"We, are identical twins." Mei-Hua shrugged looking flushed and embarrassed.
My life had taken a turn for the surreal as I found out my crush and simultaneous antagonist were two different people; sisters in fact. I'd been seeking a tutor for calculus when I'd come across an innocuous post on the community bulletin board in my dorm advertising Mei's services. What I didn't know was that the Chinese student, an academic star, and mathematics prodigy, was that she was an uptight shut-in imprisoned by her own body. As it was explained to me, both Mei-Hua, and her sister, Mei-Zhen were blessed or cursed depending on which sister you talked to, with a form of steatopygia that left them sporting natural 34B-30-57 measurements. I surmised this left the more conservative twin, Mei-Hua with severe enough body issues that she went out of her way to hide it with extra large clothing, staying away from anyone (male) she thought would have a negative reaction. She'd judged me based on preexisting stereotypes of black males, figuring that I would lose impulse control if I saw her huge ass. This pissed me off because even though I prided myself on being a well-adjusted fellow with a healthy attitude towards women, she was right. I would have flipped out if I'd seen her monster sized butt and done what others before me had probably done. Namely, try to ask holler at her and at the very least take a picture of her phenomenal ass. This fact had made me easy prey for her identical twin sister, Mei-Zhen, herself looking to sexually experiment with black guys. I quickly pulled out my phone snapping several pictures of the bickering twins before turning to Dean Brennan.
"So, guess this means I'm not getting expelled, right?" The older woman's face clouded with frustration at being foiled in her premade plan to get me off campus.
"Academic probation."
"WHAT, I'M NOT FAILING ANY CLASSES!!"
"There is the question of your grades in calculus, young man. I have been informed that you will be issued a makeup exam and your standing here at the university will be contingent upon you passing the class."
"That's bullshit, Dean Brennan and you know it."
"Academic probation." She replied smugly earning my ire and Mei-Zhen's attention. The beautiful twin's face was flush as she ran up on the desk causing Dean Brennan to flinch in her seat.
"That's not fair; he's not a pervert and you have no right to criminalize him like this. We just told you that he didn't know we were identical twins. I-WAS THE ONE SLEEPING WITH HIM!!" Mei-Zhen slammed her fist on the desktop.
"My decision's final; either he passes the quiz, or he's expelled." Mei-Zhen looked horrified at the dean's proclamation turning to face her sister, Mei-Hua.
"Zhè dōu shì nǐ de cuò , nǐ 毀 le yì qiē!! ARE YOU HAPPY NOW, MEI-HUA?!!"
"I-I am very sorry." Mei-Hua apologized again as I pushed past her sister, exiting the office with little regard to either woman. Mei-Zhen was quick on her feet chasing me down as I reached the elevator.
"Don't worry, I'll be with you until this shit is fucking resolved. We're gonna do some cram sessions and hit those books for the rest of the weekend. Fuck that cunt back there, you're gonna shove the A you get on that exam right up her big, fat ass!"
"Stop, I'm calling an audible on this situation." I held up a hand in front of Mei-Zhen's face.
"What?"
"I, uh-I need to take a break. This shit is getting a little weird Mei, uh?"
"Mei-Zhen."
"Thanks, but I think I need to handle things on my own. My college education is flashing right before my eyes and I can't take a chance on failing my parents and myself." Her narrow eyes widened at my assertion as she snagged my forearm.
"Hey, they know it's two of us; we're twins and that should make everything cool; don't be mad. Come on, we just got together."
"Yeah, but they're still gonna fuck me anyway." I softly removed her arm even though I wanted to hug the beauty as her mirror image looked on a few feet away.
"COME ON, DON'T PUSH ME AWAY!!" She locked arms around my neck, panicking.
"I ain't trying to lose my college education Mei; GET UP OFF ME!!" I pushed her away stepping into the elevator. She looked like I'd stabbed her, her face crestfallen and sad as she turned to her sister Mei-Hua.
"Nǐ xiàn zài gāo xìng le ma ? wǒ bù néng yǒu rèn hé dōng xī , yīn 為 nǐ!! nǐ huǐ le wǒ de xìng fú!! I-I HATE YOU!!" The doors to the elevator closed just as I witnessed Mei-Hua's reaction to her sister's outburst.
By the time I'd reached the first floor, I was already considering running back to my version of Mei. Instead I forced myself to walk back across campus towards my dorm room. My mind was still awash in memories of our one-night stand twenty-four hours earlier. The Chinese beauty had taken me by storm like a raging fire, leaving my enchanted. A few times, I stopped on my lonely walk looking back in the direction I'd come from. Perhaps I was hoping she'd be running up behind me, but she wasn't there. She'd come along at a time when I needed her most, taking thoughts of Mylie and obliterating them. I could still feel her all over me, chafing inside at the loss of some masculinity. I pushed forward still, prodded by my ego to do what was right; do what was necessary for my future. Yet, still I looked back wondering what was happening between the sisters. Even though the identical twin sisters had become the catalyst for so much chaos in my life, I still felt like a jerk for rejecting Mei-Zhen. I trudged into the dorm finding my door and the adjacent walls covered entirely with "NO MEANS NO" flyers. I shrugged, ripping away a few until my door knob was visible, as my phone chimed with a text message.
TEXT: I will be praying for your success with all my might; I'm sorry about everything from the bottom of my heart. I'm really feeling it and I swear that my bitch sister will pay for what she has done to you. I HATE HER ASS MORE THAN EVER!!
The last part of the text gave me pause because of the virulent nature in which it was written. The emotion was palpable and raw.
MY TEXT: Don't worry, I'll do my best. Hey, you only have one family; maybe you two can work it out.
I stared at the text for a long while before deleting it and pushing into my dorm room. My roommate Armin was nowhere to be found and it appeared the Angry Women's Group for lack of a better term, hadn't stopped at plastering my door with flyers. The room was vandalized with trash and even more flyers. I almost had to wade through the garbage to my bed. Irma Hersh was on a mission, but I'd deal with her later as I retrieved my books and began cramming. Right before midnight, I received another text message.
TEXT: We were so good together; I was robbed because my stupid sister can't accept who she is and now I'm lost. I HATE her FACE, guess that means I hate my face too. Gonna have to do something about that shit.
A picture of Mei-Zhen was attached which gave me pause and tugged at my heartstrings at the same time. It was a selfie of her lying in bed with a loose-fitting tank top just covering her small breasts. I could make out her abdomen wondering if she were wearing anything else. She was holding the phone aloft with this sad expression on her face. A closer look revealed tears streaming down her face. We'd known each other for a relatively short time, so I felt apprehensive wondering if she weren't trying to manipulate me emotionally. Five minutes later I was texting her a message which I also deleted when my inner voice demanded. I had to make sure my educational residency was safe. I continued into the night before passing out at my desk.
DARKNESS