I get nervous, and I didn’t realize that Elaine is playing tricks with me.
“What do you think?” I wipe my mouth and look at her.
Elaine says nothing. She stares at me and smiles.
I look at her calmly. “Well, whatever you think. I don’t want to explain.”
Elaine is stunned and annoyed, but James looks at me playfully and smiles in a funny way.
“So, did you admit that you imitate her on purpose?” Elaine is aggressive.
“I said it was okay for you to think as you like. Just because I don’t explain doesn’t mean I agree with you, got it?” I chuckle, and then continue to eat noodles.
Elaine pokes at the noodle bowl and bites her lip, feeling grieved, but she can’t refute me. It is as if she has hit the cotton with a strong blow, so helpless.
“Just eat.” James takes the side dish to Elaine. “You love that.”
“James, don’t you want to say something?” Elaine looks at me angrily. “When I look at her, I think she’s very shrew.”
James sits straight, out of place in the noisy canteen. His voice is soft but firm, “I know her better than anyone.”
He looks at me with a smile on his face, and I freeze.
“James,” Elaine exclaims reluctantly.
I say nothing but continue my noodles.
The food in my mouth seems to taste different and hard to swallow, and the look in James’s eyes and the tone of his voice seem to be imprinted into my heart.
“Carolina?!” All of a sudden, all of us look that the person who shouts.
Including me. I just react subconsciously.
“It’s really you! I thought I am wrong!” Walsh comes over with tray and looks surprised.
He was my college classmate, now a teacher in A University.
“You’ve gotten the wrong person. I’m sorry I’m not her.” I say quickly.
James’s look is even more intriguing.
Walsh wonders. “How is that possible? Aren’t you her? How could I mistake you! You’re kidding.”
“I know Carolina, but I’m really not her. You can ask them.” I point to Elaine and James. “They both know Carolina and me.”
Walsh says incredulously, “Really?”
“My sister died. This is not Carolina, but they look alike.” Elaine says.
“Dead? Walsh stands shocked. “How did she die? I remember seeing her in South State a few years ago.”
South State? I frown at hearing the words.
James’s eyes are sharp. “South State?”
“Maybe you saw me, too. I used to live in the South State.” I smile at Walsh. “What a coincident.”
“I’m so sorry. I always thought you are Carolina. You look so alike.” He says embarrassedly.
James frowns, “You look like Carolina very much.”
Walsh sighs, “How strange it is. I always want to meet her husband, to see what kind of man our class belle would like.
Neither James nor Elaine speaks, but Walsh continues talking, lamenting the vagaries of human life.
“Sorry to bother you. I have other things to do. I’m sorry.” Walsh waves at us. “I’ll go, then.”
As I watch Walsh walk away, it occurs to me that I am taking risk by coming to A university. There are plenty of people here who know me well, and I meet some more, James might start to doubt about me.
After dinner, Elaine will leave for class, leaving only James and me.
James doesn’t look well all the time, looking at me thoughtfully.
“How can there be two people similar to each other in the world?” James snorts. “I was also surprised when I first met you.”
“Who knows, maybe it’s a coincidence. Like Elaine says, maybe I am really shrew and want to approach you to get something what I want. I don’t want to explain.” I stand up and look at James calmly.
“Let’s go.”
James smiles and gets up and puts his arm around my waist.
He and I walk slowly on the campus.
“This is Carolina’s Alma mater,” James says. “I’ve never seen it before when I came to visit Elaine, and I always thought it is too hard for me to be here, as I will miss Carolina. But I don’t know what’s going on today, maybe it’s because you’re here, I feel comfortable. It’s like she’s with me.”
The genial wind blows by; we have walked on the road before, and the man beside misses me.
I feel very wonderful, but I can’t say. I can only pretend to be angry and say, “Really? But Mr. Orlando, I’m not your Carolina.”
“I know.” James smiles gently. “You’re not.”
But his words do not seem to mean that, and there is a joy in his eyes. I wonder if it is because of me.
I couldn’t help looking at the boy on the bike with his beloved girl speeding past.
I’m so far away from their ages.
James shakes his hand before my eyes and says, “Do you want to try it?”
“No.” I envy the boys and girls, and could not help exclaiming, “It’s so good to be young.”
