SOTUS - The Next Chapter

16.

Kongpob wakes up to the chirping of birds. He feels as though a hundred pins are pricking his eyelids and there is a steady throbbing in his temples. His jaw, where Arthit's fist hit him yesterday, is also a bit sore. 

He sits up in bed, rubbing his eyes to chase away the last traces of sleep and takes in the surroundings: there are clothes scattered everywhere on the floor, his suitcase is laying almost completely emptied in a corner of the room, next to a broken vase.

The memories of the previous evening come rushing back, overwhelming him and he thinks he might throw up. In the bathroom, he splashes cold water over his face and neck, then props his hands onto the edges of the sink and stares into the mirror. His vision gradually becomes blurrier and it's not until hot tears fall down his cheeks that he realize he's crying.

"God, what have I done!" 

He doesn't expect his lover to answer but he calls anyway. He waits, heart beating loudly in his ears. His P' either turned his phone off on purpose, or the device is out of battery, Kong suspects it's the former.

He starts cleaning up the mess he's made in a fit of rage after his boyfriend left the other day. Where did the usually level-headed me go? he muses. He is sitting on the floor, absentmindedly folding shirts and pants and placing them inside the suitcase when his phone rings. He almost trips on his own legs in a hurry to reach it and pick up.

"Hello!"

"Ai' Kong, good morning. Do you have some time today?"

"Oh ... Hi, Fai. Why?"

"I was just thinking we could all go down to the beach. And this time you should bring your fiancée with you. Pete, Chai and I are dying to meet her."

"Sorry, Fai, I was getting ready to head back to Bangkok. Thanks for the invitation, though. Maybe next time."

"Kong, you sound weird. Is everything OK? Why are you leaving so early? Did ... did you by any chance have a fight with your girlfriend?" Fai presses on.

"No ... I ..."

"Do you wanna talk about it? You know my house is only one block away from yours. I've got your favorite cookies and tea, if you wanna come over." she insists.

The young man is about to refuse but changes his mind at the last moment. Maybe it would be good to talk to someone. She is one of his childhood friends, it should be easy to discuss his problems with her.

Fai's mother greets him at the entrance. She looks almost the same as when he was still a kid and would often hang out at their place, except for a few fine wrinkles at the corners of her eyes and some gray hairs at the temples. 

"Come in, Kongpob. It's so nice to see you again."

"Likewise, Mrs. Thahom. Thank you for having me."

Fai is waiting for him in the garden. She has her hair tied in a bun on top of her head and is wearing a flowy dress with big, yellow flowers printed on. She is watering the plants in the yard and when she sees her friend, she puts the hose away and walks towards him. Concern clouds her otherwise pretty face.

"Let's have a sit and talk." she says, guiding him towards the white lawn chairs in the shade. "What happened?"

Kongpob looks at her. He opens his mouth to speak but can't find the right words, doesn't know where to begin.