We leave Aidan's place just after 5 pm. Nikki still has full energy and still wants to play like the overeager half-human,half-puppy she is, but Addy Oppa needs to tidy up because his friends are coming over for some reason.
"Oohhh!!!" Nikki coos into her hands mischievously. "Can I stick around to meet them? Huh, Addy Oppa?! Pweeze?!!?"
"No!" he says for the thousandth time as he ushers us out the front door. "You may not. And now, be on your way."
I chuckle to myself at their shenanigans. The book is in my hands, and remembering it triggers my inner monologue. Girl, don't be a bitch and thank the guy before you leave! Or have your manners gone MIA?
Oh, shut up, I snap back at her internally.
Nikki puts her arms around my shoulders as she laughs and bickers with her brother in the hallway. When they finally quiet down, I stuff down my anxiety and blurt, "Uh... thanks, Aidan. Uh, thanks for having us."
It comes out as barely above a whisper and I immediately regret it. But surprisingly, he hears me and gives a heart-meltingly bright smile. "It's nothing, Anya. You're always welcome here."
And I don't know if it's just me or it's the way he says my name that sends heat up to my face and makes everything south of my belly cramps up. I abruptly break eye contact as I question all my life choices leading up to this point.
Nikki grabs my chin and stares into my face with her lips pressed together in her focused look. I squirm involuntarily. She smiles cutely in response and gives one final enthusiastic wave to Aidan. "Bye!!!" she squeals. "We'll be back soon for more snacks."
Aidan rolls his eyes and groans. "Can't wait."
We leave the building with Nikki still clinging onto my back. She murmurs right into my ear, "You like my brother, don't you?"
I freeze.
But Nikki is still walking so our legs get tangled together. I find myself a second later face-down on the concrete sidewalk while Nikki supports herself against a wall laughing hysterically. I pout and slap her bare legs. "Ow!!" she shouts and rubs her shin, still laughing.
I stand up and grab her arm. "Idiot! Don't laugh like that in public next to me. Everyone's looking at us now." I drag her along with me, looking down so I can pretend there's nobody else around.
"He he he," Nikki says unfazed and starts skipping beside me. "Come on. We still have an hour before my curfew. Let's go do something stupid."
"Oh no--"
"Yes!" Nikki insists. "And you're gonna love it. Or we could go grab eats at Asia Land? You're paying."
I wave her insistence off. "No thanks. I'm a bit tired. I need to go unload the washers and vacuum the place. I promised Larry I would."
Nikki pouts and lowers her eyes. "Fine. Some other time then? Tuesday afternoon?" Her eyes widen, expecting an answer.
I give her a lopsided grin. "Maybe. I'll see how I feel on that day."
We arrive at my house and Nikki hugs me goodbye. I find my dad seated on the couch so I immediately abandon my cleaning resolve, deciding that sitting with him talking about taxes and horrible customer behavior is more fun. Larry doesn't scold me when he gets home but stares instead in that way that makes my soul shrink.
In the end though, I get away with not vacuuming.
***
School feels louder on Monday, like everyone--including me--decides the weekends are too nice to deal with their problems. And so, they shove all that chaos into the Monday mood--characterized by snoozing during class, people throwing attitude left and right, and everyone being relatively sluggish compared to on Thursday or Friday.
Why does everyone hate Monday so much, though? But we can't get rid of it. If we do, Tuesday just becomes the new Monday. It's so sad how one has to take the shade for the six others in a week.
By Monday, all that Aidan awkwardness has been shoved behind me, right next to the guilt of unresolved chores and other things--*cough* people--I try not to think about. I'm focused rather on the exams ahead. In a few weeks, school will be over for the year, and I'm so excited. I have a strong resolve to surpass all others this year, and I've been trying. I made second place last semester, and I've been aceing all my assessments since this one started.
I breathe in the hallway air as I stroll to my locker. Nikki appears beside me, an exaggerated pouty look on her face with tears and snot and everything. "Annie?"
"Yes? What's wrong?"
"I'm pregnant."
My eyes widen as I stare at her. "Nah, you're capping." She shakes her head slowly, the tears flowing more now.
"It's true. I checked this morning."
My face drops and my heart begins to race."The fuck?" I breathe in disbelief, panic bubbling inside me--and then Nikki finally drops the act, cracking a big smile and laughing hard.
"GOT YOU!!" she squeals. "Jeez, you're so easy to prank."
I heave a relieved sigh and slap her playfully across the cheek. "You asshole!" I laugh. "Don't do that again!"
"Yeah, well I'm on my period, though, which is a shame. It's so--oh?"
I turn around to see what Nikki is suddenly staring at and dread fills me. "Nix, hide me!"
"What?"
"Uh... Well, uh, just act normal."
"Anya, you know you'd have to tell her eventually right?"
"What?!"
"She's headed our way. It's your chance. Just say hi in the most natural way possible. Smile, be nice and don't-- Oh, hi Anna!"
Nikki waves at Anna-Kat as she sashays past. Anna stops, smiles back at her and says hi in the most nice-sounding way possible, nods at me, and continues on her way.
And I just stand there staring through the whole thing.
Idiot! Fool! That was your chance!
I know! Don't yell at me!
She even noticed you! What is wrong with you?
I don't know.
"See?" Nikki says breaking into my thoughts. "So easy. She's a nice girl. She even acknowledged your presence. That's a true gentlehuzz right there."
"Ugh, Nikki. Just stop," I snap with sudden irritation, my hands clapping over my temples.
"You know you'll have to stop acting like overcooked ramen all the time, right? You need to learn to be bolder and more confident. It's psychology. People respect you more when you're confident."
Nikki folds her hands, staring me down with the most serious look she can possibly muster. But I can't help but notice the crusty eye boogers sitting in her medial canthi.
"Jesus, Nix!" I say harsher than intended.
"Leave me alone! I'm a wet noodle and you're raw spaghetti. We're not the same! Now, just stop!"
Nikki gives me a hurt look, opens her mouth to say something, but gets interrupted by the bell. Her eyebrows furrow and she rolls her eyes into her sockets before muttering, "We'll talk later."
She spins around and walks away, not even bothering gett out any of her books from her locker. I try remembering her Monday schedule and remember it's Economics first period. She usually ditches anyway to join the toilet campes, and if she ever does attend, she sleeps through most of it or composes silly parodies and chemistry jokes in her notebooks. After debating with myself whether to take her things to her or not, I decided to go ahead and hurry off to World History.
My belly hurts as I sat through the lesson. I keep thinking about what Nikki said. And so, I reach into myself and come face to face with the Mini Me inside staring ever-so-judgmental at me.
Am I really an overcooked ramen? I think sadly. Well, technically, I'm a human, not Korean food.
That's not what se meant!! Mini Me groans back and rolls her eyes. She means you're not strong willed. You're a freaking baby. You're a doormat. You're as brain rotted as a fucking iPad kid!
"I am NOT!"
"Huh?"
"Oops," I mutter, my face turning red. Thirty pairs of eyes stare at me in confusion. I've been talking to myself out loud. "I'm sorry."
I zone out for the rest of the period don't pay attention. I just keep my hands busy mindlessly doodling on the inside back cover of my notebook.