Monday, March 1, 2010 | 1:41 PM |

Chapter 8

GENIE BEAR,WE HAVEN'T HAD MORE THAN TWO MINUTES TO TALK IN THE PAST COUPLE OF DAYS. I MISS YOU! IT'S THURSDAY AFTERNOON--- MY FREE PERIOD. I'M WRITING THIS FROM THE LIBRARY PC, AND ANY MOMENT THE LIBRARIAN IS GOING TO COME OVER AND FREAK BECAUSE I'M ONLY SUPPOSED TO BE ONLINE FOR "RESEARCH." HERE'S WHAT YOU MISSED:
I FIND OUT WHERE JIRO'S LOCKER IS. I WAIT NEARBY LIKE A SPY AND SPRING OUT AT HIM. I ASK HIM ABOUT THE FOOTBALL TEAM. I ASK HIM ABOUT HIS COLLEGE CHOICES. I ASK HIM ABOUT THE WEATHER.
(THE WEATHER, GENIE! CAN YOU STAND IT? I AM TALKING TO A GUY ABOUT THE WEATHER AND HE'S NOT PICKING UP ON THE FACT THAT I'M TALKING ABOUT POSSIBLE PRECIPITATION SO THAT I CAN TALK TO HIM! WOULD YOU JUST SHOOT ME NOW AND PUT ME OUT OF MY MISERY?) AND I REALLY LIKE HIM. EVERY TIME HE'S AROUND I--- I JUST LIKE HIM, OKAY?
WHAT AM I DOING WRONG? TOMORROW I'M GOING TO DROP A NOTE IN HIS LOCKER. DO I SOUND LIKE I'M IN THE SIXTH GRADE? 'CAUSE I'M BEGINNING TO WONDER.
I TELL MYSELF, "HELLO? WHY ARE YOU TRYING THESE STUPID THINGS ON JIRO?" AND MY IDIOT SELF ANSWERS, "BECAUSE THEY WORKED WITH EVERY OTHER GUY!" FOR OTHER GUYS, IT SEEMS LIKE A BLINK OR A SNEEZE IS ENOUGH ENCOURAGEMENT TO SEND THEM RUNNING OVER. SO... SNEEZE, BLINK... WHERE IS JIRO???
XXXOO, RAINIE
I stopped typing and reread my e-mail. It was not like me to have to think so much about a guy. Why was this so hard? Why wasn't Jiro getting it? Then I caught a glimpse of the librarian, heading my way with a pinched frown on her face. So I clicked Send quickly and called up my research screen again.
My next class was European History. I met GuiGui by her locker and we walked together.
"So what's going on with Jiro?" she asked, raising her eyebrows. "Have you snagged him yet?"
"Not quite," I admitted.
"Well, I'm sure you're a lot closer than I am. I still haven't even gotten up the nerve to say hello to Wang Zi. It's hard for me. I wish I could be like you, Rainie. So confident."
Yeah, right, I thought. The way things were going with Jiro, I definitely did not feel confident.
"Don't beat yourself up because you're not aggressive," I said. "You won't get him by pretending to be someone you're not. All I'm saying is, you have to give him the opportunity to get to know you. If you can do that, then the rest is inevitable. He'll have no choice but to adore you."
"I hope so," she said uncertainly.
I felt so protective toward GuiGui, like she was my little sister. I wished I could run out to the mall and buy her a boyfriend. But that wouldn't really help. What GuiGui needed was confidence, and getting Wang Zi to notice her would give her that.
We were moving past the gym crush, toward the west wing, when I spotted Wang Zi hanging out by the trophy case with two other guys. "Don't look now, but there he is," I told her.
GuiGui turned her head in his direction. Not very subtle, but I guess that was GuiGui's style. "Oh, God. He--- he's looking right at me!" Panic froze her face.
"Smile!" I hissed through a smile of my own. "Smile, and veer over toward him. We'll talk to him."
"I can't," she insisted, as I maneuvered her over. "I don't... I can't..."
"Wang Zi!" I said, interrupting the guys. "What's up?"
"Hey, Rainie," he replied. All three guys looked at us. I recognized the other two from the basketball team.
"Did you hear about the new buses?" I asked. "I heard Coach thinks there's enough money in the budget to get the teams luxury buses for the away games. With televisions and everything."
"Really?" one of the other guys said.
Sometimes it pays to be a cheerleader. It's one way to keep your fingeron the pulse of the school athletic program.
"Really?" GuiGui repeated. "Is that great news, or what?"
"Sounds cool," Wang Zi agreed.
And then there was that awkward silence. I fished in my brain for something to say.
"Chemistry!" GuiGui cried out suddenly, pointing at Wang Zi.
The guys stared at her. Was she going to announce to the world that there was this incredible chemistry between Wang Zi and her?
GuiGui pointed to the book in Wang Zi's hands. "Do you have Mr. Ang for chem? I had him last year, and he's so tough." She sounded a little desperate.
"Actually. I have Ms. Sen," Wang Zi answered.
"Oh." GuiGui pressed her lips together and blushed. She was sinking, and I wasn't sure how to throw her a lifeline.
I decided it was time to cut our losses. "Got to run," I said, grabbing her arm. "Don't want a late note the first week."
"Bye, Wang Zi," GuiGui called.
"Bye, Rainie... and Ginie."
GuiGui fell into step beside me and whispered. "Ginie? He thinks my name is Ginie? God, I really make an impression on people, don't I? And that chemistry comment. As if he cares."
"You did fine," I said, trying to reassure her.
"Right," she said sarcastically.
"He'll get it right the next time," I said. "Maybe he was nervous too."
GuiGui sighed. "Sure. Next time he'll probably call me Guilen."
"Well, at least that's closer," I teased her.
But I was beginning to wonder. No detectable response from Jiro, and none from Wang Zi either.
Maybe I wasn't as good at this guy thing as I had thought.
After school GuiGui found me in the girls' locker room. I was slipping on a pair of spandex shorts for cheerleading practice.
"Hey!" I greeted her. I checked my watch. "Yikes! I'm late for practice. What's up?"
GuiGui slumped onto the bench beside me as I pulled on my white socks and sneakers. "It's over," she said glumly.
"What's over?" I tightened my laces, not tracking.
She glanced around to make sure no one was listening in. "Wang Zi," she said quietly. "It's over."
I stood up and motioned for her to follow me out of the stuffy locker room.
"But we're not done reeling him in. We've barely even started," I protested. "What happened?"
"Nothing," she answered. "That's the thing. I can't make this happen with Wang Zi. I just can't do it." She sighed. "I feel as if I'm letting you down. You've been trying so hard to help me."
I put a hand on her shoulder. "You've got to do what's right for you. Don't worry about me," I said. I felt as though I'd let her down. GuiGui wanted this to be the year she'd get a boyfriend, and I really wanted to be the one who helped her get one.
"Thanks for understanding," GuiGui said and walked off.

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