There are moments in life where everything changes. As Munch stood before his mirror making sure he looked just right, he knew he was approaching one of those moments. Today he was dressed in a burgundy corduroy jacket with matching trousers. He wore a dark blue and teal paisley shirt. On his feet were black wingtips. On the outside he looked sharp. Inside he was a mess of nerves and anticipation. When he stepped into the kitchen, Mama said, “My you look handsome today.”

“Thanks.” Munch knew he wasn’t handsome. The most he could hope for was attractive. Maybe he pulled it off today, and maybe he didn’t. He had tried and that was all he could do.

After breakfast he headed for the bus stop. Lolly and Max were already there. Both had the hoods of their sweatshirts pulled up. When Lolly saw Munch she smiled. The worry that had haunted her was fading. Trevor’s dad was now in a regular room and mending well. As for Trevor’s mother, God only knew what that woman was up to. Max cut Munch a glance. It was the first time he had looked in Munch’s direction since they had had words over Tina. The look Max gave him shouted, Hypocrite! Quickly, Munch looked away. Doubt began to hound him. Did Max know? Had Max figured out who he liked? There was no way of knowing. Maybe he was just being too sensitive. Maybe he wasn’t. People were dumb. Max was dumb. Prejudice hurt. His life thus far had been a testament to the best and worst of what his mother’s love for his birth father had created. He swallowed hard. He was a fool. One of his dark moods began to gust over him.

On the bus ride to school, his entire body felt like it had gone numb. Yesterday he had been so full of hope and happiness. That one look from Max had filled him with dread, had pulled in back into the real world and not the world that only existed in his head. When the bus stopped at the junior high, he didn’t see Tina anywhere. God bless his heart, why was he looking for her anyway? Had she wised up? Had Max?

The bus rolled away from the junior high and headed for the high school. Munch felt his heart begin to pump hard. Lolly asked, “Are you okay?”

“Yeah.” He wasn’t.

When Munch got off the bus, he didn’t see anyone or notice anything. It was like everything had gone white. His breath was coming in strange gasps. He cut down the hall to the art room. Thahn Ho was waiting for him at the door. She saw him and smiled. Every hope that had died inside of Munch was instantly resurrected. Maybe? Maybe… He watched her turn and head through the door. He was only seconds behind her, but what mattered was that they didn’t enter at the same time.

Inside the room she was at her art drawer gathering her supplies. He went to his and pulled it open. He grabbed his sketches and took them to their table. A couple shy glances passed between them. Munch felt flushed, he felt sick and oh so confused. All he wanted to do was ask her to be his girl, but in the world he lived in, in so many eyes and minds what he felt was taboo. He was torn. He didn’t want to do anything that would hurt Thahn Ho. What had Mama said, just do the next thing. What was the next thing? Was it to accept the fact that anything between him and Thahn Ho would never be easy and they both might be better off if nothing did happen? Sadness filled Munch’s soul. Why did the world have to be the way it was? He didn’t know.

He glanced at the clock. The bell would ring soon and he wouldn’t see her again until Painting. The room started to get loud as people packed up their supplies. Thahn Ho leaned closer to Munch and asked, “Can we talk?”

“Sure. When?”

“I will call you tonight, after Karate.”

“Oh, okay.”

The bell rang.

*

The day passed. Things were a bit more natural between Thahn Ho and him during painting class. Despite her shyness, she made a real effort to say more and he loved the sound of her voice. She didn’t have the usual Texas drawl. There was a tone to her voice that set all the words to a slightly different rhythm. Too soon the bell rang.

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Last period Grace entered the room. Her eyes scanned the room and landed on Munch. There was fire in her eyes. With hard quick steps she crossed the room. Towering over him she said, “Well the shit has hit the fan.”

Oh God, please don’t let this be about Max and Tina. “What?”

She slid into her desk and said, “Jake and Lisa.”

This semester, he didn’t have any classes with Jake or Lisa. “What happened?”

“They got into a fight in the hall and guess who it was about?”

“Who?’

“Me. Lisa thinks Jake likes me. Worse, that I like him back. Why would I like some pasty white boy? God. It’s so dumb. I’ve caught that idiot staring at me more than once. Lisa don’t get it. Jake don’t like me, not like Lisa thinks. So now, Lisa is pissed at me and I didn’t do a damn thing. Last thing I need is an enemy.”

