Meet

Chen An laid on her bed, her mother's journal opened to a random page on her chest, but her mind thinking about what Shen Li Xin had said before.

She had not told Shen Li Xin the whole truth. Her mother had been a passionate writer, and her journals reflected her torment as she fell out love with literature. But, when Chen An spilled her thoughts to Shen Li Xin, she was not referring to her mother's love of literature but rather her mother's love for her.

Chen An's mother had passed away so early in her life that Chen An had no recollection of her, much less her voice. In that way, she had never heard her mother say "I love you," and Chen An had filled that void of sound with music, but it was never enough.

Her mother's journal had mentioned Chen An only in passing, like a thought that had not been told to the world. There was a fantasy her mother had had for her, something of a beautiful girl like the noblewomen she read about in Western storybooks. In truth, there was a lot to her mother that Chen An did not know, but she couldn't but selfishly think that she was part of the reason her mother had passed away.

In the beginnings of those journal entries, her mother had always referred to her as Lily or Rose or Jasmine, something like a flower of a girl as pure as spring. Chen An wondered now, with her name so plain, whether her mother had taken one look at her and was disappointed by how little she resembled those flowers her mother so admired. Chen An wondered if her mother had ever truly loved her after she was born, not only the idea of her.

Before she could get lost in her thoughts, a paper ball flew through her open window, landing unceremoniously on the carpet.

She unfolded the paper, a single word written inside. "Hi."

Chen An rolled her eyes but still scrawled a message in response, barely tossing it back through Li Jun Jie's window, where he waited to catch it. "Why don't you just text me like a normal person?"

Before long, the note was returned to her. "I don't have your phone number."

Oh, that was right. Chen An and Li Jun Jie had never been friends. Their contact was strictly through Chen An's grandmother and Mrs. Li. They had seen each other so often that it never crossed Chen An's mind to contact Li Jun Jie outside of school or their families' meetings. But, if Chen An was to help him, she would need to have a way to communicate with him. Thinking practically, Chen An wrote down the digits to her phone number and threw it back at him.

Suddenly, her phone vibrated on her desk, an unknown number displayed on the screen.

"I said to text me, not to call," Chen An said through the phone.

Li Jun Jie stood at his window, his own cellphone pressed against his ear as he looked at Chen An through her window. "I'm too lazy to text," he said, before adding on, "And I wanted to hear your voice."

"I'm going to regret giving you my phone number, aren't I?" Chen An sighed, suddenly realizing how foolish they looked talking over their phones while facing each other.

"Anyway, I meant to tell you that the semifinalists' entries for the city art contest are being displayed this Sunday in the city center. Do you want to come check it out with me?" Li Jun Jie asked.

"Sorry, I can't. I have other plans this weekend," Chen An responded.

"Ah." Chen An could not decipher Li Jun Jie's expression from her distance, but he quickly assured her, "That's okay."

Before she could ask him anything else, Li Jun Jie hung up the phone, disappearing into his bedroom out of Chen An's sight.

When Sunday rolled around, Chen An waited by the entrance of the shopping center. Her tendency to be early had been amplified by the fact that she was meeting Shen Li Xin, and she had unknowingly left the apartment half an hour ahead of their agreed time. She fiddled with her bag strap while waiting, conscious of every glance from each stranger that passed by. She had put a little extra effort in the way she looked today but hoped it wasn't too obvious.

In fact, she had not planned on dressing up at all, but Lu Xi Xi, after hearing about her plans with Shen Li Xin this weekend, threatened to personally storm into Chen An's house and get her ready if she couldn't do it herself.

Afraid of Lu Xi Xi's romantic tastes, Chen An promised to make an effort, though she was quickly regretting the skirt that seemed too short no matter how much she pulled on it.

A tap on her right shoulder caused Chen An to turn, but no one stood by her side. Shen Li Xin's honeyed laugh sounded from her left, and her eyes finally reached him.

