~published on November 14th, 2018~

A/N:

I'll give something for you to think of.

*

"Do you want me to drive back?" Beam offers himself to drive back on Sunday morning. "You look tired."

Forth smiles. "I'm fine. I am just making sure all of them get on the bus and we are good to go. Wait a minute, eh, N'Beam?"

Beam nods. He sits in the opened trunk in the rear side of Forth's car and leans his head as he looks at Forth who is doing his final checking.

His eyes can't stop looking at Forth's gear on his right wrist. It is torn out, the leather... Forth never takes it off.

Forth never gave his heart to anyone after Wayo.

He must be hurt so much that he failed to move on.

Beam blinks. He puts his glasses on because the heavy feeling that he feels is making his eyes teary.

He can see Forth jogging back to him with a wide smile.

"Let's go home!" Forth says.

Home.

That word leaves a much heavier feel in Beam's heart.

***

Forth smiles widely seeing Beam on Monday morning.

Beam is already wearing his jeans, black muscle tee and the blue jacket to complete with his jim jocker shoes.

"You look handsome, N'Beam!" Forth greets him during their breakfast routine.

Beam smiles. "Thank you, P'Forth. I guess casual look suits the blue workers very well." He sits across Forth.

"You still look like a royal though." Forth frowns teasingly. "Even if you are in Engineering and taking Electrical, as far as I can go is picturing you working on Telecommunication industry, doing meetings, having presentations, with charts and numbers... but not on the field."

Beam looks at Forth un-amused. "Aoh, P'... I finished SOTUS already, and you still think of me as a weakling?"

"No, no... not a weakling. I did say you are a royal, did not I?"

Beam shakes his head.

*

Not long after, Forth and Beam walk out of the dimsum place and get into their own vehicle.

Forth drives away right after, but Beam sits still in his car even if the engine is already turned on.

Beam takes his phone. He calls Phana.

"Still alive I see," Phana greets Beam sarcastically. "I thought you would be killed during the inauguration night."

Beam laughs. But then he becomes silent suddenly.

"... Beam? Is everything alright?"

Beam gulps. "I... don't need this anymore. I... I want to come home."

Phana sighs. He is pressing hard on his temple. "This is your first day of school, young man, you earned your brotherhood and now you want to chicken out?"

Beam is sitting in silence in his car. He leans on the headrest and closes his eyes. The car engine is already turned on but he doesn't drive it. He doesn'tfeel like leaving the parking area and going to Engineering Faculty.

"... Beam?"

Beam is silent.

"... Beam, where are you? Let me get you." Phana is panicking. "Did you do something stupid and wake up next to some random girls in a place you don't know? Just send the location with your map and I'll come get you!" He even tells Wayo to halt his steps and he himself freezes on the spot.

Beam says nothing.

"... Beam... for Godsake! Answer me!"

"... in front of my dorm," Beam says in a low voice. "I want to go home." His voice begins to shake. But then he takes a deep breath and his voice changes back to normal.

"Engineering is difficult. You were right. This blue collar job won't suit me. You know what they made me do for a full month and even during the closing? I can't take this shit. I want to roll back into Medical."

Phana growls. "Fuck you."

Beam as always, nearly gave him a heart attack. "You can't just roll out and back as you like! Even if you break up with your girlfriend and you want to make up, it's not that easy."

"I never had girlfriend though," Beam retorts.

"I said IF!"

Silence.

Phana sighs. "Look, I will have to drive and send Wayo to his class. And then go to my class. Professor aunty's class is the first thing this Monday morning."

"That's a perfect schedule you got there," Beam says teasingly.

"Shut up! You would have that too but you left it for your stupid reason!"

Beam chuckles.

"Drop by at lunch in Meds, we need to talk," Phana says. "And please bring your brain and common sense with you. I want to talk to them, not you."

Beam laughs. "Alright. I will. Thanks, Pha."

Beam and Phana end the call.

Beam sits still for a good five minutes before he drives away from the parking lot to his Faculty.

Beam walks past Forth, Park and Lam who are chatting in front of their class. "Sawadee, P'Forth, P'Park, P'Lam..." He greets them with a teasing smile crafting on his lips.

"One of these day, I'll hit you," Park answers.

Beam laughs. He waves his hands as he walks away.

"Beam!" Posh calls out to him. "Our class moved to the one on the left!"

Forth chuckles as he sees Beam being dragged to the other side by Posh, and Wai following behind them.

Beam really did fit in well.

*

Beam walks past Kongpob and his gang when he walks out og the Faculty during the lunch break. He smiles and greets them.

"You look good with the jacket " Kongpob says.

"Thanks, P'. I'll make sure P'Arthit would hear that you told how handsome I am " Beam says with a cheerful smile.

Kongpob glares instantly while Wad, Tiew and Aim laugh.

"You are far more troublesome than Kongpob during his Freshman year. Maybe you should have hit on the Head Hazer too," Wad says.

Aim laughs too. "Yup, like saying... wanting to make him your wife to get the gear instead of completing SOTUS, for example."

Kongpob rolls his eyes.

"But we have Forth this year... instead of making him your wife, you'll end up as his." Tiew winks at Beam.

