Bright for the Win

Chapter 19

A/N: The image above does not belong to me. It belongs to the person who uploaded it on the internet.

Bright's POV

"Sorry again, Bright! I have to rush off to my class now. I'll see you later, okay?"

Win was talking while moving about like a mini whirlwind inside our dorm room grabbing whatever school materials he needed and stuffing them into his backpack. Then without waiting for my reply or even glancing my way, he disappeared through the door, banging it shut behind him.

I stayed in bed and kept my eyes tightly shut. I wanted to go back to sleep but my headache was killing me.

When I sat up, the pain in my head turned into a throbbing pounding ache. I knew I had to put something warm into my stomach, some warm liquid like tea or coffee.

The warm shower did nothing to dispel my headache. I vowed never to get drunk again.

I thought of buying coffee from the dormitory cafeteria but because I wanted to get some breakfast as well, I decided to make the trek to the campus mini plaza. I was so tired of the dorm cafeteria menus. Whoever planned the meals there never bothered to offer anything new.

I was waiting for the elevator to come up to my floor when I heard footsteps approaching.

"Hi," I greeted Toey.

"Good morning," Toey greeted me back. "Are you feeling okay this morning?"

"Why do you ask?" I wondered if he was indeed the person who helped me get inside my dorm room last night when I was too drunk to find my way there.

"Nothing, I just thought that you might be having a hangover this morning," he replied.

"Were you the one who brought me to my room last night?" I asked.

He nodded, and motioned for me to get inside the elevator first when it came and opened its doors.

"Thank you for doing so," I said.

"No problem," he replied. "Are you off to attend a class?"

"No, I'm going for some breakfast at the mini plaza. You wanna join me?" I asked. "My treat," I added.

"I would love to but I am on my way to class. I will miss it if I go and have breakfast with you. Can I take a rain check though?" Toey sounded regretful, as if he really would have wanted to be in my company.

"Of course," I replied. "It's the least I can do. You could have chosen to just mind your business and leave me sprawled outside my room last night."

"I'll see you later then," Toey smiled at me before we parted ways outside our dorm.

I was thankful to see that there were not too many students inside the coffee shop. I placed my order for a cup of hot black tea and a couple of raisin and cheese scones.

I looked around for an empty table. Wait... is that... is that Win by the glass window?

Of course that was Win, silly of me not to recognize him right away. And that was Ohm smiling tenderly at him, holding his hand, squeezing it gently, with a pleading expression on his face.

I went back to the counter and asked the lady behind it to place my tea in a drink holder and my scones into one of their wax paper bags.

I made the trek back to my dorm room cursing myself all the way and calling myself all kinds of a fool.

Of course he would choose Ohm over me. I was just a stand in for whenever Ohm was not available.

I arrived almost late to my eleven o'clock class. I was so tempted to skip it but I knew that my grades would suffer if I let my emotions rule my sanity.

I had to take Win out of my thoughts. I had to keep myself busy.

After class ended at exactly twelve noon, my stomach felt empty again.

I wondered if Chimlin was the one tending her mother's seafood restaurant today. She liked to chat me up whenever I went to eat there. At least my mind would be taken off Win while I was eating.

I was in luck. Chimlin was behind the counter.

"Hi, Bright!" she said cheerfully. "I haven't seen you in a long time!"

"Did you miss me?" I asked, trying to make my voice sound as cheerful as hers.

"Of course I did!" she replied. "What can I bring to your table today?"

"What would you recommend?" I countered.

"If you're looking for something healthy, try our BBQ salmon with grilled vegetables," she said. "No one is ever too young to stay away from food that's packed with bad cholesterol."

"That sounds good to me," I replied.

"Let me relay your order to the cook," she said. "But before I do that, can I bring you anything to drink?"

"Sure," I said. "I would like a glass of cranberry juice, cold but no ice please."

"Your wish is my command," she said, winking at me.

Except for a couple of students who were seated at a corner table, I was the only other diner inside Chimlin's restaurant.

While waiting for my plate of salmon and vegetables to arrive, she sat on the chair opposite to me and chatted with me about whatever topic she fancied. I was grateful for her company. She was able to take my mind off Win who was probably eating his own lunch right now with Ohm.

After lunch, I had an hour to kill before my next class. Instead of going back to my dorm room I decided to go to the library to go through my previous class' notes in case my professor decided to conduct an unannounced exam.

I did not go back to my dorm until after I had a quick dinner at the pizzeria that was located just across the gates of our university.

"Hello again," I said to Toey who was waiting for the elevator at the lobby.

"You had an evening class?" he asked.

"No," I said. "I went to that pizza place across the university before coming back here."

The ride inside the elevator was quiet. Toey was responding to my efforts at conversation with either just a nod or a simple yes. The last time that he just nodded to a remark I made was when I noticed that his face looked troubled and sad.

"Is something the matter?" I asked as we walked out of the elevator and proceeded down the corridor to our individual rooms. His room was just two doors away from mine.

He shook his head and tried to walk quickly towards his room. I followed him there.

"Hey, you can talk to me," I offered gently.

Suddenly he burst into tears and I instinctively moved up closer to him and wrapped my arms around him, giving him some sympathetic strokes on his back.

At just that moment I noticed Win walking towards our dorm room.

When he saw me, his eyes widened and he turned around and run back towards the elevators.

Shit, what was he thinking.