Chapter 3
“I’m Mr. Staton. Your grandfather and I were great friends. He always talked about you and how much he wanted to see you. But your father…”
“What about my father?”
“Please, just take a seat, so we can start class in a little bit. Sit anywhere.”
Michael let me pick a seat this time. I choose the seat in the middle towards the back. He sits beside me and watches me.
“What?” I laugh and look back at him.
“Not only is your name is pretty, but so are you.”
I blush, “thanks a lot.”
“Anytime.”
The other students start to file in. Rebecca comes in laughing and rushes over to sit next to Michael.
“Hey, Michael,” she smiles hard.
“Hi, Rebecca.”
“Are you showing Harmony around?”
“Yes, I am,” he smiles and looks down.
“Well, that’s nice of you. How has your day been so far?” She asked him as she ran her hand through her hair.
“It’s going great.”
“I’m glad to hear that. Why?”
“Because everywhere I’ve taken Harmony, a teacher keeps getting excited about seeing her,” he laughed and looked at me with his beautiful brown eyes and smiled.
Rebecca looked between the two of us and fake smiled, “Michael?” She asked as she scooted closer to him.
“Yes?”
“Who do you plan on taking to prom?”
“I don’t know yet.”
“Well, decide quick, because it’s in a month,” she smiled.
“I will, Becca. Don’t worry.” Michael smiled and turned to face me. “Who’s your dad?”
“Mark Jacobs.”
“Never heard of the name. What does he do for the Chinese company?”
“Sell their products. He’s the top seller, so Mr. Wasaki is putting him next in line for the CEO position.”
“You must be living really well then.”
“Except the moves every two weeks.”
“Every two weeks? Why?”
“Mr. Wasaki wants him in a new city and state each time to earn more customers.”
“Will you be leaving after next week?”
“I don’t know. Mr. Wasaki and my parents say this is the last move. I don’t think so. I’ve never been stable except in China when I was five. We’ve been moving ever since.”
“That’s horrible.”
“Yeah, I know. I learned Chinese though. But when we move to America my parents taught me English.”
“Would you teach me a couple of words or phrases?”
“Sure. What would you like to know?”
“How about ‘you are beautiful?’”
I blushed. “Ni shi mei (may) li (lee) de (duh).”
“Ni shi meili de,” Michael repeated.
“Xie xie (shi shi).”
“What does that mean?”
“Thank you.”
“How do you say, ‘you’re welcome?’”
“Bu ke (kuh) qi (chi).”
“Bu ke qi meili.” I blushed again. “Are there-”
“Alright, class, let’s begin. We have a new student. Her name is Harmony. I’m sure everyone got a chance to meet her. Her grandfather founded this lovely school of ours and we thank him tremendously for it,” Mr. Staton smiled. Thank God I don’t have to-
“Mr. Staton, I think she should go up and introduce herself,” Michael suggested.
“Michael, what are you doing?” I whisper-shouted at him.
“That’s a great idea, Michael. Come on up here, Harmony, and introduce yourself.”
I glared at Michael as I walked to the center of the room. “Um, hey. I’m Harmony, like he said. I was born and partially raised in China and-”
“Teach the class some words,” Michael smiled.
“Michael, stop it,” I blushed.
“I agree. Go ahead, Harmony. Teach us something,” Mr. Staton chimed in.
“Uh. Ok. Ni hao ma means ‘how are you.’” The class repeated after me. “And wo hen (hun) hao means ‘I am good.’” I said. Michael stared at me with his beautiful brown eyes. I blushed again and went to sit down.
“Thank you, Harmony, for that brief lesson.”
“Michael, that was embarrassing.”
“No, it wasn’t,” he smiled at me again.
“Stop smiling at me. You’re making me blush.”
“I’m sorry. I can’t help it.”
It’s my first day of school and this is already happening to me. Oh gee!
By the time music is over, we go straight to the cafeteria.
“Follow me,” Michael says. I follow him to the lunch line. He hands me a tray and notices I only get an apple and water. “Why did you just get an apple and water?”
“I’m not a heavy eater.”
“Oh, neither am I. I’m a vegetarian. Janet, Randy, this is Harmony. The girl everyone has been talking about.”
“Hey, Harmony,” Janet smiles.
“Hi, Harmony,” Randy says.
I say hi back and sit beside Michael.
“Janet is a fifth grader and Randy is a freshman.”
“Wait, so all the students have a shared lunch?”
“You’re right. Your grandfather wanted to make sure all the grade levels were at peace with each other. He was brilliant,” Michael told me as he ate his food.
“Yeah, I guess.”
“What do you mean?”
“I never got to meet him. Maybe because of all the moving.”
“You didn’t get to meet your own grandfather?” Janet asked.
“No.”
“I did. Back when I was in kindergarten. The whole school did.”
“I didn’t,” Michael said.
“Why not?”
“I was sick that day.”
“Oh.”
“Janet, what time is mother coming to pick you up?” Michael asked me.
“What do you mean? You’re taking me home. Daddy said so.”
“Joe didn’t say that. He would’ve told me.”
“Well, he told me to tell you.”
“Thanks for the late notice,” Michael says and finishes his lunch.
*The End of the Day*
I walk to the front of the school and wait on my mom to come pick me up.
“Hey, you ran away from me,” Michael smiled.
“No, I didn’t. I just walked to the front of the school to see if my mom was here.”
“Oh. So your mom is taking you home?”
“Yeah. I’m not allowed to drive yet.”
“Why not?”
“No license.”
“That stinks.”
“Hey, Michael!” Rebecca ran over to us. “Hey, Harmony. Anyway, what are you doing this afternoon?” She smiled at Michael.
“Well, I’m going home.”
“That’s it?”
“Yup.”
“Why don’t you and I hang out instead? That’ll be so much fun.”
“I’m sorry, Becca. But I have homework to do.”
“Oh. Right. School first. See you later,” she smiled and skipped away.
“She must like you,” I smirked at him.
“Yeah. Only for my name though.” Michael said and lay his hand on the schools’ brick wall I was leaning on. “So, what are you doing this evening?” He asked me.
“I don’t know. Maybe, uh, watch some tv or play some games.”
“Oh.”
“My mom is here. I’ll catch you later, Michael,” I smile and go under his arm. He grabs my arm and pulls me back.
“Not without a hug,” he smiled.
“Fine,” I laughed and hugged him. He smelled so good and his body was so warm. I did not want to let go of this boy.
He let go of me and softly pushed me toward the sidewalk, “see you tomorrow, Harmony.”