CHAPTER 44: AWAIT

But since Yuri was pleading with me to see a movie with her, we didn't leave Siam until it was quite late. I offered to ride in the cab with her and see her off at her house before I head home. It's past 10 pm now, I figure that Pa and Ma are already asleep.

I'm incredibly exhausted once I leave the cab and unlock the gate. I pound on my neck while I walk inside. I suspect today's gym class really did take a toll on me. It was seriously painful when I leaned down to take off my shoes. Aside from my waist being sore, I notice an unfamiliar pair of feet in front of me.

I immediately look up.

"How'd you get here?!" It's Phun! What is he doing inside my house?!

"On a magic carpet." He answers me in a deep mocking tone before he helps me with my school bag. "Come on in, quickly! You're letting the mosquitoes get inside." Wait a second. Am I at the wrong house?

I follow him and walk inside my own house all the while feeling quite confused. Phun leads me to the dinner where my favorite dish, chicken panang curry, is waiting. Not only that, there are stirred fried longyard beans and deep fried pork balls with corn too. "Your ma made these. They're all delicious, I promise." Oh, that means this jerk has been here since dinner and got all friendly with my family already.

"So you're meddling with my family now? Where are Pa and Ma anyway?"

"They went upstairs to sleep. I told them that I'd wait for you in their place, heh heh." That's nice of you to offer to help them. I think to myself while I go get a plate of rice in order to eat all these dishes. Even though I've had that bowl of noodles, I got hungry after the movies.

"So, you're home late. What were you guys doing?" He asks me. I try to answer, but I need to swallow the food first.

"We saw that new Jackie Chan movie. The dubbing was fucking hilarious." I tell him while I get some more curry. I can hear Phun chuckling softly as he pours me a glass of water. "Right. Eat slower or you're gonna choke."

We had the late dinner, watched some television and talked for a long while before we finally decided to go upstairs. That was how I found out that Phun dropped by earlier this evening but I wasn't home yet so he stayed to chat with my parents. Then my Ma invited him to dinner, which was how Phun turned into her new favorite son.

"Your ma was totally flirting with me, man. She kept saying how handsome I look, I got so freaking embarrassed." This is you feeling embarrassed? I glance at the guy who seems to be proud more than anything as we make our way up the steps. I suddenly get the urge to kick him down the stairs and ruin his good looks.

"Whatever, you're not even half as good looking at my pa." I'm a good son, I have to take my pa's side. Heh heh. I can hear him laugh as I open the door to my room.

Once I flip the lights on, I head straight to my computer desk and drop my school bag next to it before I quickly take off my socks. As for Phun, he's busy with turning on the television. We were doing our own things for a little while, and then I finally ask him a question.

"So what are you doing here? Did you tell your parents yet?"

Phun is sitting comfortably with his legs crossed. His eyes are on the television which is currently tuned to Disney Channel. "I did. Some relatives of ours are staying at our place and they're keeping Pang company so this older brother isn't needed anymore. I figured that should sleepover at your place and keep you company."

"Jeez, and how old are you again?" I mutter to myself while I walk over to the small fridge to grab a bottle of water and pour a glass for Phun. He shakes his head so I drink it instead. "You got sad and upset at your little sister so you came over to lick your wounds."

"No...I missed you. We haven't cuddled in ages." Cough cough. I'm choking on the water after hearing what this student council secretary just said with a straight face.

"What'd you just say?!" Cough cough. I'm actually choking on the water. I look so pitiful, yet my visitor looks at me with a grin as he pats the empty space next to him.

"Come on, come sit over here." What's with this guy? Why is he saying these weird stuff? And the nerves of him to boss the owner of the house around. I stare at the silly grin on his face while feeling very apprehensive. "Whyyyyy?"

"Come on!" He keeps on hitting the floor next to him and I give in. Fine, I better go before he leaves a mark in my room.

But before I can sit down just as he told me to do, this jerk pulls me in and hugs me tightly. Yooooooo! I struggle inside his sturdy arms. Basically, I'm sitting in Phun's lap with his arms wrapped firmly around me.

"Yo! Let go!"

"Like hell. I've been dying to hold you like this for days. There's no way I'm letting you go tonight." He tells me as he buries his nose in my cheek. I fight against his hold a couple more times as Phun's tall nose is taking advantage of this situation. He's kissing me here, there and everywhere. Not that I'd let him keep this up though. "Hey! What's with you?!" Except that he's crazy strong and I'm starting to get tired.

"Can't I...?" After putting up some fights, Phun asks me with a somewhat dejected tone of voice. Really, are you pulling that move on me? I glance at him and I stop struggling.

"Let me sit properly first." That's the deal. I tell Phun and he allows me to sit on the floor. Now that he's behaving, I'm the one reaching over and hold him this time around. "See? Isn't this better?"

"Whichever way is great." He tells me in a muffled voice as he squeezes me tightly. We stay like this for a long while until Phun is the first one to let go.

His face is merely inches away from mine.

"Can I kiss you...?" A deep yet gentle voice cab be heard coming from the pair of lips that aren't too far from mine.

I stare into at those sharp eyes of his before I close mine just as our lips intertwine and we offer one another the sweet nectar.

Phun and I kiss for so long that my mind is going blank. We haven't kissed like this since our trip to Bang Saen. (Actually, Phun kissed me on Christmas Day but let's not count that one since our lips simply touched very briefly.) Phun's kiss is still as pleasant as ever. He doesn't rush things. He gradually tastes the longing and yearning from the tip of my tongue. Phun uses his own tongue to stir up all those lovely memories. We each express our feelings through our tongues for a long while before he softy bites my lips several times using his own lips.

