In romance, differences highlight lovers’ individual strengths and promote personal growth. 

But in friendship, similarities forge an unbreakable bond. Two similar people will naturally reinforce core personality traits in the echo chamber of their conversations, inevitably strengthening their beliefs and boosting each other’s confidence. Of course, this can backfire if the “like terms” which are combined are negative qualities. I wouldn’t want to promote friendships between two inherently racists individuals, lest they amplify their own prejudices. However, combining positive like terms to promote self-confidence and strength of character, well, that is something I excel at.

After all, for a teenager or even young adult, confidence is a key ingredient to romantic development. No one would get very far in a romantic relationship without a healthy amount of self-love, preferably bolstered by their connections to good friends. 

So, as I watch Adan Riviera shuffle into sixth period, his head in a book, glasses slipping from his face, I realize what this young man needs is not a romance… at least not yet. What he needs is a friendship first. Luckily for him, I know exactly the friend I want for him. 

My decision to change the seating assignments as soon as I see this particular student is instinctual, like most of my work. However, as I reflect on my choice, I am quite pleased with the beautiful logic of it. See, Adan Riviera is the self same shy, gay boy I saw in the hallways this morning. The one who I caught pining after Jason Mayer, the jock with the pretty beard from my second period. 

I have no idea whether Adan is out, who his current friends include, or even if he is actually as shy as his hunched shoulders seem to suggest. Yet, after so many years in this business of matchmaking, I am fairly confident in my abilities to quickly gauge personalities, and I am sure my initial impressions of this student are correct, if a bit reductionist. So, it only makes sense that I should pair this boy with a confident, but equally queer individual who may accentuate his true self and help him straighten his back a little, so to speak. 

I quickly erase two names on the sixth period seating chart, switching Mr. Riviera’s intended deskmate, who had not yet entered the classroom, with Sirena Lynx, who slides into class just before the bell. I smile when I see the girl sit down next to her future friend and introduce herself. Yes, she is perfect. If they aren’t friends by the end of the week, I will be very surprised. 

Of course, precalculus is a rigorous course which leaves little time for side chatter, but I have never let that hold me back from fostering a sociable environment. The conjoined desks are unusual outside of the science department, but it was something I had insisted on when I was hired seven years ago by Principle Peeters. I also may take a bit more liberties with my group work, discussion time, and tutoring opportunities than the average math teacher, but I never believed in high-pressure impersonal teaching anyways. 

And my results spoke for themselves, as none of my students have scored below a 21 on the ACT in over three years. So what if my students text and pass notes more than the average teacher might tolerate? As long as they are learning, I am content to watch their epic romances and life changing friendships develop in my classroom. 

I sigh happily as sixth period comes to a close and I overhear several students saying familiar goodbyes such as “see you tomorrow” and “meet me at my locker after school”. Sirena waves to Adan as he leaves, and I’m unsurprised when she makes a b-line for my desk. 

“Hey Ms. Huang,” she says brightly as she tucks a loose auburn wave behind her ear, revealing an ice pattern tattooed on her left neck. “Funny you turned out to be my teacher.”

“It seems yuánfèn has brought us together,” I agree. 

“Um… yeah. Anyways, I just wanted to say thanks again for this morning.”

“No trouble at all, Miss Lynx. I’m glad I was able to intervene before the situation escalated. However, I am unsure if my timing will be as opportune in the future, so might I advise you to stay away from that young man from now on?”

“Yeah... that might be difficult,” she laughs off-handedly while adjusting the backpack on her shoulder. 

I furrow my brow, frowning slightly. 

“He’s my neighbor,” she clarifies. “But don’t worry; I already told my, um, cousin about what happened, and we’re gonna talk to my aunt about it after school.”

I nod approvingly, already taking quite the liking to this mature girl. “Well, you seem to have a good head on your shoulders, but if you need anything at all, remember my offer. My door is always open if you need to talk about anything. Bullies. Homework. Relationships.”

She blushes slightly, looking away while adjusting her strap again. “Oh, thanks, Teach.”

“Seems like there is already someone on your mind?” I probe carefully as my next class trickles in. 

Her blush deepens. 

“Sirena,” a young man interrupts our conversation with a hand on the girl’s elbow. She greets the black-haired boy as “Al” and excuses herself to talk with him. I shove down my small wave of disappointment at being cut off from gaining more information about Sirena’s crush. She probably needs to get to her next period anyways and there is always another day to collect data.

