“Forth’s POV”
It was dusk when Beam and I hit the beach. The second day of the photo shoot was about to start. Phana and the rest of the contestants were already there. The lights and cameras were already set. I came prepared with my beach hunk look, topless and was only wearing board shorts.
The strenuous training I did for the competition paid off. My muscles have buffed even more and I did gain some weight after doing an all protein diet. Beam however was fully wrapped with a turtle neck sweater. It looks uncomfortable and sweaty the way he wears it.
“Hey Beam. Why are you wrapped up like that? We are at the beach. Shouldn’t you be wearing something more light and airy?”
“Damn you! How am I supposed to go out with all the hickeys you left all over my body.”
I was laughing secretly. He’s pouting and complaining about his situation but still latched on to me like a kid who’s afraid to get lost in a sea of people. Right from the moment we left the hotel room, he has been clinging to my arm. Now this is something I don’t get to see my boyfriend do so often. I wonder what has happened.
Phana and Kit saw us arriving, both of them with twisted faces. They looked at each other questioningly. They must be wondering what was wrong with Beam. I too have the same questions in my head.
Pha pulled me far away while Kit stayed alongside Beam. Beam tugged my arm never wanting to let go but Phana pushed his face away. Once we set a distance, he started interrogating.
“What is wrong with Beam? Why is he all over you all of a sudden?” Phana asked.
“I don’t know either. He’s been acting weird all day. I tried being cold to him this morning but I haven’t been successful so far. Right after you leave the room, he did all sorts of wifey stuffs. He fed me breakfast and slept beside me and kissed me out of the blue.”
“Is that all?” Phana was looking straight at the purplish red kiss mark on my neck.
“Yeah, and that stuff too. Hehe.” I scratched my head in embarrassment.
Phana wrapped his arm around my neck and hit me several times in the head. I feel like he’s getting jealous over me.
“Pha! What are you doing? Why are you hitting Forth?” Beam came running towards me when he saw me getting beated.
The photo shoot started. Fucking annoying Torn was my photographer. He’s been smiling at Beam the whole time. Believe me, if I was not trying to get right with the Lord, I might have throat punch him at that very moment. He’s been telling me to strike poses, flex your arm, look here, look there, don’t smile, sit, jump, and play dead. He was still not convinced. It’s as if he was just toying around with me making me look like an idiot.
Most of the participants are done with their shoot and have packed up already. Few people were left including the doctor gang. During the whole shoot Beam never left. His eyes fixed at me while frantically biting his nails. What is he getting so worked up for?
It seems like Torn had a great idea for my last frame. He took out an odd bottle from his bag and approached me.
“Forth. Mind if I put oil on you? This will make your muscles strike better in the light.” Torn suggested.
Beam approached the scene faster than the speed of light and took the bottle from Torn.
“I’ll do that! Stay away from him!” Beam was breathing fast while setting a death glare towards Torn.
Torn laugh it out while Beam started covering my body with oil. His hands were trembling while tracing all those firm muscles and abs. I noticed him turning beet red when he kneeled in front of me to apply some on my legs going up to my thighs. Phana and Kit were there and saw everything. They were laughing so hard when they saw what Beam was doing. Beam nearly evaporated due to humiliation.
“Uhh.. Beam.. Your hands..” I called his attention.
He realized what I meant when his thoughts came back. His hands were going straight to my private area. Phana and Kit nearly died while laughing hysterically.
We were on our way back to the university after the three day shoot. During the bus stops, I can’t even go to the bathroom without Beam following around. I still have to figure out what good karma has brought me for Beam to be like this. He even made arrangements with Phana so they can switch hotels. Beam slept the night with me and of course on my bed. We made love all night, but nonetheless I kept him pure and undefiled. It’s hard to endure but I am still waiting for his go signal. Most of what I can do without him complaining was kiss and cuddle.
Now back to reality. The university moon and star pageant is two days from now. I had a long table discussion with the engineering seniors. They were damn serious about winning the competition. For them, the most important part of winning was not the glory or fame for the winner but what lies underneath it. The crowned star and moon gets to have authority over the university’s desiscion making. It’s like gaining control over a monarchy. They said that it would help a lot with our sotus system especially now that most of the faculties were against the implementation of this type of system.
I can’t break the focus. My eyes were towards the price. My biggest threat so far was Phana. I was leading the poll and kept a distant phase from him but right after the headlines about me and Beam dating, he slowly reached the top of the game. My engineering fellows saw that as a fault on my part; the more reason for them to hate Beam that much. He was temporarily banned to go to our department building but that did not keep me from going to his.
It was lunch break. I was on my way to see my precious Beam when I saw Torn roaming around the engineering lobby. He’s a third year student from the fine arts department. What could he be doing in such place?
“Hey Torn! Why are you here?” He was senior than me but we are on the same age so I need not to be so formal around him.
“Forth! I’m glad to see you. I’ve been looking all over for you.” He smiled when he saw me.
“What do you need? I have to go to the med building now. I don’t want to be bothered.” My face still crunched with the fact that I saw him today.
“Off to see Beam? Great! I’ll bring you there. We can talk on the way.” He offered me a ride to his car.
Inside the car it was uneasy sitting with him. The silence was irritating. I just hope we reach our destination sooner. I was about to turn on the music when he spoke.
“Well I guess Beam hasn’t told you yet. Did he?”
“Tell me about what?”
Torn was silent for a moment like trying to internalize the next sentences that he’s about to say. Bad things started to play in my head. Is this the reason why Beam suddenly changed? Did something happen between them? What was it that I do not know? My heart started to palpitate.
“Clearly, it seems that you do not have any recollection of me at all. I thought that you might remember somehow if you knew me by my name.”
“What are you saying?” I asked cluelessly.
