Page 48 of Okay, Cupid

HUY: yeah, trying to do homework

ME: same

ME: I won’t distract you

HUY: probably for the best :)

HUY: see you tomorrow? I expect to hear your thoughts on the tape

ME: I promise

HUY: night jude ricci

I smile at the message.

ME: good night huy trinh.

“Any fun plans for the day?” Huy asks as we walk out of school together, both of us freshly showered and aching from the exercises we did. It’s like he always knows where to find me.

“Tutoring,” I tell him, trying my best not to sound too excited. “By Alice. I bombed that last quiz.” I’d practically gone to her on my hands and knees, both because I actually do need help if I’m going to survive the rest of my time at Hearst, and because more quality time with her certainly can’t hurt.

We struck a deal after I promised to buy her dinner.

“Oh, that’s cool …” Huy hesitates.

“Is it?” I ask.

“She’s the reason I didn’t flunk all through middle school.”

“What about you?”

“Work,” he says. “Got an early shift at the bakery after I get Hương to her violin lesson. They have to get some shopping done.”

“Hương?”

“My sister. You’re probably going to meet her at the showcase on Friday.”

“Really?” That’s when the final step clicks into place and I can start to picture the grand finale. At least to the first half of this plan. I might need Cal’s help, though, to make it work. With two of them, there will be a lot of moving pieces.

“Yeah, my mom thinks that Hearst isn’t a good enough school for her, not enough focus on music. But my dad wants to make sure she knows all her options.”

“Huh, well … not to brag, but I think our orchestra is pretty good!”

“Aren’t you literally turning pages for Alice?”

“It’s a very tough job,” I promise him.

We round the corner of the block just in time to see Alice standing there at the bus stop, right where I told her to meet me, phone in hand, earbuds in her ears. She doesn’t notice that we’re there at first, and I do my absolute best to keep Huy’s attention on me for long enough that the two of them don’t notice each other until it’s too late.

Alice freezes up as Huy and I both approach her. Huy doesn’t notice until I call out “Hey, Alice!” because all his attention was on me.

It feels like a monumental moment, at least to me. Sure, the two of them have been in the same place at the same time. And at lunch, they sit maybe ten feet away from each other. But this is the first time that the two of them have been face-to-face in the days that I’ve known them.

I just need one of them to be brave, to take that first step, to turn this awkward moment into something more real.

Thankfully, Alice does exactly what I need her to.

“Hey, Huy,” she says quietly, pausing before she says his name, almost like she’s afraid. Her voice is barely audible above the passing cars and talking students who have joined us around the stop.