From Twinkle, With Love(7)
Maddie nodded and then planted two air kisses on each of my cheeks. She smelled like her Poppy perfume, warm and sunny. Hooking a hand around each of the straps of her pink plaid backpack, she spun with a swirl of her skirt and walked off to class.
I stood there for a moment, feeling suddenly insecure. Was making this movie and showcasing it for the entire school a giant mistake? I mean, this was going to essentially be a message from my soul, on display for all the silk feathered hats to gawk at. Besides, I’d never, ever made a movie with someone else before. Making art was intimate. Was I ready to share that with a boy I barely knew?
But Maddie was goals for me when it came to following her passion. I had no doubt she was going to become the premier physician-scientist of whatchamacallit. And I wanted what she had. I wanted people to see me, to like me for who I was and what I had to offer. I wanted to use my talent to transform people’s lives and how they saw the world. So I nodded (to myself) and walked off to class, trying for the same swagger Maddie had.
Except I wasn’t wearing a skirt. And my shoelaces were untied. But, you know. Same difference.
Love,
Twinkle
Three
<Text message 2:02 p.m.>
From: Sahil
To: Skid, Aaron
I did it. She’s meeting me tomorrow about the movie idea
<Text message 2:02 p.m.>
From: Skid
To: Sahil, Aaron
don’t forget deodorant. i speak from experience
<Text message 2:03 p.m.>
From: Aaron
To: Sahil, Skid
Good luck man. Hope your Twinkle crush finally becomes a real thing
<Text message 2:04 p.m.>
From: Skid
To: Sahil, Aaron
yeah then maybe you can drop the Twinkle drama. she doesn’t know I exist guys! no wait! she talked to me at perk! that means we’re gonna get marrieddddddddddd
<Text message 2:04 p.m.>
From: Sahil
To: Skid, Aaron
HAHA. Very funny. I can’t stop laughing. Oh wait yes I can and in fact I never started at all
<Text message 2:05 p.m.>
From: Skid
To: Sahil, Aaron
srsly tho. you just gotta be honest with her bro. like look twinkle I like you baby girl. let’s go out for a burger
<Text message 2:05 p.m.>
From: Aaron
To: Sahil, Skid
DO NOT DO THAT
<Text message 2:06 p.m.>
From: Sahil
To: Skid, Aaron
Skid man I’m not gonna take dating advice from you. your last gf dumped you because you laughed at her great-uncle’s funeral
<Text message 2:06 p.m.>
From: Skid
To: Sahil, Aaron
dude next to me farted! it was a 6-second symphony; a one-of-a-kind auditory experience
<Text message 2:07 p.m.>
From: Sahil
To: Skid, Aaron
Sure man just keep telling yourself that. I better go before Rotten Staunton takes my phone for his collection
Tuesday, June 2
School bus
Dear Nora Ephron,
Maddie didn’t meet me at my locker. I wish I could say I’m used to it and I don’t feel bad, but I’m softer inside than I look on the outside. Like a slightly stale jelly bean.
So I was standing by my locker like a total loser well after the last bell had rung, in case Maddie showed up late, when Brij Nath came by. Brij is Indian too, so I’ve always felt a little bit of solidarity with him even though most of the time when he talks I can’t understand what he’s saying because he functions on a completely different level from my own. I mean, it’s sweet that he thinks I can keep up with his thoughts on the approaching technological singularity and human-machine interfacing, but yeah.
Anyway, today, out of nowhere, he gave me these notes he’d taken in econ (to be more precise, they were photocopies of his notes. And they were bound together in a little folder. And they came with a cover letter, which I’m pasting below).
“I noticed you were writing in your journal and not exactly paying attention,” he said, smiling a little.
“Wow,” I said, taking the folder and flipping through quickly. “These are really detailed. Thanks!” I put the notes into my locker and rummaged around for my umbrella.
“Uh, no problem,” Brij said to my back. “Some of that stuff is complicated and I remember you saying you hate econ.” Huh. I had said that, but I was pretty sure I’d been muttering to myself during a test. “So, if you want to get together to study or if you want me to explain anything, let me know.”
I turned back around with my umbrella, a little confused. “Oh, no, thanks. That’s okay.” Then I laughed. “I mean, the less time I spend on econ the better.”
Brij laughed really quickly before getting serious again. “Right. If you want to study something else, I can help too. How’s your grade in calculus?”
He wanted to know my calculus grade? What was he, Principal Harris’s spy? “Um, it’s, you know, fine, as far as calc grades go …,” I said vaguely, edging forward. “But it’s getting late and I’ve gotta go or my dadi begins to troll the Missing People’s hotline. Talk to you later! And thanks again!”
“Yo, Nath!” It was Matthew, Brij’s friend, waving to him from the computer lab.