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the dining hall?” I ask, realizing that I haven’t eaten in like a thousand years and that I have no food in my house.
    “Nah, I have to meet up with the most annoying girl in the world, remember?”
    “Oh, that’s right. How did you get stuck with the most annoying girl in the world?”
    He wrinkles his nose. “She asked me to work with her and I had no idea how to say no. I was so shocked that it wasn’t Lea asking that I fell into some kind of fugue state.”
    “Why is she so annoying?”
    “Well, for starters, she thinks Portugal is in South America.”
    I shake my head and laugh.
    “That’s tough, dude,” I say.
    “Life is tough sometimes,” he says, like a wise old man.
    “It is, but—” I stop myself. I look at him, at the way he has books spread all over the table and the crease of concentration in his forehead. “It doesn’t have to be as hard as you make it. And I know you hate when I say it and I might just be … pissing into the wind and I don’t want to start a fight, but you could like, let other people help you with stuff sometimes.”
    He stares at me and for a second I think he might cry.
    “I know,” he says finally.
    “Good, as long as you know.”
    “I really do. That’s why I started seeing a therapist.”
    “Good for you,” I say, a little surprised. But I knew that my parents had been encouraging him to do just that. Before we can make this a Hallmark moment, I catch sight of a girl whose smile is so broad it has to be fake.
    “I’m going to guess that’s your partner,” I say, gesturing with my chin.
    “Yes,” he says, shoulders deflating. “Unfortunately.”
    I rush out of there then with just a quick wave over my shoulder. I’m not in the mood to meet the most annoying girl on earth.
    Frank (Chinese-food delivery guy)
    These orders can’t be right. They’re exactly the same items for two different people in two different dorm rooms in the same building. We have to stop letting Lin answer the phone, she can never keep these things straight. She definitely can’t be in charge on Sunday nights anymore, that’s for sure.
    I call both rooms anyway. Maybe the one whose order is wrong will take it, or at least they’ll know I’m here and they weren’t ignored. I hate having to turn around and go back to the restaurant, but I suppose it’s all part of the job.
    I wait for what seems like a million years, hanging out in the lobby, trying not to look like I’m casing the joint. My phone is blowing up. Seems like everyone wants to go out tonight for some reason, but I have lab at 9 a.m. and there’s no way I’m messing with that. I have an A in that class and I don’t want to lose it.
    Finally both elevators slide open, and a girl emerges from one and a guy from the other.
    “Delivery?” I say, holding up the bags.
    They both walk over, glancing at each other.
    “Is it possible you guys ordered the same thing?”
    “Sesame noodles with chicken and a side of fried dumplings?” the girl says, looking from me to the kid.
    “Yeah,” the kid says, so quietly that it’s like barely a word and more of an exhale.
    “Seriously?” I ask.
    He nods and she smiles.
    “And you’re not together?” I ask, confused. “This has never happened before. It might not seem like a big deal, but I’ve been delivering for my family’s restaurant for six years and it’s literally never happened before.”
    “No,” the girl says. Guess she’s the spokesperson tonight. “Not together. But glad we could break some kind of statistical record for you.”
    “Cool. Cause I was gonna say you could have ordered the bigger size of dumplings for less money and more dumplings.”
    They both smile at that. “More dumplings are never a bad thing,” the girl says.
    I hand them their orders and they pay, both of them pretty decent tippers. As I walk out, I look over my shoulder and they’re staring at each other while they wait for the elevator.
    Maribel (Lea’s roommate)
    Lea