I know she means well, but why is it that all outgoing people feel like they need to supply us introverts with companionship? Don’t they get that we’re happy with our very small friend groups that we only see when we want to? Still, making friendswith P’Film was easy and he’s nice, so I’m not sorry to have met him.
“You’re so prickly,” Bua complains. Then she gets an odd look on her face and says, “P’Tam stayed with me the whole time.”
“I told you she likes you,” I say in an undertone so no one else can hear.
Bua bites her lip. “I don’t know. I’m not convinced. She might just be being nice.”
“But you like her?” I ask.
“I didn’t say that.” She stands. “I’m tired. I think I’ll go to bed. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Goodnight,” I say, adding, “Sweet dreams” in a tone laced heavily with innuendo.
She flips me off before heading to the room to the left of the common area where the girls are sleeping, while I go to the large room on the right designated for the males. The horticulture club being predominantly female, there are only four of us—me, two fourth years, and a third year.
“Do you mind sleeping by the window, Nong?” the third year asks me. I’ve seen him around campus but don’t know his name.
“I’m fine with it, P,” I say, tossing my backpack onto that cot.
“Mee Noi, right?” he asks.
I nod and smile.
“I’m Zo,” he says, “and this is Champ and this is Boss.” As he indicates each senior, they give me a perfunctory wai.
When Champ moves past me toward the bathroom, his shoulder knocks into mine, making me stumble. He doesn’t apologize or look back at me, and when the bathroom door shuts behind him, Zo says, “Don’t mind him. He’s just jealous.”
I frown. “Of what?”
“Of you. His ex—who he isn’t over yet—thinks you’re cute. She comments a lot under your photos on the Best Boys website.”
Unfortunately, more and more photos of me have popped up on the website in the last few weeks. I finally allowed the moderator to take a decent profile picture rather than the one taken without my knowing it when I was eating ramen. Right before the mod took the new photo, Sud called out to me, “Look sexy, Noi!”
Then, when he saw it later on the website, he groaned. “I saidsexy, not annoyed.“ He was being a jerk—the picture isn’t that bad. I feel kind of odd when I see it, though—like I’m looking at a stranger instead of myself. Maybe I’m not quite as unattractive as I thought I was. Still, I’m nothing compared to Sud with his bright eyes, mega-watt smile, and muscular physique.
That’s why when Zo tells me about Champ’s ex, I’m a little skeptical. I mean, whymewhen Sud and all the other boys on the site are so much better? Eyeing the closed bathroom door, I wonder just how angry Champ is over his ex-girlfriend liking me. Is he going to beat me up? Though the bathroom has several urinals and sinks and a couple of stalls, to play it safe, I wait until Champ exits before I go in to wash and change. When I return, the lights are out and everyone is on their designated cot. Relieved that it appears Champ doesn’t have any plans to confront me about daring to appeal to girls he likes, I make my way in the dark over to my cot by the window and lie down.
It’s hot for December, and I wish I could let in some fresh air, but I know that if I do even the few mosquitos out this time of year will find me and eat me alive. Growing up, I contracted Chikungunya fever once and Dengue fever twice. Mae always says my blood must be very sweet.
Suddenly homesick, I lie on top of the thin blanket listening to the faint music coming from somewhere on campus. The first few weeks at school were hard for me, especially since I refused to live with Sud at his apartment. My stuffed bear Fuzzy got me through those times, but I didn’t bring him with me to NakhonPathom for obvious reasons. If I didn’t agree to come on this trip, I could be with Sud right now in Hua Hin, and then at home in Wang Phong later in the week. Sitting up, I find my phone and text him.
What are you doing?
Lying back down, I wait for his reply, which comes several minutes later.
Drinking at a bar. What about you?
I start to type that I’m lying in bed in the university guest house, but something comes over me and I text one word.
Same.
Sud’s answer comes much more quickly this time.
You’re out drinking? Who are you with?
I purposely wait to answer and have to turn off the volume on my phone for fear of waking the others when his texts keep coming.
What kind of bar is it?