"Horrible!"
Professor Kongkaeo's voice thundered through the classroom Thursday afternoon, slicing through my daydream.
Our Comparative Politics class had been uneventful for the most part. Professor Kongkaeo had lectured and had assigned the class a group exercise afterward. While we did the classwork, Professor Kongkaeo graded the exam we had taken the day before. My group finished our assignment first, and as we waited for the rest of the class to submit their work, I had begun daydreaming. Tine and I were scheduled to take our pictures and record our video for Campus Open House as soon as class was over. We would be meeting the photographer in the Student Union Building at four o'clock.
But Professor Kongkaeo's outburst had shattered the imaginary pictures I saw in my head.
"Terrible!" he roared. He clenched our exams in his right hand and shook them. "Not one grade from the exam was acceptable!" When a daring classmate suggested that we had all failed because the exam was a little too hard, Professor Kongkaeo exploded in a long tirade about the class's lackluster performance.
I looked down at my phone. It was 3:45 PM.
Professor Kongkaeo crossed his arms on his chest. "To make up for these abysmal scores," he announced, "I am giving the class a writing assignment, and it must be turned in before you leave today."
Sighs and groans rose from my classmates. My stomach twisted in a knot, but I raised my hand.
"Excuse me, professor," I said as I clasped my hands together and bowed my head respectfully, "I want to do the written assignment, but I am supposed to be somewhere on campus in fifteen minutes. It's important, sir."
Professor Kongkaeo glared at me. "Is it a doctor's appointment, Mr. Guntithanon?" he asked, an annoyed growl as he said my name.
"Uh, no, sir," I replied.
"Is it an emergency?"
I shook my head. "No, sir, it's not an emergency."
"Mr. Guntithanon," he grumbled, "unless you are currently bleeding or suffering from some internal medical emergency, I suggest you do this assignment." He turned and began writing on the dry erase board, adding, "I suggest everyone stay for this assignment unless they want to fail my class for the semester."
I slumped in my chair. While Professor Kongkaeo explained our writing assignment to the class, I ignored him to text Tine. Gonna be late! Stupid late assignment. I'm sorry!! Please please don't be mad!! I'll be there!!
How late will you be? Tine asked.
"Mr. Guntithanon!" Professor Kongkaeo snapped, startling me enough that I dropped my phone on the desk. "I said to put your phone away."
I tossed my phone into my backpack and slid my bag under the desk. "Sorry, sir," I mumbled as I bowed my head respectfully.
Professor Kongkaeo handed out the small booklets we used for writing assignments, and I read the questions he had written on the board. Instantly I knew the essay would take more than just a few minutes; at minimum, it would require half an hour of writing to answer the essay questions fully. When Professor Kongkaeo dropped my booklet on my desk, I gritted my teeth to stifle my rage.
I hurriedly got to work, zeroing in on the assignment in front of me. I needed to keep my eyes on the paper and away from the clock on the wall. My throat started to ache from dryness, and I bounced my leg under the desk. Time seemed to crawl inside the classroom, but estimating how much time had passed only made me feel worse. As I hastily finished and submitted my work to Professor Kongkaeo, I made the mistake of looking at the clock. It was 5:04 PM.
I'm over an hour late!
In full sprint, I rushed to the Student Union. I resisted looking at my phone; I assumed there would be furious text messages and voicemails from Tine. I wasn't even worried about the photographer staying late or the photoshoot being canceled because of my delay. I didn't care if they had left. I was queasy because I feared upsetting Tine. There was a chance that Tine had left as well, but I prayed that he hadn't.
I burst into the Student Union, pushing the doors open so forcefully that they banged against the walls. The handful of students and instructors in the lobby jumped in surprise. As I mouthed the words "Sorry, " I struggled to catch my breath while searching the entrance for Tine. Almost instinctively, my eyes found him. He was sitting near the elevators, tapping away on his phone.
I rushed over to him, still trying to catch my breath. "Tine, I am so sorry!" I apologized as he looked up from his phone.
Tine's face lit up, his charming smile making me forget how tired I was from running. "You're finally here," he said, not a hint of anger in his voice.
"I'm so sorry," I repeated.
"It's okay," Tine replied. "The photographer stayed for a while, but I told her that I didn't know how long you'd be, and she said we could reschedule for tomorrow or Saturday." He glanced down at his phone, then back at me. "I was playing on my phone to pass the time."
A peculiar sensation struck me. I felt honored for some strange reason. "Tine," I asked, "were you waiting for me?"
"Of course," he casually answered.
Looking down into Tine's eyes, I couldn't stop myself from sighing happily and smiling. Rushing over to the Student Union, I had made myself sick thinking about how horrible it would be to disappoint or anger Tine. But even without knowing exactly when I would arrive, Tine had waited for me.
