He sits in the park. Stares at the night sky. He could see the stars sparkle. A street light next to him is the only source of light in the dark around him. His thoughts are with him. Him...the boy with the dark hair and the chubby cheeks he met this week for the first time in his life. He couldn't understand his own feelings. How could someone he just met stuck in his head so much? He never felt like this before in that short time and that gets him down. For minutes he sits on the bench and just thinks about him, saying nothing, just staring.
[Flashback Monday]
When Win undressed himself just to put on his swimming pants he felt good after the long holiday break from school. It's his third year now and he wants it to be a full success. He never had to do any hard work in learning for school. He always was one of the top students without doing anything. Not like his other classmates who had to learn a lot before tests. They were studying for months before the final school year's end exams. Not like him. He could enjoy the freetime after school a lot. He often went swimming in the pool in his neighborhood, training himself to get even better and faster in the fresh cold water. Water was his element, swimming his passion.
Today should become a good day. The new school year starts and finally there will be new members for the school's swimming club. He hopes that there are more potentional interested members than in the last years. All were good but there was not even one swimmer who nearly reached the time that he, the blonde vice president of the swimming club, nor the president himself, Dean, achieved. He sighs and overthrows the long white jacket with the blue stripes and goes out off the dressing room. He passes the office he and Dean shared, takes the appllication list from the table and goes into the swimming hall. Immediately the smell of chlorine wafts its way to his nose. A good and familiar smell. His heart pounds by thinking of the fresh wet in the pool. He loves to do competitions and can't wait to show the newbies what skills he has. But first work before pleasure.
All potential new members are standing in two lines and stretching. Dean, the president of the swimming club, stands next to them. Win goes directly to his right side, holding the application list. They also have around 100 viewers on the tribune. Students from all years who want to know who the new members from the swimming club will be. At the Thai University the swimming club is one of the most famous and most liked clubs who won a lot of prices. The good looking swimmers are a nice side effect.
„Let's start.", Win says.
He begins to read out loud the names of each new member in alphabetic order, waits for their response and strikes his names as result of that they are present. He's half way through as he sees in his corner of his eyes a dark haired participants who impatiently jumps from one foot to the other. Win turns his head to the boy and narrows his eyes to a slit.
„Hey you! What's wrong?", he asked.
Immediately the boy stops his doing, first looks to Win's direction and then straight forward, trying to be invisible. He feels emberrassed. Win goes to the boy and stands right in front of him. He looks over the boy's body from head to toes. ‚Cute, but a bit chubby.', Win thinks. ‚But still fit.'
Win never made a big business about whom he likes, no matter if girls or boys. The person is what counts, not the gender. That is why he also had relationships with both. Actually you can't count his exes as „being in a relationship", Win never does relationships. He wants to have fun, that's all. A little smirk is on his lips.
„What's your name?", Win asked.
The dark-haired boy still doesn't meet Win's view and still looks forward.
„Team.", he said.
„So, Team, what's wrong with you? Why are you moving impatiently?"
Team shortly meets Win's view, blushes and starts again jumping from one foot to another. He frowns, still quiet. Win gets angry.
„Nong, just spit it out. Now!"
Team whispers something noone could understand.
„Louder!", Win says impatiently.
Shyly Team looks around. Everyone's eyes are on him. And the damn senior in front of him looks really pissed. Win raised his eyebrow.
„So?"
Now loudly so that really everyone in the whole swimming hall could hear it he says: „Damn Hia! I forgot to pee!"
His cheeks are going to be dark red and with embarrassment he looks down to his feet. Win chuckles. No one before this damn Nong ever called him „Hia". To everyone else he would have said that everyone should be respectful and calls him by his name, but there is something about this guy Win thinks it's different. He just doesn't know what it is.
He says: „Why haven't you go to the toilet before the training?"
„Hungry", was the response.
„Hmm?" Win doesn't understand. „Can you also speak in full sentences?"
Team again meets Win's eyes and tries to explain.
„Well, they had pork stripes and rice at the cantine and I had to hurry to get in here in time. There was no time to pee."
Win sighs and points with his head to the direction of the toilets.
„What are you waiting for? You have 5 minutes." Team looks confused.
„What is it? You need help?" Win laughs.
Team widely opens his eyes and runs to the toilets. ‚Damn Nong', Win thinks, smirks, goes back to the other participants and finishs checking the presences.
„Now we want to see how fit you are.", Dean says. „The first 8 participants please go to the starting blocks and wait for my sign."
In the meantime, Team joined the group again, of course not without getting a view from Win with lifted eyebrow. He puts on his bathing cap, takes place on one of the starting blocks and puts on his goggles. With the sound of the whistle he jumps into the cold water and starts to swim. Win looks at his stopwatch. 5 out of 8 swimmers are already having a good time. One of them is the black-haired Nong. And better, it looks like he would win this swimming competition. Never he expected him to be that fit. But just a few seconds later another swimmer passes Team and is the first who reaches the starting block. Team is the second one. When he climbs out off the water Win stands next to him.
„Not bad, Nong. But we can pratice together so you will win the next time."
Team's eyes get small. „What do you mean? What practice together?"
Win chuckles. „You will see. I'm not only good in swimming."
Without waiting for Team's answer Win goes back to the other swimming members. Another 8 participants take place on the starting blocks and jump into the cold wet after the starting sound. Win who actually should focus on the swimmers only fixed his eyes on the cheeky Nong.
Suddenly pulled out of his thoughts he hears Dean asking him: „What's the time?"
„Hmm?", Win asks.
„The time, Win? What's the time of the swimmers? What's wrong with you?", the president asks him with confusion.
„Uhm...nothing. Here is the list."
He hands the list with all participants and their swimming times to Dean. Automatically his eyes follow Team again who is talking with some of the students who watched the training from the tribune. Probably his friends because they look very familiar and closely and laugh a lot with big smiles on their faces.
The president raises his voice. „You all, please come together to evaluate your swimming skills."
Every participant goes straight to Dean and his vice president to build 2 lines. With excitement they listen to what he says to them.
„Listen. You all have very good skills and a good swimming time. Unfortunately, I have to pick only 8 new members for our club due to the rules of our university who only allows a maximum amount of 12 each club. Regarding the tracked time the following persons will be our new members."
He checks the list from top to bottom and then appoints the names of the swimmers who now belong to the famous club of their university.
„...Chai, Tam, Wu, Team..."
Win's heart jumps and he smiles. Although Team only got the second place during his competition round his time already was enough to make it into the team. After finishing the nomination, the students applaud.
„Congratulations." Win goes to the elected new team members and welcomes them to the swimming club. When he stands in front of Team he smiles, bites his lips and looks at him from top to bottom.
He bends towards his ear and whispers: „With my special practice you will be first place the next time."
Team gets red cheeks and looks at Win with appall and half open mouth.
„Damn Hia!", he whispers, too.
Win chuckles and goes to the next new member next to Team. Team's eyes are focused on the blonde vice president.
The swimming competition started in the late afternoon after school and that is why it is already dark outside when the elimination ended. Team showers and changes his clothes from the swimming trunk to his normal school uniform. He takes his bag out of the locker and leaves the building. It started raining already. Team sighs. Why didn't he drive to university by car today? He should start checking the weather forecast before leaving the apartment. He looks at his watch. At this time none of the busses will drive so he had to walk. Without umbrella. His clothes will be soaked due to the rain when he will arrive home. 'Damn!', he thinks and starts to walk through the rain.