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The Monday after that fateful night, I got a text from Colton.

I was in the middle of my last class for the day, with my phone on airplane mode to avoid any distractions.

When the class was dismissed, I took it out of my bag, and turned my phone back online.

When I noticed Colton had texted me, my heart couldn’t help but flutter a little and yet feel a hint of nervousness when I saw the notification.

We had each other’s phone numbers since the first night he had driven me home, but we had never really used it before.

Since ASL was a visual language, our assignments and tests weren’t paper-based; we only had one test coming in the next few weeks, along with a final at the end of the semester.

The rest of the assessments were during class where Mr Albert would randomly pick someone out to quiz them on what we had learnt the previous week.

There was, of course, the partnered assignment—the culprit that had brought us together in the first place—but we were yet to be given the guideline for it, so there wasn’t much to discuss.

After our first ASL practice at the bubble tea shop, it had pretty much become a weekly routine for us to practice after class. This way, we didn’t have to text each other to plan for our next practice.

I was about to open the text, when I noticed more students were coming into the lecture hall for the next class.

I figured it wasn’t too urgent, so I packed up the rest of my things, and exited the hall, finding a nearby spot to sit.

Luckily, there was a sitting area underneath a tree, and those who were sitting there were leaving.

I took a seat at the empty table and put my bag next to myself. Once I inhaled a deep breath, I finally opened the text.

Colton:

Hey. We have an away game this Thursday, and we’ll be leaving on Wednesday. So, I won’t be attending ASL class. I guess we’ll have to reschedule our ASL practice this week.

I wasn’t sure what I had been expecting, especially after whatever happened—or almost happened—on Saturday night, but a feeling of relief came over me reading the text, knowing that it was just him being nothing more than a good partner for ASL class.

Clara:

Got it. Thanks for letting me know! Is there any other time this week that you’re free to practice?

It was a little over four in the afternoon.

While Colton had told me his practice timings before, they tended to change, based on whether there was an upcoming game.

But from what I remember, they usually started at either four or five, depending on the day, so I wasn’t expecting a reply from him right away.

I contemplated whether I should wait for Nina’s practice to be over and go home together. But thinking I’d be better off doing my work at home, I got up from the seat, picked up my bag, and started my commute back to the apartment.

My phone buzzed as I was re-watching an episode of Community .

I quickly picked it up when I saw it was a text notification, expecting it to be from Colton. I couldn’t help but feel slightly disappointed to see it was from Nina instead.

Nina:

Have you started dinner yet?

In the first few weeks we had started rooming together off-campus, we mostly cooked our meals on our own, without knowing each other’s food preference.

But after that midterms week, when I had decided to cook dinner the whole week for the both of us, Nina told me she wanted to cook dinner for us the next week.

Initially, I had rejected the idea, thinking she would usually be late from her training to cook for me, if I wanted to go to bed early. However, she requested for a week’s time to prove that I would be able to have dinner before the late hours of the night.

Nina was fully committed to cooking dinner for us throughout the whole week.

With the help of meal-prepping and great management skills from her side, she emerged victorious from the challenge.

It was then we found out that we were compatible home cooking-wise, and started compromising on who was making which meal, based on our class schedule.

For the past few semesters we had been roommates, we pretty much ate breakfast and dinner at home, and took lunch on our own since our schedules rarely aligned.

And for Monday night that week, it was my turn to cook dinner.

Clara:

Not yet. I just took out the chicken. But I’m not sure how I want to cook it yet.

Her reply was instant.

Nina:

PUT IT BACK IN THE FREEZER. I’m craving some pizza right now. What do you say? My treat!

I couldn’t help but laugh at her message. A pizza did sound good.

Clara:

Since you’re paying, PIZZA IT IS THEN!

Nina:

YAAAYYY! Any toppings preferences?

Clara:

It feels like a Pepperoni kind of night or is that just me?

Nina:

You know what. You’re right, it does feel like a Pepperoni kind of night.

I’m still on campus. But I’ll try to be back in 30 minutes!

Clara:

Take your time! And drive safe.

She must have already started her drive, since she didn’t reply to my last message.

I got off the couch and went to the kitchen to put the chicken back into the freezer. Because my phone was on silent, I didn’t realize I got a new text message until I sat back on the couch.