I reached out to tussle Tine's hair, and surprisingly he didn't move. He simply rolled his eyes and grinned. "Are you hungry?" he asked, standing up. "I haven't eaten yet."
"I haven't either," I admitted.
"Let's get something to eat," he suggested. "You can take me to this ramen noodle place I've seen near campus." He smiled playfully and said, "I let you mess up my hair, so you owe me dinner."
"Sounds good to me," I beamed.
Tine and I walked to the ramen noodle restaurant four blocks from campus. As we ate, he talked about his day. Tine confessed to being late for classes that morning and bragged about getting the highest score on an exam in another class. He described having lunch with Fong to study together, and he admitted to being nervous about the photoshoot during his afternoon class.
I loved listening to Tine talk, and at times I found myself in awe of the person in front of me. I could bask in Tine's glow forever. His eyes conveyed so many emotions, and I was able to read them even when he wasn't speaking. His lips moved in a way that was both seductive and adorable. He could talk about the most mundane topics, and I would still be mesmerized. I understood my thoughts in only one way; I was thoroughly captivated with, and by, Tine.
"I saw Boss and Mann in the Student Union," Tine remembered suddenly near the end of our meal. "They were looking for girls, of course." Tine sipped juice from his cup. "They also forced me to take a picture with them, " he described, "to make you jealous." He showed me the picture Mann had posted on Instagram.
I smirked. "Those assholes."
"They said they were going to karaoke tonight," Tine added. "Do you want to go?"
"Sure," I answered. When Tine started to eat again, I said seductively, "You should sing a love song for me.
Tine rolled his eyes. "We'll see about that," he quipped.
We agreed to meet at the karaoke bar later that evening. I went home to shower and change clothes, all while excitedly wondering if Tine would sing a song in front of people and dedicate it to me. Initially, I had doubts, but I reminded myself that Tine had started flirting with me in public, and he didn't seem bothered anymore when I showed affection. If Tine is really falling in love, I thought, he'll sing a song for me.
Mann and Boss were at the bar when I arrived. Tine, Ohm, and Fong came soon after, and we ordered a round of drinks. When Tine sat next to me at the table, every one of our friends had a huge smile on their face. Tine covered his smile with the karaoke catalog, and I looked down at my drink to avoid everyone's eyes. After the round of drinks was finished, we debated who would sing first, with Fong ultimately volunteering. He picked a fast, rock song, and the crowd cheered him on as he began.
I looked over at Tine, who was browsing the catalog of available songs. The way the multicolored lights of the bar illuminated his face, he seemed to glow. I grinned to myself.
I leaned in close to Tine's ear and asked, "Are you gonna sing a song for me?"
"I'm gonna sing a song for myself," he replied, "but it might also be about you."
I flinched in confusion. "What do you mean?'
Tine opened his mouth to speak, but Fong had finished his song, and the bar patrons were cheering for him. Tine and I turned our attention to Fong, and we clapped and whistled along with everyone in the bar.
When Fong returned, Tine leaned over to me and whispered, "Just listen." He stood up, then announced to the table, "I'm going next." He spun around and walked to the stage.
When the crowd began cheering before Tine could walk on stage, it reminded me how popular Tine was. He was physically stunning, and he had a charming personality that attracted people to him. Even before I had met him, the Cutie Boys Blog had made Tine well-known. He was only a freshman in his first semester in school, but almost everyone at the university and surrounding town knew of Tine. I reminisced on how the Sarawat's Wives' Club obsessed over me and realized that since Tine had come into my life, I rarely noticed them anymore. It was a funny revelation to have, and I chuckled to myself.
Tine stepped to the mic and motioned for the DJ to play the song he had chosen. A slow ballad began to play, and my ears perked up. I had heard Tine sing once or twice around me, but I had never been so interested in listening as I was at that moment. He took a deep breath, then began.
I need a love that grows
I don't want it unless I know
That each passing hour
Someone somehow
Will be there, ready to share...
I need a love that's strong
I'm so tired of being alone
But will my lonely heart play the part
Of the fool again
Before I begin
Foolish heart, hear me calling
Stop before you start falling
Foolish heart, heed my warning
You've been wrong before
Don't be wrong anymore
Feeling that feeling again
I'm playing a game I can't win
Love's knocking on the door
Of my heart once more
Think I'll let [it] in
Before I begin
Foolish heart, hear me calling
Stop before you start falling
Foolish heart, heed my warning
You've been wrong before
Don't be wrong anymore
Foolish heart...
Foolish, foolish heart
You've been wrong before
Foolish heart, hear me calling
Stop before you start falling
Foolish heart, heed my warning
You've been wrong before
Don't be wrong anymore
Foolish heart...
Oh foolish, foolish heart
You've been wrong before
Foolish, foolish heart...
