Choices II

~ 29 ~

Phana checked his phone – looked like both Kit and Beam were busy, it was almost end of their sixth semester and it felt like he was all alone now a days. he sighed, his applications for early internship have been rejected by all except one meaning he would have to go home for semester vacation if his safety net fails. It was then he saw a couple of bikes zoom past him, make a turn and come back.

"Hello P" he saw two boys walk towards him, "how have you been?". They were familiar but he could not recollect instantly. "Is it yours P'?" he saw the one dressed in a dark blue t-shirt eyeing his bike and then it clicked.

"Nick and Pan right?" Phana got up "yes, it's mine!"

"Do you race too P'?" Pan asked, "would you like to join us this Saturday?"

"er..." Phana was tempted but he was also worried – Nick and Pan means, Ming will be there.

 "Please P', Ming refused and that leave our team 1 man short.... We just need you there for us to qualify. You don't have to race unless you want to"

"What if I want to?" Phana smiled, glad that he won't have to meet Ming.

"There are three rounds – each team presents 3 players per round, you can participate in one or more... we need a minimum of 5 racers to join" Nick explained, "I know – it is ridiculous... but they have pretty decent price money, and some semiprofessionals join hoping to get sponsors"

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Ming frowned at the text messages in the group chat – 'we found a 5th person, you can relax now traitor', 'P'Phana's bike is a beauty.... How comes he never raced with us before?' and that had sparked a long conversation about how the stickler for rules had a fun side to him.

"P'Phana is racing?" Aim looked up surprised, so did Posh  "Wow... this I want to see".

"No wonder you are stuck" Yo laughed, "every side of him is interesting, contradicting"

Through the entire conversation Ming remained silent, he had ended things with Yo doesn't mean he can bounce back to the senior who will surely call it out as 'rebound', even if he wouldn't be.

"Are you still going to your home?" Yo whispered in Ming's ears, "this might be a chance for you to get back in his life"

"I don't know" Ming got up, "I need to go" he started to dial a number he knew by heart.

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"What do you mean he is out on the track?" Ming all but screamed at Pan. He knew Phana drove a fancy bike, he loved riding, but he was not a racer and what shocked him most was that the older had volunteered and opted to race the third round.

"We lost first two rounds – we won't qualify anyways" Pan shrugged "he wanted to try"

"Did it even occur to you it might be his first-time racing?" Ming was close to punching his friend, "what? No way" Pan turned to look at the racing track "I mean... he saw the first two round... he is more responsible than that!" he gulped.

"He is as irresponsible as they come" Ming was now fuming, his anger stemming from the fact that the older seemed to throw caution to the wind when it comes to himself. Race had just started, and Ming could not watch as two-wheelers zoomed past him.

"Are we talking about the same guy?" Pan looked enthralled "he seems to be handling just fine", he could see his team near the pit cheer loud "let's just go down there... and by the way, why are you here? You were the one who made fuss about going home"

"Er..." Ming shrugged; his parents surprised him with a visit in the morning when he had said that he won't be able to meet them "I am here aren't I"

"But you are late" Pan sighed, "Nick came in 4th but P'Bam crashed and burned.... We would have qualified if you were a bit early or if P'Forth or P'Lam had joined."