And to my surprise, it wasn’t from Nina.

It was from Colton.

Colton:

Missing me already?

I read it once.

Then, twice.

And once more for safety measures.

Guess I wasn’t hallucinating.

After my mind was officially satisfied that what I was seeing was not a dream, a slight panic came over me.

How am I supposed to respond to this?

But thankfully, I was saved from thinking of one, when the three dots appeared, followed by another text from Colton.

Colton:

I’m not sure what time we’ll be back on Friday, and the baseball team wants to hang out that night.

And we have to attend a charity event on Sunday.

What about Saturday?

I quickly went over my calendar on my phone to see what I was up to that day. I was pretty confident of having nothing ongoing. But it seemed that the past-me had already made other plans, when I saw an all-day event titled ‘Girls’ Day Out!’

Oh right.

Nina, Claudia, Lily, and I finally had a Saturday where we could all hang out together. After that baseball team party, we hadn’t gotten around to spending a day with all four of us. But with Nina’s training, it meant I had the morning off.

I started texting Colton to tell him I was free on Saturday morning, but stopped before I could finish.

If he’s hanging out with the baseball team on Friday night, then he probably wants to sleep in on Saturday.

Clara:

I’m free on Saturday morning! But I totally understand if you want to sleep in, so we don’t really have to practice this week. I think we’ll be fine skipping a week.

Colton:

Cool.

Cool.

That’s it? That’s all he has to say?

‘Maybe he’s not much of a texter’, the logical part of my brain pointed out.

I let out a sigh. I didn’t really know what I was expecting. But knowing that this might be our only interaction of the week, I couldn’t help but feel a little sad by how short our conversation was, even if it was just by text.

This crush with Colton is really getting out of hand.

Deciding not to dwell on it further, I locked my phone. I picked up the TV remote to press play and continue watching my show.

But I was interrupted once again by the buzz from my phone.

It was a new message from Colton.

Colton:

Guess we won’t be seeing each other this week. ?

I couldn’t help but smile at his text, with my heart rate increasing just a little faster.

Clara:

And I guess I’ll have to walk to get my bubble tea this week.

Colton:

You can’t do that. I thought bubble tea is our thing.

My heart skipped a beat.

Our thing.

He probably just meant it as a joke, but my heart didn’t seem to want to take it as one.

Clara:

And what’s that supposed to mean?

Colton:

It means we can only drink bubble tea when we’re together.

I didn’t even have the time to question his text, when another popped up, giving me clarification of what he actually meant.

Colton:

Practicing ASL.

Clara:

I mean, it was before you decided to abandon me for baseball.

And I have a weekly bubble tea quota that I require to function.

Colton:

You’re breaking my heart here, partner.

I promise I’ll make it up to you.

Clara:

And how are you thinking of doing that?

Colton:

I have my ways. Just promise me you won’t get bubble tea this week.

Clara:

Fineeeee, I promise. No bubble tea for me this week then.

Colton:

That’s my girl.

I took a sharp inhale upon reading the text. I was pretty sure my heart had just skipped a beat. His girl?

Colton:

Anywaaaay, now that you’re free for a couple of extra hours on Wednesday, any plans?

Clara:

Not really. I’ll probably just head back to my apartment early that day.

What time is your game on Thursday by the way?

The sound of the door unlocking and opening turned my head towards it, and my eyes caught Nina enter the apartment.

‘I’m back!’ she announced, raising her arm that was holding the pizza box. ‘And I brought pizza!’

She set down the pizza on the kitchen island and put her bag on its usual spot on the floor. Then, she went over to the sink to wash her hands, before settling down into her usual seat on the bar stool.

I went over to wash my hands, then opened the fridge to see what drinks we had.

‘Do you want a Sprite?’ I called out to Nina.

‘Yes, please.’

Taking a can for her and another one for myself, I went over to the only other unoccupied kitchen stool. Nina was already lifting the pizza box cover and picking up a triangular piece for herself.

A contented moan came out of her as she took a bite of the pizza.

I helped her crack open her can of soda, pushing it towards her. ‘Here you go.’

‘Thank you,’ she quickly said, before picking it up and taking a gulp.

I couldn’t help but laugh at her. ‘Slow down.’