Page 29 of It's in the Contract
We sit in Suzy’s messy room with posters of famous tennis players that I don’t know crowding for space on the walls alongside posters of BTS. Her bed is a comfortable gray queen that matches the gray walls. A tennis racket and pack of tennis balls is on the bed, along with Suzy’s grass-stained cheer outfit and a pile of homework. The floor is littered with clothes, ChapStick tubes, and M&M wrappers. Being in here practically gives me hives. But the air smells pleasantly like Suzy’s signature strawberry scent.
Dana sits cross-legged on the floor, and I lean back in Suzy’s ergonomic desk chair while Suzy sits up perfectly straight in the little space left on the bed. In Dana’s lap rests Mr. Mochi, Suzy’sfluffy brown and black guinea pig. Dana strokes the soft fur while she tilts her head, thinking.
“C’mon people.” Suzy tightens her high ponytail. “Any and all ideas are welcome.”
Dana’s eyes light up. “You could give everyone a ferret!”
Suzy’s eyes narrow. “Except that idea. And she’s a guinea pig, not a ferret.”
“But he’s so cute.” Dana picks Mr. Mochi up and cuddles her to her neon yellow sweater, and the guinea pig’s eyes bulge out of her head.
“She.She’s so cute,” Suzy says.
Dana’s face screws up. “Isn’thernameMr.Mochi?”
Suzy sighs and sets down her pen. “When I bought her a few months ago, the store owners thought she was a boy. Turns out she’s pregnant.”
Dana rotates Mr. Mochi, and her little feet splay out to the side. “Pregnant?”
“Yes, she’s having babies soon, and she needs to be treated gently!”
I hide my smile.
“Okay, okay.” Dana sets the guinea pig gently in her lap.
There’s a soft tap on Suzy’s door, and her dad pops his head in. His eyes are crinkled at the corners from his constant smile, and his jet-black hair is graying at the temples. “I brought you girls popcorn!”
I fake a smile. “Thanks, Mr. Jeong.” I stand to take the bowl from him and set it in my lap.
“Appa, we’re busy. We don’t need popcorn.”
Mr. Jeong bobs his head. “Growing girls always need a healthy snack.” He smiles at each of us before closing the door.
Suzy sighs.
Dana sets Mr. Mochi in her lap and grabs a handful of popcorn. “Your dad is so nice. What’s so bad about bringing us popcorn?”
I set the bowl next to her. “Dude. Wash your hands before you eat that.”
Dana grins and shoves the handful in her mouth. She chews for a moment before frowning. She swallows, but her face is pained, and Suzy and I can’t help but giggle.
“You can always count on my dad to bring a bowl of dry, air-popped popcorn to the party,” Suzy says. “Okay, where were we?”
Dana pushes aside the bowl and resumes stroking Mr. Mochi’s fur.
I mull over my ideas for a campaign strategy. I want to win so bad I can taste it. Now that I’ve decided to go for this, there’s nothing holding me back. “We could make posters?”
Suzy nods and writes it down. “What else?”
My phone buzzes in my pocket.
Are you planning your campaign? Can I give you some ideas? I’d love to be involved!
Mom. I text back.
Yes, we’re planning. I’m at Suzy’s house, and Dana’s here, too.I pause. Do I want Mom’s input? Not really. I would rather do this myself. But she’s finally taking an interest in my life and something I’m doing, so I don’t want to write that off, either.But we’d love some ideas?
Mom texts back a smiley emoji with heart eyes.