“We’re classmates in grade school Forth. How disappointing that you can’t even recall me.”
Hmm… Torn? In grade school. It took me ten years before I snapped out a memory of a small kid who wears thick glasses. He used to follow me around like a sidekick. Yeah. I used to copy his assignments a lot of times. That was before Aunt Lyn came and became my tutor. I spent time with that odd kid and used to eat a portion of his lunch. He was the one closest to me before I became a die-hard young Beam fan.
“Wo-a-ah! Nerdy?”
“Hahahha! That was what you used to call me. I’m glad you remembered! Maybe I should have introduced myself as Nerdy earlier, that way you might have recalled me sooner.”
“What happened to your glasses?”
“I had my eyes lasered in high school and somehow restored an optimum vision. I’m fine wearing contact lenses now.”
“I did not recognize you. How have you been? And how come Beam knows about you? ”
Torn confessed everything. How he planned on getting to know Beam. He even told me his true feelings towards me. It felt a bit awkward for him but it was okay for me. I used to get a lot of love confessions from both girls and guys before. It’s nothing new to me. I was partly happy that he told me everything. At least I know now that he is not after my Beam. Plus I can’t wait to see Phana and tell him that I already figured out why Beam suddenly changed his behavior around me.
“Uhh.. Nerdy. I’m sorry but I am already dating Beam. And to tell you the truth, I am not into this kind of relationship if it is not Beam. He made the exemption. It would be unfair for you if I let you keep your hopes up. I’m sorry.”
“Thank you Forth for everything. You took care of me and protected me from all the bullies back then. Up until now that I am confessing to you, you still break my heart gently. I hope that we can still be friends after this.”
“That’s silly! Of course we can! After all, you are my number one sidekick. Nerdy to tell you the truth, you are doing me a great favor by sticking around. Have you noticed how Beam acted when you were around?”
“Hahaha! I get what you mean. Did you see his face when I was about to put oil on you?”
We talked and talked more until we reached our destination. We went inside the med building and waited for the doctor gang’s class to end.
After their discussion, Beam sprang out of the classroom door for he knew that I was waiting outside. He was called back and got scolded by the professor for running indecently. I was laughing while taking pictures of him getting his ear pulled by that strict woman. In the end, he was the last person to leave the room.
Phana and Kit were happy to see that Torn was with me, especially Phana because he got a royal treatment at Torn’s luxury penthouse after exchanging place with Beam. On the other hand, Beam’s eyes grew wide upon seeing Torn clinging to me. He was the only one sulking at the moment.
We all went to grab lunch.
Torn and I are having a great time teasing Beam. He simply knows what to do in order to trigger Beam’s jealousy. Right after we reached the cafeteria, Torn immediately sat beside me pretending not to notice Beam at all. The rest of the doctor gang was unaware of the current situation.
Torn shared the table menu with me and checked on all the listed food. We did some chitchat and talked about how big the cafeteria was. They had the most variety of stalls among all other colleges. I told him to join us every lunch so he can have a taste of everything. Kit and Phana were glad of that idea. Beam was sitting next to Kit fuming in anger his chair. I pretended to act unaware of the situation.
“Beam? Are you alright? Why are you being so quiet?”
“I’m fine. Can we order now?” He was glaring at Torn who was avoiding eye contact.
Torn and I went for the orders. We came back with everyone’s food. Surprisingly, Beam was already seated on Torn’s chair which was the one next to me. I can’t stop smiling at him. He’s jealous and he can’t even hide it.
Torn did not finish there. He surely was the master of annoyance.
“Hey Forth. Your food looks delicious. Can I have a taste of that? Here, you can have mine as well.” Torn! You’re a genius.
“Sure. I never had tried that as well.” I answered back.
I felt Beam’s body flinch and his disposable spoon snapped into two. Kit and Pha were clueless. Torn and I shared our food like friends.
“Forth. Try this.” Beam was now prying a piece of meat to my mouth.
He gets my attention in order to stop me from temporarily sharing food with Torn. Every time I try to go back eating Torn’s food, Beam feeds me like a sweet bride.
“Forth. Can I have a taste of your drink too?” Torn teased again.
Beam stood up dragging his seat. This time around, he really looked fed up. In his face, I can see him saying, ‘Oh no you don’t! You’re not sharing the straw!’ He walks out without a word taking my drink with him and throwing it in the trash bin along the way.
“Torn I think we over did it.” I whispered at Torn.
“Hahaha.. Just let him be. He will come back surely.”
Indeed Beam came back after a few minutes. His hair was wet and pushed backward. Maybe he went to the comfort room to cool down a bit. We were already done eating when he returned and currently discussing the talent portion for the pageant.
“I will play the guitar and sing. How about you Pha?” I asked.
“You can sing? Wow! I’ll be looking forward to that.” Torn butted in.
Nothing from Torn’s mouth can make Beam smile. Each word that came out irritated him. I was caught off guard when he took my hand and interlaced our fingers together. Under the table we were holding each other’s hand. What will I ever do to my possessive Beam? He’s just simply adorable.
“I prepared a dance number.” Phana sounded confident.
Who knew that Phana can dance? He looked tall and stiff. Clearly, you can’t judge a book by its cover.
“I never knew you can dance.” Kit answered while trying to recall if he ever did see Phana dance even once.
“I don’t dance. That’s why you’ll be there for me. You two will be my backup dancers. I won’t be the only one who will look like a fool up there.”
“Pha!!” Kit and Beam chorused.
Chapter 36. ☕☕☕
For my next chapter I have to pull the story up a bit. I start to feel like my fanfic is turning to a snooze fest. It got boring and boring after Forth came back from the dead. Hmmm.. lets see... who should I kill next?? ☠☠☠