Munch said, “I don’t think Lisa will be your enemy. She's just upset right now. She knows how dumb Jake is. Give it some time.”

“I hope you’re right.”

“Me too.”

*

That evening during Karate class, Ito-san was doing demonstrations. He had Max step forward and he showed him some moves which Max had to repeat. Max did well. He crossed the room and sat by Kevin. Kevin was not comfortable with the feud between Munch and Max, but his first loyalty was with Max. Lolly whispered, “What’s up with you and Max?”

“I don’t know.” It wasn’t true.

Ito-san called out, “Michael Dutchendorph.”

Startled Munch stood. He took his place on the mat. Ito-san went through a more complicated series of moves than he had done with Max. He said, “Now.” Munch moved his left leg forward and began the series.Step by step he worked his way through. With each movement he felt new strength in his body and his mind. When he finished the series, the class erupted in applause. Munch was used to getting attention for his art, even for his dancing, but this was the first time in his entire life that he received praise for an athletic exercise.

Ito-san said, “You do well.”

“Thank you.”

Next Ito-san put them in pairs. He did not get to be with Lolly, he had to be with Max. Great. As he and Max worked through their series of moves, it occurred to him that he and Max were the most fluid and accurate in the class. At the end of the series, Ito-san did a cool down and then dismissed the class.

While Munch was putting on his shoes, Ito-san approached him. He said, “Keep it up and you will become proficient at Karate. We will see. In time you may move you to an advanced class.”

An advanced class? Wow! “Thank you Sir.”

He nodded to Munch and headed in Max’s direction.

The ride home from Karate was lively, thanks to Mitzi. She too was doing well in her class. It seemed ballet and tap had been perfect preparatory classes for Karate. “My teacher told me I was really good.”

Max said, “My teacher said the same thing about me.”

“Did not.”

“Did too.”

Mitzi asked Munch, “Did your teacher talk to you?”

“Yup.”

“What’d he say?” Mitzi cocked her head expectantly.

“He said, I’m doing good.”

From the front seat Lolly said, “Well, no one said anything to me. I kinda suck.”

Mitzi said, “Yeah, you kinda do, but not as bad Kevin does.”

No. Poor Kevin, thought Munch. He was way out of his league but what did he care. Lolly was in the class and Trevor was no where to be found. That was enough for the big goof.

*

After Karate, Munch did his homework in the kitchen. He was having such a hard time focusing. Why hadn’t she called yet? She said she would call. He glanced at the kitchen clock. Only two minutes had passed since the last time he looked. Finally the phone rang. He felt a jolt of adrenaline shoot through his body. He grabbed the phone and tried very hard to sound nonchalant, when he said, “Hello.”

“Hi Michael.”

It was HER! “Hey.”

“Le told me you are good at Karate.”

“He did.”

There was a pause. The pause grew longer. Thahn Ho was quiet and it just felt like maybe he should fill the silence. “Ito-san said, he may move me to an advanced class.”

“That is really good.”

“Yeah, it is thanks.”

More silence.

Tentatively, Thahn Ho said, “Uhm, Michael, can I tell you something.”

“Of course.”

Her soft, sweet voice filled his ears and his heart as she said, “I think you are the nicest boy I have ever met.”

An alarm went off in Munch’s head. Was she about to tell him that she just wanted to be friends. “Thank you.”

She continued, “And, uh, I would like it if you called me sometime.”

“You would?” The question was did she like him and if she did how did she like him? “Okay. My mom has your number but I don’t.”

“Do you have paper?”

He picked up his algebra homework and his pencil. “I do now.” She called out her number. He wrote it down and he asked, “When would be a good time to call you?”

“Wednesdays evenings. My mother teaches CCD.”

He had no idea what CCD was.

“And my father meets with a group that same night. I have to look after Le. Call around 6:30.”

So, he could call her when her parents weren’t home. “Okay. Sounds good. I will call you then.”

Weird as it was, he felt her smile, if she was smiling, he just knew she was smiling.

“I look forward to it. Good night Michael.”

“Good night, Thahn Ho.” The phone clicked and the line went dead. For better or worse, this night, something had just begun.