After rain comes the clear sky (Kaoearth)

57. Deja vu

“Why isn’t he out yet?” Kao paced back and forth looking past the huge school gate. There was no sign of Earth despite having waited for a long time. He wondered if he had missed Earth and the younger had already headed home.

With each second, he was getting more and more tensed. ‘what if Earth is mad at him? What if Earth doesn’t love him anymore? ‘ so many ‘what ifs’ appeared in his mind.

“Fluke, I asked you to accompany me to help me out here.” Kao eyed the teenager who was busy playing games on his phone along with his best friend sitting on the bonnet of the car.

“One minute, phi.” Fluke’s fingers flew across the screen, tapping aggressively.

“NO!” Prem whined, putting his phone down.

“You lost again, cutie,” Fluke smirked pinching Prem’s cheeks.

“Cutie, my ass.” Prem sulked having lost almost every round of the game. He slid off the car bonnet.

“Yeah, your ass is cute,” Fluke said from behind eyeing his best friend’s plump butt.

“Fuck you!” Prem cursed covering his back feeling Fluke’s gaze on it.

Fluke smacked Prem’s shoulder. “Language.”

Prem pouted and mumbled. “Coming from a pervert who stares at his friend’s ass.”

“Did you say something?” Fluke asked threateningly.

“Excuse me, you two.” Kao interrupted before Prem could speak. “Don’t forget that I am still here.”

“Ho, P’ Kao, why are you so worked up?” Fluke walked up to the older. “Just chill na, Phi.”

“You don’t understand Fluke.” Kao anxiously cracked his knuckles. “You will only understand what I am going through when you are actually in my place and is going to confess to your crush.”

“It wouldn’t have been so complicated if you had just said yes back then,” Prem commented.

“Thank you for the information, Prem. I didn’t know that.” Kao replied sarcastically. “And now that you have finally enlightened me on the matter, why don’t you help me find a time machine and go back to say yes to him.”

“Pfft” Fluke burst out laughing. “You were asking to be insulted, my friend.” He patted Prem’s shoulders.

Prem shrugged off his hands in irritation.

“P’ Kao, relax,” Fluke said again.

“Fluke, do you think Earth already went home? Like if the meeting got cancelled or something?” Kao asked with furrowed brows.

“No, Phi. The final performance is in three days and this will be their last meeting. There is no way, the club would actually cancel the meeting. Also, his Phor- Mae is out of town. So even if the meeting is cancelled, he would go back to my place instead of his. He would have surely given me a call if he got home before me.”

Kao nodded trying to calm himself.

“Most probably P’ Mona would have made them practice more after the meeting like she always does.” Prem tore open the packet of potato chips.

“Khrab, phi. P’ Mona is a perfectionist. She might be prolonging the meeting because of some small problem.” Fluke said munching on the chips Prem offered him.

A few minutes later, they saw some students walking out of the school gate.

“Looks like the meeting is finally over.” Prem crumbled the empty potato chip wrapper.

“Fluke, Prem, how do I look? Do I look good enough?” Kao became nervous.

Fluke observed Kao who was sweating bullets by now. He found the older pitiful. “How about this, Phi? ‘You’” he poked Kao’s chest. “Wait inside the car while I and Prem would go get Earth from the school gate and bring him over?”

“But-”

“I am sure that you don’t want your confession to be interrupted by the school security guard, right?” Fluke interrupted Kao while pointing at the guard house next to the school gate.

Kao reluctantly agreed. Prem and Fluke made their way to the school gate, waiting for Earth to come out.

“Au, Fluke, Prem, why are you guys standing here?” Mona asked coming out of the school gate.

“We are waiting for Earth, Phi,” Prem answered.

“Earth? Didn’t he come out already?” Mona was confused. She saw Earth leaving the room a long ago.

“No, phi. We have been waiting here for a while.” Fluke answered.

“Weren’t you the one who asked Earth to go to the C- Block?” another senior of the club asked Fluke.

“No, phi. I haven’t seen him the whole day.” Fluke said, suddenly getting a sense of déjà vu.

“Really? I saw a boy telling Earth that you were waiting for him in the C-block. Did I hear it wrong?” the senior scratched his head in confusion.

Prem and Fluke looked at each other. They both knew that something was wrong. It wasn’t the first time something like this happened. The students often like to play pranks on Earth as he looked small and vulnerable. The pranks often went to the extent it could be called bullying. This was one of the reasons why they never let Earth be alone.

“We will go look for him, phi. Thank you.” Fluke waied at the older students.

Fluke and Prem went to Kao after their seniors left. “Phi, we are going inside the school to look for Earth.”

“What happened?” Kao felt that there was something going on seeing Fluke’s expression.

“Nothing, phi. We will go in.” Fluke said turning to leave.

“Wait. I am coming along.” Kao got out of the car and followed the two friends.

The trio walked in quick strides to the C-block.

As they reached the block, the building seemed empty as all the students and staff had left already. They started looking around for Earth. They searched floor by floor.

“Earth! Earth!” Fluke called out walking around the corridor. Most of the classrooms were empty.

Prem and Kao mirrored his actions, calling out for Earth.

As they got to the second floor, they suddenly could hear laughter and sound coming from the room at the farthest corner of the building. The room was unoccupied and had no surveillance.

“I think, there are people there. Earth must be with them.” Prem said pointing at the closed door.

Fluke nodded. “Earth!” he called out. He quickly pushed the door open without hesitation. the sight in front of his eyes shocked him.

A guy who seemed to be a student from the neighbouring school had Earth pinned to the ground and was hovering on top of him, sucking on his neck.

Earth seemed to be under a panic attack, wheezing heavily. But the guy on top of him didn’t care. He was enjoying Earth’s helplessness.

“You!” Kao’s blood boiled at the sight. He strode over and pulled the guy away from Earth and punched him square on the jaw.

Fluke and Prem rushed to Earth’s aid. The other boys in the room ran away through the back door.

“P’ Kao, we have to take him to the hospital.” Fluke cried. The situation was way out of his control.

Kao finally stopped punching the student and went to Earth. He scooped up the shivering Earth who had already lost his consciousness and ran to the car.