The two teens talk for a moment in hushed tones before she leaves and the boy takes his seat near the back of my class. Are they friends? Maybe I could pump him for information. I quickly dismiss the idea as too obvious and intrusive. Patience Mei. It’s only the first day. I’ve got all year with this new batch of students, and there are still my side projects amongst the teachers to consider. 

I determine to talk to Ms. Perez tomorrow during lunch. With the new school year upon us, now is the perfect time for her to take some initiative and ask Mr. Keesh out. Plus, while I’m in the teacher’s lounge, I can scope out the new hires. Perhaps Mr. Wright’s perfect match is among them. I smile at the thought. Two birds, one stone. Like simplifying algebraic equations by combining like terms. 

“How was the first day of school?” Daiyu’s voice feeds through my bluetooth earbuds, leaving my hands free to cook myself dinner at home that evening. 

“Eventful,” I respond as I dump a pile of green onions from my cutting board into my cheung fun batter. 

My sister snorts. “I’m sure you would find a way to make it eventful even if it wasn’t.” The sound of metal on metal notifies me she is also cooking. 

“Perhaps,” I concede. “But this time something interesting actually did happen. I stopped a—”

A child-like screech has me cringing and reaching for the volume dimmer on my phone. 

“Xiao yao jing! So help me God, if you do not get out of the kitchen—”

“But Ma! Ju hit me!” my little nephew, Bolin, complains loud enough for me to hear. 

I tune out the ensuing argument as I check on the shrimp in the oven. Right on schedule. I begin ladling my batter into a pan to steam, just as my sister captures my attention again. “Sorry about that,” she says. “I don’t know what’s gotten into Ju lately. You know she bit a girl in kindergarten today? First day back and I already get a call from her teacher. As if I need any more stress in my life right now.”

“Did she say why she bit the girl?”

“She’s five, Mei. I don’t think she needs a reason to bite a classmate.”

I shrug, before I remember she can’t see me. “Maybe not a valid reason, but I’m sure she was upset by something.”

“That doesn’t mean she can bite someone.”

I sigh as I begin filling the first roll with my shrimp mixture and transfer it from the steam pan to a waiting platter. “I didn’t mean it like that. Just… maybe you could talk with her about what set her off?”

“That might work with your teenagers, but come back and tell me how well that works when you have a five-year-old.”

“Never gonna happen,” I mumble, but Daiyu is already yelling something about washing up for dinner to her children. 

“Speaking of which, heads up, Ma is on the hunt again.”

“Tell her I’m too busy.”

“You can tell her yourself at dinner on Sunday.”

I stir my batter, ladling up another roll into the steaming pan, instead of answering. 

“You are coming, right?”

“I don’t know, Daiyu. Sundays are planning days for me and now that school is back in session—”

“I think you can spare a few hours for your family. Oh, got to go! Yuchen just got home.”

I sigh. In the end I didn’t tell her anything about my day. Oh well. “Tell him hi for me.”

“Will do. Love you, Jiejie.”

She ends the call before I can respond, “Love you too.”

I finish cooking my shrimp cheung fun alone. I make six in total, two more than usual, placing four in a tupperware for tomorrow’s lunch. Will two be enough for Mr. Wright? He does have quite the appetite. I decide to put an extra half from my dinner in the tupperware, just in case. 

I smile to myself at the prospect of spending lunch with him again tomorrow. Even if he is reserved about his personal life, I like the challenge of unraveling his secrets. Plus, at least he pretends to be interested in my more eccentric hobbies. If only my sister took as much interest in my work as Mr. Wright did, maybe then— 

What am I thinking? Daiyu cares about me. She is just a young mother. Of course she doesn’t have time to talk with me for hours on end like we used to. I’m happy for her. Of course I am. She and Yuchen are my greatest conquest: one of my first successful matches. So she doesn’t have time for her old, single sister anymore. That’s only a natural part of getting older, growing apart as our lives become less and less similar. Maybe I should go to family dinner on Sunday, if only to spend time with her in person. 

I wonder if Mr. Wright has any siblings. Are they anything like him? Tomorrow, I’ll ask him. In a totally natural, inconspicuous way.