"Studies have shown that dragon-boating makes you more awesome than the general population." – Unknown
Date: May 30th, 2017
Occasion: Dragon Boat Festival (端午节)
Country: China
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XV | What Chu Lookin' At
Scene I. Somewhere in Guangdong. Lots of firecrackers and shouting.
Enter CHERRY and STEVEN, two teenagers who bump into each other on a busy street, surrounded by a thick crowd of people. Clashes of cymbals resonate from every area. Firecrackers explode to raucous cheers.
Cherry is a Chinese girl who is visiting Guangdong, while Steven is an American who got dragged on this trip by his parents and is wishing he can apparate out of here. Just then, Cherry is rammed by an old man and trips, knocking over Steven.
CHERRY
Ahhhh!
STEVEN
Woah, steady there! Did you just come out of a bar or a strip club or something? Because you look hella fi– I mean, drunk. Hella drunk.
CHERRY
对不起! ("Sorry!")
STEVEN
Uhh sorry, I don't understand Chinese.
Steven pairs that phrase with ridiculous hand gestures, involving him wagging his finger and gesturing at his mouth. Cherry gives him a strange look and scoffs.
CHERRY
Alright, you've made your point. You don't speak Chinese. There's no need to stick your finger in your mouth. That's so childish.
Steven pauses in the midst of pretending to strangle his neck to gape at Cherry. Even though he has encountered Chinese people speaking fluent English before, he did not expect the same in their native country.
STEVEN
Wait, you speak English?
CHERRY
No, I'm speaking Parseltongue. Duh, of course I'm speaking English!
STEVEN
Wait, you're Chinese. In a totally Chinese environment. And you're speaking English to me, a typical American guy. No accent either? Wow, my mind is blown.
CHERRY
Firstly, that's just a stupid stereotype.
STEVEN
Woah there, take a chill pill.
CHERRY
Also, I hate to interrupt your brain explosion, but unless you want to be run over by a bunch of old guys, I suggest you get out of the way.
STEVEN
What are you talking abo–
CHERRY
Move!
Cherry shoves Steven to the side. A huge mascot charges down the street, greeted with applause and empty cans tossed at it.
STEVEN
Oof!
Cherry topples onto Steven once again. The latter comes to his senses first, a gasp catching at his throat as Cherry straddles his torso, her extra weight squeezing the oxygen from his lungs. Once Steven gets over his shock, however, he wriggles his eyebrows.
YOU ARE READING
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