I called Sally next, but she was busy with her baby. "Never mind sis, you can tell me next time, okay. Just don't do anything I wouldn't do, and if you do, don't get caught, okay."
Well, that was okay too. My Big Sis was the one person I could talk to about Keith. She'd had her own troubles with our parents when she was my age, her husband was a gweilo as well and that hadn't gone down too well to start with, she understood. Although thinking about it, Keith might be pushing the envelope for her a bit much. I mean, her husband was a gweilo but he was a nerdy IT guy that looked like a stick. Don't know what she saw in him but she was head over heels about him from when they started dating at university. Enough that she'd stood up to my parents about him. I'd been twelve back then and I still remembered the arguments. Now, he was one of the family, but it'd taken a while. Keith? Well, thinking about Keith like that was thinking way too far ahead and way too optimistically.
Probably he was just going to take me for a ride on his Harley and that would be it. Although he had kissed me. And touched me like that. But I didn't want to get my hopes up. Not too high anyhow. It would hurt too much to have them shattered. But I hoped so much that Keith liked me enough to ask me out again. What had he said to me yesterday? "I wish your parent's weren't on their way home," that's what he'd said. That meant he'd wanted more time with me didn't it? I hoped so, I really did.
"Get moving Jay-Lin." Mom was calling me. Time to get up.
"Coming Mom." Oh well.
* * * * * * * *
Wednesday morning. The interminable nightmare of Sunday, Monday and Tuesday was over at last. As soon as I opened my eyes I knew. Today was the day. Today, after school, I'd see Keith again. How I hoped he hadn't forgotten. My stomach flipped and flopped at the thought that he might forget, he might decide he wasn't going to waste his time on a schoolgirl. He might decide I was far too young and just not turn up. I almost had a panic attack on the spot.
At least I didn't have to think about what to wear. Saint Bernadette's Catholic Girl's High School had a rigid and totally inflexible uniform policy. The uniforms were very traditionally styled, something that seemed to appeal to Asian parents with their desire for uniformity and discipline. And our student body was almost entirely Asian. Non-asians tended to drift away. The academic competition was just too intense for their kids. I mean, my results were average for Saint Bernadette's, but if I transferred out to another High School where we Chinese and Koreans and Vietnamese weren't the majority, I'd be at the top end of the academic bell curve. Believe me, it sucks being average if your parents are Asian. They were always on at me to study harder. But so was every other parent of Saint Bernadette's students.
But enough of that, we were talking about uniforms. Very traditional uniforms. Pleated skirts. White shirts. Black shoes, knee high white socks and navy blue blazers. They even had a dreadful little beret that we uniformly detested. Those uniforms were, to be brutally honest, on a whole different plateau of wrongness for an asian girl. Nobody, and I mean nobody, should
EVER
make asian girls wear those uniforms. Sure, you all get the traditional Catholic schoolgirl-fetish stuff. But when you're a slender asian girl and you're wearing that short pleated navy blue skirt (and we did wear them short, all the girls did and who was I to challenge the dictates of schoolgirl fashion), those knee-high white socks, those black shoes and that navy blue blazer over a white dress blouse with a school tie?
Well, guess what; you're a walking fantasy for middle-aged men, whether you know you are or not. And we all knew it. I mean, in this day and age, with the internet, you'd have to be a moron not to figure that out. And whatever else we were, the girls of Saint Bernadette's were in general so NOT morons. But whatever. The end result was, I was going to be wearing my school uniform with its short little skirt when Keith picked me up. If he picked me up. And there was nothing I could do about that. I wondered if he'd like my uniform. I kind of hoped he did, hate it as I did. Then again, I also hoped he'd actually be there. God, if he wasn't I knew I'd burst into tears. I almost started crying just think about how I would feel if he wasn't there. Just the thought of him not being there made me feel sick.
I so had my heart set on sitting on that Harley behind Keith. But this time I'd be wearing a skirt, not shorts. And Harley's went fast. Keith's did anyhow. It occurred to me that a skirt might not be the best attire for a ride on Keith's Harley. I hadn't thought about that before, but now that I did, I didn't want to be sitting there flashing my so boringly regulation little white cotton briefs to the world. Jesus no! I dived into my drawers, eventually coming up with what I'd been searching for. My black lycra gym shorts. They'd do perfectly. I threw them into my bag along with my homework. And a windproof jacket that I grabbed as even more of an afterthought.
All set.
