You And I

Chapter 29: Happy New Year

It was the first day of the new year, and I woke up feeling groggy but excited. What should I do today? I rubbed my eyes and heard my phone buzz on the nightstand. Picking it up, I saw a message from Ryan: "I have a surprise for you." I didn’t bother replying, thinking it was probably one of his jokes. I got out of bed, headed downstairs, washed my face, and brushed my teeth.

As I finished, I heard my sister shouting from the living room. "Levi! You have visitors!"

I rolled my eyes. "Alright, alright! Jeez, I can hear you," I shouted back, drying my hands. I walked to the front door, still half-asleep, and then stopped in my tracks. Standing there were Mei, Ryan, Jane, and the others. I blinked, surprised to see them so early in the morning. But what really caught me off guard was Mei—she was wearing a dress, and I just stood there, staring at her.

From the background, I saw Ryan smirking. He gestured at me, pointing at Mei, and gave me a wink. Then he mouthed, "Nice."

They all greeted me with big smiles, "Happy New Year, Levi!" I stammered out a quick "Happy New Year" in return, still feeling a little stunned.

Mei stood in front of me, looking a bit shy as she smiled. I could feel my face heating up. Ryan noticed my reaction, of course. With a grin, he said, "Well, we'll leave you two alone for a bit," and with that, he and the others walked into the living room, laughing quietly.

I turned back to Mei, who was still standing at the door with a nervous smile. I realized I’d been staring at her this whole time, completely lost in thought. She cleared her throat, breaking the silence.

"Do I look weird?" she asked softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

I snapped back to reality and quickly shook my head. "No, not at all. Definitely not," I said, trying to sound calm even though my heart was racing.

She smiled and thanked me, then we both headed to the living room, where the others were already chatting and laughing. But I couldn't shake the feeling that today was going to be something special, especially with Mei looking the way she did, and Ryan’s surprise lingering in the air.

As we sat down with everyone, I couldn't help but glance over at Mei from time to time. Ryan’s mischievous smile told me he had something planned, and I wasn’t sure if I should be excited or nervous about it.

As we settled in the living room, laughing and chatting, my mom came in carrying a tray of snacks. She set it down on the table, then looked over at Ryan with a mischievous grin. "So, Ryan," she started, "how are these two at school?" She pointed directly at Mei and me, making it clear who she was talking about.

Ryan’s face lit up with a big, playful smile. "Oh, these two?" he said dramatically. "Yeah, they’re both sweet, wherever they go. Always together, always looking out for each other."

I could feel my face heat up with embarrassment. "Bro, what are you talking about? That's not true!" I quickly tried to deny it, but my voice cracked just a little, which only made it worse.

Ryan just laughed and gave me a knowing look. "Whatever you say, Levi." He chuckled again, clearly enjoying himself. My mom laughed too, shaking her head before heading back to the bakery. "I'll leave you kids to it," she said over her shoulder.

Just a few moments later, Yvonne perked up from her spot on the couch. "Do you guys have any sweets? I’m kind of craving something chocolatey."

I stood up, glad for the excuse to escape the teasing for a minute. "Yeah, I'll go check," I said and headed to the kitchen. I rummaged through the cupboards and finally found a stash of chocolates. Grabbing a handful, I returned to the living room.

"Here you go," I said, handing the chocolates to Yvonne, who immediately dug in with a smile.

"Thanks, Levi! You’re a lifesaver," she said between bites.

I sat back down, feeling the atmosphere settle into a comfortable rhythm again. But I couldn't help but glance over at Mei. She seemed quiet, her hands fiddling with the edge of her dress, though she smiled whenever someone talked to her. I wondered if she was feeling as flustered as I was after Ryan’s teasing.