You And I

Chapter 16: The Bus Ride

It was already 6 a.m., and I hadn't slept a wink. The excitement of the trip kept me wide awake. I jumped out of bed, packed my things, and headed straight to the meeting place. When I arrived, I saw Mei and the others already there.

Ryan and Yvonne, as always, had their signature evil grins plastered on their faces. I sighed and walked over to them. "What are you two planning this time?" I asked suspiciously.

They exchanged glances, still grinning. "What are you talking about, Levi? We're just happy to see you," Ryan said, feigning innocence.

I didn’t believe them, but I let it slide, focusing instead on the day ahead. We boarded the bus, and just as I was about to find my seat, Jane called out from the back, "Hey, Levi, here's our spot!"

I walked to the back, settling by the window, and Mei was just about to sit next to me when Yvonne suddenly jumped in. With a mischievous tone, she said, "Oh no, this seat's already taken by me!"

Mei blinked, surprised, as Yvonne slid into the seat opposite Ryan, forcing Mei to sit next to me. She hesitated for a second, then sat down beside me, her shoulder lightly brushing against mine. My heart skipped a beat, and I could practically feel Yvonne and Ryan's eyes on us, their grins now bigger than ever.

Mei gave me a shy smile, and I tried to play it cool, but inside, I was anything but. This was going to be an interesting trip.

In the bus, I couldn't help but notice Mei's perfume. It was soft and sweet, intoxicating in the most subtle way. My senses were overwhelmed, and before I knew it, I found myself leaning slightly closer, catching the faint scent of her hair. For a split second, I thought, How amazing would it be to just breathe her in?

But then I snapped out of it, slapping myself internally. What the hell am I doing? Get it together, you creep! I cursed under my breath, physically shaking my head. Mei, startled by my sudden movement, looked at me with concern.

"Are you okay?" she asked, her eyes wide.

"Yeah, yeah," I stammered. "Just a mosquito. Nothing to worry about."

She nodded, though her brows furrowed a bit as if she wasn’t quite convinced.

A few moments passed, and I noticed Ryan giving Yvonne a signal. I had no idea what they were planning until suddenly, Yvonne leaned dramatically towards Mei, forcing her to shift closer to me.

"Oh no! A sharp curve!" Yvonne exclaimed sarcastically, even though the road was as straight as an arrow.

Mei, caught off guard, leaned into me, her shoulder pressing into my chest as she tried to keep her balance. My heart raced, and I glanced over at Yvonne, who winked at Ryan, both of them stifling their laughter. They were definitely up to something.

I tried to stay cool, but all I could think about was how close Mei was to me. I could feel the warmth of her body, the smell of her perfume still lingering in the air, and suddenly, I wasn’t sure if I should thank Yvonne for this or strangle her.

I thought to myself, Why isn’t Mei saying anything about all this teasing? Maybe she didn’t mind it. Maybe she actually liked being teased with me. But then, reality hit me again. Yeah, right, I sighed internally. She likes someone else.

As I zoned out, lost in my thoughts, I noticed Ryan giving Yvonne another signal. Oh no, I thought, bracing myself. Sure enough, Yvonne leaned over again, this time with even more force.

Mei was pushed into me, her head resting against my chest. The moment seemed to slow down as our eyes met. My heart skipped a beat, and I could feel her warmth against me. Her cheeks turned a soft shade of pink, and I didn’t know what to do or say. For a second, it felt like everything around us faded, and it was just the two of us, caught in this unexpected moment.

Yvonne and Ryan's snickering pulled me back to reality. I could feel my face burning, and I awkwardly cleared my throat. Mei quickly sat up straight, her own embarrassment evident as she avoided my gaze.

"Sorry about that," she mumbled, brushing her hair behind her ear.

I shook my head. "No worries." But inside, I was a complete mess.

After the weird yet thrilling bus ride, we finally arrived at our destination. The moment we stepped off the bus, Ryan gave me a hefty smack on the back and flashed me an evil grin. “How was my really exciting plan?” he asked.

I thought, Is it okay to punch him right now? but I forced a smile and replied, “Yeah, it was okay.”

“Just okay?” he pressed, clearly enjoying my discomfort. “You gotta give me more than that. I know you enjoyed having Mei on your chest.”

I rolled my eyes. “Shut up, dude.”

We all gathered around as the teacher made the announcement. She told us that an inn had been rented for our stay and that we should get some rest and unpack.

The teacher handed out the room keys, and as we searched for our room, I stole a glance at Mei. She was practically glowing with excitement, trying to hide it with a shy smile. I couldn’t help but think she was adorable.

Once we found our room, we quickly unpacked and collapsed onto the beds. The room was a bit too quiet, and Ryan, always the instigator, suddenly perked up. “Let’s play the King’s Game!” he suggested.

I raised an eyebrow. “You’re planning something, aren’t you?”

He just laughed. “Of course not. I just want to play because it’s so quiet in here.”

Mei, who was still unfamiliar with most of these games, asked, "How do you play?"

Ryan, ever the sarcastic one, said, "Oh, I wouldn’t know how to play this. Maybe..." he nudged me hard. "Maybe this guy can explain it to you."

"Dude, you’re the one who suggested the game, and now you don’t know how to play?"

He just shrugged. "Yeah, you got a problem?"

Everyone laughed, and I rolled my eyes, turning to Mei. "Alright, here’s how it works. We have six sticks. One of them has a red mark on it—that means you’re the King if you pull that one. The other five sticks have numbers. The King can ask the people with the numbers to do something, like ‘Number 2, massage my back,’ or ask them a question. But here’s the catch: you’re not allowed to tell anyone what number you have. After each round, we put the sticks back and go again."

Mei nodded, finally understanding the game. "Got it."

"Great, let's start then," Ryan said with a wicked grin, clearly looking forward to the chaos. And just like that, we all agreed to play, despite the feeling that Ryan was going to make things awkward—and fun—as usual.