He, too, looked different from how he did in school. A light blue button-up hung neatly on his shoulders over a white shirt with a pair of tan trousers to match. In school, Shen Li Xin was often confused for a student, his polo shirts imitating the school uniforms the students wore. But now, he looked older, and Chen An was distinctly aware of how childish she must appear beside him.

As if reading her mind, Shen Li Xin smiled at her. "You look nice, An An."

Chen An looked down at her stained sneakers but felt a small smile make its way onto her face. Shen Li Xin always seemed to have a way to make Chen An shy, even if his words were simple.

Shen Li Xin pulled out a piece of note paper from his pocket that soon cascaded into a long list. "Here's the list of things we need to get today."

Chen An leaned closer to peer over his arm, and she could hear him suck in a shaky breath. "Let's start with the watercolor palettes. The canvases will be too heavy for us to carry if we start there."

Shen Li Xin nodded, and the two made their way inside.

"Do you want to be an artist?" Chen An asked while browsing the aisle, suddenly remembering their previous conversation and realizing she had never returned the question.

"I'm not talented enough to be an artist," Shen Li Xin responded with a laugh. "Not like you are with music."

Chen An furrowed her brow in confusion. "What do you mean? You're very good with the kids."

"I can't say it hadn't been my dream once." Shen Li Xin's voice grew wistful, but he continued to peruse the shelves. "I was in design school among the best artists in the nation. I suppose when you get there, you realize how much more talented everyone around you is."

"But, you were there for a reason, too. You must have a special talent of your own," Chen An reasoned.

Shen Li Xin took her words as encouragement. "I just hope to inspire the kids. I had originally wanted to be an elementary school art teacher, but Jinling High School's art teacher was looking for an assistant, so here I am."

Chen An hummed. The job suited him: his bright personality and seemingly permanent smile drew the kids to him. It was the sort of simple happiness that nothing else could replicate. But, she was glad that he had come to their high school, and though she didn't want to admit it, she was glad they had met.

Taking the art supplies Chen An had collected in her arms, Shen Li Xin headed to the register. "Here, I'll go check out."

After Shen Li Xin paid for the supplies and they left the store, an ice cream seller beckoned them over. "Hey, you young couple! Come try some ice cream. It's the best in the whole city, imported straight from France."

Chen An felt heat rising to her face at the man's suggestion, raising a hand in attempt to cool her burning cheeks. Shen Li Xin turned over his shoulder to look at her, seemingly unfazed, "Do you want some, An An? It's my treat for all of your help today."

Without waiting for her response, Shen Li Xin waddled over, trying to balance the two large bags in his hands. "Which one do you want, An An?" he asked like an overexcited child.

Chen An tried to focus on the colorful tubs in front of her, but her mind seemed to go blank. She said an answer automatically, "Grape."

"Coming right up!" The man handed her a cone piled high with the pale green ice cream.

Shen Li Xin handed the man a bill, and the two found a bench to rest while they ate.

The ice cream reminded Chen An of her favorite grape candies, and she ate it happily. The hair that had fallen from her ponytail stuck to her lips as she ate.

Shen Li Xin laughed, rummaging through his pockets. He fished out a small plastic package with a pearl hairpin inside. "I saw this in the store and bought it thinking of you. It's a good thing it came in handy."

Shen Li Xin pulled Chen An's hair back, clipping it in place with the hairpin. His gentle touch tingled against her skin, and she was keenly aware of every accidental brush.

"Oh, that ice cream looks good," a voice interrupted them.

Chen An looked up, finding Li Jun Jie staring down at her.

"Can you buy me some, Chen An?" Li Jun Jie asked but did not look all too interested in the melting ice cream that dripped down the cone in Chen An's hand.

"What a coincidence seeing you here, Li Jun Jie," Shen Li Xin greeted him with a smile. "Here, I'll buy some for you."

"No." Li Jun Jie held out a hand to stop him. "It has to be Chen An. We had a deal, remember?"

Chen An was reminded of Lu Xi Xi's cookies that Li Jun Jie had forced her to take and nodded slowly. "That's right." She pulled out her wallet from her bag and handed it to Li Jun Jie. "Get whatever you'd like."