Playing For Keeps

Special Chapter (Blue & Panit)

"Here you go, Nong." The girl behind the counter handed Panit a small slip of paper. "You can take the elevator or the stairs up to the third floor. Both will let you off right in front of the mezzanine. Take the stairway to the top of the mezzanine and there will be a very small study room directly to your right. You will find your tutor already waiting for you."

"Kahp kun krap." Panit thanked the girl and walked away from the window. He felt a tad embarrassed to be needing a tutor already when classes had only started two days ago. But tutors were first come, first served, so if he waited to sign up for one, he just might miss out on a good tutor or miss out on one completely.

He knew from the moment his professor started teaching in his freshman chemistry course that he was going to need a tutor. Science was never his strong point but since he was thinking of having his concentration be in chemical engineering, he needed to become good at chemistry, and fast!

Panit decided to take the elevator since there was no line and just like the girl had said, it let him off right in front of the mezzanine. The mezzanine was just a medium sized lofted space with tables and chairs for students to study or meet with their teachers for classwork help. There were two small rooms with frosted glass walls and doors off to the right. Both were only big enough to hold a small round table and three chairs.

Panit climbed the stairs and walked to the first door like the girl had instructed. He opened the door and immediately felt his stomach plummet.

"P!" Panit squeaked.

Sitting at the table in a blue engineering jersey was none other than P'Blue. The senior that was currently causing Panit so much stress.

Panit instantly turned to run out the room but Blue moved as quick as lightening. Somehow he got to the door before Panit could run away. He pulled Panit into the small room and slammed the door. Panit pushed him away.

"What are you doing here??" Panit huffed. "Are you stalking me?"

Blue cocked his head to the side and gave Panit a look as if to say, are you kidding me? But instead of speaking, he held up his own small slip of paper. On the paper read Panit's full name along with the date, time, and place of their tutoring session.

Panit Chaichana 

3rd fl mezz.

Rm. 1, 3pm

Panit's eyes bulged as he immediately started searching for the slip of paper he had just gotten. He had dropped it during their brief scuffle.

"That's impossible. There is a mistake. I'm supposed to be meeting a..." He bent down to pick up his paper and squinted as he read the name. "...Kongkao Sukhowat."

Blue took a step back and leaned his shoulder against the door with a cocky look on his face. He reached up and pulled open his engineering jersey to reveal the tutoring name tag that was hidden behind it. And there as plain as day was a name tag that read, 'Hello, my name is...' and in large bold letters was the name 'Kongkao Sukhowat'. Panit let go of the slip of paper again and stared at Blue as it silently floated to the ground. Of course...Blue was his nickname.

Panit could feel his cheeks going red with embarrassment as the realization set in.

"Would you like to take a seat now?" Blue motioned toward the small table with his head, the motion causing his hair to drift lazily to the side. 

Panit glanced over at the table and saw that it really was set up for a tutoring session. A chemistry textbook was laid out and a notebook was open to a blank page with a pen and some highlighters next to it. There was a medium sized whiteboard on the opposite wall and someone had written Freshman Chem (1) - 3pm on the board.