Chapter 7: Allowances and Confessions

I didn’t talk to Grandma for three days straight.

I felt like there was a generation gap; she just didn’t get the pain of a heartbroken boy.

Until the end of the month, when Grandma still hadn’t sent my allowance.

I started to panic.

Grandma promised she’d give me an extra thousand dollars in pocket money every month, on top of what my parents give.

I sent her a little shark holding a bowl sticker, begging for food. I even considered texting my mom, but she’d just tell me to eat more ramen.

“No money for food?”

Actually, I hadn’t even spent the two thousand Grandma gave me for the hoodie.

But she said that wasn’t living expenses.

I sent another sticker of a broken bowl.

“Plain rice, serve it up, Your Majesty.”

Grandma didn’t say anything, just transferred ten thousand dollars.

My hands shook—I didn’t dare accept it.

“Did our family win the lottery or something?”

“No, you’re heartbroken, go buy yourself something tasty.”

“Sorry, I had a bad attitude before.”

“It’s okay, no need to be so formal between us.”

Sure enough, there are no overnight grudges between grandma and grandson.

I quickly accepted the transfer and ordered a feast—barbecue ribs, fried shrimp, and a mountain of spicy crawfish. Comfort food, American style.

Even though my heart still ached, the spicy goodness filled my mind and left no room for anything else.

A week later, my roommate forwarded a post from the campus confessions page. It was one of those anonymous Instagram accounts every college seems to have—part rumor mill, part therapy session.

It was a candid photo of Natalie playing tennis on the field.

She wore a black ponytail and tennis outfit, looking youthful and energetic—impossible to look away.

A guy posted the photo: “Want to get to know this beauty, and by the way, does she have a boyfriend?”

Natalie replied in the comments: “I have someone I like, but I haven’t gotten him yet.”

Her reply got over a hundred follow-up comments.

“Even our department beauty can’t get the guy she wants. Impressive.”

“As expected, girls like people who don’t like them.”

“I bet it’s because she’s always been chased, so when someone doesn’t chase her, she gets interested.”

...

My heart skipped a beat. I poked Derek, who was sitting next to me.

“Does your girlfriend know who Natalie’s crush is?”

“She doesn’t know for sure, but she said a week ago, Natalie Venmo’d ten thousand dollars to that guy just to comfort his broken heart.”

What the—

Derek looked pained. “I almost feel bad for Natalie.”

Even I didn’t expect someone as aloof as Natalie to be so devoted to someone.

I looked at her photo again, then swiped to the next screen.

My mind was a swirl of disbelief and something like hope, but I tried to play it cool.