The Mysterious Him and Mind Reading

I just got back to the dorm when I got a message from Asher: “Want to go to Smoked Barbecue Platter tomorrow at noon?”

I couldn’t help but smile. “Sure,” I replied.

Looking out the window, I saw him bouncing around with excitement, practically cheering himself on. Even though I couldn’t hear him, I could practically feel his enthusiasm.

My roommates were all on edge, worried that the school bully might be trouble. Besides the bizarre fact that I could hear Asher’s thoughts, I told them everything honestly. I wanted them to see that he wasn’t as scary as the rumors suggested; he was actually pretty interesting and kind of charming.

Tessa, like the detective, circled me, scrutinizing every detail and pushing her glasses up. “Lena, look at you blushing. Do you have a crush for that Asher? You’re in trouble—you’re falling for him!”

Flushing, I tried to protest, “No... I haven’t...”

But they weren’t convinced. They started piecing together information I hadn’t even noticed.

“I remember Asher was into someone. Who was it again?” Tessa asked.

“It’s Isla, the beauty from the Civil Engineering Department. Last month, Asher got into a fight with a guy from her department and broke his bones.”

“Yeah, that was all over the campus forum,” Ava added. “You’ve got to be careful, or you’ll end up in a mess like that. Don’t become a love-struck fool.”

Ava pulled up the campus forum on her phone. The headline read: #School Bully’s Love Feud Almost Breaks Bones.

She patted my shoulder sympathetically. “Wise people don’t fall in love, but they do get rich.”

I tried to play it cool. “Let’s stay single together. Whoever gets out of singlehood first loses.”

But for some reason, my heart felt heavy.

That night, I had the weirdest dream. Asher was making a giant pancake, slathering it in sauce, adding a big onion, and then rolling me up in it. He said, “Lena, I’m going to roll you into the barbecue and eat you in one bite.”

I was terrified and tried to climb out along the onion, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t escape.

The next day after class, I went to the Smoked Barbecue Platter restaurant as planned. To my surprise, Asher was already there, waiting.

His hair was perfectly styled, with his bangs neatly floating on his forehead. The thick eyebrows that had been all over the place yesterday were now trimmed and calm, giving him a more controlled look.

Wow, I’m so nervous. How can a college student not go crazy? Do I look good today? I put in extra effort to look nice, just like she likes.

Why isn’t Lena here yet? I’ve been waiting for more than 20 years, so what’s a little longer? But I almost forgot the Smoked Barbecue Platter etiquette I stayed up late to learn. I’m so nervous.

Hearing his inner thoughts made me smile. Asher snapped out of his daze and noticed me.

“Lena... you’re here. You look tired. Did you stay up late?”

He was genuinely concerned.

“Haha, no, I just didn’t sleep well.”

I didn’t mention that I’d dreamt about him chasing me and that I couldn’t escape, even if I had wings.

To avoid embarrassment, I buried my head and kept flipping the skewers. But Asher stopped me.

“Lena! Don’t worry about it. Let us men handle the smoky chores.”