Chapter 03.1

I started swimming again. I was taking better care of myself—I wanted to impress my girlfriend at the upcoming wedding. I still hadn’t heard anything from Jenny, and I missed her terribly.

“Johnny,” said Uncle Steve at the end of our session the weekend after I got back. “Next week, I’ll only be free on the weekend.”

“How come?” I asked curiously.

“I’ve started giving lectures again at my old university. Janie and I usually have lunch together on those days, and next week I’ll be administering exams too.”

“I didn’t know that,” I remarked.

“In the summer, I’ll be expecting you for practice, of course,” the old man said cheerfully.

“I’ll be going home a few days before the wedding,” I said. “I can help out then too.”

“Alright, we’ll talk about it then,” Uncle Steve said, and ended the call.

—--

In the days that followed, I focused on preparing for my exams. With Uncle Steve’s help and my daily study routine, it wasn’t too difficult. Every time I saw Harper, I smiled—Jenny’s face came to mind when she talked about Helen. Every day, I tried to send her the same message, asking if we could talk, but it never went through. My number was still blocked.

Time quietly slipped by until early spring, and the wedding. I flew home several days in advance and spent two days with Uncle Steve at his clinic. I didn’t go to their house—we only met at the office.

Since it was a long weekend, Brian invited me over for a friendly game night. Mayoko was distant with me.

“Jay,” he said—I was the first to arrive—”all our friends will be here. There’ll be ten of us,” he emphasized.

“I got it. I’ll behave,” I replied.

All our friends showed up—Aaron and his girl, Daryl and his, Paul and Susy, and finally, Jenny. She wore a T-shirt and jeans, but I still thought she looked beautiful.

“You’re starting to look human again,” Paul said as he shook my hand. “Hope it stays that way.”

“I’m trying,” I said, mimicking Jenny’s tone playfully. She laughed as she stepped through the door.

“Almost there, Jay, but keep practicing,” she smiled—but I couldn’t read her expression.

“Alright, people,” Brian called out. “The battle of the sexes continues from last year. Any bets?” He looked at me, then at Jenny.

“Thanks, but I’m not really in the mood to bet,” she said.

“Let’s just bet something small,” I suggested. “Like an ice cream. But the pairs can decide when they want to claim it.”

“Alright,” she smiled. “That works.”

I stepped closer to Jenny and offered my hand. She accepted it.

“Got the questions, princess?” Paul asked. I understood what Shannon had meant—Jenny was clearly the alpha among the girls.

“Got them,” she said cheerfully, holding them up.

Brian quickly ran through the rules for Jessica and Aaron before we started. I had a feeling the girls were planning to lose, and Jenny couldn’t carry the team on her own. Our questions were solid—we won by a landslide.

“I’ll claim mine tomorrow,” Brian said to Mayoko. She just nodded.

Everyone else planned to claim their ice cream soon. I waited.

“I’ll claim mine during the summer trip,” I said after the room had gone quiet.

“B-but I’m not going on that trip,” Jenny said, flustered.

“Little girl,” I said smugly, “you have to know how to lose.”

“Ask for it another time,” Jenny replied firmly. She wasn’t as confident as usual.

“I’ll give up the ice cream if you accept a new bet,” I offered.

“What do you want?” she asked cautiously.

“If you lose, you come on the summer trip with us,” I declared.

“And if I win?” she asked, curious.

“Then you decide whatever you want.”

“I’d rather skip it,” Jenny said, glancing around at the group. “Look,” she sighed, “it’s really sweet of you all to want me on the trip, but I don’t think it’s a good idea.” I could tell she was determined in her decision.

“Then let me offer something else,” I tried to salvage the moment.

“What?” she sighed.

“If you lose, you’ll be the one waiting for me at the airport at the start of summer,” I said. “If you win, I’ll stay home from the trip and you can go instead.”

She thought for a moment, then smiled.

“That’s a fair deal,” she said with a grin. “I accept. What’s the challenge?”

“One of Brian’s simple racing games,” I said. “Just the two of us, equal conditions.”

“Alright.”