the occasional bird chirping. I headed straight for our classroom, finding it empty. I sat alone, enjoying the quiet, the peace before the chaos of the day. I put my headphones in and played some music, singing softly to myself.

Before I knew it, I checked my phone, and it was already 6:30 a.m.

The sound of the door creaking open pulled me out of my thoughts. I looked up and saw Ryan standing there, his face a mixture of surprise and amusement.

"Well, look who's early!" he said, a knowing grin spreading across his face. "Looks like someone couldn't wait to see her. Did you really miss her that much?"

I shot him a glare. "Shut up," I muttered. "Don't say anything to anyone."

Ryan just laughed, clearly enjoying himself. "Alright, alright," he said, though I knew he wouldn't let it go that easily.

Soon enough, other students began trickling in, including Mei. My heart skipped a beat when I saw her walk through the door, and I quickly turned away, trying to act casual. But of course, Ryan couldn't resist. I could see him whispering something to Yvonne, and the two of them laughed quietly to themselves. I knew exactly what they were talking about, and my face heated up in embarrassment.

The teacher arrived and started class, but I couldn't concentrate. All I could think about was the club and spending more time with Mei. When the teacher finally announced the club activities, I had to force myself not to smile too much. I glanced at Mei, and for a brief second, our eyes met. I quickly looked away, but not before catching Yvonne and Ryan exchanging amused glances.

The teacher noticed their little exchange and scolded them, which only made them stifle their laughter even more.

After the announcements, Ryan, Yvonne, Mei, and I headed to the principal's office to sort out the details of our club. We were assigned a small room near the back of the school, nothing fancy, but it was perfect for us. We got right to work cleaning and organizing the space.

As we were cleaning, I couldn't help but steal glances at Mei. Every time she smiled or laughed, it felt like my heart was about to jump out of my chest. Of course, Ryan and Yvonne noticed, and they couldn't stop teasing me about it.

At one point, Mei asked, "What's so funny?" as she looked between Ryan and Yvonne, clearly confused by their giggling.

Ryan, quick on his feet, blurted out, "Oh, Levi just told a really bad joke."

I froze. A joke? I thought. Now I had to come up with something on the spot.

Mei turned to me, smiling. "Let's hear it then."

My heart was racing, and I knew I was blushing like crazy. "Uh, okay," I said nervously, trying to think of anything that could qualify as a joke. Finally, I just went with the first thing that came to mind. "Why did the first man on the moon hammered to death?"

Mei tilted her head slightly. "Why?"

"Because his name was Nail Armstrong."

There was a beat of silence, and then all three of them burst out laughing. Ryan and Yvonne's laughter was particularly loud-they were laughing more at how bad the joke was than anything else.

"That's so corny!" Yvonne said between giggles.

Mei, though, was laughing softly, her eyes sparkling. "It was funny," she said, and my face grew even hotter.

After we finished cleaning the club room, we headed back to our classroom. But honestly, I could barely focus on anything. My mind kept replaying the moment when Mei laughed at my joke. The sound of her laughter was so sweet, so pure-it was like a blessing, something rare and precious. I kept thinking about her smile, the way her eyes lit up. It felt like a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon, something I'd never forget.

The rest of the class went by in a blur. I couldn't concentrate at all. My mind was too busy wandering back to Mei, and I found myself glancing at her every chance I got. I was lost in my thoughts, wondering if I'd ever get to see her smile like that again.

When the final bell rang, the four of us-Mei, Ryan, Yvonne, and I-decided to walk home together. We stopped by a convenience store on the way and bought some ice cream. Standing outside, the sun beginning to set, we laughed and chatted about random things. I couldn't help but steal glances at Mei as she talked and smiled. It felt so natural, being there with her.

After a while, we reached a point where we had to part ways. We all said our goodbyes, but since Mei lived only about a five-minute walk from my house, I offered to walk her home. She smiled and nodded, and my heart skipped a beat.

As we walked, we talked about the day-how much fun we had setting up the club, Ryan and Yvonne's jokes, and even my half-baked jokes. She teased me a little about it, but her teasing felt playful and sweet. I couldn't help but blush every time she smiled at me.

Just as we reached the corner near her house, she stopped and turned to me. "This is far enough," she said softly, her voice warm. "Thank you for walking me home."

I could feel my face burning. "It's no problem," I mumbled, trying to act cool but failing miserably. "Goodnight, Mei."

"Goodnight, Levi," she said, smiling that same breathtaking smile.

As she turned and walked away, I stood there for a moment, watching her until she disappeared around the corner. My heart was pounding in my chest, and I couldn't stop grinning like an idiot.

When I finally got home, I headed straight for my room, jumped onto my bed, and let out a loud laugh. "This is the best day ever!" I shouted, unable to contain my excitement.

From downstairs, I heard my mom yell back, "Stop screaming, Levi!"

"Sorry!" I called back, lowering my voice. But I couldn't stop smiling. Everything about today had been perfect.

Just then, my phone buzzed. I picked it up and saw a message from Ryan. Nice going, man, it read.

Confused, I replied, What are you talking about?

You really think we didn't see you walking Mei home? Ryan replied, followed by a winking emoji.

I groaned, feeling my face heat up again. Shut up, dude.

Ryan just sent a laughing emoji, and I buried my face in my pillow, half-laughing, half-embarrassed. Even though I knew they were teasing me, I couldn't be mad. Today had been too good to care.

That night, I went to bed with a smile on my face, my thoughts filled with Mei's laughter and the moments we shared. For the first time in a while, I fell asleep peacefully, feeling like everything was falling into place.