Jing stayed back after school. On her desk were stacks of books and she crazily did her homework.
‘Gu Jing, why aren’t you going home? Do you need me to help you?’ the first student asked.
‘I’m almost done,’ Gu Jing said.
‘Don’t worry about Gu Jing. You know she’s waiting for someone,’ the second student said.
Young adolescents at the age of twelve and thirteen became aware of the opposite gender. If a girl and boy were close at that age then they were often teasing targets.
Gu Jing ignored her classmates’ laughter, because her teacher caught her not doing her homework and she had to stay behind and finish her homework. She didn’t dare to be lazy again.
Gu Jing’s class mates went home. She sat at her desk, did her homework and occasionally she glanced at the door. She packed her school bag when she saw Zhen Lang at the door.
Zhen Lang stood at the door of Gu Jing’s class room and he smiled. ‘Gu Jing, school’s over.’
‘Look, isn’t that Zhen Lang?’ the third student who walked pass Zhen Lang asked softly.
‘Every day Zhen Lang comes to take Gu Jing home. They have a good relationship,’ the fourth student next to the third student said enviously.
‘Zhen Lang and Gu Jing’s homes are close together, of course they’ll go home together. Zhen Lang is the smartest student in the school, why would he like Gu Jing?’ the third student said spitefully.
‘That makes sense,’ the fourth student said and she walked home with the third student.
Gu Jing put an arm through her school bag strap, she ignored the other students’ insults and she walked to the door. She was used to the students’ admiration toward Zhen Lang, because he was the smartest student in the school and she was the school’s tomboy. She often heard other students say she was like a horse next to a prince if the other students saw her together with Zhen Lang.
‘Give me your bag,’ Zhen Lang said.
Gu Jing was tall for her age, but no matter how much she jumped around she was never taller than Zhen Lang.
Zhen Lang carried two school bags on his shoulder toward. On the way to his bike he took out a lollipop from his school bag, unwrapped it and gave it to Gu Jing. ‘How’s your ankle?’
Gu Jing put the lollipop in her mouth. ‘It still hurts a bit. Mum won’t let me ride my bike, but I feel good.’
Zhen Lang stood beside his bike and he frowned. ‘It still hurts?’
‘It’s my third ankle injury so it takes a little longer to heal,’ Gu Jing said.
‘Then don’t jump around at night,’ Zhen Lang said. He passed Gu Jing their school bags and he sat on the rider’s seat. ‘Sit on the back seat.’
Gu Jing sat on the back seat of Zhen Lang’s bike. She wrapped an arm around his waist. He pedalled whilst she hummed on the way home.
‘You seem happy today,’ Zhen Lang said.
‘Um. Today Xu Hing from my class asked if I can ride a bike home. I said tomorrow I can ride a bike home and she said she that we can ride our bikes home together from tomorrow onward,’ Gu Jing said.
‘She only said a few words to you?’ Zhen Lang asked and he smiled. ‘You’re easily satisfied.’
Gu Jing smiled. ‘Most of the girls in my class say I’m a tomboy and they don’t like to play with me. Xu Hing is the first girl who wants to talk to me. Tomorrow I don’t need to sit on your bike anymore. I want to go home with Xu Hing.’
Zhen Lang pedalled slower. ‘Your ankle still hurts.’
‘I don’t care. I never had a girlfriend before, I want to go home with Xu Hing,’ Gu Jing said.
Zhen Lang frowned and Gu Jing didn’t say anything else. He pedalled silently the rest of the way home.
Zhen Lang braked in front of his and Gu Jing’s home. She jumped off his bike, gave him his school bag and she walked to her home.
‘Little girl,’ Zhen Lang said.
Gu Jing ignored Zhen Lang who walked behind her.
‘Then how about tomorrow you sit at the back of my bike? I’ll take you home and she can ride next to us, ok?’ Zhen Lang asked.
Gu Jing stood still and she slowly turned around to face Zhen Lang.
‘What do you think?’ Zhen Lang asked.
Gu Jing smiled and she nodded her head. ‘Ok.’
The next day a strange scene of two bikes rode home together. Zhen Lang rode his bike with Gu Jing on the back seat whilst Xu Hing rode on her bike and followed behind them.
Xu Hing pedalled faster for her bike to be on the right side of Zhen Lang’s bike. Gu Jing smiled at her, but Zhen Lang ignored her so she talked about school work.
School work was not Gu Jing’s forte. She poked Zhen Lang’s waist to silently ask him to help Xu Hing. He reluctantly answered Xu Hing’s question about school work.
Gu Jing was happy she had a girlfriend to the point she regretted she couldn’t throw Zhen Lang aside. But Zhen Lang always guarded her class room door after school each day and she couldn’t escape from him. She had no choice except go home together with Zhen Lang and Xu Hing after school.
Gu Jing went home together with Zhen Lang and Xu Hing for three months and it was nearly Gu Jing’s birthday. Gu Jing was happy her ankle almost healed and she wanted