"Mae Choi? It's me, Tim..."
As soon as she got in the car, she immediately called her department head. From what I could gather, she was reporting that she'd be late and asked her to inform the principal about the situation. She's really acting like Wonder Woman today.
"I'll drop you guys off at the side of the school. I need to get her to the hospital right away."
"Just take her to the school clinic. It's just a scratch; it's not like she's dying," I said, looking away. So dramatic.
"I'm not thick-skinned like you," Tongjai finally opened her mouth. Oh, so now that she has someone backing her up, she's brave enough to talk back? "Why don't you try dragging your skin against the asphalt and see how it feels?"
"Want to give it a try, son? I can pull over right now," my wet nurse added. Even Jao Peem had a tiny smirk on his face. Watch it, you guys—one of these days, I'm going to get you back.
"If it didn't happen to you, then shut it. Besides, she's a girl. Her body isn't built like yours."
"What does that have to do with anything? Men and women are both human," I countered.
"True, but our biology is different. Do you want to try being a woman for a day? Like, maybe having blood leaking out of your 'little guy'?"
Yikes. Just thinking about it gave me the chills.
"If you don't know the struggles of being a woman, then keep your 'killing equipment' quiet." I didn't bother arguing after that. I was still annoyed, though. If she hadn't been hurt, I would've... well, she'd see.
When we reached the side of the school, my stepmom pulled over. We walked along the sidewalk, which was already crowded with students heading into the building.
"Hey! Jao Peem! Jao Pat!" Ashi's voice shouted from a distance.
He half-walked, half-ran toward us, with two girls, Dotty and Buakhaw, trailing close behind. This is the 'Looker' gang—the elite group of the best-looking kids in school.
"Have you seen the clip yet?"
"What the hell are you talking about? I just got here," I replied.
"The clip of you guys and Ms. Tim!" Ashi said. We exchanged looks. I knew it.
"Look at this! Everyone's praising our teacher, saying how brave she was. But the real kicker is—everyone is wondering what she said to that rich douchebag to make him march at her with his fists clenched." You really love sticking your nose in other people's business, don't you, Ashi?
"Yeah, I saw it and I'm dying to know. You were right there, Jao Pat, you must know what she said," Buakhaw chimed in.
Her name is actually Bua, but she's so tough we call her Buakhaw (after the world-famous Thai boxer). Don't ever mess with her unless you want to get knocked out. Her family runs a Muay Thai gym, and she even competes in matches sometimes. Plus, her dad is scary as hell.
Ding Dong Ding Dong...
The school bell rang with its usual soft melody, signaling time for the national anthem assembly. It was a lifesaver for us. At that moment, Jao Peem leaned in and whispered to me.
"Before you say anything, think carefully. Every word out of your mouth could affect her."
"So, what actually happened? Tell us everything!" Dotty chimed in.
Her real name is Preem—Prita—but she's a little cross-eyed, so we gave her that nickname. Only those in our group can call her that, though; if anyone else tries, she'll give them a look that could kill.
"The bell already rang, let's go to assembly. I don't want to get in trouble with the disciplinary teacher," I made an excuse.
"I think skipping school for a day won't hurt. Ms. Tim isn't here for the first period, Mr. Pong is out all day for Biology, and for Math... I honestly can't deal with Ms. Aim-Amorn's nagging. She treats me like I'm some kind of murderer. As for the other classes, there's nothing important. We can just catch up on the work with friends later," Ashi suggested.
"Ashi, every idea you have is a one-way ticket to getting me in trouble with my dad. Let's just go into school; I don't want to start picking up bad habits," Buakhaw countered.
"What do you think, Jao Peem? We're cool with whatever. Honestly, I'm not really in the mood for school today anyway," Dotty, the group's secretary, added. She never really has an opinion of her own; everything has to be approved by the gang leader, Jao Peem.
"It's not a bad idea, Jao Peem. One day won't be a problem. After everything that happened this morning, I don't think I can focus in class anyway. Plus, I don't want people pestering me with questions," I said.
Jao Peem looked thoughtful. His cold, silent demeanor had everyone on edge. Finally, he gave a slow nod.
"That's my bro! So, where are we heading, guys?"
"First of all, you guys need to change your clothes."
"I didn't bring any, Ashi," I said. But then he opened his bag to show us a set of clothes. Of course! He had planned this for a long time. "What about you two?" I asked the girls.
"We'll just buy some at the shop up ahead," Buakhaw shrugged. Wow, for someone who didn't want to skip school, you sure are ready, friend.
After changing, we hopped on a public van to a famous mall in the heart of the city. We waited until 9:30 AM for the doors to open. My heart was racing; this was my first time ever skipping school. I kept looking over my shoulder, terrified I'd run into someone I knew.
I hope this is the first and last time. Even as reckless as I seem, I still feel pretty guilty about this.