Breaking Down the Wall

Seniors

Yo's POV

My phone rang, pulling my attention away from the One Piece I was currently reading.

"Yo! Stop reading and come have drinks with me and some of the guys from Engineering," Ming yelled into the phone before I could even say hello. I could hear the noise from the bar in the background, he must already be there.

"Sure," I said, feeling excited. I heard Pha and Forth were going out for a drink tonight too. If I was lucky I might get to see them. "Text me the address, I'll meet you there."

I called for a taxi, and started running down the stairs, trying to shove my phone back in my pocket as I ran. Unfortunately, I bumped into someone on the way down the stairs, knocking my phone from my hand, and pushing them into the wall.

"I'm so sorry," I said, leaning over to pick up my phone. I put it in my pocket and was about to start back down the stairs.

"All I get is an apology?" The person I bumped asked, stopping me. "Don't you even want to say hi to your high school senior?"

I turn around quickly and take a closer look at the guy I bumped into. It can't be, right?

"P'Kit?" I asked, embarrassed. Another bad impression on my seniors, hopefully he won't be a jerk like Pha.

"Yeah, you're N'Wayo, aren't you?" Kit asked, leaning against the wall, hands in his pockets.

"Yes, I'm Yo. You remember me?" I said. I didn't even realize that he knew who I was back in high school.

"How could I forget my junior?" Kit said, smiling at me. "You're much more handsome now though."

"T-thank you, P'Kit," I stammered, even more embarrassed now. "I really don't look that much better, but everyone has to improve a little."

"You remember Ai'Pha from high school?" Kit asked. "He's in this dorm too, so if you need help with anything, he can lend a hand."

"A-actually, P'Kit, could you do me a favor?" I said. I hope he doesn't say no, because the thought of Pha remembering I was his junior from high school was making me sick to my stomach.

"If you want to borrow money, no way," Kit replied, chuckling.

"No, nothing like that," I said, feeling like a fool. "Could you not tell P'Pha that I'm his junior from high school?"

"Why not?" Kit asked.

"It's just that he's already been pretty rude to me and I don't want him to bully me even more when he finds out that I'm from his high school."

"He didn't remember you?"

"No," I replied. "Please P'Kit. I would really appreciate your help."

"Okay, N'Yo," Kit said, smiling at me. "I won't tell him. I can't believe he didn't remember you, but you do look really different."

"You remembered me right away though," I said, glad that I hadn't been entirely invisible in high school. "You're very smart."

"Of course, I'm practically a genius," Kit joked, still smiling. "Nong, give me your phone number, okay?"

"Okay," I said, taking the phone he offered and putting in my number then handing it back to him. "I have to hurry, my taxi is probably waiting for me."

I ran outside, got into the waiting taxi and rode to the bar where Ming asked me to meet him. He introduced me to his friends and we talked and drank and had a good evening. I was having fun, but I couldn't stop looking around, hoping I'd see Pha here with his friends, but they never arrived. They must have been meeting somewhere else.

Later that night, I laid down in my bed, exhausted. I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. When I woke up the next morning, I had four missed calls from Kit. Why would he want to talk to me at 3 AM?

Kit's POV

Beam and I headed to the Moon and Star practice area. I wanted to see how Pha reacted to Nong Yo. When Yo told me that Pha was treating him badly and hadn't recognized him, I wondered what was wrong with Pha. How did he not know that Yo was the Wayo he'd loved since high school?

"N'Yo," I called to him during the break. "Come here for a minute."

"Sawasdee krab," Yo said with a wai. He was very polite.

"Do you remember my friend from high school?" I asked, pulling Beam up next to me.

"Umm, P' ... Beam, right?" Yo asked, smiling at us both.

"Good memory, N'Yo," Beam said, smiling back at Yo. Back in high school we'd been annoyed by our friend, Pha, constantly forcing us to run round the school to catch a glimpse of Wayo.

"P'Kit, did you need something last night?" Yo asked me. "You called four times."

"Oh ... no," I said. Now I knew why Pha wanted to borrow my phone after I told him that I got Wayo's number. "I was just going to ask if you wanted to join us for drinks."

"At 3 AM?" Yo asked, looking surprised.

"We always stay out all night drinking," I said, chuckling at my foolish friend. Drunk dialing, Pha?

Yo was about to reply when I felt someone come up behind us. Pha put his arms around Beam's shoulder on one side and my shoulder on the other and put his face between us, looking down at Yo.

"Are you flirting with my friends, Shorty?" Pha said, in a voice that he reserved for people he didn't like. Shit, he really didn't remember our nong. He was going to kick himself when he finally found out.

"Jealous?" Yo asked. I was surprised at his tone, Yo was clearly annoyed by Pha as well.

"I just don't like weird people hanging out with my friends," Pha said, digging himself into a hole. Idiot.

"And I don't like jerks," Yo said, looking unconcerned. He turned his back on us and went back to join his friends.

I couldn't stop looking between the two of them. Pha was ruining his chances with Yo, but I'd already promised I wouldn't tell Pha that this was Wayo from our high school. I shared a look with Beam, both of us trying to hold back our laughter at our friend's stupidity. He'd figure it out for himself sooner or later.