The first time I was able to start typing up Chapter One of the new book that I was supposed to be writing was after what I'd like to consider a date. In actuality, Lu Han had just taken me to get milk tea to talk about his role, but the conversation soon turned to his life and then my life.
 
He told me about how he had wanted to be a soccer star, and about his trainee days in Korea. He told me funny stories about Yixing forgetting his shoess and almost walking out of the dorm in his bunny slippers and the time Tao mistaked hot sauce for ketchup.
 
I told him about going to college, hating college, and how I'd ended up being a writer.
 
"Your best friend is great," he said in amazement when I told him what Andi had done.
 
"I know," I agreed. "I'm lucky to have her in my life."
 
When I got home, I sat in front of my computer for a long time, thinking about the way I had ended Fiction and Fact. The graveyard scene had been haunting, yet optimistic about the future. Then, I opened up a new word document and started typing.
 

Terry called late on a Saturday afternoon. “I need help,” he wailed into the phone. I was so surprised that I almost dropped mine, barely catching it by the dangling charm on the end.

“What’s wrong?” I asked nervously. “Are you okay?”

“I’m having problems with my designs, Yejing,” Terry moans. “You know that stupid scene you wrote where Linn and Yiru sneak into that ball in order to investigate the big donor of the university?”

“Excuse me,” I interrupted, a little offended, “did you just call my scene stupid?”

“Yes, because it’s ing impossible to design okay?” Terry huffed. “You described her dress like it was some goddamn magical creation and Yiru apparently looked like a god or some . How am I supposed to - ”

“Can you please stop cussing and tell me how I can help?”

Terry sighed impatiently over the phone. “I already talked to Lu Han. The two of you are coming over after dinner and staying the night here at my place. You’re the same size as Nana so I’m using you as Lin because there is no way that I’m letting that into my house.”

Staying overnight at Terry’s house with Lu Han? Uh...I didn’t think so. “Wait why do you need us?” I asked

“As models, of course. And you can tell me what you visualized while writing that stupid scene.”

“If you say stupid one more time, I’m going to hang up on you and never talk to you again, Terry,” I warned. 

There was a huff on the other end. “Come over in two hours,” he said before ending the call.    

When I showed up at Terry’s house, Lu Han was already there, dressed in a white blazer and black dress pants. Terry was squatted by his feet, tugging on the bottoms of the pants with pins in his hands. Lu Han grimaced when he saw me and mouthed the word ‘help’ at me over the top of Terry’s head.  

Upon hearing my footsteps, Terry sprang to his feet. “Yejing, the dresses I need you to try on are in the bedroom at the end of the hall,” he said with a push. Then, he turned to Lu Han and sighed. “Take it off, Han; it’s not working.”

“But you’ve been working on this so much,” Lu Han replied, surprised. 

Terry shrugged, starting down the hall after me. “I’ve got a bunch of other outfits for you to try on. Besides, this one does