Kao
Next morning, I was waiting for Pete in the parking lot of our campus. As soon as his car arrived, I displayed a card board in front of him which said "Please make your way to the area where the students assemble."
He nodded in curiosity. I signalled him to follow the written command so he walked to the campus compound where a small poster was pasted on the pillar.
"Happy birthday once again babe.
Can you please walk to the place where we tend to empty our overflowing bladders?" he read it out loud.
"Mini again?" he looked annoyed.
I nodded.
He reached the restroom and found a sticky note on the mirror near the third basin.
"I am really sorry. I'm ready to apologize for my stupidity a million more times. Would you come back then?
The next cue awaits you in the place where the core working system of IT students resides."
"What's going on?" he asked while glaring at me, however, the pitch of his voice had softened.
"You'll get to know..." I whispered as I blinked at him like an innocent puppy.
He entered the computer lab and looked around. Seventh desktop in the first row was switched on in which a slide was displaying.
"I know that I'm an idiot. I shouldn't have taken you for granted. But I've realised my mistake. Please come back. I miss you already!
Would you mind if I ask you to find a book named 'Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen'?"
His temper seemed slightly tamed by then.
He hurried towards the library. I, who had been following him all along called Mini in order to ask her to be ready.
He went through the shelf of historical books.
"You should look for it in here, Pete." I laughed at his foolishness and pointed at a shelf filled with romantic novels.
He stratched his head and moved to the romance section.
"I honestly have no idea what this book is about."
"I guessed that. " I smiled at him.
After succeeding in finding the book, he turned some pages and took out a note which said-
"If I dare to miss this chance of being with you, I'm gonna regret it forever. Please forgive your dumbass girlfriend. Pleeeease..."
He rolled his eyes and looked at me in anticipation.
"The place where you and Mini meet in between the classes. T- That's the last stop." I stuttered as anxiety took up my senses.
He raised a brow and stepped out of the library. I peeped out the window to check if Mini was there in the garden. After realising that she hadn't reached the spot yet, I ran downstairs to stop Pete but he had already disappeared.
I quickly walked outside and saw him strolling around.
"Hey Pete..." I panted.
I had left for the university before Pete that morning because Mini was forcing me to add some spice to her apology. I had come up with this idea but I wasn't sure if Pete would prefer that. I was a hopeless romantic unlike him. The idea was loosely inspired from Love Actually, my favourite christmas movie of all time. It was a bit cliché and dumb but I couldn't come up with a better option. I just hoped that he would atleast appreciate the effort.
"Just wait here for a minute-" I said while making him sit on a bench.
I looked behind only to find Mini struggling to carry some big card boards while Pond, Tin and Nia followed her.
"Why don't you guys help her?" I asked while picking up the boards that fell out of her hands.
"We don't even know what you're up to. Why did you call us by the way? " Tin asked.
"Just hold this."
I aligned everyone accordingly.
Pete had arrived by then.
We stood in a queue carrying boards with messages written on them.
"What are you guys doing now?"
Pond, who was the first one standing in the queue raised his board above for Pete to read.
"We've been through only good times so far. Let's just suppose that this is the first and last bad phase of our relationship."
After Pete was done reading, Pond moved aside.
Then came Nia's-
"This is all that I can do to show my affection. All I want now is to hear that you've forgiven me."
Tin's-
"Let this one slide Pete.
JUST LET THIS ONE SLIDE."
It was my turn now. I stepped forward and raised the board. Pete looked at me and chuckled. I checked and realised that I was holding it upside down. Before I could rotate it, Mini came forward.
"I'm sorry." her board said. It was then when I realised that our boards had gotten swapped. I was supposed to carry the board which had "I'm Sorry" written on it.
Pete approached her. She immediately wrapped her arms around his neck. Everybody applauded but I just stood still.
I did not expect him to be generous enough to react on such a stupid set up that I had worked on to strengthen Mini's apology but seeing him smile cleared my doubts. His unromantic ass wasn't that heartless.
"So have you forgiven me?" Mini asked.
"What do you think?" he said as he broke the hug.
She giggled happily and leaned forward. As soon as I sensed that she was going to kiss him, I turned away.
And at that very moment, I felt a sudden sting inside my chest. To be honest, there wasn't even the slightest feeling of satisfaction that I thought I'd get after they patch up.
Infact, I felt bad. I felt disappointed. As if I never really wanted them to get back together. I just helped her like a best friend should. Well honestly, she had been pressurising me all the while. I knew that I had a crush on Pete but not to the point where I would stop being a well wisher of my bff. Then, why was I triggered?
It was just about a few butterflies in my stomach. It wasn't more than that right? Right?
I stared at the board that I was holding.
"I Love You"
That was definitely the wrong one! It belonged to Mini. Pete couldn't read it though. But why was I sad? Why? He was not a gay guy like me. He would never like me. Not even in his wildest dreams. Then why couldn't I get him out of my head?
I kept walking ahead without turning back and finally reached the classroom.
I struggled to persuade myself and tried to focus on the lecture when my phone beeped.
Pete: I won't be able to attend the lecture today. Please take care of my proxy. I'll be borrowing your notes.
The truth was inevitable. He was Mini's boyfriend. I had no right to develop even the tiniest amount feelings for him. But my ignorant inner self just refused to stop. I was feeling even worse after reading his text. They must have gone to hang out at some cafe or for a movie or some..hotel room... Maybe?
"Ughhh..."
