Xin chào is Vietnamese for 'Hi'. Well, um, unless the internet has lied to me. In which case it is in character and Gretchen got it wrong.

Chapter 2

Ring ring, ring ring.

'Xin chào.'

'Oh I'm so sorry I must have dialled the wrong number,' apologised Karen as she prepared to hang up the phone.

'Wait Karen it's me,' said Gretchen on the other end. 'Sorry, I've been waiting for a call from Sun Jin Dinh.'

'Oh,' said Karen. She cleared her throat. She had not exchanged more than three words with Gretchen in the weeks since the Plastics had broken up and it felt weird to be calling her again. 'And how are things?'

'Oh awesome,' Gretchen said enthusiastically. There was a tiny pause on the line. 'The only thing is…'

'Yes?' asked Karen, failing to keep the hope out of her voice.

'Well I'm pretty sure that I'm allergic to Vietnamese cooking. And Trang Pak won't let me wear pink. And I miss… like…'

Karen, as everyone knew was not the smartest girl in the world but she was not totally stupid. And she knew Gretchen Wieners better than anyone else.

'I miss you too Gretch,' she admitted. 'You're my bff.'

At this point Gretchen obviously burst into tears because Karen could clearly hear her sobbing on the other end of the phone. This set Karen off and they sobbed in unison for the next four minutes before Karen managed to pull herself together enough to remember why she had called Gretchen in the first place.

'Ok, this is massive news, so maybe you should sit down.'

'I'm am sitting down,' replied Gretchen.

'Oh. Well maybe you should stand up then. I've totally fallen in love,' she squealed into the phone.

Gretchen squealed back. 'Oh my God Karen that is so fetch! Wait… it isn't Seth Mosakowski again?'

'Hey, a girl makes a mistake three or four times and suddenly everyone thinks that's all that she ever does.'

'Sorry honey.'

'Anyway,' said Karen, 'he's going out with Kaitlyn Caussin.'

'Oh. Well tell me about this new guy. Is he a hottie?'

'Only the hottest hottie to have ever hotted,' squealed Karen. 'His name is Mike Sedzikowski and is really cute and funny. And smart!'

'Smart, really?' said Gretchen cautiously.

'Yes really!' Karen frowned. 'Hey wait why did you say 'smart' like that?'

There was a long, long pause at the other end of the phone. Finally Gretchen said 'I didn't.'

Karen relaxed. 'Oh ok then.'

'So,' said Gretchen as gently as she could, 'you aren't worried he might be a little too smart? Not that are stupid or anything, just – sorry hold on a sec.'

It must have been Karen's imagination but it had almost sounded like someone had been laughing just there while Gretchen had been speaking.

'There was a problem with, er, the phone,' explained Gretchen a moment later. 'Crossed lines or something.'

'Oh my god Gretch!' said Karen. 'What if he does think I'm too stupid?'

'Oh honey! Look I can ask around in school tomorrow and see if I can get the word on what he likes. I mean if you know that that's half the battle right?'

'Thanks Gretch,' said Karen, 'I forgot how awesome you are.'

'T-thank you honey,' said Gretchen emotionally. 'Don't mention it.'

'See you later,' said Karen and hung up.

Across town in her bedroom Gretchen Wieners stared at her phone for a second, then sighed. On the one hand she hadn't realised how much she had missed her best friend. On the other hand Trang Pak was probably not too happy at firstly that remark about wearing pink and secondly Gretchen cutting her off when she revealed she had been listening in by laughing. Gretchen should probably call her back right now.

On the third hand, she thought as she firmly put down the phone, she really did like pink.

Maybe the unfriendly black hotties had an opening at their table.