Mas Flow
2.
We reached our café, Black and Blue, very quickly. Masumi had almost run from Tim and down the three streets between the school and the café. At the counter was our friend Del who always gave us a small discount on the bakeries sold. He greeted us with a nod and slight flip of his hair. We sat at our usual spot, the only table by the large window. Masumi dug into her tiny back pack and took out a folded piece of blue paper. I knew it had come from her notebooks because she wrote only colored paper. She handed me the paper.
I began unfolding it, “What’s this?”
“Something Tim gave me during biology. I thought it was something you would love to read,” she gave me her million-dollar smile.
“This better not be about some dumb girl he wants to go out with,” I stared at the blue paper a long moment before I began reading.
“Why would I want to show you something like that?”
I’m sure Masumi was still talking, but I was too busy reading the note. I felt like a spy invading in Tim’s mind. At first Masumi had begun the note by asking Tim if he had found anybody he liked yet. You see, Masumi was the kind of person that loved to be a matchmaker; if she knew the girl Tim wanted to be with, she would help him out no matter who she was. He responded saying quite a few. Then, asking her question of “who?” he listed some girls’ names. I knew some of them like Desiree, a pretty Filipina who I talked to during gym class, and Paola, a shy girl from Argentina who was my partner in biology. What surprised me was that my name was on the list. I looked up at Masumi and I’m sure she could read my mind.
“Why are you so surprised? It’s kinda obvious,” she rolled her eyes.
I shook my head, “You know I don’t pay attention when those kinds of things happen to me.”
“Of course, how could I forget? Anyway, keep reading,” she waved her hand at me.
The note went on to say that Masumi knew most of those girls, but she was more interested in helping him out with me. He replied saying he didn’t need help with me. I wondered what he meant by that. Did he think that it was going to be easy to get me to be his girlfriend? Anger flared inside me. He was such a jerk sometimes. These were the times when I wondered why I liked him so much. He was so conceited and full of himself at times.
“Calm down, Zuli,” Masumi broke my train of though. “You know how he is.” She took the note back.
“Why did it stop there?’
“We were moved to the lab benches after that. We sit on opposite sides of the room while there so it was kinda dumb to pass notes there.”
“Well, I guess that kinda explains why he popped up by my locker. But what does he mean that he doesn’t need any help? Do you think he thinks I’m easy to get?”
She started laughing, “He is so wrong if he thinks that. I think he knows you like him or something. Still, don’t make it so obvious ‘cause sometimes you really do. It’s kinda pathetic.”
“You know I’m not doing it on purpose,” I sighed.
Del came up to our table with our favorites, “Yo, don’t waste your time wit’ Tim. Go after bigger and betta’ things, ya’ feel me?”
I smiled at Del, “I like him though. You got any advice on how to get over it?”
He shrugged, “Find a distraction.” He walked away to tend to some customers at the counter.
“He’s right, you know,” Masumi took a sip of her coffee. “I think I have the perfect person in mind too.”
“Su, you know how long I’ve known Tim. It’s going to take more than just a guy to take my mind off of him. Don’t forget I see him at school and every time the crew practices.”
She rolled her eyes, “We’ll find a way, don’t worry.”
I could see that she was plotting. Her head was tilted and her eyes looked outside to something distant. I just shook my head and looked around the café to see who had arrived. Desiree and half her posse was there. She caught eyes with me and walked over to us in her perfect model walk. Her hips swayed like a dancer’s and her perfect bob with bangs shined under the lights. I could never compete with her.
She reached our table and smiled, “Hey Zuli. Hey Masumi. I haven’t you guys here before.”
Masumi shrugged, “We come here everyday after school. I’m surprised we haven’t seen you here before either.”
“Oh, I don’t come right after school, but today my friends wanted to ‘cause it’s so hot outside,” she looked back at her little posse. “Well, I have to go. See you guys at school.” She kissed our cheeks and sashayed back to her groupies.
“She’s so pretty,” I put my head down on the table.
Masumi sighed, “You need a major distraction.
I began unfolding it, “What’s this?”
“Something Tim gave me during biology. I thought it was something you would love to read,” she gave me her million-dollar smile.
“This better not be about some dumb girl he wants to go out with,” I stared at the blue paper a long moment before I began reading.
“Why would I want to show you something like that?”
I’m sure Masumi was still talking, but I was too busy reading the note. I felt like a spy invading in Tim’s mind. At first Masumi had begun the note by asking Tim if he had found anybody he liked yet. You see, Masumi was the kind of person that loved to be a matchmaker; if she knew the girl Tim wanted to be with, she would help him out no matter who she was. He responded saying quite a few. Then, asking her question of “who?” he listed some girls’ names. I knew some of them like Desiree, a pretty Filipina who I talked to during gym class, and Paola, a shy girl from Argentina who was my partner in biology. What surprised me was that my name was on the list. I looked up at Masumi and I’m sure she could read my mind.
“Why are you so surprised? It’s kinda obvious,” she rolled her eyes.
I shook my head, “You know I don’t pay attention when those kinds of things happen to me.”
“Of course, how could I forget? Anyway, keep reading,” she waved her hand at me.
The note went on to say that Masumi knew most of those girls, but she was more interested in helping him out with me. He replied saying he didn’t need help with me. I wondered what he meant by that. Did he think that it was going to be easy to get me to be his girlfriend? Anger flared inside me. He was such a jerk sometimes. These were the times when I wondered why I liked him so much. He was so conceited and full of himself at times.
“Calm down, Zuli,” Masumi broke my train of though. “You know how he is.” She took the note back.
“Why did it stop there?’
“We were moved to the lab benches after that. We sit on opposite sides of the room while there so it was kinda dumb to pass notes there.”
“Well, I guess that kinda explains why he popped up by my locker. But what does he mean that he doesn’t need any help? Do you think he thinks I’m easy to get?”
She started laughing, “He is so wrong if he thinks that. I think he knows you like him or something. Still, don’t make it so obvious ‘cause sometimes you really do. It’s kinda pathetic.”
“You know I’m not doing it on purpose,” I sighed.
Del came up to our table with our favorites, “Yo, don’t waste your time wit’ Tim. Go after bigger and betta’ things, ya’ feel me?”
I smiled at Del, “I like him though. You got any advice on how to get over it?”
He shrugged, “Find a distraction.” He walked away to tend to some customers at the counter.
“He’s right, you know,” Masumi took a sip of her coffee. “I think I have the perfect person in mind too.”
“Su, you know how long I’ve known Tim. It’s going to take more than just a guy to take my mind off of him. Don’t forget I see him at school and every time the crew practices.”
She rolled her eyes, “We’ll find a way, don’t worry.”
I could see that she was plotting. Her head was tilted and her eyes looked outside to something distant. I just shook my head and looked around the café to see who had arrived. Desiree and half her posse was there. She caught eyes with me and walked over to us in her perfect model walk. Her hips swayed like a dancer’s and her perfect bob with bangs shined under the lights. I could never compete with her.
She reached our table and smiled, “Hey Zuli. Hey Masumi. I haven’t you guys here before.”
Masumi shrugged, “We come here everyday after school. I’m surprised we haven’t seen you here before either.”
“Oh, I don’t come right after school, but today my friends wanted to ‘cause it’s so hot outside,” she looked back at her little posse. “Well, I have to go. See you guys at school.” She kissed our cheeks and sashayed back to her groupies.
“She’s so pretty,” I put my head down on the table.
Masumi sighed, “You need a major distraction.