R❤️❤️mmates

8

Khao's hands still shake when he enters the classroom. His eyes instinctively move to the three seats near the window, which have been vacant for over three weeks. The fear he felt on that horrible day still haunts him. At first, there was a lot of whispering, and Khao could make out that there was a video and that the police were involved. But he just wanted to forget about the three men. So he did not investigate further what happened and was satisfied that they did not show up again or that he was interrogated by the police.

"Yah! Do you want to stand here all day?" JJ lightly pushes Khao towards the desks.

"No need to push, man!" Khao smiles at his best friend. If anything good has come out of the awful events, it is his close friendship with JJ. Khao was thankful that First was there for him during the first week. Yet his pillar of strength to go through his daily school life was JJ, who seemed to understand him without words.

"You look ... I don't know, tired," JJ remarks as the two sit in the middle row. "Did your man not let you sleep? I mean ... I can understand you two cannot get enough of each other."

"Shut the fuck up!" Khao replies, his frustration evident in his voice.

"What? I am just saying. With all the girls praising your man's ability in bed, I can understand why you are tired," JJ continues, but when Khao looks at him, he knows he better shut up, just like his friend had told him.

After a moment of silence, JJ could not control his curiosity.

"Are you okay?" he asks while watching his friend writing with such force that his pen almost breaks.

"I am frustrated!"

"I can see that," JJ replies, giggling to lighten the mood. "Anything I can help you with?"

Khao lets out a deep sigh before he turns towards his friend.

"Am I ugly?"

"No! You are really handsome! But I don't ..."

"Do I stink?"

"What? Why do you think..." JJ stops when he sees the seriousness in Khao's eyes. "No, absolutely not."

"Can I kiss you?"

"What?! Now you are crazy! Why would you want to kiss me?" JJ backs away, hoping that his friend is only joking.

"Because I must suck at kissing."

"I still don't get it." JJ has the most significant invisible question mark over his head.

"Well, the thing is that First ... First ..." Khao closes his eyes, embarrassment washes over him, "First does not want to sleep with me."

"What? Why?" JJ seems more than surprised as he thinks his friend and boyfriend are having the time of their life every night.

"That is what I cannot figure out. I've tried to ask him, but he always avoids the question, saying it was not my fault and he was not ready. But it all makes no sense as I know he had sex with a lot of girls." Khao lets out another sigh letting his head drop on the table.

"I don't want to be prying, but can I ask how far you both... I mean, I understand that you did not have sex so far, but maybe some ... you know ..."

"No, not even that!" Khao admits, frustrated. "We kiss, but when it gets heated, he escapes."

"Escapes?"

"Yes, he finds an excuse to leave the room, or when it is late at night, he suddenly feels super sleepy or has a headache."

JJ cannot hold back the giggle that evades his lips, thinking this is such a cliché excuse. Khao gives him another stern look, complaining, "I am happy that my misery makes you laugh."