“Fromyou?” I ask.
“Yeah, you know Sean?” He points to Sean of power couple Julia-and-Sean fame. “He asked for my advice when he got paired with Julia for a soiree game before. Now they’re going to prom together. Lots of guys got inspired to talk to their crush after seeing how they connected.”
And that’s when I realize the crucial detail of my parents’ meet-cute—the ice game!
My head is buzzing with new possibilities, and Seph is still bugging me about talking to random boys. “If I help you secure a prom date, would that make it up to you?” Seph asks.
“Focus on getting your own date, Moseph.”
“Hey, Dani!” I leave Seph and rush toward Ms. Class President while she’s asking people to form a circle. “Don’t people always do Never Have I Ever at every single party? Have you ever heard of the ice game?”
Once I pitch the game rules to Dani, she’s already ordering me to find ice cubes. “I really love how this event is maximizing your potential,” she adds.
I bypass my parents and Kayla, who is sticking hearts on the wall, on the way to the freezer. Pa is still hovering aimlessly around Ma.
It’s not working, Pa mouths at me, and I flash him a thumbs-up to keep trying. Although, Ma thinks I’m signaling at her so she answers me with her own thumbs-up. “You’re having fun, Nika?”
“Super.”
Watch me have more fun when I pull off getting your husband back.
This could really be my parents’ breakthrough. Pa didn’t change colors because he and Ma were flirting. That all happened because Ma saw Seph give me siopaos, which made her remember Pa.
Once Ma sees all these high schoolers awkwardly holding hands with ice cubes, she’ll then remember the moment when she awkwardly held hands with Pa. All the memories will rush in, Pa stays for good, Dr. Derrick disappears—a win-win for everyone!
While I station myself at the kitchen counter where I have an optimal view of my parents, Dani marches toward me.
“Hey, Nika, are you seeing anyone?”
My heart stops for a second.
Is Dani trying to signal to me that she can see Pa’s ghost too?
“Like, are you and Seph a thing?” she clarifies, and my heart quickly resumes its regular activity.
Never mind. She’s asking me about unimportant stuff.
“Did Auntie Baby put you up to this?”
“I just noticed some vibes,” she says, and pauses. “Will I get on Auntie Baby’s good side if I bring you and Seph together?”
After I tell Dani that my love life will have no merit on her leadership award standing, she waves for a random boy to come over. For some unknown reason, the boy actually follows.
“Why is he walking toward me?” I whisper, trying not to panic as he inches nearer.
“Hans Ang. I overheard him call you cute and his sister used to work in the production crew of some musical you were in.”
Before any of this information registers, Dani forces an ice cube in my hand, and the boy is suddenly standing in front of me. “Nika, Hans; Hans, Nika,” Dani introduces us. “Enjoy the game!”
My mind is racing for ways to escape when Hans engulfs the ice on my hand with his hand. My eyes scan the rest of the room and everyone else is paired up and “mingling” over ice cubes.
Who in their right mind invented this stupid game?!?!
I try catching Kayla’s attention, but Dani got to her first, probably forcing her into holding hands with another strange boy. Meanwhile, Pa is too focused on circling around Ma and enjoying the privilege of being invisible.
After the world’s longest stretch of silence, Hans speaks. “Your name is Nika, right?”
“Yes.”
