A Touching Of Lips (BoyxBoy)

Chapter 4. Pond.

I thought about what she had said as I walked back across the Campus. If my proposed marriage to Apple was off, would Pang really allow another girl to get close to me? Was this really why she was encouraging me to have a boyfriend? I've always felt that she has loved me more than as a brother, but did she really think that we would be allowed to be together? My father would have never condoned it, but now he was gone and everything had changed. Once I turn 18, I will be able to start to make my own decisions, but Pang was from a different social class, and with my brothers gone, it was now down to me to restore the family's honour and standing. Anyway I don't like Pang in that way. She knows this, as we have talked about it many times, and I thought we had already dealt with it and agreed to be just friends.

I was just approaching my dormitory block when I saw Ming helping a boy unload luggage from a BMW 2 Series Gran Tourer MPV with Bangkok Marine World Aquarium emblazoned on the side. The boy's face looked familiar, but I couldn't immediately recall where from. It was not from college, that I was sure of, and I knew that it had to be recent.

I continued walking to my dormitory building when my name was called out, and looked back to see Ming and this boy walking towards me.

"This is my new roommate, Pond," Ming advised with a broad smile on his face. "He is new to the area and doesn't know anyone. You are the first boy to be introduced to him."

We traditionally greeted each other and his face lit up with the broadest of smiles too. It was like he recognised me. It was when he stood right up close to me, centimetres from my face, that I knew exactly where I had seen him before. He must have seen the panic flood across my face as his smile quickly disappeared. I turned to run, but Ming caught hold of my arm.

"Don't run Earth," he quickly said as he pulled me back to face him. "We can explain everything that happened to you that day if you will let us. Have you got time to talk now?"

"I'm not sure that I'm ready to deal with this right now."

"It's important, not just for us, but for you too. Will you come up to the room and talk? Please?"

I just nodded as I was lost for words.

"Good!" Ming handed me a bottle of pomegranate juice. "You okay with another?" He asked, giving me a sweet smile.

"Yes, and thanks." My mind was racing. Was I doing the right thing going with them? I wasn't sure, but I was intrigued to find out more about this boy Pond.

The three of us walked over to their dormitory building, I thought about what Pang had said about him being gay. Was this where he made his play for me? Was this boy Pond gay too?

I felt a little nervous, but not at all frightened, as I sat down on the edge of Ming's bed. Pond sat down opposite me as Ming sat down next to me.

We looked each other in the eye again and I felt myself blushing once more. "If you're gonna tell me I look cute when I blush, forget it. Pang says you like me, but I'm not gay."

"I wasn't going to, but you still look cute when you blush." He gave me another sweet smile. "That's not why we want to talk to you right now."

"Oh! Sorry.... I just thought that was just an excuse to get me up here because you are wanting to hit on me."

He laughed. "I'm not intending on doing that, but I can if you want me to?"

I laughed nervously in reply. "I can do without you doing anything like that right now."

He took a swig of juice. "Bumping into you today was no accident. I didn't mean to hurt you and I'm really sorry about that."

"You mean you did it on purpose?"

"Yes, because we know all about what happened to you, and we need you not to say anything about it to anyone."

Ming was looking directly at me, watching every single facial movement I made. "I take it you can remember most things about that day from your reaction to seeing Pond. There are things you are wanting answers to, isn't there? That's why you went back to that beach today, isn't it?"

"You've been following me?"

"Yes. We were just going to come down on the beach to talk to you when Pang turned up. We needed to make contact with you and bumping into you like that earlier was an opportunity I couldn't let pass."

I looked across at Pond who was just sitting there smiling. "Did I really see what I did that day?" I hesitantly asked. "You know, your tail and everything?" I popped the top of my drink and took a deep gulp.

"Yes," he replied. "My sister and I caught you as you were drowning and breathed air into your lungs. We knew you saw us, which is why it is important that we talk to you now."

"Are you.... really a Mermaid?" I asked nervously.

"My sister, Fish, is, but I'm a Merman," Pond answered, looking closely at my facial reactions. "It's the male equivalent of a Mermaid."

"Holy Shit!" I muttered under my breath, but before I could ask him any further questions Ming spoke.

"Did you tell anyone when you were rescued about what you saw?"

"Hello? Do I look like a fool? Duh!" I sarcastically replied. "If I had said I had seen a Mermaid they would have taken me away and locked me up in a mental asylum, and thrown away the key!"

"I noticed you didn't say anything to your roommates earlier," Ming added. "What about Pang? Have you told her?"

I nodded before answering. "Yes, but I'm not really sure she believed me. I think she felt I was hallucinating. She is being really supportive though and acting as if she believes me. I am thankful that she is not teasing me about it or anything like that."

"That's good. Are you okay with not saying anything more to her? I know you are close but it's important we keep this between ourselves."

"Okay!" I replied, "but it won't be that easy. Why are you telling me all this though?"

"The MerPeople saved your life and you now owe them," advised Ming. "You now have the opportunity to help protect them. Are you willing to do this?"

"Do I have any choice?" I asked.

Ming laughed. "We all have choices to make. Pond made the choice to save you. If he hadn't, you wouldn't be sitting here talking with us now, would you? You too must now make a choice. It is the choice of life over death."