Page 47 of Okay, Cupid

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“Is this it?” Huy asks as he pulls into a spot on the side of the street in front of our apartment.

“Yep, this is me.”

“It’s been an absolute treasure, Jude Ricci.” He holds out his hand for me to take, and I do. His palms are warm.

“The feeling is mutual, Huy Trinh.”

“Are you free this Saturday? I think I told you, we’re playing again in Golden Gate Park, me and the guys. You should come this time.”

“Oh, uh … sure,” I tell him. “Thanks for the ride home. Text me when you get home, just so I know this death trap didn’t break down on you.”

“Aye aye, captain!”

He waits until I’m past the gate and through the front door before he drives off. I climb the stairs to an empty house, falling onto the couch and pulling out my backpack to do the homework that I couldn’t do earlier because I was with Huy. But before I do that, I pull out my headphones and plug them into the Walkman, opening the compartment to put the tape in.

There’s something so endearing about it, thinking of Huy picking the songs out just to record them onto something else when making a Spotify playlist would be about a billion times easier.

I’m in the middle of writing down themes in The Crucible when my phone vibrates. I rush to pick it up without even realizing just how eager I am to see who’s messaged me.

No wonder humans get addicted to these things.

The first notification that comes in reads Huy Trinh has accepted your follow request.

And the second is a request from Huy to follow me.

The third notification comes from a DM.

HUY: made it home safely.

ME: good

HUY: my mom is mad that I ate at naya before dinner

ME: you chose it, not me

HUY: yeah, but blaming you is easier

ME: unfair

I back out of the messages, realizing that I now have a history of Huy at my fingertips. At least, the history he wants to show. There are pictures of him at games and him in his soccer jersey with much shorter hair. I have pictures of him with his teammates and friends from school.

I have pictures taken inside his parents’ donut shop, pictures of his little sister playing her violin. The real surprise comes at the very bottom of his profile, a picture that maybe he forgot all about, or maybe he decided to leave it there just to have it.

It’s Huy and Alice, posted a few years ago, when they were both much smaller. I’m surprised he’s left it up because it’s clearly from before he came out. The picture is simple, just the two of them sticking their tongues out at the camera.

Still, it’s funny to see them like this, to realize how much they’ve changed in the time between then and now.

I wonder if they ever thought they wouldn’t be a part of each other’s lives. If that was a possibility that ever crossed their minds.

Not that they’ll have to worry about that for much longer.

Because I’m going to make them friends again.

Just wait and see.

ME: still there?