Win Some, Lose Some

“My God,” Mayra grumbled, “I hate Chinese food.”

“You do?” I asked, momentarily distracted by the idea that anyone could hate Chinese food and grateful for the diversion.

“Yes,” she said. “The smell is awful.”

“It is now,” I agreed. “That’s why I can’t touch it.”

“But I can?” Mayra raised an eyebrow at me as she kicked some of the trash around with the toe of her shoe, spreading it out. “You going to tell me what the fuck I’m looking for now?”

My eyes scanned the floor, but I couldn’t focus on any of it. It was too disastrous, and I was thinking about what Mayra said and realizing just how fucked up it was to call her in the first place.

“Shit, shit, shit,” I mumbled under my breath. I grabbed my hair and tugged hard as I dropped down to the ground on my ass and wrapped my arms around my knees. “I’m sorry!”

“Don’t do that,” Mayra sighed. I could hear her walking toward me and felt her presence next to me as she kneeled. “It’s okay, really.”

“I didn’t know who else to call,” I whispered. “Your number was there…by the phone. I shouldn’t have called…I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m—”

“Stop,” Mayra said, and I did. “It’s okay, really. I just…I don’t know what we’re supposed to find.”

“It doesn’t matter,” I said. “It was stupid. I’m sorry, Mayra. I never should have called. I won’t do it again—”

“Matthew, cut it out!” Mayra said. I jumped a little when I felt her hand against my shoulder. She didn’t take it away but only touched me lightly. After a minute, I relaxed into her touch, and she spoke again. “I have to admit this was not the sort of thing I was expecting when you called saying it was urgent, and I have no idea what is going on here, but it’s obviously important to you. I just don’t know what else I can do to help.”

“Nothing,” I said quietly. “I don’t want you to look.”

“I’m already here,” she said.

“I’m sorry,” I repeated.

I heard Mayra let out another quick breath, and then she pulled out her phone and pushed a button. The front of it lit up her face.

“Shit,” she mumbled. “You need to get going, or we’ll be late for school.”

I realized at that point that I was only wearing the lounge pants Bet

hany bought me for Christmas—the ones with red and green M&Ms all over them. I hadn’t even thought about getting dressed for school, and suddenly I was fighting a panic attack over being late. I didn’t get too deep into it before Mayra told me the actual time, and I knew I could get ready without having to rush too much. Rushing put me on edge and screwed up my whole day.

I showered, dressed, and gathered up my book bag. Mayra was in the kitchen when I came downstairs, holding a napkin wrapped around two pieces of buttered toast.

“I don’t know what you usually eat for breakfast,” she said with a shrug. Her cheekbones turned pink. “Toast okay? We really need to get going.”

“Yes,” I replied as I reached out and took it from her. I looked from the toast to her face, and for a moment, our eyes locked together before I looked at the toast again. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome!” Mayra beamed.

We walked out the garage to head to Mayra’s car. As we walked past the mess, I cringed and shook my head. I was a total moron, no doubt about it. I was just glad Mayra didn’t seem to be too pissed off at me. As I stepped carefully over the mess, I saw a small rectangle of paper, folded neatly in half.

I couldn’t be late for school, so I spent the whole day wondering about it. I couldn’t focus on anything in my classes, so the school day was a total loss.

~oOo~

“Have you tried Szechwan?” I asked.

There is nothing better for combating an obsession than fighting with another obsession. The only thing that kept me from freaking out over the state of my garage and the folded-up ticket in the midst of it was Mayra’s apparent abhorrence of all things Chinese. Well, at least food-wise. I had been questioning her about it all day.

“I don’t know,” Mayra said as she turned the corner and headed toward my street. “All of it is just nasty.”

“Even eggrolls?” I reached out and poked at the little scrape mark on the inside of the passenger door of Mayra’s car. It was kind of shaped like a fish.