THE AUTISTIC

An Unwanted Acquaintance

What is wrong suddenly?

It's good that Apo has found a new friend, isn't it?

He might stop loving me right?

But why do I feel frustrated and want to pluck out eyeballs of that guy?

Were the thoughts racing inside Mile's brain while he was seated two benches ahead of his admirer in the Physics class. The attention of the other guy which would juggle between the subject and his mate, now seemed to be distracted rather by their classmate named Build. This was the first time Apo was seen interacting with him, but it seemed as if they have known each other for decades.

"When did they meet? He might be his new crush.", irked Mile mumbled under his breath. His girlfriend was all touchy with him, trying hard to grab hold of his attention, but unfortunately all her acts seemed to fail miserably in front of her undeclared love rival. Her beau kept clenching his pen, which looked mighty enough to break a sword.

Apo on the other hand felt lighter and happier than what he had felt in a past month. He didn't know that finding someone apart from Mile would actually feel refreshing and merrier; in a different way. He didn't want his rescuer to be the centre of his world anymore; he wanted to come out more independent, he wanted to be stabilize his emotions and he wanted to learn how to interact with acquaintances. Build seemed to be a personality resembling his, unlike the others except for the fact that that he wasn't an autistic.

A new friendship had blossomed between the two when Build appeared as his saviour against a gang of bullies who were trying to get some money out of him, earlier in the morning.

Earlier the same morning

The beginning of the day did not seem to be Apo's favour. Never like before Mile had departed to school leaving left out in the dinning hall. He kind of felt bad how the bonding they once shared had faded out; the level of comfort that the two had developed since his addition to the Romsaithong household was long gone, and he lacked the knowledge of how to rekindle it.

The reasons were several, perhaps it was development of his unrequited feelings, perhaps it was entry of Preen into their lives or perhaps it was just that the two had grown used to each other; And he felt the only medicine to tend the bruises caused was to stop his feelings for his mate, at least it was the most he could do from his side to save the friendship which was left at present in between them.

He also felt it was time for him to leave the Romsaithong household; maybe the orphanage was a better place for someone like him, who was incapable to even receive a pinch of love from his own parents. Meeting his new family, if he was allowed to consider them as one,

felt sweeter than a cup of coconut ice cream which was his favourite;

more precious than a diamond mine in this world;

and more merrier than any festival he had ever celebrated;

But things had fallen out of place, unknowingly.

The lad was thankful to them for taking a stranger in and treating him as one among them, not any different from them. All the way to the school he was in a state of commotion whether he had disclose his past life and urge mae and pa Romsaithong to do him a final favour by dropping him at his place of origin or at least leave him at the orphanage they had first been.

The past several months Apo had spent were the best days of his life, which he would forever treasure and cherish in his heart. All the overwhelming notions kept playing on a loop unless it was interrupted by Chan, " champ we have arrived."

The autistic guy hugged Chan tightly in return, taking the elder one aback, but in a sweet and warm. On the other side the boy felt that the count down of the joyful period he was going to live under their luxurious roof had begun.