Mate by chao Planoy

Chapter 2

We both arrived at my studio. The studio my mom bought and gave it to me. I came in only once in a while when I had a morning class, or early morning exam because it was right at the university. Aoey put down her big bag pack and looked around excitedly.

“Such a beautiful room”.

“You spend a night here then”.

The sweet-eye girl looked at me with surprise.

“What about you, Gen?”

“I'll go home”.

“No” Aoey shook her head. She really did not want that and I did not know why. I sighed.

“If you don't want to sleep here, where are you going to sleep tonight then? You called me because you wanted my help since at the beginning, wasn't it?”

I said it openly and that made she felt aback. The embarrassment on her face made me feel guilty.

“I did not reach out to you for help. But you are the only friend I have in Bangkok, so I....”

“That's what friends are for. Don't worry about that”.

No...this wasn't me. What I just said was a quote I often saw on Twitter or f*******:. I never liked that kind of cheesy posted, let alone using it with this beautiful-eye.

Why did I do that?. . . .

“I couldn't just stay here anyway. I should stay for free at least.”

“Can we talk then?”

“Yes?”

I walked to a small built-in Sofa near the door and crossed my legs. I looked at her while she stood there thinking what to say. I wanted to know about Aoey story. Why did she came to Bangkok without a plan.

“Why are you in Bangkok, Aoey?”

“I'm here for school, and get a job”.

She said without making eye-contact. It obvious that wasn't the only reason. There must be else too.

“What about your parents?... Teacher Salee, how come they let you here?”

“I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself”.

She argued like a small kid. Teacher Salee was our teacher in the elementary school. She was a very strict teacher, straight like a ruler. I was a daughter of a big policeman in the area. She wasn't care about that at all, I remembered that well.

“Are you running away from home?”

“No”

Thw quick reply without thinking also made me understand the big picture. The beautiful-eye looked look like a grown woman but she answered the question like a child. I saw some resistance in her. I wandered why she ran away.

“Well, you don't have to tell me if you're not ready”.

“I did not reach out to you for help. I got your number from Si. She told me she met you in Phuket and exchanged her number with you. I asked for it just in case, I wanted to see you. I did not think to....

“You don't have to explain”.

“I don't want you to misunderstand me”.

Not only she like a child but also loved her honor. I smiled a bit and pretended that this was not an issue. It really wasn't a real issue. Let's just help her out for now.

“You stay here tonight then. And stay here to know where to go”.

“I won't stay” the sweet-eye confirmed. “It's too comfortable. I don't like it”.

“??” I frowned when I heard her reason. “What do you mean to comfortable?”

“It was too good. You haven't met me for ten years and now offer to help. I gave your lice once, remembered?”

Why was she so cute. Finally, I laughed out loud and pleaded for her to say.

“Please, I beg you to stay. You stay here tonight. If you leave, I don't think I can sleep tonight”.

“Are you really worry about me?”

Her question made me think twice that did I really worry about her. A friend whom I hadn't met for ten years, did I really worry about her?

“ummm”.

The sweet-eye stunned and diverted her gazed.

“I don't know why but that made me feel shy”.

“Don't be cute”. I touched her hair gently with admiration.

“Spend a night here tonight then”.

The sweet-eye pulled gently on my shirt. I looked at her by surprise.

“Yes?”

“Sleep with me tonight, Gen”.

“.... .”

“I don't have a lice”.

I bursted out a laugh with her funny statement.

“Are you afraid of ghost? Is this why you wanted me to sleep here?”

“I am not afraid of ghost!” The sweet-eye looked at me with confirmation. Even when I looked at her eyes through the glasses, I still shook me.

“Ok, I believe you. I'll sleep with you tonight. But I have to call hope first”.

“Ok, Thank you, Gen”.

The smaller friend smiled at me widely. I made me feel shy because in my life I never did anything to please anyone and made them so happy. It might be the same feeling when I released a bird, fish or make merit. It was that kind of feeling. I smiled at her and walked out to call my mom, told her I'll spend a night in condo.

( Are you really stay at condo? I hope you don't plan to spend a night in a guy's house.)

My mom voice from the phone teased me, made me rolled my eyes almost reversed back into my brain.

“Don't tease me like that. Is dad there? He will send someone over at the condo again this time”.

(No, he is not here. I couldn't say that if he is here.)

“Where is he?”

(He said he has a word meeting)

“Do you believe him? Does he have a mistress?”

(Maybe)

“Yes, please call him”

I chatted with her a bit more and hung up the phone. When I turned around, Aoey wasn't too far from me.

“Oh! Aoey, I already told my mom that I'll sleep here”.

“You're quite close to your mom. That's good”.

“Yes, my dad too.”

“Your lucky”.

I looked at her and notice a sad look on her face. I thought back about teacher Salee. She was very strict. She won't be close to her daughter. We should change the subject. I wasn't good at console people specially family issue.

“Let's take a shower and go to bed”.

“You sleep so early”.

“No, usually I watched some Korean series before bed. What about you? What do you usually do?”