Tine's singing voice was not impressive, but strong enough to carry a tune. He had a special presence on stage; even if he sounded horrible, you could not take your eyes off of him. There was a timidness about him, the way he held the mic with both hands and sung with his eyes focused on the mic. But as he sung, he occasionally looked up from the mic, and his eyes sparkled in the spotlight. There was an aura around Tine that I could see and feel, even when he wasn't physically close to me. He had kept the bar's attention easily.
The crowd praised Tine with claps and whistling, but I could not move. I had been concentrating so intensely on the words he had sung, and I was barely breathing.
Love's knocking on the door of my heart... think I'll let it in...
The words replayed in my mind. I had no doubt; Tine was talking about me. He was afraid of what his heart was feeling, but he understood that it was love. My body felt light and warm.
I watched Tine as he made his way through the crowd and back to our table. The boys patted him on the back and complimented his singing. He smiled politely and thanked them for their praise.
Tine glanced at me, and even under the lights of the bar, I could see him blushing. I felt my face flush warmly, and I looked away for a second. When Tine and I looked at each other again, we bashfully smiled.
"Sarawat, it's your turn," Boss said, pointing towards the stage.
I nodded. I had decided on the song I would sing, but as I walked to the stage, an immediate sense of trepidation caused a chill to go down my spine. I wasn't simply singing a random song to a group of random people as I had done many times; it was about singing to a specific person, the person that I was madly in love with. And although I had sung to Tine before, this was the first time I would be singing to him in front of a crowd. Because of social media and word-of-mouth, I was sure most them knew that Tine and I had some sort of relationship going on between us, even if they didn't know exactly what it was. But seeing that I was singing immediately after Tine had sung, I could feel the curiosity from the crowd. I signaled for the music to start, then I closed my eyes for a split second. When I opened them, everyone and everything seemed blurry, but Tine's face was clear to me. I began to sing, staring into Tine's gleaming eyes.
Maybe it's intuition.
But some things you just don't question.
Like, in your eyes, I see my future in an instant.
And there it goes, I think I've found my best friend.
I know that it might sound more than a little crazy,
but I believe...
I knew I loved you before I met you,
I think I dreamed you into life.
I knew I loved you before I met you,
I have been waiting all my life.
There's just no rhyme or reason,
only a sense of completion.
And in your eyes, I see the missing pieces
I'm searching for, I think I've found my way home.
I know that it might sound more than a little crazy,
but I believe...
I knew I loved you before I met you,
I think I dreamed you into life.
I knew I loved you before I met you,
I have been waiting all my life.
A thousand angels dance around you.
I am complete now that I have found you.
I knew I loved you before I met you,
I think I dreamed you into life.
I knew I loved you before I met you,
I have been waiting all my life.
I knew I loved you before I met you,
I think I dreamed you into life.
I knew I loved you before I met you,
I have been waiting all my life.
I had never put so much heart into what I was singing, and the sensations that washed over me were both exciting and scary. The pounding of my racing heart was like the beating of tribal drums in my ears, loud booms that shook my core. The thumps drowned out the sounds of the crowd whistling, cheering, and screaming out my name. Despite the colors, sounds, and movements around me, my eyes were still locked on Tine's eyes. I walked off stage into random pats on my back, playful punches to my shoulders and chest, and compliments that were immediately forgotten. Two girls tried to hug me, to pull me towards their tables, but I politely pushed everyone to the side.
I just wanted to be close to Tine.
Boss, Mann, and Ohm were racing to the stage to sing a song together, and I ignored them as they ran by. Tine watched as I approached, and even when I had gotten so close to him that I knew he could feel my breath, he didn't move or flinch. In a quick motion, I grabbed his two arms at the elbow and pulled him closer to me. Our cheeks lightly touched as I whispered in his ear, "Let's go."
Tine didn't move, but I could feel his heart beating in sync with mine. "Okay," he replied.
I leaned back and slowly released Tine's arms. I craved being closer to him.
"Please sleep at my place tonight." I anxiously requested.
Tine nodded without hesitation. "Should we tell them we're leaving, though?" he asked, looking towards the stage.
"We'll text them," I answered.
I turned, and Tine suddenly put both of his hands on my shoulders. My body tensed, but Tine wasn't trying to stop me. He playfully pushed me forward and guided me through the crowd as if I was a cart. I grinned at how we must have looked, as everyone was now only slightly paying attention to Mann, Boss, and Ohm dancing wildly on stage. Tine and I had become the main attraction, with confused and curious eyes watching us. People whispered to each other, and tried to inconspicuously point at us. I could see phones being used to take pictures and record us.
I slowed, and Tine leaned forward until his chin was almost on my shoulder. "People are gonna think we are together, y'know," I warned.
"I know," Tine replied. "And that's fine with me."