The day was the final day of their exam, after that, they could breathe properly again. All the cramming for the term made everyone exhausted.

 

Pat was taking out all of his stationery before the exam started. Pencil, pen, compass, ruler, sharpener, everything was there but…

“Shia…I forgot my eraser!”

He yelled so loud, that the students beside him gave him a ridiculous face.

“Na… you can use mine for today.”

It was his classmate Pran.

“You are a lifesaver! Thank you, Pran.”

Pat scolded himself for being so forgetful.

 

Pat was drawing the graph of his linear equation, when he drew a line wrong, so he took out the eraser Pran gave him. While he was erasing, he pulled the cover so that, he could finish his work faster. He almost dropped the stationery when he saw what was written there.

PRAN 💗 PA

 

Pat immediately put on the cover and looked at the owner of the material, who was engrossed in solving the math equation.

It felt like he was evading someone’s privacy, he felt guilty for knowing what was supposed to be a secret. But but but… it was Pa they were talking about and Pa was his sister!

 

***

 

After that eraser incident, Pat took extra notice of Pran, he wanted to be sure if he was qualified to hit on his sister.

But days went on and there was no sign of anything, neither did he make any move, nor did he make heart eyes when Pa was in the vicinity.

Was it all a mistake?

But he definitely saw the signs.

So, he made a foolproof plan and asked Pa to come over to his building’s canteen, his treat.

 

 

“Hey Pran, let’s go to lunch.”

It was not something new, they went to lunch together occasionally so, Pran agreed without question.

 

 

At the lunch table, there were Pat, Pran, Wai and Korn when Pa came to join.

“Hello to all. Hia, is there something special today?” Pa was a frequent visitor so, everyone was familiar with the cute girl.

“Just wanted to have lunch with everyone, any problem?” Pat retorted.

“If you say so…” Pa sing songed.

 

 

During the entire lunch break, Pat closely observed Pran but the guy neither was stammering while talking to Pa, nor stole glances at the girl, nor tried to get close to her.

Pat was not a love expert but he knew the signs, which his classmate showed none.

 

***

 

Pat sighed heavily.

“What’s wrong?” Korn enquired.

“Tell me, if you like someone, don’t you want to get close to that person?”

Korn had a knowing smirk. “Someone is in love!”

“Someone… not me!” Pat deadpanned knowing what his best friend was thinking.

“Then, why are you so worked up in someone else’s love story.” Korn knew Pat was not someone who would bug in other people’s business.  

“It’s about Pa.”

“Ohh!!!” He whistled. “Who is your sister interested in? Did you invite her for lunch today for that? Is he someone from our class?”

“It’s Pran but it’s the other way around though.”

Korn almost fell face-first on the ground, Pran loving Pa was not something he would have even expected in his wildest dream.

“Yes. I was shocked too. Pran has been our neighbor and classmate since like forever, so I had never thought such feelings could develop but then again, my sister is just fabulous, no one can resist her charm.” Pat kept on rambling trying to figure out whatever was happening.

“Wait…wait…wait…how did you know that Pran was interested in Pa?”

“The thing is… in our last exam, I forgot to bring my eraser so, Pran lend me his. But I saw there was his name and Pa’s name connected with heart sign.”

“Are you sure, you saw right?”

“I’m 100% sure. Since then, I’ve tried to notice if Pran would show any hint but he is totally aloof.”

Korn understood the meaning behind the long sigh earlier.

“Why don’t you ask him directly?”

“I thought about it but I don’t want to seem that nosy friend. Moreover, I don’t want him to know that I trespassed his privacy.”

“It was not like you did anything wrong here. It was his inattentiveness to give you the eraser where he had written his undying love for your sister.” After a pause, Korn added, “Maybe he wanted you to know. Since he had no idea how to approach Pa directly, he might be seeking your help.”

Now this made the cogs in Pat’s brain turn.

“Oh oh…if that’s the case, then I am going to confront him directly. He has always been on my good radar.”

“Now that’s like my boy! Spill the tea after your heart-to-heart talk!”

Pat just meh-ed his best friend.

“But, before that, I think you need to ask Pa, if she is interested as well, you can be a cupid, but if she is not, you can convey the message so that, he would not fall deeper.”

“Hmm… your brain functions really well sometimes!”

 

***

 

Pa was doing her homework when Pat came home.

“Where is Ma?”

“She went for some grocery shopping,” Pa replied, still focusing on her work.

Pa was always in his shop, since Ma too wasn’t home at the moment, Pat thought it was a perfect time.

 

 

“So, Pa… objectively speaking, you are beautiful, I am sure there must be lots of boys hitting on you!” This made Pa shot her head up.

“Hia, are you sick?!”

“What?! I am just curious about my sister!”

“The sun must have risen from the west today!”

“See… I can’t talk nicely with you because you are like this!”

Pa snickered at that.

“There is… a loooong line actually.”

