The day after the chips incident I arrive home, hang up my jacket in the coat rack, take my shoes off, and walk to my room, passing the Ganesha (Indian God) painting my mother forced me to hang up, the counter top with a box of Chen's strawberries and two bags of chips, the small armchair with the blue cushions, the plant in a corner of the side table-holdup, a plant in the corner of the side table? I pause, then backtrack. 

At the age of nine after three sets of pet fish died within a week of getting them, I knew that I wasn't good at taking care of living things. Since then, while other kids begged for dogs and hamsters, I decided to focus on my beloved action figures. 

'But plants are different', some may say. Well, let's just say I don't have a green thumb either. I figured this out pretty quick after my mom's friend had me water her plants while she was in India. I somehow managed to over water the ones that needed less and under water the ones that needed more. So, you understand how serious it is to see a plant in my - the plant and animal killer's - house. Obviously, I didn't bring it home so...

"Chen!" No response. I stride over to his door, it's locked. I knock. Still, no response. I bang on the door with a closed fist. 

"CHEN!" After a few moments the door slowly opens revealing a sleepy Chen in a giant fuzzy lime green sweater. 

"Wha-what happened?"

"How come there's a plant over there?" I point.

"Oh, I rescued it."

"Rescued??"

"Yeah, from the dentist's." I blink. 

"You stole a plant from your dentist's office?"

"Not stolen! Rescued. Look at these drooping leaves! Look at how the color is off!" He cries, rushing over and gesturing wildly. I peer at the large, flat, splotchy green leaves. 

"Looks fine to me."

"No! Look at these!" He gestures dramatically towards three slightly grayer, sunken ones.

"Uh...okay. Do you even know what kind of plant it is?"

"Of course! It's a Chinese Evergreen! Usually you can get them to flower, however those horrible people mistreated him so I rescued him! Now, I'll take care of him and help him flower." I gaze skeptically at him.

"How can someone who can't even take care of themselves possibly take care of a plant?"

"Hey! What do you mean?"

"Hmm...let's see. Can't cook, eats chips for every meal, can't lift 25 pound weights..."

"Shut-up!" Chen grabs the pillow on the blue armchair and starts wacking me.

"Okay, okay, hahaha." I play surrender, lifting my arms up as I laugh. 

Chen stomps over to the plant and touches its droopy leaves. As I gaze at Chen stroking the plant, his cheeks in a pout, a sudden thought hits me as I recall a sixth grade memory and I grin.

"But are you sure it'll be okay?"

"I can care for a plant!"

"I'm sure you can but what if its diet is...unusual?"

"...what do you mean?"

"Have you seen the play "Little Shop of Horrors"?"

"...no."

"A guy brings a plant home and it turns out to be...man eating." Chen stares at me.

"It devourers all the customers at the shop before almost devouring the guy and his girlfriend. So maybe that plant..."

"How dare you say that about Cao Cao!" Chen cries, chucking the pillow at me again. I burst into laughter, then pause.

"Cao Cao?"

"His name. He's named after one of the most powerful generals in Chinese history, he lived around the end of the Han dynasty."

"Huh, I thought you'd picked it because it was cute." I glance at Chen, his checks turn pink.

"Well...there's also that." I grin. 

"Well even if you name him such a cute name, he might still eat you~"

"You! Don't say that!" He resumes wacking me and I, once again, burst into laughter that resounds through the apartment.