Page 72 of You Had Me at Hello World
Well… time to bounce, then. I stand.
“Wait, before you go,” she says. “Why did you start ignoring me?”
“Hmm?”
“We were totally chill that first day. Good vibes. And then… it’s like you ghosted.”
“Oh. That.” I blink.
I could crack a stupid joke. Dodge the question completely. But maybe she deserves to know.
“Honestly, I didn’t like how you and Lucas talked about Khoi.” And I felt bad that I didn’t defend him.
There’s an understanding in her eyes, and then regret. “I don’t feel good about that either. It’s like I became a different person when I was around him.”
I shrug, because I’m not the one she should apologize to.
When I walk out of her room, something bubbles in my chest, like,Huh. I’m kind of that bitch.Kicking Lucas’s ass with that computer script, calling Stella out on her mean behavior, all before dinner.
It sort of reminds me of when I let Lola cut my bangs. I didn’t recognize the new Charise Tang in the mirror, but she was someone with main-character energy. Someone I wanted to get to know.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Lucas disappears—no official statement is made by the administration, but everybody knows he’s been expelled. His roommate, a lanky boy from New Jersey named Chris, throws a party to celebrate and promptly gets shut down by HellomynameisBrenda.
August simmers in. Khoi and I finish implementing all the functionality for Hello World and start testing edge cases. Our app breaks a lot. As we work, he hums a tune:Ninety-nine little bugs in the code, ninety-nine bugs in the code / patch one down, compile it around, 122 bugs in the code…
A week before our project is due I receive this email from the College Board reminding me of my upcoming SAT. It’s scheduled for the Saturday of final presentations. Oof. I completely forgot I signed up for that, way back in June when Aisha’s mom got on my case about it. I hate it when Past Char makes decisions for Future Char. The decisions are often bad.
“Should I even bother taking the August SAT?” I ask Khoi. “I haven’t studied at all. I could just take it in October.”
He taps his chin. “If you’re already signed up, you might as well?”
“But it’s the day of final presentations.”
“We can ask for a presentation slot after your exam.”
“What if it jeopardizes our chances at winning?” I don’t know if I can prepare for both the SAT and our presentation on the same day. Multitasking is such a struggle. Like, I can barely walk and text at the same time.
“Alpha Fellows is just one summer,” he says. “College is the next four years of your life.” He smiles. “Besides, I thought we were going to apply to MIT early? Your October test scores might not arrive in time for the November deadline.”
“Thought you were doing Harvard early,” I say.
“No, I said that to appease the Chadhas. I want to apply to MIT. Better engineering program.” He shrugs. “I mean, if you want to go to Harvard, that’s cool too. They’re both in Cambridge. We could still be together.”
“Khoi, what are you on about?”
We haven’t even discussed what’s happening to us once summer’s over. Why is he out here acting like we’re going to attend college together? As if I’m even going to get into any of these universities he’s name-dropping.
He looks confused. “I guess I assumed you wanted to go here, since you’re doing a summer program at MIT. My bad.” Then he nods like he gets it. “Ohhhh. You’re a West Coast, Best Coast believer. You’re thinking Stanford?”
“No!”The exclamation comes out harsher than I mean it to. He flinches. “I don’t know what I’m doing for college apps.”
“But it’s already August,” he says. “Did you ask teachers for rec letters yet? Have you signed up for the Common App portal?”
His questions make me feel like I’m wearing an itchy sweater. “No.”
“Do you need help?”
