Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
CHEN MEI XING
i lay my head down, bored but mostly thinking about this new guy. he looks oddly familiar but i just can't place my finger on it. people did mention that he was on tv before.
maybe i might've seen him on a american drama. but i don't watch american dramas! this is bothering me way too much.
"ms. chen? would you like to demonstrate how this chemical reaction works for the class?" mr. yang raises a single eyebrow.
"no." i look at the dumbfounded teacher boredly. a few snickers escape the mouths of students.
"a-ah, ms. chen. stand up and demonstrate how this chemical reaction works. for extra credit." he smiles pleadingly as if he's begging me to do so.
i roll my eyes before walking up to the board. i snatch the expo marker from him and write a few words onto the white-board.
i throw the expo marker on the ground, walking back to my seat. a frown always plastered on my face.
"correct as always, ms. chen." mr. yang proudly smiles at me, i return a sarcastic smile. he crouches down to pick up the expo marker.
the bell rings shortly after, i sling my bag around my shoulders and head to the cafeteria. i sit down on an empty chair by an empty table.
i guess i wasn't always like this? i've been told that i was always happy when i was 10 and under. that's probably when this minghao dude and i were still friends.
i sneakily bring out my phone, scrolling through my empty feed. am i considered as the loner of the school? the outcast? the person who doesn't remember their best childhood friend? yes.
i slip my phone back into my bag. i turn around and look at the bustling cafeteria, students talking loudly, eating with their friends.
my eyes wander around and around. it wanders until it sees the new guy again. he had friends all around him. wow, the new guy already has more friends than me.
he turns his back to his friends, coincidentally meeting my eyes, his eyes widen as he gasps softly. he hastily turns to face his friends. i tilt my head confusedly, i face the empty table. what the shit?
i put my head down, my head hurting from all the thinking. enough thinking, mei xing. a loud noise hits my table.
i look up and see him. justin. the new guy.
"what?" i sit up straight.
"i'm justin huang." he reaches his hand out to shake mine.
"cool." i say sarcastically, playing with the ends of my hair. i glance at him to see that he's waiting for me to say something.
"i'm chen mei xing." my hands slither down under the table so that i wouldn't have to shake his hand.
"i know." a smile crept up on his face. i looked at him weirdly.
"creep." i mumble, i stand up, leaving him all alone at the table.
who says that? creeps do. i, for sure, know that he's a creep. justin bursts through the cafeteria doors, looking around. i hide behind the lockers, i peek out and find out that he's left already.
a sigh escapes my mouth, he's gone now. i turn to my right, justin's face incredibly up close to mine. i scream, shutting my eyes whilst hitting him on the face.
i open one eye and see that he's rubbing his cheek, it was turning slightly red. "oops, sorry." i said.
i fix my posture and clear my throat. i combed my hair with my fingers and straightened my wrinkled uniform. "you don't remember me?" his voice cracks, his voice dripping with hurt.
"uh, no? should i?" i asked cluelessly. i just met him, how would i know him?
"no, i guess not. you did have that major accident." justin spoke softly, looking down.
"how did you-" that question might backfire, just say something else. "i should get to class. i like to be early." i pat his back awkwardly. i rush to class, leaving him all alone by the lockers.
i sit down on my seat, all alone in the class. peace and quiet at last. thoughts kept swimming around in my mind. how did he know about my accident?
he did live here before, and the accident was pretty big. big enough for the whole place to know. that's probably how he knows.
