Heavenly Creatures

Okay, you caught me. The truth is, I’m shy. And the new boy was cute, very cute. Not to beat a dead horse, but the new boy was the kind of guy Ana would have loved to have staring at her.

So it’s only natural that I was suspicious of him.

I sighed. “Okay, how should we split this?”

The new boy shrugged. “I dunno. Any thoughts?”

I suggested we split it so we each did every other section. He agreed easily. I hesitated as I wrote my name at the top. “What’s your full name?” I asked, indicating the blank at the top of my worksheet.

“It’s…” He hemmed, and I frowned.

“You don’t have a name?”

He scratched the back of his neck, which was way too cute to be fair.

“My name is Sun Wukong,” he said. Miraculously, he started blushing, which lessened my unease. After what seemed like an internal struggle, he shrugged. “Just call me Sun.”

“As in the Monkey King from the Journey to the West?” I asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow.

He looked surprised.

“You’re pretty cultured for someone so young.”

I laughed. “Are you secretly ancient or something?” Sun laughed nervously along.

“No, no, I mean, I guess… I mean, I am the same age as you.”

I looked at him strangely. He was really freaking me out. He couldn’t really be the Monkey King. No way!

“O-kay,” I said, opening the class packet. “I’m gonna start working now.”

The scratching of pencils sounded all across the room, and Sun and I lapsed into silence. The period passed without a hiccup, and as we packed to leave, Sun turned to me.

“So, seeing as how this is a semester project, maybe we should meet at your place this weekend?”

And there it was. Sun had an easy grin on his face, none of the hesitation of earlier showing. I considered him for a moment, picking my words carefully before replying.

“You’re a bit of a mystery, aren’t you?”

Sun’s lips ticked upwards in a sardonic grin. “Oh, you have no idea.” A beat passed, and he spoke again. “But really, this Friday?”

“I guess,” I said, brows furrowing in concern and bemusement. “We finish dinner at 7.”

“Great,” Sun said. “I won’t be late.”

“I’ll text you the address,” I said, taking out my smartphone. Thankfully, Mr. Kirby allowed them in his class.

“Um.” Sun scratched his neck again. “How about you give that to me later this week?”

Did Sun not have a phone? I shrugged. “Okay,” I said. “See you around, then.”