Aster and Izak were smoking. Again.
Aster never told me he smoked, especially when he was so young. Why would he smoke for? That might be the reason he developed this brain damage that put him in a coma.
I go up to Ter and take the cigarette out of his mouth. It's risky but worth it, I might get a punch or two but I need him to stop smoking.
I throw the cigarette into a trash bin.
"What is your problem?" he's startled
That Izak guy. He's not wearing sunglasses this time. I've seen him before. Shit what was it?
"I told you not to smoke, kids!"
"Who are you calling a kid? You're younger than us yourself!"
Do I really look that young? We don't know each other at all, he must be so freaked out. Why am I sticking my nose into their business? That's what they must think. But as I said, I need to do everything for the better.
"You're an interesting guy" Izak continues to smoke. I knock that cigarette out of his mouth to the floor.
Shit. Izak. I know him.
He used to hit on me in the college I attended for a few months. Oh my god. He looks quite the same to be honest.
How did I even forget his name? I mean there are a lot of people with that name right, so who cares?
It was the first of September. My first day in that college, I was twenty one. I was completely alone, all of my friends either chose to work or went to other colleges.
He showed me around, it was his second year of attending this college so he helped me out.
"Hey! I'm Izak"
I stopped being quiet when I finished school. I don't know how it happened. Everytime someone saw me acting the way I've never acted before, they were super surprised, wondering how i've changed this fast. They became so much more nicer and supportive, it was weird to me. What's so bad about being quiet, right?
"Hey, I'm Saran"
"That's a great name! It really fits you!"
"Well thank you" I used to be so silent whenever someone talked to me like that, but now I've changed.
"I'll show you around. I can assure you'll love it here!"
After walking around, he told me he was hungry
"Wanna grab a bite, I'm starving!"
I couldn't tell if he was just being friendly, wanted to have a good first impression or wanted to become friends with me, but I didn't resist. He even started turning red from all of that smiling. He opened every door everytime we went into a room and told me a lot of stories about this school and his personal life.
As we sat down, he didn't stop talking, that's self explanatory, it's his duty.
"Your name is as cute as your face"
That was a little shocking. I didn't expect it. That's some great acting, I gotta admit.
"Well thank you!" I smile back "You are doing a great job at impressing others, people must love you. Did you take up drama back then?"
"Well, I mean it"
Going along with it, I see.
"Ah, do you? I appreciate it, but you can be yourself, I'm not a snitch"
"You are cute"
"You've just met me"
"And I have eyes"
That's a way of approaching somebody. He's quite cute too.
After that, we became friends, it was obvious that he liked me, I liked him too but not for too long. When I left college, I didn't text him since, I was an idiot and ghosted him. He was truly kind to me.
It's such a coincidence that a guy i liked in college went to my highschool AND was Ter's, my fiance's friend? Such a small world.
Going back to the bathroom.
Izak starts laughing. I'm surprised that they haven't smacked me already. But I'm risking it all.
"Why do you keep taking my cigarettes. These things cost you know, you'll need to pay me back" Ter just seems tired
"You guys are young"
"We are nineteen. We are old enough to smoke, man"
He's right, but it might be the reason he developed brain damage. These dumb doctors couldn't even tell me where and how he got it, how am I supposed to know how it happened then? This IS impossible.
"You'll hurt your little brains"
"That's not something you should worry about" He starts leaving once again. Completely understandable.
I stop him as he's leaving, covering the bathroom door with my body.
"Why are you making this difficult" he just takes my hand and easily moves me away from the door. Shit, I'm weak. I need to do better. Izak runs after him and looks at me for a second, concerned.
As I'm about to leave the bathroom, to run after him a teacher suddenly appears.
It's a face I remember
"Hey, Saran! Don't you have a lesson in my class right now?" it was my history teacher Miss Lawan. She was an amazing teacher.
"I do?" I obviously do not remember my schedule.
"Yes you do! Go to your class and I'll be right back" she smiles and runs to the women's bathroom.
I listen. What else can I do? I'll just wait after school ends and follow Ter, i want to stare at his young face as much as I can. I really want to know how he used to act ten years ago. I definitely notice a difference, he's a little more rude now, but that's valid, I'm a stranger.
I go to the class. I was a little late so everyone looked at me, but went back to their business in a few.
My friends keep staring at me, all baffled while crossing their arms.
"You've never been late dude"
P is right. I've never been late, I was quite a nerd back then.
"Whatever, let's go study together after school, we have a big exam coming up" Mayuri suggests. Damn I do not want to study at all. I need to find Aster.
"Sorry, I'm busy!"
"No you're not"
"Yes I am"
"You never do anything besides study, what could you be possibly doing?"
"I'm just busy"
"Come on, stop speaking shit, we are going to a cafe, I know a good one" P begins to lose patience
"Let's go to a club instead" I mumble, didn't even expect anyone to hear it
"Are you nuts?" the seventeen year old Dao is frightened.
Oh shit, I forgot we are all underage
"We are underage, you expect they'll let us in?"
"We could try" I would really like a drink, it has been a long day.
"Let's go!" P looks excited. He's always up for a challenge. I didn't expect them to actually agree. I would've went alone, I don't want them to ruin their healthy bodies.
"No i was kidding"
"No, let's go!" oh my god P
"I have plans I can't go"
"You suggested, you can't take it back"
"My mom will kill me!"
"Mayuri, she'll never find out! If she does, I'll talk it out with her or something"
"You? You have piercings all over your face and you look like a homeless person, you know she doesn't trust you"
"Let's just try! If they don't let us in, we'll leave"
P is a crazy guy. I can't let them go, they are kids.
