Sep. 29, 1995
“You know I’d rather study with you, right?” I told Laura while we were walking the last couple blocks after Mei had gone home. “I just thought this would be a better way to get through to Mei.”
“You would?” Laura studied me with those deep-blue eyes, making my heart skip a beat.
“Course I would.”
“Why are you so interested in being friends with her, anyway?” Laura was too nice to say Mei was weird or retarded or whatever though I sensed the unspoken thoughts.
Should I tell her? It really sucked not being able to tell anyone about my secret or about my goal to help people and see the killer brought to justice. In fact, some days, having to keep it all to myself really chafed at me, but I persevered.
“Just a feeling,” I finally said. “I’m afraid something bad is going to happen, and I want to be there to help her if I can.”
“Something bad? Like what?”
“Some creepy guy, who claims to be her uncle, picked her up a couple days ago. I went by her house, and the car was parked there, so he must really be her uncle, but it didn’t feel right.” I shrugged, not knowing how better to explain it so she didn’t think I was nuts.
Laura’s frank appraisal of me continued, then she finally smiled. “You’ve changed, Jay. You aren’t the same guy who I remember as a kid.”
We were still kids, but high schoolers never thought of themselves as kids, of course. I wondered if I’d been acting too weird for my teenage self, but I didn’t feel that way. I stuck to the autopilot course of action as much as possible, usually. But this was new territory with Mei.
“Well, sorry if I’m embarrassing you at school or whatever,” I said, not knowing what else to say.
“Nah, it’s not that. You seem older or something.”
“Yeah, it’s been an… interesting few years.”
She put a hand on my back for a moment, perhaps sensing the burden I was bearing alone, but then she seemed embarrassed and took her hand away. “It’s all right… I kinda like it. Tomorrow night—Crimson Tide at my house, right?”
Mike had bought the video and spent all day going on excitedly about how he couldn’t wait to watch it, so we had planned a Saturday movie night for tomorrow.
“Yeah, wouldn’t miss it.”
“Okay, see ya, Jay!” She waved and continued toward her house, while I crossed the street to mine.
As I opened the door at home, I wondered if the new me was an improvement over the old me in Laura’s eyes. And if it was better, did I have any chance with her?
I was just as clueless about the fairer sex as I had ever been, despite my extra years of life.