You And I

Chapter 14: An Unexpected Slip

Many weeks had passed, and I still couldn't shake off what Mei had said. She noticed my unease, asking again if something was wrong, but as usual, I brushed it off. Just then, our teacher announced that the third periodical exam was scheduled for Friday. Ryan immediately suggested we have a group study session at the family restaurant near the school. I wanted to refuse, but studying with Mei? I couldn't pass that up.

After school, we all headed to the restaurant. Before ordering, we dived into our books, trying to focus on the material. Suddenly, I noticed Mei struggling with a section of social studies. She asked Ryan for help, but, as expected, Ryan was being sarcastic. "Oh no, I don't know this part. But maybe Levi does-he's good at it."

Yvonne chimed in, "Yeah, Levi! I saw your social studies grade, and it was a 93. Help her out!"

Reluctantly, I moved to sit beside Mei and walked her through the section she was struggling with. The whole time, I could see Ryan and Yvonne exchanging amused glances, but I stayed focused. After a few minutes, Mei finally got it and thanked me. I stood up, ready to head back to my seat, but Ryan cut in again.

"Uh, no, Levi. You should stay there. I like this seat-it's warm, and it's blue, my favorite color."

I knew he was messing with me. "What are you even talking about? All the chairs are the same."

"Nah, my ass isn't comfortable in that one. Just take it, man," he grinned.

I sighed and sat back down beside Mei. As I got distracted staring at her, lost in thought, Ryan suddenly interrupted, "Levi, what do you prefer?"

Without thinking, I blurted, "Of course I prefer Mei..."

The table went dead silent. Realizing what I'd just said, my heart nearly stopped. Ryan broke the silence, repeating the question with a smirk, "No, I was asking what flavor of shake you prefer."

Embarrassed, I scrambled, "Uh, I mean, Mei-what do you prefer?"

Mei, also embarrassed, nervously responded, "Uh... chocolate."

I nodded quickly, trying to play it cool. "Yeah, chocolate's my favorite too. I'll have that one," I said, forcing a laugh to lighten the mood.

After that awkward moment, the air felt a little tense between us, but we quickly moved on, or at least tried to. Ryan, of course, couldn't resist and kept shooting me knowing glances, while Yvonne was holding back a smirk the entire time.

As our shakes arrived, Ryan finally broke the silence by making a joke about how long the exam review was taking. "Okay, okay, back to reality! Levi, maybe if you keep tutoring, Mei will ace the exam and we can all go on vacation without worrying about grades!"

Mei smiled and playfully nudged me. "Yeah, maybe I should just study with you from now on. You explain things better than Ryan."

Ryan feigned hurt, "Ouch, right in the pride. But hey, if it works, Levi, you're officially her study buddy now!"

I laughed nervously, but couldn't shake the warmth from Mei's comment. We continued studying, though I had a hard time focusing. I was still replaying my slip in my head, trying to figure out if Mei had caught on or if it was just my overthinking.

By the end of the study session, we all felt more confident about the exam. As we packed up, Ryan nudged me and whispered, "You're hopeless, man. Just admit it already." I shot him a glare, trying to brush it off, but I knew he wasn't entirely wrong.

Outside the restaurant, we all said our goodbyes. Mei and I walked together for a bit. She glanced at me, seemingly remembering the earlier moment, and said softly, "Thanks again for helping me. I really appreciate it."

"No problem," I replied, my heart racing as I walked beside her.

As we reached the part of the road where we usually split off, I couldn't help but smile. Despite the embarrassing slip, today hadn't been so bad after all. I waved goodbye, watching as she walked away. The warmth from earlier returned, and for a moment, I let myself believe that maybe, just maybe, she liked me back. I didn't think anymore about that guy she liked, all i can think of is I'm spending more tine with her than that guy.

But those thoughts would have to wait. The exam was just days away, and I needed to focus. Or at least try to.