"We aren't going, I was just joking, stop this"
We continue to argue, and I finally lose. Oh my god, if my dad finds out, I'm dead. It's a dream anyway, so let's go. Maybe after a drink or two I'll go back to reality.
After school I try to find Ter, but I can't find him, I was too late, he must be home already.
I'll just go to his place, since it's not too far from school, I believe I still remember the house he talked about when we started talking.
It was our fifth meet up.
"I can't really remember where I lived, but I think it was a blue house near the Chao Phraya River"
"You can't remember where you've lived your whole life, but you can remember a river?"
"I really liked that river"
"You must've" I tease him
After walking for quite some time, I find the blue house. It looks insanely beautiful, just like from a fairytale.
A woman opens the door after I knock. It's an old lady, might be his grandma?
"Hello, dear!"
"Hello! Is Aster home?"
"Well I wouldn't know!"
"Why not?"
"Oh silly, he's my neighbour! He lives right by" so it wasn't the blue house. That's weird. "It's the big house near me! Though, I believe he must be with his friends!"
I look up to my right, it's truly gigantic. I did notice it, but who would've thought, that he was the one living there? And how did he even mistake these two completely different houses? I did notice he had memory problems, but was it that bad?
That house looks insane, was Aster a millionaire or something? I knew Aster wasn't poor, but was he that rich? How did I not realise it when I saw him with branded clothes today. I'm an idiot.
The lady was truly an angel, she offered me muffins and some tea as if this conversation lasted longer than a minute. I declined, I must find Aster.
I go up to their fence, I can't even go in, I notice security cameras everywhere after trying to open the fence door as much as I can. I hope his parents won't notice my violent attempts opening these huge beautifully made doors.
I ring the bell nearby. A woman finally opens the fence doors, but she looks like a worker. She looks just like a maid. They had a maid too?
"Hello, who are you?"
"I'm Aster's fian.. friend" shit, almost slipped.
"And what is your name?"
"I'm Saran"
"I don't recall Mr. Aster having a friend called Saran."
"I'm a new friend, ya know"
"And why are you here? His friends do not come here." They don't?
"I can't find him. Is he home?"
"Mr. Aster is not at home"
"Do you know where he is?"
"Is it an emergency?"
"It really is! Please you must tell me quickly!"
She seems scared.
She grabs her phone, and calls somebody.
"Hello, Mr. Ritthirong"
It's his dad. I only remember his name, because Ezio told me about him. Ezio mentioned he was an angry man.
"Why are you calling me in the middle of work!" I can hear him screaming. The phone isn't even on full volume, but it almost burst my eardrums open.
"I'm incredibly sorry. Do you.."
"It better be an emergency. Someone must be dying, if you are calling me when I'm busy!"
She looks at me in fear. Shit, I could've just found Ter myself. His dad is hella mad. I'm scared he'll fire her because of me, or worse, he'll beat me up himself or something. I didn't know his dad was that rude.
"Do you know where Mr. Aster is?"
"Fuck, how would I know? I could care less where that little monster is"
Little monster? What is he talking about, how could he talk about his son like that. I'm scared for him. It better be a dream. Maybe it's their love language, god I can't figure it out..
"You're fired"
"I'm really sorry Mr. Ritthirong, do not fire me it won't happen again.
"Call me again and you'll be fired"
"I'm sorry, I won't bother you again."
She puts her phone down.
"I'm sorry, that you heard everything. As you can see, nobody knows where he is. I'm sorry"
Shit. All that trouble, just because of me? My head is spinning once again, I feel like I'll lose consciousness. There is so much happening right now. My problems with losing consciousness might be coming back, i hadn't had this feeling for quite some time, why is it coming back? I used to lose consciousness a lot back then, when there were a lot going on at the same time, it overwhelmed me. This can't come back now!
It's getting a little late, I agreed to meet my friends by the club at 6pm. I have some time, so I'll go home. Maybe I'll go back to reality soon? I must see my little sister and my dad. I miss them.
My house. It looks so nostalgic. I miss it. I haven't visited for a couple years, it feels good to see it again.
"Ah my son!" My dad comes to meet me as soon as I walk in. I forgot how this felt, coming back home, surrounded by my family. I haven't really thought about it, because everytime I came home to Ter, I've always felt happy. He is my family. But there was a time, where I really wanted to visit my loved ones once again.
I see little Sasi rushing to hug me. She is holding a little doll that mom was saving for her before she was born.
"Brother!" she almost falls while running
"How was school? Anything interesting?"
I start tearing up, it just doesn't feel real, to be honest I don't want to go back. I wanna stay here, just so I can be with my family and my Ter.
"Why are you crying, my son?"
"My eyes started burning a little, don't worry"
Sasi hugs my legs with her little arms
"How so?"
"Who cares, don't take it seriously, let's go watch a movie!"
"Brother, brother, brother!"
I pick Sasi up and kiss her little forehead.
"I'll make popcorn" dad heads to the kitchen
Shit, how much time do I have? I have an hour left.
"I'll be studying with my friends in the evening"
"That late? Where to?"
"Just at P's house"
"Ah okay. Pass my regards to Somchai, don't let him forget about our fishing trip tomorrow"
Somchai is P's dad. Our dads are best friends and I guess they are having a fishing trip tomorrow.
"So go get ready!"
"But I want to spend some time with you.."
"Time doesn't run away, let's watch a movie some other time!"
I go up my room, that I haven't seen for about two years. It's the same room before getting renovated, it's even weirder seeing it again.
Ah how I miss it. It looks so nostalgic, never would've guessed I'd go that crazy over my old highschool room. I see posters everywhere, my friend group pictures and walls full of drawings. Everything looks messy, but it feels good seeing it again.
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Ongoing!! Written and created by me - tempox:)
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