Page 11 of All Saints: Pledge

I laugh as we step out onto the street. The girl at the counter follows us and flips the sign, still eyeing Dominic.

Dom’s gaze darts between us and the girl. “You guys go on ahead. I’ll be right back. I think I left something inside.”

My perverse elation dies.

Li rolls her eyes so hard, I feel like they might fall out. “Are you taking an extrovert supplement all of a sudden?” She doesn’t wait for a reply. “At least this way I win. Noodles it is. When you’re done getting her number, come find us.”

With a swish of her long dark hair, she ushers me back out onto the street. It’s lit now by the street lamps and shops close all around us. Li sweeps us through a side street to what I gather is her favorite noodle shop. Scents of garlic and soy hit my nose as we push through the steamed-up door and I realize how hungry I am.

“Do you eat noodles for every meal, or just most of them,” I ask, feeling comfortable enough to tease her.

“English food is crap,” she answers. “You’ll figure that out soon enough.” She orders for me and we sit in a little table near the window.

“So how are classes?” She asks as she settles the condiments on the table and stows our bags into the spare chair.

“Hard,” I say with a sigh. I rub my eyes. “I haven’t been sleeping well.”

She quirks an eyebrow. “Scholarship stuff? Any indication you’ll vanish in the night yet?”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” I say. But her mention about the timing, and what I understand now about the structure of the tests…it makes sense. My stomach fills with a sense of foreboding. “Sorry to disappoint. Just normal classwork stuff. I feel like I couldn’t philosophize myself out of a paper bag tonight if I wanted to.”

“Plus having moved halfway across the world,” she points out, emphasizing her point with chopsticks as our bowls of noodles arrive.

“And that,” I agree. The bowl looks delicious. I dig in hesitantly, wanting to wait for Dominic, though Li already has a mouthful.

Behind her, the door swings open and Dominic walks in. I school my features, looking for any sign that he and the girl had averyquick tryst but find none.

“Did you find it?” Li asks as he slides into the seat across from us and puts his bag on top of ours.

“Find what?” Dominic asks, staring at the menu board. He glances at Li and I swear his cheeks pink. “Oh! The thing I lost. Oh um, yeah. Yeah I did.”

“Yeah youdid,” Li says on a laugh. “Dominic, you lady killer.”

“I did not go back in forthat,” Dominic says, and he stands to go order. But he turns up his collar, I assume to hide a blush.

“I don’t know what is with him,” Li says as she watches Dominic stand in line. “He’s not usually the type to give a girl his number. Especially without talking first. He’s so shy.”

My stomach sinks. “First time for everything, I guess?”

“Indeed,” she agrees and we both ponder Dominic’s back.

Dominic isdownright chatty on our walk home. He asks me what I like about my classes, what I want to do with my life. Then he asks Li about theveryattractive English professor she’s secretly pining over.

She latches onto the subject. “My Econ class is giving a party this weekend after that charity gala, and I think he’ll show up. I would invite you to come and be my wingman, except you’re too pretty. It would be a pity to find out he likes guys.”

“At least then you’d know,” Dominic responds drily.

“I guess. Fine, you both should come. But who is to say you won’t be swayed byhishandsomeness and take him from me?”

“That is the second time tonight someone has insinuated I’m gay,” Dominic says as we round the corner.

I cough.

“It’s because you’re so considerate,” Li says as we round the corner to my door. “Alright, goodnight, fair Helena. Plan on coming to the gala with us and the party afterwards.”

“Okay,” I say, holding out my fob. “Goodnight guys.”

They troop off around the corner of the building, heading for the door to the stairs.

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