Strange times

"So tell me about Dee. How did that happen?"

Li asked while waving her hands in front of her.

Vy smiled. She was so cute, struggling to find the words that were being so difficult. He caught himself immediately, and that itself was almost too late. No, he told himself. He shouldn't be entertaining any such thoughts or feelings.

"What do you mean?" He asked innocently.

She wasn't the Li of recent, who would have been fooled owing to the awkwardness. She was the Li from before that night. The Li who was his friend, who he spoke to every day and late into every night. The Li who knew him well enough to not be fooled by the insincere words.

"You know exactly what," she replied, with her lips curved in a grin and her eyes flashing in a glare.

He sighed in defeat. And it was okay. Sometimes, a defeat was good. He was sure this was one of those times. He smiled a smile bearing the right amount of embarrassment and shyness, and answered.

"Not really. You know we're a team. As for how we came to be a team, well that's an interesting story. Phin and I were supposed to be a team. It was something we had spoken quite a bit about. And so, it never really occurred to me to turn to him when prof Aug asked for the list of teams. Then, Phin came over with an apology. Nayer had asked to be a team with him, and he couldn't say no to her. Especially since he's got such a deep crush on her. He dumped me. Annie and Dee were supposed to be a team, but Annie's cousin asked her, and Annie couldn't say no to family. That left Dee stranded, the same as me. We were in the lab, discussing how we had no teams, when we realised she and I could be a team. That's how. Was that what you were asking about?"

Li heard him patiently, but when he asked if that was it, she glared harder and refused to budge from her seat of silence. Her eyes were screaming at him, that she knew that he knew what she was asking about.

He sighed again. The embarrassment in his smile almost doubled. And he spoke slower.

"Dee was rather worried about the project. She insisted we meet during the holidays. Of course, it skipped my mind. Two days before the start of the semester, she came scolding. We kinda got started on that day. We decided to write our very own program. It's a lot of work. So, we're just working our hardest, studying our hardest."

"Is that all?" Li asked, unconvinced.

He almost answered that it was.

Having enjoyed pizza to their fill, Annie and Dee were walking back. At the south gate, Dee reached for her phone. Annie stopped her.

"Let's put that intuition of yours to the test, shall we?" Annie asked.

"What do you mean?" Dee asked, dreading the answer.

"You're worried about something. Let's see if there is something to be worried about. Ever since he left, you've been distracted and restless. And now, you're so anxious to have him back. Clearly, your intuition is telling you something is happening right now. Let's see if it's right. He said he'd be in the library. If he is, then your intuition was getting worked up over nothing. If he isn't, well, wouldn't that mean you were right to be worried?"

Dee wanted to refuse. But she couldn't. It wasn't just the something she saw in Annie's face. There was the voice inside her, telling her to agree. She nodded, and that was all the answer Annie needed. Annie led the way, as the two walked to the library. They did find Vy in the library, with a book open in his hands. Just like he said he would be, he was studying. At least he was, until it seemed someone disturbed him.

"Does that worry you?" Annie asked, looking at Vy and Li, and then at Dee.

Dee shook her head, but she wasn't being honest. And Annie could see it too. Neither said a thing though.

"Let's just go over."

Annie grabbed Dee's hand, and pulled her over.

Vy stopped himself, but then fell silent. Just then, Annie and Dee arrived, saving him.

"Hey," he greeted cheerfully. "Had your fill?"

"Of course," Annie answered, beaming. "Pizza. How could we not?"

"Good for you," he replied with a smile that fell as he continued. "I'm hungry. The two of you watch while I eat."

Annie said nothing, but the answer was clear in her smile. She would come along until the gate. And then, she would abandon them. Dee and he would be absolutely fine by themselves.

Vy didn't have it in him right now to argue. And Dee was much too distracted.

"Why didn't you come to class," Li asked.

The question seemed to come out of nowhere, startling Dee and Vy. Annie was unfazed.

"We went out," Annie answered easily.

She didn't go into further detail, leaving Li hanging no less confused. Annie was looking at Li with a blank face, but for some strange reason it seemed like she was gloating. Li could only turn to Vy.

"We went to a movie," he explained.

Dee stared at him blankly. Annie looked at him strangely. Li pouted.

"You went to a movie," she said.

How could anyone not hear what she was insinuating. Dee and Vy said nothing, but Annie felt it was too much.

"Shall we go," Annie said to Vy, snubbing Li effortlessly. "You were hungry, remember?"

Vy nodded.

"See you tomorrow," he said to Li.

As they were walking out, Dee took his hand. As soon as they left the library, Annie began talking about the pizza she just had. When it came to topics that interested her, she could talk endlessly. Dee and Vy were thankful to her, for she was steering them away from the difficult topic. As promised, Annie was with them right up to the gate. And then, she waved them off, before turning back in. She had to say hello to her cousin, or she'd get an earful back home.

"What do you want to eat?" Dee asked, when it was just them.

"I don't know," he answered. "Pastries?"

"Sure. Just coffee for me. I'm quite full."

There were a few bakeries near the university. None of them were their favourite, however. Midway from the university and her home was a bakery that was just far enough to be of disinterest to other students. It was Dee's favourite. Ever since she dragged him along, it was his favourite too. They made it a point to go over every couple of days. She loved the grilled cheese sandwiches and the coffee. He loved the colourful pastries. And they loved the name. Chocolate 'n Cream. Even the name was so tasty.

The bakery was never very empty. It wasn't today either. But their favourite table was free. It was the closest to the counter displaying the cakes and pastries. It made it easy for him to decide, he said. She scoffed. It was just so he could be closer to the many colours, she spat back. He smiled, as if in tacit agreement.

She ordered midnight velvet, which was a shot of espresso topped with a generous dose of whipped cream. He ordered a slice of chocolate truffle cake. While they waited to be served, she finally spoke her mind.

"So, it finally did happen."

"Yeah," he said, slowly. "I was surprised. But I at least had the wits to divert it. We're just friends, for now. I stopped her from confessing. We'll have to keep it that way."

"Wow," she exclaimed. "You want me, who you're fake dating, to help you keep the girl who likes you from confessing. Strange times indeed."

He agreed. Strange times indeed.