I spent the rest of the day in a daze, my thoughts consumed by what had happened with Pariskrit. Every time I replayed the scene in my mind, I felt that same churn of anger and fear in my gut. What did he mean by "it'll only last a while"? And why did he seem so convinced that I wouldn't fight back?
By the time I got home, I was exhausted, but my mind was still racing. I threw my bag onto my bed and collapsed beside it, staring up at the ceiling. My phone buzzed on the nightstand, startling me out of my thoughts. I grabbed it, half-hoping it wasn't from him.
It wasn't. It was a message from Lin, my best friend since childhood.
"Hey, wanna meet up at the café tomorrow? We haven't hung out in a while."
I hesitated before typing a quick response.
"Sure."
Lin had no idea what had gone down today. I wasn't sure if I should tell her. Would she even believe me? The Pariskrit everyone else knew was charming, cool, always in control. Nobody would suspect the side of him I saw today.
The rest of the evening passed slowly, the sense of dread growing with every hour. As night fell, I could still feel the weight of Pariskrit's words hanging over me. This isn't over.
The next morning, I barely managed to pull myself out of bed. Every part of me screamed to stay home, to avoid whatever confrontation was looming, but I knew I couldn't run from it forever. I got dressed quickly, throwing on my hoodie like armor before heading to school.
When I stepped into the building, I could feel eyes on me again. The hallways buzzed with the usual chatter, but it was different today—quieter, more deliberate. The whispers I had heard yesterday were back, stronger than before. My name slipped through people's conversations, hushed and cautious.
I didn't have time to dwell on it before I spotted Lin waiting by my locker, her usual bright smile lighting up her face. For a moment, the tension in my chest eased.
"Hey! You look like you didn't sleep at all," Lin teased, but her smile faded as she took a closer look at me. "What's going on? You okay?"
I forced a smile. "Yeah, just... rough night. I'll tell you later."
Her eyes narrowed slightly, but she nodded, not pushing the issue. "Alright, but you know I'll hold you to that."
We walked to class together, Lin chatting about her weekend plans, but my mind was elsewhere. I couldn't shake the feeling that something was about to happen—that Pariskrit was going to make his next move.
Sure enough, it didn't take long for him to appear.
I spotted him during lunch, sitting at a table with his usual crowd of friends, laughing like nothing had changed. His eyes found mine across the cafeteria, and that familiar smirk curled at the corner of his lips. I quickly looked away, my stomach flipping at the sight of him.
Lin noticed my reaction. "What's up with you and Pariskrit? You guys have some kind of fight?"
I hesitated, unsure of how much to tell her. "It's... complicated."
She raised an eyebrow. "Complicated how?"
Before I could answer, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out and felt my heart sink when I saw the message.
"Meet me after school. You know where." It was from Pariskrit.
My hands clenched around the phone. I had no intention of meeting him again, but a sickening sense of inevitability crept over me. No matter what I did, I couldn't seem to escape him.
"Who's that from?" Lin asked, leaning over to peek at my phone.
I quickly locked the screen. "No one. Just something I need to deal with."
Lin frowned, clearly unconvinced, but she let it go. "Okay, but if you need to talk, I'm here, alright?"
I nodded, grateful for her concern, but I didn't know how to explain what was really going on. Not yet, anyway.
The rest of the school day dragged on, every tick of the clock echoing in my mind. When the final bell rang, I gathered my things slowly, hoping that by taking my time, Pariskrit would get bored and leave.
But when I walked out of the building, there he was, waiting by the gates.
He didn't approach me right away. Instead, he leaned against the fence, arms crossed, watching me with that same unsettling smirk. It felt like a game to him—like he was waiting for me to make the next move.
I considered just walking past him, pretending not to see him, but I knew that would only delay the inevitable. So, with a deep breath, I squared my shoulders and walked over to where he stood.
"What do you want?" I asked, my voice steady despite the pounding in my chest.
Pariskrit's eyes glinted with something dark. "Relax, Amanual. I just want to talk."
"Talk about what?" I shot back, not trusting him for a second.
His smirk widened, and he stepped closer, lowering his voice so only I could hear. "About us. About what's going to happen next."
My pulse quickened. "There is no 'us,' Pariskrit."
He laughed softly, a sound that sent chills down my spine. "You keep saying that, but you and I both know that's not true."
I clenched my fists, fighting the urge to shove him away. "I'm done playing your games."
His expression darkened, the playful mask slipping for just a moment. "You don't get to decide when this ends, Amanual. I do."
With that, he turned and walked away, leaving me standing there, a cold pit of dread settling in my stomach. This wasn't over—far from it.
And I had no idea how to stop him.
