My Chocomallows Cake by ARIE78 (on hold)

Chapter 30

The kitchen beckoned him and he found himself heading for the refrigerator. He opened the door, picked out a loaf of bread, butter, a carton of milk and...

Chocomallow cake?

He drew out the tray from the shelf, his eyes tracing the perfect shape of chocolate cake mix with marshmallow. Astounded, he dipped one finger into it and tasted the dessert.

Almost perfect.

Except something was missing.

Forth looked around the kitchen, surprised to find it sparkling clean. Each and every vessel, pan, cutlery was in its proper place and the counters wiped slick and clean.

"Beam?" he muttered, wondering whether the guy was the culprit behind it.

He emerged out of the kitchen, one hand still carrying the plate of chocomallow cake. "Oi, Beamie. I thought I said we'll make it together-"

Forth stared at the deserted living room, frozen and numb.
"Beamie?" he called out, his voice echoing in the emptiness.
He didn't get an answer.
A wind bristled through the closed shutters. Nothing else.
Forth walked to the middle of the room and picked up the note on the table. There were just two words scribbled across it in a familiar writing.

khob khun

Phana trudged into Forth's apartment without any reservations. Wayo told him everything and he was happy for Forth. He finally found someone. Phana was a little concerned for his good looking neighbor. He was like an eclair. Hard shell with soft caramel centre...Mmh...Eclair...He wondered if Forth had eclairs. There was no problem even if Forth didn't have any.

He was sure he was in a good enough mood to buy him some especially if he got Beam into it. Phana grinned happily.

It was odd for Forth to be standing in the middle of the living room. Shouldn't he be in the bedroom or something with his new love? Concerned for the other man he approached him.

"Forth? Everything okay?"

That's when he noticed the plate in Forth's hand.

Mmh. Choco cake.

He grabbed it and settled down with a soft "Thank you"

Forth shook his head at that and looked at the small paper in his hand.

Phana scooped a little bit of the dessert onto his finger too lazy to get a spoon. Popping the sweet laced finger into his mouth he smiled,

"Ah. Love is weird, ne? Me and Wayo getting together wasn't that easy you know? My mom opposed me being gay and we had to run away that was a tough time for me. I loved my mom and I loved Wayo too...so much that I relented and ran away with him. My mom had to accept us in the end. I'm glad she did. I was missing her a lot."
Phana chuckled popping another fingerful into his mouth.

Forth only stared at him.

"What?" Phana asked, wondering whether he had been too impolite to not offer Forth any of the excellent dessert. He looked down at his plate guiltily.

Friendship vs Empty Stomach?

The latter won the battle eventually and an unabashed Phana helped himself to another bite.

Forth was still frozen in his spot, staring at the piece of paper.

"khob khun... What the fuck does THAT mean?"

Phana looked at him quizzically as Forth slumped into a chair and crumpled the note in his hands.

Forth buried his face in his palms, breathing hard. The luggage was gone. The badly patched suitcase of his. So were his clothes that were usually strewn across the room. Not a mark of him. It was almost as if Beam had taken pains to erase every essence of himself from Forth's home.

And Forth hadn't even noticed the signs until now.

Was Beam so indispensable that the very thought of him leaving never occurred to him?

The stupid idiot. It just wasn't fair!

*******************************
Beam left a little early. To tie up loose ends. To get Ms Janean to give him his passing certificate a few days before actual graduation. To escape before Forth woke up.

He hoped his dad had actually talked to his teacher so that this would not come up as too much of a surprise to her.

He walked in through the big gates taking in the unusually quiet atmosphere of the school. Not many people came on Sundays. Only the jocks and some who wanted to use the library. He wondered if Kit was in the library now. Probably not. Too busy with Ming. Or maybe...he was too busy with Ming in the library.

Beam shook off the mental image and went to the reception.

"Hello. I'd like to see Ms Janean."

"Okay dear, just wait a bit she's out at the moment." 

Frustrated, yes but he need the cert so he have to wait for her.

*******************************

Phana didn't get it. One moment he was lost in the heavenly taste of choco cake and the next moment, he found himself being strapped on to the back of Forth's car, a map shoved into his lap and a cellphone tossed into the seat next to him.

Was the world coming to an end?

Shoot.

And he didn't even get a chance to say goodbye to his baby Yo.

Forth pulled the car out of the curb, changing gears with bullet speed and had the car racing down the highway. His eyebrows were drawn in a crease- a look of intense concentration on his face, as he kept his eyes fixed on the road.

"That idiot," Forth mumbled again.

Phana would have liked to know who he was referring to (and hopefully not to him since he was well aware of the no. of times he'd stolen out of Forth's fridge). But there were other important questions to be asked.

"WHERE. ARE. WE. GOING.FORTH?" he yelled over the noises of the morning rush.

"Tell me Phana. If you were 19, lost, confused and wanting to go back home, where would you go? where will be the main place that you go? Please tell me?"

"Um... Wayo?"

Forth tossed a newspaper at him.

"Okay! Okay! Uh... I'd go to the station. And catch a train home!"

Forth gave him a strange look and stepped on the accelerator.

ARIE78: Finally get to update all of it 😅. So this part just the silly PhaForth moment. Don't be mad na. Just miss them 😂. Anyway feel free to comment and vote na 😉