Sarawat's Story

Part XXV: Frenemies

I sat in Professor Kongkaeo's Comparative Politics class Monday afternoon, taking a pop quiz I was sure I would fail, and while my classmates wore looks of terror on their faces, I was smiling.

I hadn't stopped smiling since I woke up Monday morning.

My mind replayed all the things that happened during the weekend: Tine and I kissed Friday night, Tine and Green agreed to be friends Saturday afternoon before Tine and I took pictures for the Open House, we told our friends about our relationship Saturday night, and I was finally able to cook Tine an authentic meal Sunday evening.

Now that it was Monday, Tine promised to have dinner with me after our classes. I didn't even have to worry about Professor Kongkaeo's surprise exam because Tine said he would stay in the Student Union Building and study until I got there.

I handed in my exam with a smile - Professor Kongkaeo frowned and motioned for me to leave - and I put in my earphones to listen to Scrubb as I walked across campus. The walk was quick, and my excitement to see Tine was an addictive adrenaline rush. But as I bounced up the steps of the Student Union, I froze at the top step.

Inside, Tine was sitting in a small chair, his head down and his hands in his lap. Standing in front of him, a semicircle of about seven or eight girls - someone dressed in the school uniform and some dressed in their cheerleading uniform - looked down at him. I recognized the two girls in the front, the ones with their hands on their hips and speaking to Tine, and I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

What the fuck is going on?

I pushed through the double-door entrance. The girls turned to me, but Tine kept his head down. As I beelined to him, I ignored the girls' angry looks and hushed tones toward each other.

I knelt on one knee in front of him.

"Tine, I'm here. Are you okay?"

Tine didn't look up. "Mmhmm," he replied. "I'm okay." His voice was small and anxious.

"No, seriously," I pressed, "are you okay? What's going on?"

The girl behind me clicked her teeth, and I stood to face her.

Anchara Saetong was a second-year Engineering student I'd met as a freshman. She was a pretty girl: a thin, oval face of flawless alabaster skin framed by long and shiny onyx hair; almond-shaped eyes; and pale pink, heart-shaped lips. But behind that attractive façade was a selfish, manipulative, and vindictive young woman. Achara was the first girl to approach me about dating, and she did not handle her rejection well. She had her three older brothers send me threatening messages online. Still, I rejected her advances. I soon avoided her as much as possible, hoping she'd find someone else.

Seeing her with Tine and a shit-eating grin on her face put me on edge.

"What's going on?" I asked.

She crossed her arms on her chest. "None of your business, Sarawat."

This conversation has just started, and it's already going left, I thought to myself. Through my clenched jaw, I asked again, "What's going on?"

Achara rolled her eyes, and after a long, annoyed exhale, she said, "As Tine's friends " - she motioned to the other girls - "we felt it was necessary to talk to him."

"About what?"

"About this little thing you two have going on."

Is she serious?! My jaw clenched even more.

"Let's just be honest, Sarawat," she continued, "Your relationship with Tine is a joke, right?"

A second went by before my brain registered what my ears had heard. A joke?! My annoyance with her became anger. I tensed, my heart beating faster and harder in my chest.