Immature Mistakes | mj.q✓

Eighteen

'Do you like cake?' Jiaqi asked her suddenly. 'I have some cake, wouldn't mind sharing it.'

'Did your mom make it?' Ava asked, not sure if she was doing a good job maintaining a good conversation.

'No, I got this from the local bakery.' Jiaqi reached for his leather satchel which was on the floor, then opened it once he put it on his lap. He took out a brown paper bag and looked inside of it. 'Oh no, it's squished.' he frowned as he observed the white cream which was now smothered on the paper bag, leaving the brown cake a bit bare.

Ava slightly smiled. 'Is it still edible though?'

'Yeah pretty much.' he nodded.

Evelyn watched admiringly as Ava and Jiaqi shared their cake, then looked back at Chengxin. Chengxin was obviously bored, and he had not asked her a single question about her life. She really liked Chengxin, she thought he was cute, but he was definitely not boyfriend material.

'You're not good at counselling are you?' Evelyn asked him, just to cease the forced conversation.

'Yeah, and I'm not interested. It's not like you're interested in being counselled too. Weren't you forced to join the club? And I'm doing this just to make my high school diploma look better for college. So we're both not interested in this, let's not pretend.'

Evelyn sighed and looked at him in annoyance. She watched as he took his cellphone out of his pocket and started playing with it. She once again looked over at Jiaqi and Ava, maybe she shouldn't have rushed to pick Chengxin as her counsellor. Beyond his looks, there was nothing particularly likeable about him to her.

But Jiaqi was sensitive and caring, he was kind and passionate. Maybe she wasn't aware of it before, but Jiaqi was her type. She also realized he was kind of cute, perhaps it wasn't too late to change a course of direction. Even though Chengxin was still her counselor, she was sure there was a way for her to get to him.

...

By 11 am, the counselling meeting was done and the girls were supposed to return home. Jiaqi said he would walk Ava until the oak tree, but Chengxin wasn't interested.

'I'm going straight home,' he announced as he hopped off the porch. 'See you guys later.'

'Wow you won't even walk me? You'll let me be a third wheel?' Evelyn asked in a bored tone.

'I don't think walking someone home is even part of the counselling duty.' he answered and walked ahead of them.

Ava and Jiaqi ignored the two and started walking towards the gate to leave the place. Evelyn was following behind them glumly, slow in her walk and not wanting to be too close to them. The supposed pair was becoming nauseating to her, but it also served to remind her of how she was alone and had made a terrible mistake.

'So did you find today's talk helpful?' Jiaqi asked Ava as they walked.

She nodded. 'Yeah. And I think you gave me great advice. I just hope I'll be able to apply it.'

'Well you can tell me how it goes, you have my number.'

'I was uncomfortable just randomly calling you because you're my counselor, it's not like you're my friend or something.'

Jiaqi sighed and looked at her. 'I am your friend. Even though it's my duty to be a counselor, I'm also a friend to you and I'll help you out. I'm passionate about helping you okay?'

Ava smiled shyly, she wasn't sure when was the last time she had done that, maybe when she was 8 years old. 'Thank you Jiaqi. That will kind of make you my first friend in like forever.'

'No way, are you that hard to approach?'

'Maybe.'

Evelyn was feeling irritated just walking behind them now, being able to hear their friendly conversation. It somehow managed to make her angrier. She walked ahead of them quickly.

'Hey won't you wait for your sister?' Jiaqi wondered.

Evelyn turned around. 'No you two are being straight out annoying.' she continued to walk away quickly.

'Hmm, what's she mad about?' Jiaqi asked Ava next to him.

'Probably mad because Chengxin didn't give her the attention she wanted.' Ava laughed. 'But Evelyn is cute, I don't get what's up with Chengxin. Why doesn't he like her?'

'He has his very own specific type, and I don't think Evelyn is one of them. She's a bit too immature-looking for him.'

'What's yours?' she asked then face-palmed, wanting to take it back. This was one of the reasons she never really liked talking to people, your words were often open to misinterpretation.

Jiaqi turned to her. 'I don't think I have one. Never thought about it. You?'

'Me...me too.' She stammered. 'Uh hey! I have to catch up with my sister! Bye!' she said quickly, running off without waiting for a response.