Beam laughs. "You are funny, P', I wonder why you wouldn't make a comedian group or something. Ask P'Park to join your group, you both will be awesome."

Four of them laugh hard.

"But I have my gear now." Beam shows his right wrist.

"Yeah, you have. And girls are waiting for you to give it to them." Kongpob nods.

"Don't let the freshmen hear you, Kong, they are ForthBeam shippers," Aim says.

Kongpob laughs. "Owh, sorry naa... I forgot how you both make a perfect couple... one as the troublesome freshman and the other, his Head Hazer."

Beam shakes his head, still smiling to his seniors. "Owh, you mean following your legendary love story, P'Kongpob?"

"Yeah, whatever, N'Beam. I gave up on you since the day one anyways," Kongpob says with a grin.

The other four laugh together.

"As romantic as it sounds, N'Beam, however, when Kongpob gave his gear to P'Arthit, his tsundere soon-to-be boyfriend who was the Head Hazer didn't know its meaning " Aim says. "Poor Kong, he had to tell P'Artit to ask P'Der for him to understand. What a great Head Hazer he was to not even know its true hidden meaning."

Kongpob smacks on Aim's head.

Aim doesn't care. "Your boyfriend is the most dense and stubborn Head Hazer alive, you know that right?" he adds.

Beam laughs. "I am sure P'Kongpob doesn't care and loves him as he is."

Kongpob scratches on the back of his head even if it's not itchy.

"You got it right!! High five, Beam!" Wad is ecstatic.

Aim and Tiew give Beam a standing ovation.

"Let me take my leave, I have to meet my friends." Beam gives a proper wai and then leaves.

"Sure, bye Beam."

*

Beam walks into the Medical foodcourt, slowly. Kit waves at him cheerfully the moment Beam walks in with his Engineering look.

Beam smiles and sits across their friends.

"How's the first day of school, kiddo?" Phana asks.

"Awful. There are these numbers I don't understand. And some imaginary thing they call the electrical part," Beam says.

Just then a waiter places three bowls of gyudon and two iced teas. Kit even places a bottle of mineral water for Beam.

Beam looks at his bestfriends. "You ordered for me?"

Kit nods. "You took too long so we ordered it for you. You usually go for gyudon anyway."

Beam smiles. "Thanks, Kit. Been awhile since I have eaten those. Engineering foodcourt is awful. The only thing delicious there is their tomyum and pink milk."

"You drink pink milk now?" Phana asks.

"P'Lam got it for me once, and it's the best I have ever drunk. Sometimes I buy it in between the afternoon classes."

Kit laughs. "You call him P' now? You even call Ming as P'."

Beam laughs. "Yeah. They are my seniors. That is the proper way to call them."

Phana laughs too. "Stupid."

Silence as they start to enjoy their lunch.

"Let's say that I want to roll back into Med..." Beam breaks the silence. "What should I do to make them willing take me back and let me continue from where I left?"

Phana and Kit look at Beam and then look at each other. And then look at Beam again.

"Why would you want to go back? I thought you are seeking for some kind of security insurance to be able to fuck any girl no matter who their boyfriend is," Phana asks coldly. "You even announced it during your Moon talent show."

Beam chuckles. "Yeah... like I said, the food is awful. Besides, I have the gear and the jacket. I'll just tell them that I am a Engineering student."

Phana sighs. He shakes his head.

"Is it not possible?" Beam asks.

"It unlikely ... is this is your university?" Phana asks him back.

Beam sighs. "I see... Then I'll just open a small tiny shop in the corner and sell soap and shampoo."

Phana puts his spoon down in anger. "Fucking-really?!!"

Beam smirks.

"You made the daddy lose his mind, Beam. Don't ask me for help." Kit slides on his seat slightly away from the scene.

Beam chuckles. "I am serious. I'll roll out from Engineering and move out from the dorm too. It smells like boys. Bad boys. Smoke and all. Owh, I miss my dorm. It's white, clean, smoke free, with a bathtub and hot shower..."

Phana smacks Beam's head. "I don't believe you! You won't do it."

Beam chuckles. "We'll see."

"You change your mind so easily. You are troublesome, you know that, don't you?" Phana glares at Beam.

Beam nods. "Indeed." And then he exhales a long sigh. The smile slightly disappears from his face. He looks down.

"Hey... what's wrong...?" Phana leans closer.

Kit becomes worried too. He is not imagining Beam's lingering tears in his eyes. They are there.

Beam tries to smile back. "No. Nothing..." He takes a long sigh to prevent tears running down his cheeks.

Phana has some serious panic attack right now.

Kit hold onto his chest.

The last time they saw him cry was when his parents got divorced six fucking years ago!

"Beam, what's wrong...?" Phana asks again.

Beam tries to swallow his tears back into his eyes as if its possible. He smiles sadly.

"I won't make any more trouble again..." he says in a whisper, "...just help me get back here. I won't make any trouble again..."

A tear escapes his eyes anyways, but Beam hurriedly wipes it.

Kit has trouble breathing on seeing it. He can only hold onto Phana's arm for support.

Phana grits his teeth. "Did anyone hurt you? You got bullied? Tell me who they are and I'll just..."

***

A/N:

Your son loves making trouble... again...

Thank you for your help @Darzls . A big hug for you....