Crossing (2010) by Fukuda Andrew Xia

Author:Fukuda, Andrew Xia [Fukuda, Andrew Xia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Thriller/Mystery
Published: 2010-04-16T23:00:00+00:00

On account of my longer practice with Mr. Matthewman that morning, I missed homeroom, but I made it to my first period class, math. I almost stumbled into Jan Blair’s desk.

Since the day Jan Blair kissed me, I’d been bedeviled by the thought that she might start treating me like a boyfriend. All kinds of scenarios played themselves out during sleepless nights: she’d sit waiting at my seat, scrawling I luv Kris all over her hand, or she’d follow me around school like a sick puppy. But for the most part I found her to be her usual drab self, much like this morning, sitting at her desk, a faraway look in her eyes.

Naomi was at her desk, too, writing furiously. I took my seat next to her.

“Maybe we should…” she muttered as if to herself.

“What?”

“Maybe we should have dinner together at the food court tonight.” She said this while still writing in her journal, not looking at me. “It’s been, like, forever since we’ve hung out. My parents are trying out a new eggplant dish. I’ve told them that white folks don’t like eggplant, but they’re very insistent.”

“Tonight may not be good. I have a rehearsal. Mr. Matthewman just told me.”

She stopped writing and looked at me finally. “We haven’t been able to talk, hardly, anymore. In the morning you no longer take the bus. After school you’re off doing some singing lessons again. We’re kind of losing touch.”

“It’s not just my fault. I’m free on the weekends, but you’re off doing your own stuff.”

“It’s church stuff. And it’s important to me.”

“Well, so is singing to me. This musical. There’s all this pressure on me—I hardly have time to myself. And the performance is only five days away, and—” I stopped. I could see she wasn’t in the mood for an argument.

“I have stuff going on in my life,” she said.

Don’t we all? I wanted to say.

“How about after your rehearsal? If you get let out early enough?”

“I can’t. It’s with the chorus, for the first time. It’ll run late.”

“OK. Whatever.” She went back to her writing.

And then something terrible happened.

Jan Blair turned to Naomi and gave her a folded piece of paper. Naomi frowned at it, perplexed, then she quickly unfolded it and started to read.

“Pass it to Kris!” Jan Blair hissed. “It’s a note for him, not you.”

Naomi handed it to me with a quizzical expression.

I’m not one to turn red, but at that moment I could feel the flush of heat hit my cheeks. I wanted to duck my head into my turtleneck and never come out again. I grabbed the note and rammed it unread into my pocket like used tissue.

Thankfully, Mr. Jefferson walked in at that moment. He looked even more tired than usual. Rumor had it he was going through an ugly divorce and was losing custody of his kids, all of which was taking a toll on him. He was also a lousy teacher, never interacting with students, giving out only multiple-choice homework and tests.

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