"When are you going to call me by my name, and not sir. We're not even in school.", Zee rested his hand on his waist.
"Huh?", Saint looked at him surprised.
"Can you call me by name, just the way you call Tommy and your friends..", Zee quiered, smiling sadly on his face.
"That's..."
"P"Zee... you're drunk..",
"I miss you calling me, P'Zee..",
"I miss you so so much, Tor. Don't leave me again naa."
Saint teared up remembering it. It made Zee to get close to him. "I don't wanna confuse you, sir", Zee halted when he's about to hold Saint's shoulder. "I don't want you to see me Tutor cause it's not me. If you're being kind to me because you're seeing Tutor to me, please stop it. I know I shouldn't be feeling this, but it's really hurting me now." Saint's tear continued. "It's damn painful. I don't know what's really happening to me, but i feel like I'm living with someone else's name when it comes to you, I don't like that..", Zee guiltily gulped and looked at Saint. "
"I'm sorry about what happened last night... I didn't know, it just happened to me and..",
"You don't have to explain sir, I understand. I think the problem is in me and not yours..", Saint smiled sadly.
"What do you mean, Saint?", Zee asked.
"Nothing, sir. Please excuse me..", Saint replied and walked towards his room and closed the door. Zee stood still in there alone. He's still digesting the reason why Saint would say that, he's to blame also. He tried his best to remind himself that Saint's isn't Tutor but it looked like the wall in him crumpled when the magic of alcohol hit him pretty bad. He could hear Saint's whimper outside. He made the kid cry again. Collecting his thoughts, Zee sighed and wiped the tears he didn't knew he had shed. He walked towards the kitchen and prepared Saint some food to eat, and left Saint alone. Saint continued to cry on his bed but was betrayed by his stomach protesting against him.
"Stupid, stomach!", Saint reprimanded himself. He then went out of his room and found a soup on the table with a note beside him.
"Just reheat it, and I'm sorry if I made you feel like that. I didn't know. I'm looking forward knowing you, Saint. Not because you look like Tutor, but the way you are." Saint unconsciously smiled but the fact that he almost blurted things out to Zee made him embarrassed.
*********
Earth is done with his meeting and decided to stop in a diner to buy dinner for the two of them. He bought all Saint's favorite dishes. He still couldn't believe that Saint literally slept in a tub while they're sleeping in comfy bed. He's waiting for his orders when he was interrupted by someone who bumped at his back. He was ready to throw his tantrum when his eyes widen to see familiar yet unfamiliar face before him. He questioned where did met the guy, as the guy also looked at him in surprised.
"Oh! I'm sorry.", Mixxiw apologetically waied on Earth.
"It's fine..have I met you before?", Earth asked, rubbing his nape. Mixxiw blinked on him which immediately smiled on him.
"Khub! I'm Saint's friend, uhm..you probably see me when we went to check Saint when he collapsed", Mixxiw replied.
"Ah, I see. What's your name?",
"Mixxiw khub!",
"Ah, so you're the Mixxiw guy.. Saint tells a lot about you",
"Ah..I wonder what kind of stories he's telling you.", He nervously laughed.
"Don't worry, he tells nothing but good things about you", Earth smiled back. "Ah, by the way, thank you for looking after Saint at school"
"Oh, it's no big at all. He's like our baby brother now",
"Hm, the Jimmy guy.. too.. he's the talker one, right?",
"Yeah.",
"I see..then, I shall you guys over dinner, you, Jimmy and Saint..", Earth trailed making Mixxiw's eyes widen.
"D-dinner?", Mixxiw stuttered.
"Yeah, don't be nervous it will be fine. You can come right? Ask Jimmy too.",
"Hm, I'll try",
"Hope you can come. I'll inform you with Saint, maybe next week.", Mixxiw only nodded.
"Hm, by the way, where Saint na P'?",
"Oh, speaking of the devil. He just came out of the hospital", Earth saw his orders on the way.
"Eh? Hospital? Again?", Mixxiw worriedly looked at him.
"Fever?
"Fever? Is it severe?",
"No.. it's a long story.", Earth then took his order. "I gotta go. I need to feed him", he then chuckled. "Nice meeting you, Mixxiw",
"Khub!", Mixxiw smiled and Earth rushed outside, and when he reached the condo, he found Saint sleeping on the couch with his book covering his face. He slowly took the Saint's book and wake Saint.
"Hey, sleepyhead. Dinner's ready", Earth ruffled Saint's face.
"I'm too sleepy, P'", Saint snuggle deeper on the couch.
"At least, eat a bit.",
"I've eaten.",
"What did you eat?",
"Soup. Your friend cooked me a soup.", Saint replied.
"Zee?", Saint nodded. "I wanna sleep naa",
"Okay, okay..then, you go to your room now, it's cold here", Earth added. Saint then walked towards his room. Zee cooked? Earth shook his head.
********
The next stop, Zee stopped by on the library they used to hang-out. The man smiled at him and he waied.
"Oh, the professor busy got in here.", the man greeted.
"Sorry, just got a lot on my plate, you know.", Zee replied..
