Destined You & I (Completed)

Chapter 21

2013
(K19, A18)

Da thump. Da thump. Da thump. Heart pounding out of its chest. Panting short breathes. Heaving up and down. Sweat streaming down the sides. Fabric clinging like a second skin. Limbs trembling like a small quake. Everywhere ached.

"Arthit!"

Shit! Arthit quickly got off the floor he was laying on. Did his mother catch him? Is that why she's calling him?

"Yeah?" Arthit hollered back. He nervously waited to see what she would say next. He leaned against the door. He couldn't hear anything except for some shuffling noise from downstairs, and the rapid beating of his heart in his ears. Moments later, and his mother still hasn't responded. Instead, he heard footsteps coming closer.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

"Arthit."

Arthit jumped at the sudden knocking on his door. The sound not only startled him, but it was so loud that it hurt his ears. He winced, and rubbed his ears. "Yeah?"

"Baby, why didn't you eat any of the food? I know you are upset, but you can't starve yourself. That's not healthy for a growing boy. What do you want to eat, huh? I can make it for you." Arthit's mom asked through the door her child still wouldn't answer. She knows her child is upset with her, but she agrees with her husband's decision. As parents, it's their responsibility to discipline their children. Arthit was being reckless and disrespectful.

That night, Arthit's mom woke up in the middle of the night to use the shared bathroom, and passed by Arthit's room. She noticed his room door was ajar, so she pushed it wider and walked in to discover he was gone. It was three in the morning. She had woken her husband up, and they frantically drove around the neighborhood and anywhere they could think of to look for him. They were worried sick. If Arthit hadn't finally text back at two in the afternoon the next day, they were ready to call the police. He completely disregarded their request for him to come home, and ignored all their phone calls.

"I don't want anything. I'll just eat dinner later." Arthit is relieved that his mother didn't catch him.

"Mom, I have put all the groceries away." Krystal came up behind her mother.

"Thank you baby. Talk to your brother. See if he wants to eat anything. He hasn't eaten all day."

"Okay, mom. I'll talk to him." Krystal tried to comfort her mother.

"I'm going to start preparing for dinner then. Maybe we should eat earlier since Arthit hasn't eaten yet." Their mother went downstairs to head into the kitchen.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

"Arthit, open up." Krystal said softly.

The door's lock clicked, and Krystal twisted the knob to step inside her brother's room.

"Oh my god, I'm so glad you got back before us." Krystal quickly blurted. She was so nervous for the past hour. Now, she can finally relax. She walked over, and sat on Arthit's bed with her legs crossed.

"Me too! I was on the bus, and mom's car was right next to me. I was so scared that she would look over and see me. I ran like crazy the second I got off the bus. It was so freaking close." Arthit plopped down next to his sister.

"That explains why you look so gross. I hope you didn't look like this when you were with P'Heng." Krystal pinches her nose. Arthit's sweaty body reeks. There were two giant pit stains on his shirt, and his hair was soaked with chunks plastered to his forehead.