You And I

Chapter 8: Dreams and Distractions

I dreamed about being on a beach with Mei. The sun was setting, and the waves gently rolled in, creating a peaceful soundtrack. I knelt down, holding a small ring box in my hand. Mei looked at me with wide eyes, and just as I was about to slip the ring onto her finger-BEEP BEEP BEEP-my alarm clock went off, pulling me harshly from the dream.

I groaned and checked the time. 6 a.m. already. I couldn't shake off the dream-it felt so real. As I got dressed and headed downstairs, I kept replaying that moment in my head. The ring, the beach, her expression. What does it even mean? I thought as I ate my breakfast, trying to snap out of it. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop thinking about her. Was this just a dream, or was my mind trying to tell me something?

On my way to school, I kept analyzing the dream. The more I thought about it, the more confused I got. Was it love? Was I really falling for Mei this hard?

I arrived at school 10 minutes before class started and took my usual seat next to Mei. My heart raced just being near her after that dream. I tried to act normal, but it was hard not to glance at her every now and then.

Suddenly, Ryan leaned over with a grin. "So, Mei, did you get home safe yesterday?"

I shot him a glare, knowing exactly what he was trying to do. I could feel my face heating up.

Mei smiled, a little confused but answering casually, "Yeah, Levi walked me home." I froze, feeling every pair of eyes on me. Did she have to say it like that?!

Ryan smirked, leaning back in his chair. "Levi, huh? Nice."

I glared at him, trying to keep my cool. Mei looked at me, slightly puzzled, asking, "What's wrong?"

"N-Nothing," I stammered, trying to act nonchalant. Inside, I was a wreck. Stay calm, Levi. Stay cool.

The class began, but I could barely focus. My mind kept drifting back to the dream, and every time I tried to concentrate, my gaze wandered toward Mei. She was writing something in her notebook, completely unaware of the chaos in my head.

At one point, I caught myself staring at her. Her smile flashed through my mind again-the same one from the dream. It was overwhelming. Before I knew it, Mei turned to me and said, "Levi, is something wrong?"

I jolted, snapping back to reality. "Huh? No, no, I'm fine!" I replied quickly, probably too quickly.

From the back, Ryan and Yvonne chuckled. They were onto me. I shot them a warning look, but it only made them laugh harder. The teacher scolded them, but I knew they wouldn't let this slide so easily.

I sat there, trying hard not to smile. My mind was still stuck on the dream, the teasing, and the fact that Mei asked if I was okay. My heart raced every time I replayed the moment in my head. I couldn't believe how much I was losing it over a simple dream.

After class, the four of us hung out again. We walked together to the nearby convenience store and bought some ice cream. As we sat on the benches outside, Ryan wouldn't stop teasing me.

"So, Levi, you gonna walk Mei home again today?" he asked with a mischievous grin. Yvonne giggled next to him, clearly in on the joke. I felt my face heat up again.

I waved it off, trying to act casual. "Yeah, yeah, whatever, man."

"Oh right, summer vacation is just right around the corner, any plans guys?" Yvonne asked, while looking at me with a grin.

"Remember the festival is tomorrow i hope you guys didn't forget" he winked at me and Yvonne, probably planning something.

We chatted for a bit about random things, like school and the new club we were starting. Mei, as usual, looked happy and relaxed, and every time she laughed, it sent my heart racing. Eventually, we finished up and headed toward our homes.

Just like yesterday, I found myself walking with Mei. Ryan and Yvonne waved us off with suspiciously wide grins, probably planning to tease me about it later.

As we walked, we talked about how fun the day had been. I tried to keep it cool, but every time she smiled at me, I could feel my heartbeat quicken. When we got close to her house, she stopped, turning toward me with a soft smile.

"This is far enough," she said, her voice gentle. "Thanks for walking with me again."

I could feel my face burning. "Yeah, no problem," I replied awkwardly, trying to hide my nerves. She waved goodbye, and I watched her walk away before turning to head home.

As soon as I stepped inside, I tossed my bag onto the floor and rushed upstairs. I jumped onto my bed, bouncing a little as I replayed the scenes from the day. Mei's laugh, her smile, the way she thanked me for walking her home-it all played in my head on repeat.

I let out a loud scream of excitement, unable to hold it in any longer. "This is the best day ever!" I shouted into my pillow.

"Levi! Stop screaming!" my mom yelled from downstairs.

I quickly muffled my voice, settling down and scrolling through my phone. A message from our group chat popped up-Ryan had sent something.

Woooh, you're on fire, man! Ryan wrote, followed by a bunch of fire emojis.

Mei replied in the chat, Why? What happened?

I immediately typed back, No, nothing! We just played some games, and I got the MVP.

Ryan responded with a laughing emoji, clearly knowing more than he was letting on.

I sighed, laughing quietly at my own embarrassment. After a few moments of scrolling and calming down, my mom called me for dinner.

As we sat at the table, I couldn't stop thinking about Mei, and a grin kept creeping back onto my face.

My mom noticed. "Levi, is something wrong? You're smiling like a weirdo."

I shook my head quickly, trying to play it cool. "No, nothing's wrong, Mom."

After dinner, I headed back upstairs and flopped down on my bed. The day's events ran through my mind, and I couldn't stop thinking about how close Mei and I were getting. As I drifted off to sleep, I wondered what tomorrow would bring-and if I could ever get rid of this feeling growing inside me.