“When I was in school, I only focused on study. I don’t have a chance to taste what it takes to be on a bike.” I withdraw my eyes from the boy and the girl.
“I can satisfy you.” James looks at me with his hands in his pocket, feeling embarrassed. “I want to do this because you want to. Don’t think too much about it.”
“You want to try it yourself as well.” I couldn’t help laughing at him.
“Nonsense.” James gives me a hard look.
I make a face and say, “Yes, I’m talking nonsense. I want to ride a bike, but I also need a handsome guy to drive me.”
James is satisfied.
A boy is coming by on a bicycle in the distance.
James waves to stop him.
The boy stops in surprise and says, “What’s up?”
“May I borrow your bike?” James says.
The boy says apologetically, “I’m sorry, I’m in a hurry to get to class. I’m really sorry.”
Then the boy rides away in a hurry.
There are a lot of bikes in the campus, but they can only ride alone.
I stand by, pursing my lips, while James looks at me disconsolately with annoyance.
“Well, forget it, we’ll be leaving soon.” I stop laughing.
“No.” James looks gloomy.
At this point, a girl on a bicycle comes from the distance. The bicycle could carry people.
James reaches out again to stop her.
“What do you want?” The girl is caught off guard.
She blushes when she is stared at by a handsome guy like James.
“May I friend you on WeChat?” James takes out his phone and smiles.
I raise my eyebrows. James, is he trying to seduce her?
The girl takes the phone out of the bag in panic, looking down; her face is as red as an apple.
“Here.” She hands the phone over.
James adds girl and says bluntly, “I want to buy your car. How much does it cost?”
“Huh?” The girl freezes and stares at James. “The bike?”
“Yes.” James reaches out his hand and, very politely, bends over the girl and says, “I’ll be very grateful if you sell me your bike today.”
The girl still stares at James.
“May I?” James says with a smile.
The girl nods in amazement.
“Then I will give you the money on WeChat. You may not feel comfortable for offering price. Rest assured, although I don’t know how much your bike is, I will not let you lose.” James says.
The girl gives the bike to James and gives him a reluctant look before she walks away.
“When you came up and asked for her WeChat ID, the girl thought you had a crush on her.”
I giggle, “It’s good to look handsome.”
James stares at me and tilts with his chin. “Come up.”
As I sit on the back of the bike, James staggers.
“Hey! Can you ride a bike or not?” I let out a scream.
“What! Sure!” James says gritting his teeth.
Maybe the school has a long history, there are many bumpy roads. James tries hard to stable the bike but fails to make the bike ride in a straight line. When there are many people, we hit on them easily.
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.” I get out of the bike and apologize.
The man waves at us and goes away.
“James, can you ride a bike or not?” I glare at him.
James touches his nose. “Yes, but I haven’t ridden for a long time. I’m not very skilled.”
I know it. He is a rich man who doesn’t have to ride a bike to school. How could he have the opportunity to ride a bicycle?
“I promise it won’t go wrong this time.” James says, patting the back of the bike. “Come here!”
He is dressed in a suit with tie which is worth tens of thousands of dollars. It is really funny riding a bicycle with expensive dress.
He looks enthusiastic. I do not want to discourage him, so I reluctantly get on the back seat and say, “If you can’t ride well, I will ride it.”
James laughs contemptuously, “Are you kidding? It’s just a simple bike. How can’t I handle it!”
Once words are said, they can’t be taken back.
James starts riding, and the bike stagger along.
“Hey! James! Stop!” I sit in the back seat, feeling terrified.
“Shut up! Don’t make so much noise! Don’t move! Hey!” James shouts in panic, and the bike turns sharply.
I clutch James’s shirt, not daring to move.
“Hey! Out of the way! Get out of the way!”
The bike seems to go out of control and runs towards the crowd.
The crowd flees in panic.
“James!” Just as I am about to remind him to brake, the bike bumps into a willow nearby.
“Ah,” I scream as I roll off the bike.
James also falls to the side, disgraced and discomfited.
“Aha!” I couldn’t help laughing at the way he looks.
James glares at me, but he isn’t angry. He just lies on the ground and looks at me.
“Why staring at me? Stand up.” I reach out to push away the bike that is on top of us.
James raises his hand to hold my head and kisses me.