You And I

Chapter 21: The Lottery and Test of Courage

The teacher stood in front of the class, clipboard in hand, and announced, "Everyone, line up-one line for boys and one for girls." We all shuffled into position, curious about what was coming next. In front of each line was a box, and she continued, "Inside these boxes are papers with numbers. Each of you will pick one, and you'll have to find the person with the matching number. That person will be your partner for tonight's test of courage."

A wave of surprise rippled through the class. Most of us had assumed we'd get to choose our partners, and I immediately felt a knot of worry in my stomach. I had been hoping to be paired with Mei-this could be my chance to talk to her alone and apologize for everything earlier. But now, there was a chance she could be paired with someone else, some other guy who might get to spend that time with her.

I glanced over at Yvonne and Ryan. They were whispering something to each other, and I could already tell they were up to something. As Ryan broke away from Yvonne, he sauntered over to me with a smirk. "Well, tough luck, Levi. Mei's probably going to be paired up with some other guy. How do you feel about that?"

I forced a casual shrug, pretending not to care. "It's whatever, man. No big deal."

Ryan wasn't convinced. "Sure, sure," he said, grinning as he cut in line ahead of me. "By the way, Levi saved this spot for me."

I didn't protest. My mind was too distracted, racing with thoughts of how I'd apologize to Mei if I wasn't paired with her. It had been bothering me all day-the way I'd acted, avoiding her, and making her feel uncomfortable. I just needed one moment alone to explain myself.

Finally, it was our turn to pick. Mei reached into her box first, drawing out a folded paper. I strained to see what number she got, but she held it close. Then it was Ryan's turn, but he took his sweet time, practically fishing through the box. "What's taking you so long?" I asked, annoyed.

Ryan leaned over and whispered, "Just wait for it, Levi. When it's your turn, make sure you shake the box hard, alright?"

I had no idea what he was talking about, but before I could ask, it was my turn to pick. Just as I reached for the box, I heard Yvonne's voice ringing out dramatically from the girls' side. "Ahem! Ahem! Oh wow, Mei! Your number is 12! That's so amazing, 12! One and two together make twelve!" she shouted, over and over again.

At first, I was confused by her outburst, but then it clicked. I glanced into the box and realized what Ryan and Yvonne had done. All the papers inside were flipped, with the numbers facing up. I could clearly see where number 12 was sitting. So that's their plan.

Suppressing a grin, I reached in and plucked the number 12 from the pile.

I could barely contain my excitement as I held the paper in my hand. Across the room, I saw Yvonne practically shaking Mei from excitement, while Mei looked flustered and a little confused. Ryan, meanwhile, was chuckling to himself, clearly satisfied with how things had turned out.

"Thank you guys," I muttered under my breath, grateful for their help.

Now I just had to find Mei and tell her the news.

The teacher's voice cut through the murmurs, "Alright, everyone, now it's time to find your partner."

I hesitated for a moment, my mind racing with thoughts of how I should approach Mei. I felt nervous-what if I made things awkward again? Just as I was overthinking, there she was, standing right in front of me.

My heart started pounding in my chest, but this time, I wasn't going to run or avoid her.

"Hi, Levi," Mei said softly, her voice calm but a little uncertain. "I heard you picked number 12."