CHAPTER EIGHT

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Stell stepped out of the car, his mind slightly preoccupied with the events that had unfolded that morning. He had chosen to skip breakfast, intending to grab something later at the cafeteria. As he closed the car door, he was met with the concerned gaze of his older brother, Kongpob.

"Are you sure you didn't want to eat breakfast?" Kongpob asked, his voice reflecting a mix of worry and care. Stell knew that his older brother only had his best interests at heart.

"P'Kong, it's fine. I'll just grab something in the cafeteria or something," Stell replied, trying to reassure his older brother, but he could see the uncertainty still lingering in Kongpob's eyes.

"Kong, come on, we're gonna be late," Arthit chimed in, his tone filled with urgency. Stell nodded, feeling a mixture of gratitude and affection towards Kongpob and Arthit.

"Fine, just make sure, okay, Stell?" Kongpob said, his voice tinged with concern. He waited for Stell to respond, wanting to make sure his younger brother was taken care of.

"Yes, P'Kong, and please don't drink too much again," Stell teased playfully, recalling a recent incident where Kongpob had a bit too much to drink the night before. Kongpob gently shook his head, a hint of a smile appearing on his face.

With their goodbyes exchanged, Stell began his solitary walk towards the school grounds. As he strode through the familiar pathways, he took out his phone and quickly texted his friends to let them know that he wasn't in his dorm and suggested they meet up somewhere on campus.

Just as he was about to put his phone away, a vibration interrupted the solitude. It was a call from his friend, Justin. Stell answered, his voice conveying a sense of familiarity and comfort.

"Hey, Jah," Stell greeted him warmly. "Stell, are you still on the school grounds?" Justin asked, his voice laced with urgency. Stell paused for a moment, slightly perplexed by the question.

"Well, yeah, P'Arthit and P'Kong just drove me here. Why?"

" really that's great!" Justin said on the other line of the call, "Then could you get me and Elias some food on your way? Please." Stell chuckled, "Fine, since I plan to eat first, what do you guys want?"

"Get me some Pad Thai and Guay Tiew for Elias," Justin said and Stell took note of their orders. Pad Thai is a stir-fried noodle dish, and Guay Tiew is a noodle soup. "Is that all?" Stell asked again.

"Yup, that's all. Thank you, Stell!" Justin said before they hung up.

Stell started walking towards the back of the school building where the food court was located. There were already a lot of students eating there as Stell began ordering his food and takeouts. Once Stell was done, he looked around for drinks and spotted a milkshake stand. After that, he searched for somewhere to sit, but most of the tables were occupied. That was when he saw the head hazer sitting alone at a table.

Stell knew he shouldn't even consider sitting there, but he really wanted to sit down, as he had also ordered dine-in for himself. Taking a deep breath, Stell started walking towards the table where Ken was sitting. "Can I sit here? This is the only one available," Stell said almost in a whisper, as Ken didn't even glance at him. He just nodded his head, busy with his phone

Stell sat down and waited for his food to arrive, watching as Ken scrolled through his phone. It felt like he was perched on the edge of a hill waiting for him to fall to his death. Stell almost avoided Ken's gaze when he looked at him at first; you could see Ken's eyes shook for a moment before changing to a more unbothered look. "Oh, if I'd known it was you, I probably wouldn't have agreed to let you sit here," the Head Hazer commented. Stell just clutched his hands as he forced a smile onto his face.

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