“I like listening to music, practice a music and write a novel”.

“You do a lot of things and you can play a music?”

“Yes, I can play a bit. My senior friend at school teach me to play this and that but I'm not that good”.

“What about a novel?”

“Yes, I am a writer. I have some followers”. She smiled with her eyes too.

“I would love to read it sometimes”.

You're such a happy tiny girl.

I felt a bit awkward when I heard the shower noise. I mostly spend time with myself. Now I have friend stayed together but it wasn't too bad. Now I waited for her to finish shower, so I can get in. The sweet-eye showered around 15 minutes. she walked out with the loose old t-shirt and shorts.

But that worn out t-shirt did it make her less distinguish. It could be the warm water, the heat, no glasses or her long hair, or whatever it was. I could say that Aoey was a very good- looking girl.

Her mouth, neck, eyebrows, chin... all of the features on her face fit in with her. I looked while she dried her hair and did not realize that I was now checking her. She did not look this good when we were in an elementary school. I wanted to tell her to stop wearing the silly glasses and pulling her hairs up all the time. It made her look simple.

“Are you checking me out?”

Aoey said and that made me jumped as if I did something wrong. I laughed nervously when I made eye-contact with her.

“I'm sorry. I'm just surprise that you have grown so much”.

“You grew up too. You looked good when you were young but now you looked even more perfect”.

I smiled and felt a bit shy. I received this kind of comment at all my life but I did not know why I felt shy when the sweet-eye said it.

“Do you have a boyfriend?”

“Why? are you hitting on me?”

“No, I replied immediately. Aoey laughed out loud and gave me a big smile.

“How come you're so serious when you git teased? You never like anyone before in your life?”

“umm, no, I never liked anyone”.

“What type of people do you like, I'm curious?”

“I wanted to know too”.

We both looked at each other in a quiet moment. It was a very simple conversation but I did not know why it made me both of us nervous. I seemed to realize the awkwardness first so. I got up abruptly.

Thumb thumb...

“I'll take a shower and let's go to bed”

“Ok”

My heart throbbed again. Something squeezed the left side of my chest but it wasn't painful. It was the second time today. I might get sick. Mom would be so worry if I tell her. I should have that check in a hospital.

I shook my head trying to forgot that issue and went into shower. Twenty minutes after that I walked out after putting lotion on my face. Aoey look on her computer that she bought with her. She seemed to look up something on the internet.

“What are you doing?”

“I'm checking the feedback on my e-novel. I uploaded the ending today and got good feedback”.

“What's the story? I want to read it sometimes”.

“No, I'm embarrassed”.

“What?!”

“You should wait for the new one”. The sweet-eyes shut her computer and placed it gently on a table as if she wouldn't want to make a mess. “Let's sleep”.

“Ok”

I walked to the switch and turned it off and walked back to my king size bed. I never shared a bed with anyone before. Only when I was young, I shared a room with my brother but that was along time ago. It was a bit awkward. Where should I put my hands?I needed my side-pillow.

“Sorry to disturb you. I will stay here only one night”.

“Where are you going after tonight?”

“So many place to sleep. I'll be ok. I have other friends in Bangkok apart from you, Gen”.

I did not say anything else. If she insisted that she was okay, it wasn't my problem. I just acknowledge it and said goodnight. I couldn't see anything else even my hands because it was a very dark room.

I felt odd having someone else next to me when I sleep. I flipped and flopped all night because I worried that I would hug her during the night, thinking she was a side pillo. I was not sure how she would think if I did that. I always nervous to touch other people, even if she was a woman like me.

Tick tick tick....

The sound of the clock ticking on the wall was so frustrated. I couldn't sleep because of it. Now the person next to me already snored. She must be exhausted. I turned over to the side amd pushed myself up to look at the sweet-eye next to me. My eyes already adjusted to the darkness in the room. How could she sleep so well while I was wide awake!

“Arg!”

Aoey wakeup frighten while I quickly laid down pretended to be sleeping. The sweet-eyes sat up with a heavy breathing liked she scared about something. I took a peek at her. I saw Aoey put her face down in both of her palm like she was crying.

She was crying?

It was like a silent weep. Aoey laid herself down quietly and turned her back toward me. I did not know what happened but my heart felt pain. What was it? Sympathy?

“Gen, are you sleeping?”

Aoey ask me while her face still away from me. I did not know why I did not reply to that but pretended to sleep.

“You sleep deep”.

Aoey talk to herself. I, still pretended to sleep, turned over and put my arm on her waist as if I hugged her. She spooked a bit and slowly took my arm out of her. My stubbornness made me pretend to hug her even tighter. I could feel her tense feeling but I pretended to be in deep sleep.

“ummm....”

The sweet-eye froze and try to take my arm out again. But I hugged her tighter, so she just laid there and froze.

My nose was on the back of her head. It made me felt nervous and hot. I pretended to sleep like that for a while.

I did not know how long it was until Aoey closed her eyes and her breathing was so slow and steady. I realized she finally felt a sleep again.

Great! Now I made her sleep while I couldn't sleep.

Great!