Chapter 7

 

We settled on the floor with our food, and I tried not to stare as she practically inhaled two of the three tacos on her plate and most of the rice and beans. It was especially interesting to watch her face. She closed her eyes at the beginning of each bite, and her expressions changed as she relished each flavor. My own food was disappearing at a much slower pace.

 

I didn’t dare even glance at my bed, especially not after having seen the somewhat sensual way she enjoyed her food. Too dangerous for my mental health.

 

 

After she’d satisfied most of her hunger, she wiped with her napkin and looked sheepishly up at me. “Sorry I kind of ignored you there. I was just really hungry from practice, and I absolutely love tacos callejeros. When we go visit family in Texas, we always make a point to have these at least once. Your mom is a really good cook,” she said before taking a few sips from her glass of water.

 

 

“No problem, I’m glad you enjoyed them. I wasn’t sure if you liked tacos or were a vegetarian or something, so it’s lucky that tonight worked out. Do you visit your family in Texas often?” I asked, curious about her life outside of what I already knew, which admittedly wasn’t much.

 

 

“We visit my uncle and his family a few times a year. My cousins are younger than me, so I usually end up babysitting or just playing with them most of the time, but I don’t really mind. They’re actually really fun to spend time with, though I don’t know if I could handle them for more than a few hours on my own. An eight-year-old boy and six-year-old girl are old enough where you don’t have to look after them constantly, but young enough where you can’t leave them alone too long,” she explained.

 

 

I nodded my head. “I babysit the kids down the street. Really good kids, but I totally understand what you mean. I’ve been babysitting them for a few years, so we have a pretty good routine down. I also bribe them with candy, so that helps too,” I said with a smile. She laughed.

 

 

“So did your parents meet at college?” she asked out of the blue. I guess she’d gotten curious about the Manoban family after sitting through dinner.

 

 

“Yeah, they’ve told Sorn and me this story so many times we’ve lost count. They met on the first day of the first class of the first semester of their first year at school. They started off as friends and then feelings happened, and at this part of the story they both get sentimental and Sorn starts making gagging sounds. They are both gigantic dorks, but they’re sort of my relationship ideal.”

 

 

I paused and had the crazy idea to clarify what I’d just said. I didn’t know why, but my mouth wouldn’t shut up. “For the future. Because I don’t have a relationship now. I’m single.” I was telling Jennie Kim that I was single. Why was I telling my crush this? I’d officially gone mad.

 

 

“So no girlfriend, then?” she asked. She was looking straight at me, and it threw me off. I hadn’t been expecting her to ask that question. I hadn’t even been sure she knew I was a lesbian. I tried not to panic. I tried to play it cool. I was pretty sure I failed.

 

 

“No girlfriend,” I squeaked. Actually squeaked. My voice had gone up at least three octaves. I cleared my throat in an attempt to get my voice back to normal, but when it still felt constricted, I took a sip of my water.

 

 

“Me neither,” she responded.

 

 

If this had been a TV show, I would have spit out my water, or at least choked on it. But instead I just finished drinking and tried not to think that I may have just heard Jennie Kim say she didn’t have a girlfriend.

 

 

“I’m single too,” she clarified. Okay, that made more sense. She didn’t mean she didn’t have a girlfriend. She was talking more broadly. About a lack of a boyfriend, not girlfriend. That made much more sense.

 

 

Deciding not to comment on her admission of being single—and what could I say to her, that I would be happy to be her significant other? Not likely—I switched to the intended purpose of this visit.

 

 

“So about world history,” I started as I set my half-eaten food to the side. “What exactly are you having trouble with?” I stood and got my history book and my laptop from my desk. As my computer booted up, Jennie placed her plate to the side, opened her bag, and pulled out her own book and laptop.

 

 

We sat like that, on the floor of my room across from each other with our laptops and books spread in front of us, as we talked about the class she had missed and the upcoming exam. Neither of us were looking forward to the AP exam, and we agreed that it was hard to stay motivated for school when we had already received our college acceptance letters.

 

 

“I didn’t get a scholarship, and I don’t think I want to do cheerleading next year,” she was saying now. “I’d rather focus on my classes and get used to college than worry about doing extra stuff. I should probably look for a job, though, something that will let me study when I need to. I’m thinking the library would be a good place to start. What about you?” she asked.

 

 

I hadn’t thought that far ahead. “I’m not sure,” I admitted. “I’ll probably have to get a job too. My parents set up a college account for me when I was little, so my tuition and room and board are mostly paid for. And I’ve saved most of my babysitting money over the years. The car I drive belongs to my parents, though, and when I go to school, my sister will get it. The only thing I had to pay for was gas. Next year I’ll have to cover books and any extras, so a job would be very useful. Mind if I get a job at the library too?” I asked half-jokingly.

 

 

“I can see it: me and you ruling the library with an iron fist,” she said. I laughed, though the idea of Jennie Kim and me doing anything together certainly had appeal.

 

 

“How about this?” I said. “You be the brains and I’ll be the muscle. Someone being too loud or giving you trouble? Call me and I’ll take care of it.” I gave her my cockiest look.

 

 

“I’ll have to think that over,” she said. “I’ve seen you go against a backpack, and it wasn’t pretty.”

 

 

I groaned and covered my head with one of my pillows. I could hear her laughter. I peeked just a little bit of my face out from under my cocoon. “I wasn’t ready!” I protested. “That backpack was a lot heavier than it looked. Who knew that you were so freakishly strong?”

 

 

She pulled the pillow from off my head. I gave no resistance. It was too much fun.

“That’s why we have to start working out together. I can’t have my library enforcer being taken out by inanimate objects. Come over on Saturday. There are no games scheduled, so we just have a short practice during the morning. Are you doing anything Saturday?” she asked with hope in her voice.

 

 

I took a couple seconds to go through my schedule in my head. Without thinking too much about it, I said, “I’ve got nothing planned. But I’ll only agree if you promise to go easy on me. I don’t want to call my parents from the hospital after having a heart attack at eighteen. That might actually happen, since I haven’t ran for more than thirty seconds since freshman year gym class. Which I got a C in,” I added so she’d know the full extent of my lack of physical ability. She couldn't say that I didn’t warn her.

 

 

She put one hand over her heart and the other palm up, facing me. “I swear that I will not allow you to have a heart attack, twisted ankle, pulled hamstring, stubbed toe, or any other injuries while on my watch. By the power vested in me as a high school cheerleader, I pronounce you soon to be physically fit.”

 

 

I laughed at her solemnly spoken vow of nonsense. She was very good at saying silly things with a straight face. Her serious look dissolved into giggles as she collapsed next to me on the floor. We lay side by side, mirror images of each other with our heads held up against our arms. The nervousness and anxiety I’d had earlier about this study session were vague memories. It was hard to believe that only two hours ago I’d been agonizing over whether or not Jennie Kim had purposely smiled at me in the hallway. Now we were lying together on the floor of my bedroom, sharing smiles and acting like goofy longtime