My Lethe

I am the trouble .

Zhang Wei sat quietly at his desk, scribbling his name in different sizes and styles on a blank piece of paper. 
This was his fifth day at his new school, and he still didn't have any friends, let alone know the names of his class mates.  He only knew one name, and that was the boy that sat besides him, Qiang.  
He looked over at Qiang's empty desk.  He hasnt come to school the last three days, and it seemed like he wasn't going to come to school today.  Class was going to start any minute now and his desk was still empty.
Zhang Wei ripped the piece of paper out of the notebook and balled it into a ball.  As he walked up to the trash can at the front of the class room, he kept his eyes on the ground, not paying attention to anything else but the floor.  Suddenly, Zhang Wei fell back onto the ground.   He slowly looked up at the person he walked into.  It was Qiang.  He had suddenly appeared. In a panic, Qiang held Zhang Wei's arms, and helped him up from the floor. 

"I'm sorry," Zhang Wei apologized and walked around Qiang, not giving Qiang a second to apologize himself.

Qiang watched Zhang Wei as he threw out the paper ball, and even watched him as he walked back to his seat.  And as the school day went on, he found himself drifting into thoughts about Zhang Wei and one thing about him in particular.  When Zhang Wei fell he looked into his eyes for a split second.  And when they looked into each other's eyes, he noticed how mesmerizing and warm his eyes were.  And for a moment, Qiang thought he even felt his heart sway at the thought of looking him in the eyes again.

As the math teacher spoke, it became harder and harder for Qiang to focus.  He couldn't understand why he was so infatuated by someone's eyes. But he was. 

"Hey Zhang Wei," Qiang tapped on Zhang's Wei desk.  Zhang Wei looked over at Qiang slightly, and only for a second.

"Hm?" Zhang Wei barely responded.  But that was good enough for the intrigued Qiang. 

"Where did you move here from?" Zhang Wei looked at Qiang.  At that moment, Qiang took a deep look in his class mate's eyes.  Qiang felt a cage of wild butterflies be released into his stomach.  There was something in his eyes that he was hooked to.

"Qiang, please stop talking.  Do not bring your other classmates down with you.  If you want to be a delinquent I can not help you there, but don't bring Zhang Wei down with you." The teacher broke Qiang's focus.  Quickly , he looked away from Zhang Wei and at the teacher.

"I was just asking him what li-line we were reading in the book ," the entire class began to laugh at Qiang's words.  It was math time, not Chinese literature.

"I'm glad to see you truly are not focusing.  This is Math, Qiang, not your literature class."

When the teacher stopped picking on Qiang he returned to thinking of Zhang Wei and those eyes.

When the school day ended, Qiang left the school building quickly.  His dad was being strict since the club fight.  He had to be home straight after school, and couldn't go out without his driver.  Qiang didn't know how long he could last being treated like a child.

"Did you behave today?" His mother asked when Qiang got into the car.  Qiang looked at his mom and smiled sarcastically," You know your father means it this time.  It you get into any more trouble you'll be sent to America.  He's already made your arrangements, so you must be on your best behavior.  Even a silly argument with your classmate and he will send you to America.  I'm afraid my ability to sweet talk your father into having patience and faith in you has dwindled down to a thin string. With all fairness, of course."

"Does he have faith that America can change me?" He asks his mother.  He knew that wasn't why his father was sending him to America.  His father was sending him to a place where he didn't know anyone to start trouble with, and to a place that it was so foreign to him, it would scare him into good behavior. 

"Of course not.  You know why he's sending you there.."

He nodded.  Of course he did.

But there was one problem with that.

"I am the trouble."

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Zhang Wei got home from school early that after noon.  Yong and Liling didn't usually arrive home until the evening, and it was still the afternoon.    Since the talk Zhang Wei had with Liling, he thought long and hard about what she said.  He considered that perhaps things wouldn't be so bad here after all.  And actually, he liked this home.  He thought it was beautiful and cozy. 
Zhang Wei took a shower and after, he changed into loungewear that he found in his drawer.  It fit him perfectly.  It didn't hang too loose or feel too tight, it was just right. 
He went into his bedroom and pulled out a fragile book from under his bed.  It was a popular manga his younger brothers brought him for his 15th birthday.  They worked for months to be able afford this book and the bus tickets into the city to buy it. It was Death Note.  He had heard of it but could never read it, and finally, he had it.  Since the incident, Zhang Wei didn't dare to read it, but since the move he decided he would.   He didn't have much left of his brothers, but he would always have this.
He read the manga until it grew dark and he heard a knock on the bedroom door.  He lost a track of time and enjoyed the reading so much that he didn't realize it was 9p.m. 
He looked up at Yong who had opened the bedroom door.  Zhang Wei didn't mind.

"You've been quiet in here by yourself," Yong said," We'd enjoy it if you came out and watched a movie with us.  Dinner is on the table too."

Zhang Wei nodded and waited for Yong to close the door.  When he did, Zhang Wei closed the book and placed it under the bed where he originally put it.  Zhang Wei wasn't sure about this movie night, but he remembered Liling's words to him.  No matter how strange it felt, he would have to learn how to bond.

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Haha when I wrote the sentence "It didn't hang too loose or feel too tight, it was just right. " I began to sing the Kpop song "Just Right" by Got 7 :P