With only a week left before the college entrance exam, aside from a break on the day before the exam, there are no more holidays.
Time passes quickly, yet it also seems to drag, leaving me feeling conflicted.
I’ve never considered school a good place; in fact, I somewhat dislike it. Every week, I only look forward to the weekends, but this time, something feels different. I actually find myself hoping time would slow down, even just a little.
No one wants to face parting. Everyone wishes they could stay with their best friends forever. Although it’s unrealistic, that thought has indeed crossed my mind.
There’s no feast that lasts forever, no matter how much we don’t want to admit it. Reality forces us to acknowledge it: friends…
It seems like in this lifetime, I’ve only made two friends during this summer: Zhang Yu… and Fatty.
Mr. Lu once said, “In life, having one true confidant is enough!”
I’m not sure what exactly defines a true confidant. Perhaps they are more precious than friends, deeper than brothers. But having Fatty and Zhang Yu as my brothers is truly enough.
Zhang Yu has a foul mouth and a “let’s fight if you’re not convinced” attitude. But if his friends are wronged, he’d risk everything to stand up for them.
Fatty, on the other hand, is timid and weak, without a bit of toughness in his personality. Yet, when it comes to friends, he’s absolutely reliable. Unlike Zhang Yu’s fiery temper, Fatty is an honest man. He doesn’t fight, nor does he dare to, but if a friend is in trouble, he’ll be the first to help in any way he can, except for physical confrontations. If he can help, he will.
At noon, the dorm was unusually quiet because after the afternoon classes, we would all go our separate ways.
Zhang Yu and Fatty weren’t sleeping, and neither was I. There was no one else in the dorm; our other roommates were making their final efforts for the college entrance exam. The three of us were the most relaxed, perhaps because we had no hope for the exam.
“Idiot, you still haven’t told us where your hometown is. Once we split up, where will we find you?” Zhang Yu asked me while smoking.
I never talked about my family with Zhang Yu or Fatty, not because I didn’t want to, but because I didn’t think it was necessary.
I smiled, “No matter where my hometown is, I’ll come back to find you guys eventually. I know where both of you live, after all.”
“Don’t be so sure. I might move someday!” Zhang Yu laughed.
Fatty chimed in, “Yeah, when I get married, I’ll definitely get a new house. No one would want to live with me otherwise.”
“Fatty, no offense, but with a face like a dumpling, who’d marry you?” I joked.
Zhang Yu joined in, saying seriously, “Fatty, you really need to think about this. Want me to help you find someone?”
“Sure!” Fatty grinned at Zhang Yu’s suggestion.
Zhang Yu smirked, “That chubby g!rl from our class would be a perfect match for you!”
“S*rew you!” Fatty laughed and cursed.
“On a serious note, Xia Tian, after the college entrance exam, are you heading back home?” Zhang Yu stopped joking and looked at me seriously.
Fatty had the same serious expression.
Some things you don’t want to think about, but eventually, you have to face them.
“Isn’t there still summer vacation? We’ve got plenty of time!” I pretended to be indifferent.
If Qin Shousheng is right, and he helps me get into Shenghua, then I’ll have to return home for a bit. I’ve been away for so long, I don’t even know how the old man is doing.
I’ll also be training at Qin Shousheng’s place during the summer, which means I won’t have much time left with Zhang Yu and Fatty.
“Idiot!” Zhang Yu cursed and continued, “I’ll be working during the summer. There won’t be much time to hang out. This summer after senior year is different from the ones in junior and sophomore years!”
“When the hell did you become such a nag? You’re acting like an old woman! What are you trying to say?” I complained, feeling frustrated with Zhang Yu’s indecision over the matter.
Zhang Yu was silent for a moment, then pulled out his phone and said, “Let’s sing ‘My Brother in the Upper Bunk’ together.”
“Sing, my ass!” This guy always had these ideas.
To my surprise, Zhang Yu, who rarely blushed, turned red and said, “I’ve been practicing this song for a while now!”
“Then go sing it by yourself!” I stopped talking after that, and Fatty pretended to go to sleep, chuckling.
“Fine, I’ll sing it alone!” Zhang Yu, undeterred, actually started singing.
“My brother in the upper bunk
Quiet as can be
The questions you used to ask me
No one asks them anymore!”
His singing wasn’t great, but hearing it brought back memories of our time together.
“Brother, want a sm0ke? No? Ah, sc*ew it… My name’s Zhang Yu…”
“I’m Hao Zhiwei. From now on, we’re desk buddies!”
“You think you can mess with my brother, idiot?”
“Didn’t have lunch? Come to my house, my mom made braised fish today!”
Everything felt like it happened just yesterday, yet so much time had passed.
I looked at Zhang Yu and said, “Idiot, toss me a cigarette!”
“Aren’t you a non-sm0ker?” Zhang Yu was surprised for a moment, then asked.
“Just give it to me, you nag!” I replied impatiently.
“C!garettes are bad for you, best not to get h0oked!” Zhang Yu said, though he tossed one up to me anyway.
I held the c!garette in my mouth but realized I didn’t have a lighter. So, I called out to Zhang Yu again, “Idiot, where’s the lighter?”
“Damn it! You’ve got nothing, fourth-class sm0ker!” He grumbled, throwing a lighter my way.
I lit the c!garette, took a light drag, and immediately started coughing, tears springing to my eyes.
“I told you it’s not good for you, but you didn’t listen!” Zhang Yu laughed, clearly enjoying my misery.
“It’s k!lling me!” I coughed a couple more times, wiping my tears, feeling a bit better.
Zhang Yu looked at me and said, “Then toss it away and don’t sm0ke again!”
“Throwing it away would be such a waste; it’s a few yuans a stick!” I said, taking another puff. This time, it was better—no more coughing. After exhaling the smoke, I felt my head get a little light.
I knew sm0king was bad, but for some reason, thinking about Zhang Yu and Fatty made me feel a bit sad. Seeing Zhang Yu smoke made me want to try it myself.
“Why don’t we grab some things and hang out at Xia Tian’s place tonight?” Fatty suggested, no longer pretending to sleep.
Zhang Yu immediately slapped his thigh and agreed, “Great idea!”
Damn it! I hadn’t even agreed yet!
In the afternoon, there were no classes. Instead, the entire senior year attended a meeting. Mr. Wang Tong’s speech was moving. Maybe it wasn’t the speech itself, but rather the unbearable pain of parting that made everyone emotional.
“Desk buddy!” As I was packing my books, Sun Jing suddenly called my name. I smiled and asked, “What’s up?”
“This last summer, I’m really glad to have you as my desk buddy!” Sun Jing said, extending her hand to me.
I was a little taken aback, but then I reached out and shook her hand. “This last summer, I’m also really glad to have you as my desk buddy!”
The last summer…
Yes, this really is the last summer I’ll spend with Zhang Yu and the others.
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