“KAY! So it`s settled, we`re all going for an outing tonight, right? Anyone who can`t make it, say so now.” Tong Tong is leader as usual, taking charge of everything so that everything`s good. Xiao Jie bites her lip down. Tonight? Tonight. She probably can`t make it tonight. She has a date with—well, Xiao Jie, and she still thinks it`s stupid that since their names are exactly the same, their couple name is Xiao Jie. She wants a proper couple name, dammit! Just then, her phone bleeps with an incoming text.

[hey honey, i can`t make it to our date – game tonight. – xiao jie]

  She drops her shoulders down. On the bright side, she can make it to the outing (they`re going to see a movie, and then back to Tong Tong’s place for a sleepover), but on the...not-so-bright side, this is the third date that Xiao Jie`s bailed on. She tilts her head to the side and looks at the message forlornly, one more time, before she closes her cell phone and slips it back into her jacket pocket. She catches Tong Tong’s eye, and nods, yes she can come, before slouching back in her seat.

  Xiao Xun writes in her notebook inconspicuously and pushes it oh so slightly over to Xiao Jie`s hand. The notebook is carefully lined with blue ink, and light-yellow paper. Xiao Jie stares at it blankly, until she sees the words tucked at the side.

‘are you okay? is it xiao jie again?’

  Xiao Xun is too perceptive for her own good, Xiao Jie has decided. She smiles and shakes her head, mouthing, I`ll tell you later. Xiao Xun nods, and they turn back to see Guigui smiling eagerly as she does something on her own phone, and Tong Tong, who hasn`t noticed a single thing, since she`s so into her perfect plans. It HAS to be perfect, she says constantly, because everyone`s going to be gone in a little bit and they all need to remember. She`s obsessive, a little, and controlling, a lot, but she has good intentions. They all know it.

  “Was that your Guigui?” Xiao Jie offhandedly asks Wang Zi, who is staring at the phone with the most deadpan expression on his face.

  “Guigui is a freak,” Wang Zi replies sadly, slipping his phone back into his pocket. “You`re up again,” he nudges Xiao Jie off of the bench, and goes back to watching the intense game. Wang Zi is only sitting out because he tripped over Ao Quan’s left-over pudding as he entered their bedroom, and twisted his ankle. At times like this, it isn`t hard to believe that everyone on Team One is related – they`re all tanks when it comes down to basketball – well, except for Wei Lian; his attention span isn`t good enough to let him play without getting distracted by a shiny flash of watch in the crowd.

  If Xiao Jie’s girlfriend were here – it`s much easier saying that instead of Xiao Jie, the girl – she would definitely be ecstatic. At this point, Xiao Jie cuts across, roughly passing the defence and shooting up, with his flickering wrists and slight jump. Swish; beautiful. Everyone goes crazy, and a boy on the other team – Xiao Ma, who came back at the end of their previous year, scowls a little and grips his own fist.

ha! i got it done ! YOU ALL THOUGHT I COULDN'T, BUT I DID . no sorry, i'm the only one who thought that. D:

july 5 09.