“Great, for the most part. A bit noisy and polluted, but…” Blake shrugged. “You can’t have it all.”
He was happy to be in Shanghai—to be anywhere except Texas, really—but, truth be told, he found China strange and overwhelming. The food was weird, people stared at him wherever he went, and there was a lot of everything everywhere, all the time.
Noise. Lights. Cars. For a boy who grew up in the quiet suburbs of Texas, Blake felt like someone plucked him out of a fishbowl and dropped him in the middle of a highway during rush hour.
Not that he’d ever tell his family that. They gave him enough shit about his decisions as it was.
Besides, he arrived less than a week ago. He had plenty of time to get acclimated to Asia.
“You ready for TSU?” he asked.
“Of course. I’ve been preparing all summer. Besides, I’ve visited you on campus enough to know what it’s like.” After a stint at the local community college, Joy was transferring to TSU for her sophomore year. “Cleo’s been amazing. She gave me the lowdown on everything I need to know. Which classes I should take, bars I should go to, boys I should meet.”
Wariness settled in Blake’s stomach. “I didn’t realize you two were spending so much time together.”
“Um, she’s practically my sister.” Joy gave him a pointed look. “She’d be my actual sister—well, sister-in-law—one day if you hadn’t fucked things up.”
Here we go again. “Don’t start.”
“I’m not starting anything.”
“Good.”
"All I’m saying is, Cleo is the best girlfriend you could’ve asked for—”
Blake groaned. “For God’s sake, we’ve been through this.”
“—and you broke up with her.” Joy shook her head. “What were you thinking?”
“I was thinking it’s my love life and none of your business.” This was one of those times Blake did not love his sister. She’d been on his case about Cleo all summer. He thought she’d be over it by now.
Apparently not.
“Mom and Dad are pissed.”
“Tell me something I don’t know.” Between quitting football and breaking up with Cleo, Blake hadn’t exactly endeared himself to his parents this year.
“Joy? Is that your brother on the line?”
Joy smirked. “Speak of the devil.”
“Who are you calling the devil?” Blake’s mom scolded playfully. She poked her face in front of the screen. “Hi, dear.”
“Hi, Mom.”
“Are you eating enough? You look skinnier.”
Joy snickered. “That’s my cue. I’ll let you talk to Mom.” She stood up. “Don’t be a stranger, danger.”
“That makes no sense.”
“Whatever. Byeee!”
Blake’s mom wasted no time getting down to business. “How’s the food in China? Is that why you’re not eating? Oh Blake, you should’ve studied abroad in Europe.”
“I have been eating, and the food is fine.” It took some getting used to, was all. Turned out General Tso’s chicken was not a thing here, as Blake discovered when he tried to order it last night. “Don’t worry.”
Helen Ryan pinned her son with a glare. “I’m your mother. It’s my job to worry, especially when you’re spending a year in some strange country across the world.”