Just By Chance

10. A Rose For You

(Freshman year: Beam's POV)

Beam sat in the audience with Kit as the Moon and Star contestants performed their individual showcases. He was still reeling from Forth's performance. Forth had done something that shocked them all. He had performed the traditional masked Khon dance. Forth and his stern, bad boy image performing a traditional Thai dance?? It was absolutely wild. But that wasn't the only surprising thing. He was actually really good and looked like a professional!

"Shia! Forth is really good. I never would have thought he'd be a good dancer." Kit had exclaimed, leaning over to Beam.

"Me either." Beam mumbled as he stared at Forth in awe.

After that, Beam couldn't even really concentrate on the rest of the performers because all he could think about was Forth. Beam remembered back when he was younger how his parents tried to put him in traditional dance classes but he had hated it so much. The hand positions made his wrists ache, the strict feet placements made his ankles and toes hurt, and all the bending and unbending made his knees sore. He didn't want to do it so he quit. But now, after watching Forth do it so effortlessly, he wondered if he could have been as good as Forth.

"Now that the individual performances are completed we will soon begin the rose ceremony." The pageant host announced into the microphone. "Contestants, would you please come stand at the front of the stage?"

Everyone moved in a single file line at the edge of the stage so that it would be easier to hand them the roses.

"You can now purchase your roses on either side of the stage and give them to the contestant of your choosing. The rose ceremony commences now."

Like a calm flood, everyone in the auditorium made their way down to the front to purchase their roses. There were tons of students attending the pageant but no one was pushing or shoving. Only the sound of their hushed, excited murmurs filled the auditorium.

Without question, Kit and Beam had roses ready to give to Phana. There was no way they weren't going to support their friend. As they made their way down to the front to give him their roses, Beam kept stealing glances at Forth who was at the end of the line on the opposite side of the stage. He seemed to be getting a lot of roses from people, but then again, so was Phana. As Beam continued to look, he stumbled into the back of Kit who had stopped walking.

Kit turned around. "Careful Ai'Beam! It's too crowded for you to be falling in here."

"Sorry...I was uh...pushed from behind." He lied. But Kit didn't hear him anyway.

Beam tried not to look back over at Forth because he didn't want to run into Kit again. Kit would only let that happen so many times before he actually got mad. But it wasn't long before his eyes trailed back over to Forth, and this time he couldn't look away.

Apparently Forth was able to be charming instead of stern and cold. He was laying on the charm to each of his supporters that were giving him flowers. With guys and girls alike he was smiling, waiiing, and chatting with each person that approached him.

His smile is what was making Beam fail to tear his eyes away from him. From what Beam knew about Forth, he knew he didn't smile very often. A small part of Beam was happy that he didn't smile more because if he did, it was only a matter of time before the many girls on campus would fall in love with him and for some reason that made him feel funny inside. But with the amount of flowers that Forth was receiving at the moment, that might already be happening. Not one person brought up a single rose. Each person was handing Forth either small bunches of roses or full bouquets.

"Ow!" Kit hollered out as Beam walked on the back of his ankles.

"Aye! Sorry Ai'Kit!"

"Didn't I say be careful? What's the matter with you? Who the heck are you looking at?"