Phun pulls away and grins widely, looking satisfied.

"You're still a great kisser. I'm so glad." He tells me as he pulls me into his tight embrace once more. "Today was totally worth it."

"Of...of course!" I can barely spit out a reply. He slowly lets go of my body, but he's still kissing my forehead. And then, he gives me another big kiss on my cheek.

"I'm gonna go take a shower!" Phun tells me and he gets up. He turns to smirk at me before leaving me sitting here all confused. My face is undeniably red. That bastard! You got me all worked up and you just gonna leave?!

I stick my middle finger at him before waving him off. I turn my attention to the game console to calm myself down out of irritations. Then, I hear his faint deep voice.

"Wait for me..." And he disappears inside the bathroom.

So you do remember that I'm still waiting for you after all...?

The next morning, Phun and I showed up at the school together. As expected, we run into Ohm and his loudmouth.. (Seriously? Why do we always run into him when this kind of stuff happens?) He didn't say anything much this time though since he got to the school with nong Mick himself. We were even. Neither of us mentioned anything.

The classes went by like normal, just like everything else that appeared to be normal too. But not Ohm though, he didn't seem like himself. I suspect that he and nong Mick are going steady for real now. He was on his phone at all times. I tried listening in and Om kept checking on where nong Mick was and what he was doing. Honestly, he talks shit when he's around his friends but yet he's pretty protective of his boyfriend.

I went to the clubroom like I've always done after school has ended. It was weird that not a lot of people were around today. I suppose it had to do with the upcoming midterm exams so everyone was off studying. (What about me though?) I'm a genius. I got all I need packed inside my brain, hahaha.

‘I'm not afraid of mornings.

I'm only afraid that they wouldn't come.

No matter how early it might be

I can handle it’

Eh? Who the heck is calling me? I grab my phone and stare at it feeling puzzled. I don't recognize this number.

"Hello?"

"Noh! It's Jeed!" Who the hell is Jeed? Hm, it's a girl too. I furrow my brows curiously for a moment.

"I'm sorry but...Jeed who?"

"It's Jeed, the girl from the Hong Kong Noodle that you met yesterday at Siam? The one in the convent's music club." Ah, I actually remember her right when she said the Hong Kong Noodle. Where did she get my number though? I chuckle dryly to my phone.

"Ah, right. I do remember. What's up?"

"I'm right in front of your school, can you come out and meet me?" What the heck?! What is it with these girls from that school?! They are always showing up here unannounced. I quickly give my reply and put on my shoes before I rush out to see her.

My least favorite thing (second from spiders) is having a girl waiting in front of my school like this. It's not that I find them annoying or I like playing hard to get, but I feel that it is too dangerous for them. There are so many guys around here. You never know what any of them might be thinking. What if something terrible happens? These guys are damn thirsty too. Sigh.

I gasp for air as I run toward the school gate. I spot Jeed, who is wearing the same school uniform as Yuri, standing there with a smile while she's waiting for me. Truth be told, I don't remember what Jeed looks like but based on everything else, I'm sure this is her. "Is there something the matter, Jeed?" I ask her, panting.

"You didn't have to run all the way here, Noh! I could've waited!" Listen to yourself, so you still don't realize that this is something you shouldn't be doing?

"So what's going on?" I flat-out get to the point. Jeed is hesitating a bit before she gives me an answer.

"You're in the music club, right? Can I borrow the scores for Barbarian Horde? The ones we have sound odd." Wait, what? I raise my brows while looking perplexed. Do people really visit other schools just to borrow sheet music? I mean, if it was that important then she could've had her school sent a request via fax and we would just fax whatever they need back. There's no reason to waste time by traveling all the way here at all. At any rate, it's not a big deal.

I give her a nod and lead her inside the school. We head to the F Building and there are several students gawking at us. I guess they think I brought a girl here to show off. I keep having to shake their head at them to deny this because I don't want anybody to misunderstand. If anything, Jeed has more to lose than I do.

Once we arrived to the clubroom, I had her wait outside while I offered to go in a search for those scores myself. However, I have no idea Film hid these things. She probably waited for so long that she took off her shoes and came inside to ask. "Should I help?"

"That's okay." I tell her quickly while flipping through the binders. (We have so many, I don't know why the hell we printed all these.) At last, I find them hidden in one the drawers instead of the binders where they were supposed to be.

"Are these what you're looking for?" I hand a stack of papers to Jeed. She walks over and gives me a nods.

"Yes, they are."

"You can take these, we have tons of backups." How generous of me.

"Thank you." Just as Jeed accepts those papers from me, the door opens.

I turn around to look and I can't help but think about how that Phun Phumipat has such an impeccable timing.

"Oh, Noh. You have a guest?" He asks once he sees me with a strange girl inside the room. It's interesting how he arrives to that conclusion since he isn't too far off.

"Yeah, the convent wanted to borrow some sheet music." I tell him before I turn back to Jeed. "Do you need any other scores?"

"No, I don't. Do you mind if...?"

"I'm heading somewhere near the school's gate. How about I walk with you there?" Phun immediately cuts her off. Although it sounds more like he was asking me and not her. What a weirdo. Didn't you get just here? I stare at his sharp face then back at Jeed before I nod silently.

"I'll leave her to you then. Sorry that I can't walk you there myself, Jeed."

"That's okay. I'll see you later." Uh...there'll be a next time...?

Those two walk away while leaving me a bunch of questions inside my head. But never mind that, do I actually have backup copies of those scores?! I don't see any of them!

---