FALL:- BEFORE

The car hums in the driveway. Mom lingers in the kitchen, putting away dishes while everyone's already waiting outside. She left a pot of food on the stove for me, along with cut fruit in the refrigerator. They'll only be gone for the night, but she always worries I'll starve to death. "Ăn xong còn lại nhớ cất vô tủ lạnh," she says. Remember to put it away later.

"Yeah, okay."

“Đừng mở cửa cho người lạ.” And don't open the door for strangers.

"I won't."

Mom kisses me goodbye and locks the door behind her. I watch the car pull out of the driveway before vanishing down the road. Then I turn toward the living room, taking in the new silence of the house. I guess I'll have to get used to this. After a moment, my phone vibrates again. There are several new messages from Daniel.

t n

hii

what are you up to?

stop ignoring me

I smile and text him back.

sorry I was busy

you can come over!

Twenty minutes later, there's a knock on the door. Daniel comes inside, wearing a denim jacket over his red sweatshirt. He has been wearing this combo since we became friends at freshman orientation. Daniel hugs me with one arm, removing his jacket with the other. He hangs it on the back of the chair and heads straight for the kitchen.

"What did Mom make us for dinner?"

"It's called thịt kho."

"My favorite," he says.

"You've never had it before."

"I love everything she makes."

Daniel lifts the lid from the pot, letting out some steam. I lean against the counter, watching him make himself a bowl. His brown hair seems lighter in the stove light. He takes a bite of pork belly and turns to me with a mouthful. "So what's the plan tonight?"

I shrug. "I don't know. We could watch a movie."

"It's Saturday night. Let's do something fun."

"Like what?"

Daniel pulls out his phone. "Zach texted me an hour ago. He's having some people over tonight. We should go."

"Doesn't he live in Rogers Park?"

"We'll take the train."

I stare at the counter, considering this. "I told my parents I wouldn't go anywhere tonight. They'll probably call to check in."

"Just turn your phone off. They'll think the battery died."

I give him a look. "Are you new here? They'll think I died and send out a search team."

Daniel groans. "What else are we gonna do, hang out on the roof again?"

I don't say anything. Because I was about to suggest this. Every now and then, we'll find our way up there, and it feels like we're the only people in the world. But it sounds like he'd rather do anything else tonight. "You can go to Zach's if you want," I say.

"You mean, without you?"

"It's not a big deal."

"We haven't seen each other all week."

"We can do something tomorrow." I was looking forward to spending some time together. But I don't want to force him to stay here if he doesn't want to. Especially if he has better plans.

Daniel's phone goes off in his hand. He glances at the screen, reading the text message. "You really don't want to go?"

"I can't tonight," I say.

His phone vibrates again. Daniel looks at the door and back at me. A silence passes as he considers his options. For a second, I think he's going to say goodbye. But he lets out a breath and says, "Alright, you convinced me. I'll stay".

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