SOTUS: The Adult Years

The Maid of Honor (Prae)

Year 2565, February 20 12:07AM, Charting Studios 

"Prae, try to  exude more sexiness," P'Chart shouted from the other side of the studio. The last thing I feel right now is sexy, I said to myself. Nonetheless, I tried to be as professional as I can and continued to pose while holding the drink right next to my face. The film shoot took hours of delays due to the rain in Pattaya and I haven't had a good sleep over the last 24 hours. This is my last scheduled activity for the week and I can look forward to the next two days at home wearing nothing but my pajamas.

P'Chart took a series of more photos and reviewed them on his screen, while my manager P'Genie looked them over P'Chart's shoulder to give bits of advice. I caught P'Genie's glance and he gave me two thumbs-up to mean it's going to end soon so I decided to just bear with it a little longer.

Finally, P'Chart announced to everybody it was a wrap and P'Kisses, my coordinator, and P'Genie approached me with a glass of water and a box of tissues. "You worked hard," P'Genie said proudly.

"Thanks," I bowed at him and took tissues to wipe a bit of some sweat off my face. I saw the clock over his shoulder and saw it is a little over 12AM. P'Fran, P'Genie's assistant, came over with my mobile and said, "N'May kept on calling you for the past hour." I checked my Line and saw five messages from May since last night.

Are you back in Bangkok yet? February 18, 11:12PM

Prae, where are you now? February 19, 07:40AM

Praepailin... 12:24PM

Prae, call me when you receive this message. OK? 12:30PM

CALL ME!!! 6:47PM

The messages made me panic a little and I rushed to the dressing room for a little bit of privacy. It is hard to keep up with my friends sometimes especially with the work schedule I got. I just landed a major role in a movie which is something I had been working hard for over the past year and a half. Gone are the supporting roles and I feel very blessed that I was offered the role by a director I liked so much.

Inside the dressing room, the magazine staff were still up and about so I asked them if they could give me 5 minutes of privacy. I bowed to them out while P'Kisses and P'Genie stayed to in the room to fix our stuff. It's quite late to call May but I still dialed her number to check what's going on. She answered on the second ring.

"Prae," May answered, sounding a bit muffled as if she's whispering. "Where are you now?"

"May, is there something wrong? Are you OK? Are you at the hospital?" I asked her right away.

"I'm fine. I was scared for a bit but now I feel great," she said, sounding wistful.

"I just finished a shoot for Extra. Got back in Bangkok around 8PM." I explained. "I'm sorry I did not get back to you last night. I was so busy. What happened to you?"

"It's OK. I knew you were in Pattaya," she said. "Prae, I was so scared last night and didn't know how to deal with it. But I feel much better now..."

"Spill it," I ordered. "Did you and M have a fight?"

"No!" she said vehemently. "Everything is perfect! Well it wasn't last night. But now..." Again she sounded wistful and very dreamy.

"You're not making any sense! I'm hanging up now..." I warned her jokingly. "Prae, wait..." I heard on the other line.

"M and I are getting married," she said finally, trying her best not to sound too excited.

"What?!!!" I shrieked. P' Genie and P'Kisses looked at me in shock, but I mouthed an apology to them. "When did this happen? Spill the details..."

My best friend May, and his boyfriend M, had been so in love over the past four years, that I was not too shocked about the announcement. It was just May had been very focused getting her thesis finished so she she can accept the teaching post our university has offered her. Both May and M were not that spontaneous so I feel there's something else she has not told me yet. "How was the proposal?" I asked. M could be very shy but still can be romantic. I wondered if he prepared an event.

"No, nothing like that. It was very simple..." she explained. She started telling me about their dinner and the movie afterwards. "I was really nervous because I don't know how tell him about my news..."

"What news?" I cut her off.

"That I'm pregnant..." she giggled.

"What?!!!" I shrieked once more, feeling giddy all of a sudden. "I'm going to be an auntie?!!!" I asked her excitedly.

"Yes, Auntie Prae," May laughed on the other line. "I thought M is not happy with the news because he went on shock for a while. Then he started jumping up and down happily. I felt relieved and happy at the same time."

"Wow! I'm so happy for you both!"

"I know, I am very happy too!" May said excitedly on the other line. "Listen, Prae, I know you're very busy. But I could not think of any one other than you. Can you be my maid of honor?"

"Of course! Of course!" I said eagerly but with feeling a slight regret right after. "I'll check my schedule and free them as much as I can so I can help you with the wedding."

"Really?" May sounding a little stunned. "You would do that for me? But you just got the role you really wanted..."

"Listen, I would not miss it. I can't promise I will be there all the time with the preparations. But you let me know if there's anything I can help you with. I can check with P'Genie for everything, OK?"

"Thanks, Prae," May answered. "Thanks a lot!" There was some slight noise on the other line and I heard M asked May if she told me already. May put me on speaker phone so M can talked to me as well.

"We want you to be there, Prae!" M begged over the phone. "And don't worry too much about the preparations, Maprang said she will help out."

I almost dropped my phone after hearing the name. I heard M saying ouch as if he was pinched by May. "Prae, I know you're tired. Go on take a rest. Let's see each other on Sunday for lunch, OK?"

"Yes, lunch on Sunday then." I was able to reply after being speechless for a bit. "I'll see you then."

We both hang up the phone. And I stared at myself in the dressing room mirror and asked myself if I am ready to see her again after all this time.