"I could see", the man smirked. "Ah, Nong Tommy also stopped by.",
"Oh, he is?",
"Yeah, he said he came from the hospital, so decided to drop by",
"Our friend's brother was sent to the hospital and we're a bit responsible on it", Zee smiled and walked towards the shelf where engineering books were found. On his surprise, the shelf is almost empty and his book's gone. "P'? What happened to the books in here?", Zee panicly asked.
"Oh, it was purchased days ago. Why?",
"My book, I mean...the one I'm reading..I have something important in there..",,
"God! Why did you put it there?",
"It's on the back part, I didn't know it will be bought", Zee replied immediately.
"Wait, I think...yeah, the one who purchased it, I thought it was Tutor, but it's not.",
"What?", Zee exclaimed.
"No, the one who bought it looked exactly like Nong Tutor. I thought it was him at first, and hm, he's from your school", Zee frowned and cursed in him. Is it Saint? Dang it. Zee rushed outside and drive as fast he could. He had at least 3 photos of him and Tutor in that book that maybe Saint had purchased. Zee wished that Saint hadn't opened nor seen it. It's Monday, so maybe Saint has gone to the school.
********
Saint, Jimmy and Mixxiw sat on the bench near the canteen. Saint somehow felt better but deep down there, he's still in pain. He then slumped and sighed.
"Saint ,you okay?", Mixxiw now stroke Saint's back.
"Hm..yeah.", Saint smiled, "by the way, you've met brother last night?", He sprung up and teasingly smiled at him.
"Hey, hey.. I'm late again. Wanna share?", Jimmy leaned in playfully.
"It's all coincidence, Saint. I bumped into him buying you dinner", he replied. "Don't start a fire, Saint!", He pouted, Saint laughed.
"Ow! I just thought, you know! He's all this fidgety when he's talking to me about you..", Saint added noticing Mixxiw's ear turning to red, then looked at Jimmy. Both of them grinned.
"Stop teasing me, you little..",
"Saint!!", The three of them abruptly looked into the direction where the yell came from. Saint frowned. Mixxiw and Jimmy looked at them.
"Sir?", Saint stood up, hesitantly looked at Zee.
"Uhmm..", Zee's heavy breathing and sweat drippin from him made Saint nervous. "Can I talk to you?"
"Hm.. about what?", Saint tried to set aside the feeling running inside him.
"Did..you.. did you by chance bought a book...an .. engineering books in...in.. Booksmart", Zee stuttered out of nervousness. Saint found it suspicious but still tried to be patient.
"Khub! Why sir?",
"I...I think my you had my book with you.",
"Your book?", Saint asked curiously.
"Yeah", Zee nervously smiled.
"Hm, I only read a few of them, which one of it?",
"The..I forgot about it's title, but if I see it, probably I can remember it", Zee lied and stood up properly already able to gain his breath.
"Is it really that for you run your way here, sir?", Saint asked and Zee nodded abruptly. "Okay, it's on my room and I have another class so..",
"It's okay, I can wait.", Zee smiled at him.
"Ah, no. Uhm, if that's important then, let's go.", Saint replied looking to Jimmy and Mixxiw.
"No, it's fine really..",
"Sir," Zee looked at him and he remembered their confrontation that day. Saint's eyes looked better than yesterday.
"Okay, then.", Zee sighed. Saint then turned around to face Jimmy and Mixxiw but found no one in there.
"What the..", Saint almost finished his curse thanks to Zee pressence, he stopped. He then received a message from Mixxiw saying "Fighting naa, Saint", that made Saint to look around. He sighed when he found the two waving away at him. He then looked around and rolled his eyes for no longer taking it, he offered Zee his handkerchief for the sweat that's too evident on him. "You can wipe your sweat with this, sir. You look awful", Saint relentlessly took Zee's hand and give his handkerchief. He soon took his leave, smile plastered on his face. Zee blinked but soon clenched the handkerchief Saint had given to him. He then smiled and followed Saint's lead.
"Let's use my car, Saint.", Zee offered when he noticed the way Saint stopped in between his car and his own. Zee then laughed internally as he realized that he parked next to Saint's car.
"Sir? Let's go..", Saint's voice pulled him from his thoughts and saw Saint already on the passenger seat. He then get in started the wheels. The journey took 30 minutes till they reached the condo, Zee's heart beating fast afraid that Saint might have seen the photos. Who would know that in all people that who could get it, it has to be Saint? He just promised to Earth not to let Saint see in any means some photos of Saint..and now. Zee thought to himself, frustrations made him groan. "A-are you okay?",
"Yeah, I'm fine", he smiled. Saint opened the door, Zee got in.
"Oh, hey..why are you back so early? With Zee?",.Earth asked curiously after seeing Zee at the back.
"Oh, uhm, he needed to get his book... I'll just take it from my room",.Saint went straight to his room but Zee bad froze to where he was standing. The book where he inserted the pictures was on the living room table and opened. Earth noticed how Zee went all flustered so he walked towards him.
"I have it Zee", Earth muttered.
"Yes?",
.......
Chapter 10 done!
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