“Thought so… you are my nong after all.”

Pa didn’t know where the conversation was heading to!

After a pause, Pat added, “There is someone from my class who has an eye on you!”

“Hmm…who? Do I know him?” Pa was curious to find her admirer.

“It’s Pran actually!”

Pa’s expression was unreadable, it was mix of confusion and disbelief.

Pat let her come back to sense because he knew she needed time.

“Hia, are you sure?! P’Pran is like… like you, I mean, like my own brother. We have been together since we were born… I think you are mistaken.”

“I would not have told you if I was not sure.” Pat understood Pa, they grew up practically hand in hand.

Pa knew even though her brother could seem a reckless type of person, he would not joke on such an issue.

“Then, I am going to confirm myself. Give me some time to digest this information first!”

“Cool!”

Pat believed his sister was capable of handling such situations.

 

***

 

A few days later, Pa saw Pran coming out of his home.

“P’Pran, sawadee kha. Are you going to school?”

“Sawadee. Hmm… heading to school.”

“Can I join you?”

“Sure.”

 

During their entire walk to school, Pa tried to get closer to Pran, make eye contact, know his interest but they were just casual talks, nothing sparked.

 

 

Returning home, Pa went to her brother’s room.

“Hia, you must have been misguided for sure. P’Pran takes me as nong as I treat him as P’.”

“How come! The proofs were solid!” Pat’s mind was jumbled now, he was so sure about what he saw.

“Why don’t you ask P’Pran yourself and confirm? From my side, I am clear neither of us has feeling like that.”

 

***

 

Pat made it a mission to figure out what this mess was about. He didn’t want to be in the muddle for long.

 

 

Pat waited for Pran to come out of the class.

“Pran, let’s go home together.”

Pran gave a skeptical look.

“Don’t you have football practice today?”

“I am skipping, I am already a champion, few miss out on practice won’t affect me anyways!”

Oiiii… Pat and his smugness.

“Okay, okay! If you say so.” Pran was fully aware of Pat’s confidence.

 

 

They made their way laidback towards their home. They talked about their assignments, teachers, friends. On the mid-way, Pat asked, “Do you like Pa?”

Pat was a straightforward kind of person, so he didn’t know how to ask otherwise.

Pran literally tripped on the plain ground.

He was scandalized.

“WHERE DID YOU GET THAT IDEA FROM?”

Pat had expected this reaction. It was meant to be Pran’s secret, which he mistakenly knew.

“Remember the eraser you lend me last time?...

“OHH!!!” When realization dawned on him, he felt so stupid! How could he be that careless ><

“WAIT! WHAT DID YOU SAY? I LIKE WHOM?”

“PA! Don’t try to deny it. I saw with my own eyes!”        

Pran didn’t know whether to laugh or cry!

Yelling “IDIOT”, he sprinted away from Pat.

 

 

Pat’s training came in handy that time because he quickly caught up to Pran.

“Pran, don’t run. I skipped practice not to work out double with you.” Pat was panting harshly.

Pran too was no any better. He caught his breath and replied, “T… then, don’t run. I am t…tired too.”

Both of them sat on the edge of the road to catch their breath.

“Na…” Pran handed him THE eraser.

 “Since, you came to the stupid conclusion, check out for yourself.”

Pat was confused but took the stationery nonetheless.

He was about to yell, “See, told ya!” but his voice died in his throat when he took out the cover fully and saw

                                                               PRAN 💗 PAT

 

Pran wanted to laugh at the funny face Pat was making but he was also scared of his response.

After finally coming back to his senses, Pat mumbled, “You like…me?!”

Pran couldn’t meet eyes with his crush so, he just nodded.

He was scared Pat would push him, or punch him or say that their friendship was over but nothing of sort came.

 

Pat had felt slight uneasiness when he discovered Pran liking other people who were not him, but he couldn’t put his finger on his emotions. Now that he pictured the idea of them being more than friends, he felt something bubble in his heart.

 

Not being able to fathom the deepening silence, Pran slightly looked up, and saw the other with a small smile.

“I thought it was my nong but turns out it’s me you’re interested in! To be honest, I am more charming, anyways!”

From where that confidence comes in Pat was totally unidentifiable.

However, Pran couldn’t help but smile a little, maybe due to relief or just seeing that sweet smile of his long-time crush.

 

“I like you too Pran,” Pran smiled.

“But not that kind of like,” Pran’s felt dejected.

“Not at the moment, at least, but I think I would love to give it a try!” Pran was hopeful.

 

“We’ve been friends since our birth, but now that you’ve planted that notion of something more, I am kinda feeling positive about it. Give me some time to think about this carefully, okay.”

Pran gave a curt nod but in his mind, he was thinking, “I’ve waited for all my life, few more days wouldn’t hurt me. I am already more than happy that you didn’t break our friendship.”

 

“For now, let’s go home, faen.” Pat pulled Pran to get up!