I rubbed my forehead while scribbling some random shit in the notebook in an attempt to supress my exasperation.
Pete×Mini-
Perfect
Eye Candies
May last forever
Note: Mini claims that she loves Pete but he says that he can't love anybody.
Pete×Kao-
Gayyyy
Weird
Impossible
Note: Sounds uncool but Kao wants to change Pete's perspection of love. He wishes he could.
In the mean time the teacher started displaying the slides through the projector. I tore the page, crumbled it and threw it inside my bag. He then started dictating certain lesson and I got busy in making notes.
I reached the dorm and took a pill to get rid of the headache that was bothering me all day.
After taking a shower, I laid myself on the bed to scroll through instagram. The first post in my news feed was Mini's.
I did not double tap on it for in no way was I interested in admiring that "Couple" photo.
And that cringe caption: 2gether 4evaa!!
"Just spare me! Huh!"
I couldn't help hating myself for getting involved with Mini in that so called "Forgive Me Pete" crap!
"Dude that's your fucking business!" I groaned, "You kissed somebody else. You broke his trust and now you left me here to look at your stupid photos after winning him back using my freaking idea." I threw my phone on the cabinet and tossed myself back and forth on the bed.
"Ughhh... how could you Pete? How could you fall for such a silly set up? Did it even make any sense? It was pathetic! The bar shouldn't be this low. You should've carried on playing hard to get. I'm disappointed!"
I looked at the novel that I had gifted him. It was kept in his shelf along with Mini's photo album.
"Now who am I kidding? I didn't want my efforts to go in vain. He has forgiven her. I wanted that. Then why the heck am I so restless.." I knit my eyes close and let out a sharp exhale. "Mini.. you're so into kissing people.. ain't ya? You had to kiss Pete right after... Arghhh.. chuck it! "
I rubbed my head, grabbed a pillow and rolled on the bed. The bed sheet started getting off of the mattress and because of my movements, it started to wrap around me.
Someone knocked at the door. I was still busy blabbering and cussing Mini aka my best friend in my mind, so I panicked and fell on the floor along with the sheet.
Before I could untangle myself, the door opened and Pete walked in. He had another set of the keys.
"Oh.. what's going on? I thought you were in the washroom." he said while gawking at me.
"I .. uh.. I.. um.." I tried to get the sheet off of my body but couldn't find it's edge so that I could pull it away.
"Wait, lemme help." he took off his shoes and pulled me up to make me stand. I clutched his shoulders and managed to get up but the sheet fell down on my feet. I stepped on it and tripped again but this time, he tripped down along with me.
I laid over him with my face buried in his neck. My lips could feel the touch of his big, protruded adam's apple. The unexpected urge that I had of landing hundreds of wet kisses down his neck was freaking me out. I gasped and pulled my face up. Damn he looked so hot while staring into my eyes.
I had a crush on one of my classmates when I was a teenager. I used to day dream about holding hands with him while watching sunsets. Never in my life did I think of kissing or making out with him because I was always into love and fluff. Lust didn't touch much of my thoughts. But Pete's god damn gaze was driving me crazy. I so wanted him to kiss the heck out of me like he did that night.
My hands were resting on his chest and I could feel the thumping of his heart.
I wish he had never asked me to get up. Unfortunately, he did and I couldn't come up with a legit excuse to continue staying that way.
Gosh I was swooning!!
We tripped like that on our very first encounter. I did feel unusual that day itself but this feeling was even more peculiar. I swear things had changed drastically after we kissed. Perhaps I had started liking him a bit more than I was supposed to.
I spread the sheet back on the bed and smashed my face into the pillow. My cheeks underwent dangerously hot flushes and I couldn't afford to let him see that.
"What the fuck is happening to me?" I mumbled against the pillow.
"Are you alright?" I heard him say.
"Perfectly okay!!" I gestured him a thumbs up, my face still buried.
"You're acting weird." he laid beside me and ran his fingers through my hair.
I hauled my face out and slapped his hand away.
"Don't touch..."
"What's wrong.. Kao??" he inched closer.
"Nothing." I slithered away.
"Are you pissed?" his face looked like that of a puppy.
"Uh.. no.. why um. how was your day?" had to deviate the topic.
"Nothing much."
Really? I thought you had a different kind of fun today.
"I saw that photo. On instagram..."
"I told Mini not to upload that.."
"But you guys look good together.. that was a cute ugh you know kinda intimate picture.. "
"Cute my foot!"
I gave him a puzzled look. He huffed and looked at that pic in his phone.
"I don't like showing off personal lives on social media. By the way, did you make notes?
"Yeah I did. The notebook's inside my bag. Also, there was an announcement made in the class today."
"About what?"
"Seniors have organized 3 day trip to Pattaya. Everybody's going. What do you think?"
"Ofcourse we should go! When is it?"
"Friday."
"It'll be fun! We'll register our names tomorrow."
"I've submitted mine already."
"Oh okay then. Lemme call Mini.." he instantly dialled her number.
"Yeah why not... Take her along so that you guys can keep making out throughout the trip... Huh!" I made a face and turned away.
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Thanks a lot for 10K peeps. I never thought that my stupid, messy story would ever get noticed by y'all. I'm grateful that you guys are kind enough to endure it despite the irregular updates.
And a special thanks to all those who've voted and dropped their comments. I really need your boost for I often doubt if this ff is really worth anyone's time.
Much love ❤️