Page 60 of You Had Me at Hello World
I have a flight to PDX in August, but who knows if I’m going back? I can’t commit to anything when the future is such a question mark. “No labels yet,” I say.
“As long as you don’t sexile me,” Obi says. “You arenotkeeping me away from my A100.”
Khoi blushes. “Understood.”
“I’m serious. I don’t care if you’re naked. Iwillkarate-chop the door down.” He pantomimes with a stiff palm.
“I have a condom from health class,” Aisha adds mischievously. “Want it?”
Khoi doubles over in a furious coughing fit.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
The next two weeks of July are an absolute whirlwind. Once, at the aquarium, I saw this swarm of fluorescent fish. My parents—this was back when they were still together—were busy amusing themselves by pointing out which creatures were good to eat, but it was the bright swirling school that caught my eye. It astonished me, how they swam as one shape. But now that’s Khoi and me as we write lines upon interlacing lines of code.
The hours pass by quickly. Khoi—Khoi’sgood. He’s quick and experienced. He anticipates problems, thinks three steps ahead. Working next to him makes me all amped up, like I’ve downed too many espresso shots.
And when we get bored or tired, we make out. It’s nothing like making out with Drew. With Drew, I was always hyperaware of our surroundings. My brain had plenty of RAM for non-Drew-related thoughts, even when we were kissing. But with Khoi, it’s like everything else falls away except for this pink-and-gold bubble we’ve made for ourselves. I think I could spend my entire life inside of the bubble.
Tuesday afternoon, Khoi and I are on my bed. His mouth is hot and tender. He kisses each mole on my chin, my neck, my collarbone, and each kiss feels like the first. Our limbs are entangled, but I pull him even closer.
He tugs at the hem of my top. “Can you take this off?” The urgency in his voice stokes the fire within me.
“No,” I say.
His eyes widen. “Sorry, was that—”
“Youtake it off for me.” I give him a wicked smile, and he blushes.
We take turns removing each other’s shirts. And he’s beautiful, which is a word I never thought I’d use to describe a boy. His skin is so smooth. It reminds me of a marble sculpture at an art museum.
I’m leaning down to kiss him when the doorknob rattles. There’s this scraping sound like somebody is working the key into the lock.
Khoi calls, “Aisha, give us a minute!”
The door opens anyway. I dive for the blankets, because there’s no time to put my shirt back on.
It’s not Aisha. It’s her parents, clutching Tupperware containers full of food.
Oh my God oh my God oh my God. How did they even get in here? How do they have a key? Maybe they’re allowed to trespass, or maybe Aisha gave them a copy? I zoned out when HellomynameisBrenda gave parent-related info, since that stuff was irrelevant to me.
The adults stare at us. “Khoi?” Mr. Chadha asks. “What are you doing?”
We’re half naked. Barring some laundry emergency, it’s fairly obvious what we’re doing. I burrow deeper into the blankets. Khoi reaches for his shirt.
“How can you do this to our daughter?” Her mother demands. “And you!” She glares at me. “You—floozy—”
“Stop. Stop. Don’t insult Char. Aisha and I… uh…” Khoi improvises as he yanks his shirt over his head. “We broke up.”
Her father shakes his head. “Sorry to hear, but perhaps it’s for the best. You both should focus on college apps.”
Mrs. Chadha is still staring at me like I might try to steal her husband too. “And where is Aisha? Find My Friends says she’s here.”
“She’s probably… somewhere?” Khoi offers.
“Indeed. Thank you for that helpful contribution.” She checks her phone. “It says her location is right here. Simmons Hall. This very room.”
“You know, the GPS on Apple devices can be super inaccurate,” I say. “I read aWiredarticle about that.”
