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Part 16

There I was, lying on the floor, with my "sprained" ankle, anxiously waiting for Kongpob's reaction.

I swore my heart was threatening to beat out of my chest.

I never felt like that before...

When Kongpob saw me on the ground, he stopped right in front of me. And at that very moment, I thought he's really going to bend down to help me up, but all of a sudden, Kongpob started laughing out loud.

"How can you trip with nothing blocking your way?" He exclaimed through his laughter. He was laughing so hard that everyone passing by got curious and stared at the unexpected scene of Kongpob Suthiluck laughing whole-heartedly and me splayed on the floor rather pathetically.

I felt my cheeks blush hard with embarrassment as I tried to stand up. "Yah! How can you laugh at someone who tripped? Are you really that insensitive?" I remarked, trying to remain calm when I really wanted to burst out. In anger or tears, I wasn't sure yet.

The people around started whispering to each other, "Arthit is picking a fight with Kongpob!"

"What do you want me to do, help you up?" He asked mockingly, still unable to stop his laughter.

I wanted to wipe that stupid smile from his face. "Of course! A normal person would do just that." I answered him with an angry pout.

His smile didn't disappear. In fact, it got even bigger. "Well, if a normal person would do that, then why didn't anyone help you?"

Everyone watching us laughed at Kongpob's words. It seemed like they were all on his side again. As always.

"Fine, whatever." I said, knowing I couldn't win against him. I turned to Nam, who was standing a few meters away, and gave her a disappointed expression before I got up and left the scene. I knew that by doing that, she would definitely run after me.

As expected, she tried to catch up to me as I headed for the bathroom. When she finally caught up with me in the hallway, she immediately apologized. "Arthit, I'm really sorry for what happened."

I was breathing heavy, trying to calm myself down and get rid of the heat I felt in my face from blushing so hard. I turned to her with an angered expression. "I told you it wouldn't work, didn't I?" I told her in a half-shout. I hated it when I got embarrassed in front of people.

"I'm really sorry, Arthit. But please give me another chance." She pleaded. "I should've known he would act that way because he doesn't want you to know the truth."

I was starting to get suspicious of Nam again. "Why wouldn't he want me to know about it?" I asked, thinking that if it really was true, then there wouldn't be any reason for him to hide it.

She shrugged. "I don't know why. He just wants it that way, I guess." She replied simply. "Anyway, I thought of another plan to get him to accidentally reveal his feelings for you. This time I'm sure it'll work because I think the only mistake of my plan earlier was that it was too obvious."

"If you're planning of pushing me off the stairs or getting me hit by a car, forget it." I warned her as I wiped my face with my handkerchief.

"Are you insane? Of course not!" She exclaimed loudly, looking me with a bewildered expression. "Why would I do that to my best friend?"

I raised my eyebrow at her. "Then what's worst than 'tripping' on the floor?" I asked, emphasizing on the word tripping.

She smiled mischievously. One thing really common about me and Nam was whenever we smiled that way, that meant out evil side was taking over. "We'll let Kongpob see you getting bullied by Jessica." She remarked proudly, as if she just discovered something greater than fried chicken.

"No way." I reacted quickly. If there was one thing I wanted to avoid right now, that would be an encounter with Kongpob's obsessed fans, especially after I had already experienced one of their crazy pranks. And Jessica would definitely be ten times worse than that. She already hates my guts and might just murder me when she sees me. I was not in the mood for that. "Forget it, Nam. I am so not doing that."

Nam frowned. "Why not?"

But before I could answer, we heard the sound of shuffling behind us. Nam and I looked at each other and knew that we both thought the exact same thing. If someone had heard our conversation and that person was in any way associated with Jessica, or if it was Jessica herself, we were doomed.

But when the person appeared from around the corner, we both froze.

It was May.

"Hey!" she greeted us happily. "What are you guys doing?" she asked, looking at me and then Nam.

We both smiled at her with great sense of relief. "We though you were Jessica."

"Oh." She remarked, laughing as she realized the situation. "And I thought you guys were about to jump on me."

We all laughed at that. But then May turned to Nam and she seemed confused seeing us two together, probably because of what happened yesterday. Before she could ask us anything, Nam explained the situation. "What happened yesterday was just an act. And I'm really sorry if I hurt you."

As expected, May didn't accept her apology. In fact, she seemed even angrier than yesterday. "That was an act?" she asked sarcastically. "What exactly do you want to achieve in going back to Arthit's side after what you did to him yesterday?"

"May, it's alright. We already solved it with Nam." I tried to convince her.

But she wouldn't back down as she looked at Nam suspiciously. "Are you crazy? How can you still accept her after what she's done to you?" she exclaimed with disbelief. "Why do you have to go back to a friend who betrayed you?"

"Yesterday, you were saying we should value our friendship. So what's up with you trying to break us up now?" Nam remarked defiantly. "And what gives you the right to judge me? Have you known me for as long as Arthit has?"

May found that amusingly funny. "I don't need to know you long enough to see right through your selfish side." She shot back at Nam. "And even if you are just trying to prove to Arthit that Kongpob likes him, shouldn't you first think about what's going to happen to Arthit? Hasn't it even crossed your mind that Arthit would definitely get hurt in an encounter with Jessica?"

Nam shook her head. "He's not going to get hurt because Kongpob will come save him." She remarked firmly.

"Oh yeah? How can you guarantee that? Do you think Kongpob will listen to his ex?" May answered back. Then she turned back to me. "Listen to me, Arthit. She's just setting you up. She just wants you to get hurt."

And a part of me actually agreed with May. I really wasn't sure whether what Nam was doing was just a scheme she and Jessica planned together. But then a bigger part of me wanted to give Nam a chance. She was my best friend, how could I not trust her?

Also, a bigger part of me was just very curious to know the truth behind this mess. To know the truth behind Kongpob's feelings.

"I'm sorry, May, but I have agreed to trust Nam on this." I told her, causing Nam to smile victoriously and May, a disappointed frown.

"Fine, then. Go ahead and do what you want." May finally said, giving one last glare at Nam before she headed towards the door. "But afterwards, if things go wrong, don't say I didn't warn you."

As soon as she had disappeared down the hallway, I faced Nam. "I think it's best to go talk with May and try to calm her down. I'll see you later, okay?" I told her, darting to the direction May had gone.

But just as my luck had it, as I was half-running, I turned around the corner and bam! I bumped into someone who was apparently holding a bunch of stuff, which all dropped on the floor, scattering everyone around us.

"Oh gosh, I'm so sorry! I wasn't looking!" I apologized quickly and bent down to pick them up, helping the person.

But to my surprise, the person didn't even bend over to pick up their own things. It was like they were waiting for me to pick them all up myself.

Still holding the papers in my hands, I looked up to see who the other person was, and when I did, my jaw dropped.

It was Jessica, and boooy did she look mad....

It seemed Nam's plan had gone way ahead of schedule.

As Jessica's breathing grew heavier and she turned visibly red in front of me, I paled, gulping hard.

I just hoped my savior would come in time...

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