My One and Only | BrightWin | 2gether AU

105 - Hits and Misses

Tine's POV

"This is wonderful, son" said Dad, reading through Wat's transcript.

"Thanks, Por" Wat smiled shyly, rubbing the nape of his long neck. He looked at me and blushed slightly.

And my body betrayed me yet again. My heart raced, my stomach turned somersaults and I felt the beginnings of a stirring between my legs.

A reaction I was yet to get with Mil, no matter how much I wanted to.

"I want to get as many A's as I can in the finals" said Wat in a low voice.

"That's the spirit, sweetie. Aim high. I know you're capable of it" chimed in Mom.

"Don't sprain your brain though" added Phukong, stuffing his mouth with beans.

I nudged him with my elbow. "Stop it, Kong. Wat is really smart. I don't know anyone else who has raised their average by four grades in just a month."

Wat flicked a pea at Phukong, and it hit him right on the nose.

"Maeeee" whined Phukong. Mom clucked sympathetically and rubbed his nose.

Wat chuckled evilly. Dad secretly gave him a low five under the table.

And I sighed, knowing I was a long, long way from getting over Wat.

*

"Tine, can you help me revise for the exams this weekend?" asked Wat, as he lay on my bed. His hands were crossed behind his head, and he stared at the ceiling.

"Of course. Why is that even a question?" I asked. I was busy drawing up a revision plan for us both for our respective subjects. I was in the advanced program stream so we had different classes even for the same subjects.

"I don't want to butt into any plans you may have with..." he trailed off.

"Not this weekend. We have a bet going on who will get the most number of A pluses in the exams.

Mil's almost certainly going to top the class overall, but I'm trying to edge him out slightly in the finals at least.

I think I have a chance with History and possibly English" I said, considering.

"Wow. Even your bets are dorky" smirked Wat. I frowned at him in mock-annoyance.

"Uhmmm... So how are you guys doing? Do you like him?" asked Wat, his eyes still on the ceiling.

I considered the question.

"He's really nice and cares about me. It's easy and fun to be with him. We're... It's... effortless, you know" I said, feeling a bit underwhelmed when I put it to words.

Wat didn't say anything for a minute. Then he spoke again, quietly.

"But do you like him?"

"I thought we just covered that" I said. I had hoped Wat wouldn't notice I'd side-stepped his question earlier.

"Come on, Tine. You're better than that" he said and I could hear the smirk in his voice.

I shrugged. "If you paint me into a corner, then I would have to say yes. I like him enough to date him, I guess."

That about summed it up.

"I see" said Wat tonelessly. He sat up abruptly and got off the bed. He rooted through his bag and brought out his books.

"Let's begin, shall we?" he said, looking at me with a strange fire in his eyes.

I nodded wordlessly. Something was up with Wat, and I wasn't sure what it was.

Wat's POV

Finals week was a blur. Looking back, there wasn't a single moment that I could recall clearly.

Hours and days just blended into each other in a melange of frantic cramming, last minute revisions, lengthy exams, hurriedly gulped meals and hardly any sleep.

I was exhausted but exhilarated at the same time.

The purpose I'd set for myself to have a chance with Tine, coupled with the panic-inducing terror of losing him, spurred my brain to new heights.

"You should get some rest now, Wat" said Tine gently, placing a cool hand on my forehead.

It was the night before the last exam. Ms Doh had already told us what we were expected to come prepared with for English - a 1000 word essay on a topic of choice.

The only condition - it had to be an introspection and describe our feelings about the topic, and not a statement or clinical dissertation of facts.

We could write it in advance and hand it to her any time before 2 pm the following day.

It was well past midnight and I hadn't written a single word yet. I didn't even have a topic.

The pressure to ace it had resulted in a severe writer's block.

Tine had given me a ton of ideas, but none really struck a chord with me.

I had been struggling for hours, panic rising steadily in my chest. I was on the verge of losing it.

Tine could see my distress and as always, sat patiently by me.

"Don't stress yourself out. Why don't you sleep now and I'll wake you up at five a.m. You'll be fresh and still have plenty of time to write the essay" he said, rubbing circles on my back soothingly.

I rested my burning eyeballs in my palms. I took several deep breaths.

"I'm going to sleep here tonight, okay" said Tine, pulling out a pillow and the foldout mattress from the closet in the corridor.

I nodded, and for the millionth time since I had admitted it to myself, I found myself wondering how I'd never realized it before.

I was nothing without Tine.

*

"Wat, are you alright?" asked Tine for the hundredth time.

I was doing a great impression of a dead fish with my glassy eyed stare, my mouth flapping open and closed, and my grey, clammy skin.

It was already 9 a.m. and I still didn't know what to write about. And it was 1000 words.

"I have to leave now, Wat. My exam starts in 5 minutes. But I'll come find you later, okay?" said Tine, with a worried expression.

I gulped and nodded. "Good luck on the test" I croaked.

He smiled and walked away.

I wandered around the campus like a ghost, a thousand ideas germinating and rejected almost immediately by my brain.

It was close to 11 a.m. I found myself in the soccer field, and sat down on the bleachers.

It was peaceful there, away from the crowds and the noise of the hallways. There was no sound except the mechanical chugs of sprinklers and the musical trills of birdsongs.

A cool breeze blew in the shade where I sat, caressing my hot face. Droplets of water covered the grass on the field, throwing sparkles of reflected sunlight. The smell of wet earth filled the air comfortingly.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I felt the universe thrumming around me and a strange familiarity in that feeling.

I knew what I was going to write about.