Do you know how long the school day is when three fifteen can't come soon enough? It's an eternity, that's what it is. Minute after interminable minute. Hour after interminable hour. I was in a time warp where somehow, time had been slowed down for me and me alone. Even with time dragging its tail, I had no idea what any of my teachers talked about, I was off drifting in a cloud of thoughts and hopes, occasionally sinking into a sea of fears and doubts before soaring to new heights as I pictured Keith sweeping in on his Harley to pick me up in front of all those cats. Especially the ones that'd teased me or given me a hard time in the last few weeks. Bitches.
As soon as the bell rang I was out of that classroom. No dawdling today. Ginny and Chin-Chin scrambled to follow me as I dashed for my locker, threw my junk in, grabbed my jacket and gym shorts and started to lock it.
"Hey Jay-Lin, slow down, slow down will you, what's the rush?" Chin-Chin looked and sounded a little flustered at my impression of a dervish. She looked puzzled as I slipped my lycra gym shorts on, not even bothering to go to the washroom. Screw that. No time to waste. And we all wore the same boring underwear anyhow. I did get a few looks though. Then I was shrugging myself into my jacket. It'd keep the wind out.
"Getting picked up out front at three fifteen, I gotta be there."
"Huh, when did you ever get a ride home? You mean I gotta catch the bus by myself?" I grinned at the expression on Ginny's face. Since when had she ever worried about leaving me on my own when one of her boyfriend's gave her a ride. God, I hoped Keith would be there. Having to catch the bus after this would be so ... so ... oh, it would be just so humiliating. But I had to do it. I had to take the chance that Keith wouldn't show up. Because if he did and I wasn't there, I had no idea what I'd do. None.
"Yeah, you do this time Ginny. See you tomorrow morning. Bye Chin-Chin."
I gave them both another grin and a quick wave as I dashed down the hallway for the exit and the pickup lane. I wasn't running, but it was close. God, I so hoped Keith was coming. I was nervous. So nervous my hands were shaking. Three ten. I looked up and down the pickup lane, but no Harley. I wasn't sure whether to be relieved or worried. Actually, I was feeling almost sick with suspense.
Ginny caught up with me a couple of minutes later. She was breathing hard. Looking a little flustered. Gee, tough Ginny. "What's going on Jay-Lin? Who's picking you up?"
I heard that distinctive Harley sound, growing louder, burbling with the odd backfire as it slowed and turned into the High School entrance, picking up as it cruised slowly down the pickup lane. I sighed with relief. I relaxed. I smiled. Everyone was looking at that Harley. Everyone. Including me. My heart was beating wildly. I saw him. Keith. Yes! It was Keith. He'd come! He saw me right about the same time I waved. Although how he recognized me in a sea of other asian girls I had absolutely no idea. But he did.
"Oh no, not him! Jay-Lin, how could you!" Ginny sounded totally dismayed. Chin-Chin was just standing there open-mouthed. She'd better watch out for flies.
I grinned. "Oh yeah, it's him Ginny!" I was enjoying this so much.
Everyone in sight was looking at the Harley and Keith. Everyone was watching as he pulled up beside me. Including the Chua bitch and her little coterie of cats. That low throaty potato-potato-potato burble just reverberated right through me. I smiled a little shyly as Keith gave me a grin. He left his shades on this time though. He looked so cool, so big and scary sitting there on that huge loud motorcycle. Boots, jeans, leather jacket. That patched denim jerkin thingie over the top. If I hadn't known it was him, I'd have been scared myself. But I knew it was Keith and that he was here for me.
I wanted to just fling myself at him, but that wouldn't look cool. Not in front of half the girls in school and the Pickup Lane Monitors who were looking a bit stunned. The couple that I could see anyhow. Keith had a second helmet hanging off one arm. He passed it to me as I stepped up to his Harley, the noise it made idling was almost deafening. Everyone was looking at us. Including the cats. I smiled at the Chua bitch as I slipped the helmet on and buckled it under my chin. I knew how to do that this time. It only took me a few seconds to buckle up and pull it tight. The Chua bitch looked stunned.
"See you both tomorrow." I gave Ginny and Chin-Chin another grin as I stepped onto the footrest nearest me, my hand on Keith's shoulder as I swung myself up and over to sit behind him, my little school uniform skirt flipping up as I sat. Good thing I'd worn those lycra gym shorts underneath! I gave Ginny a grin and a wave. The look on her face, dismay, shock, horror, made me giggle. Chin-Chin was still catching flies. The Chua bitch was doing a good imitation.
