call out my name [2gether]

CH 1

THE HAUNTED ROOM.

Sarawat hated moving because he never got around to unpack his shit. There were probably boxes that had been left unopened since his last move. At least it spared him the tedious task of repacking everything once more.

He finally deposited of the last cardboard box, dumping it on the floor and exhaled, standing upright with hands on his narrow hips. The young man looked around the rather generic dorm room. There was a bed, a closet, a mini fridge, a desk and a chair cramped into the tiny space. He would probably have to leave his other stuff in a rental storage somewhere or try to pawn it off to his friends. Or maybe not, those guys were such cheapskates.

He rubbed at his nape frustratingly as his big eyes kept flickering around the sparse room. A sliding door was leading out to a balcony, a flimsy curtain hanging in front of it and a regular door inside lead to what he presumed was a bathroom. The kitchen was obviously shared and outside, down the hall. He sighed, bow shaped lips twisting downward. What a mess.

Sarawat's family was rich and they had let him rent a really nice, modern apartment close to the university campus. However, as soon as he mentioned that he was dropping the social sciences faculty for fine arts they dished out an ultimatum; the family money or the fine arts, the usual rich family trope. He certainly did not think his parents would go that hard on his ass since they have never been particularly traditional before. His mother was the CEO of their family empire, a top rising fortune company, while his father had been a stay at home dad when Sarawat and Phukong were younger. The old man was making money off of stocks now, having lots of free time on his hands with the kids out of the nest.

So despite losing Sarawat to the fine arts, they still had another successor in his genius younger brother Phukong. Sure Sarawat had the brains too but his brother was brilliant and should be the one to get the opportunity to shine next to their mother, especially since he actually wanted it. Sarawat did not really understand what the whole fuss was about, really.

The phone buzzed in his jeans' pocket and he picked up the device, answering the call with a slide of his finger across the screen.

"Wat," the static voice of Man exclaimed. "The moving truck's left now. Do you want us help you unpack first or should we just head out for some food?"

Sarawat narrowed his eyes at the boxes and bags in piles around him. Yeah, that was not happening. He would at most need his laptop and his guitar, maybe a change of clothes. That should be enough. It was kind of Man to offer but Sarawat would probably just live straight out of these boxes for the unforeseeable future. That would be the only way to keep this room tidy.

-----

"Cheers, man," Boss shouted, thrusting out his bottle of beer to clunk it against Sarawat's, beads of perspiration making the green glass slippery. "Finally, the gang is back together." He wiggled his brows out of context and Man sniggered behind his own bottle. Sarawat just rolled his eyes, taking a lazy swig of the drink. It was not like they had been really apart while he lived off campus. These hobos had practically been squatting at his place for several days at a time, enjoying the merits of a big, flat screen TV and free food, all of which had been the curtsey of his parents.

"How're your folks, are they still not talking to you?" Man asked on a more serious note. Sarawat slumped on the backrest of the faux leather couch, angled brows furrowing.

"Yeah, kind of. Mother did call me this morning to yell at me not to change faculties but the application has already been processed," he shrugged. "She's just grasping at loose ends."

"What about Phukong?"

Sarawat looked to the side, lips parting slightly on a frustrated exhale. That was however another, a little bit more complicated matter.