Aom’s P.O.V

“Where are you taking me to?” I’m in impatient mood now that I have to walk from the parking lot to this area (I got no ideas where this is but it’s pretty far from the lot).

“Can you just keep silent? I told you, didn’t I, that I’m taking you to the school bookshop!” it’s the first time I heard Tina raised her voice to me.

“Isn’t it silly to walk this far? Aren’t there any other bookshops in this school?” I stop and stand there for a while to catch my breath.

“If you don’t wanna go to class late and have full accessories in your hands, just shut up and walk quickly” Tina caught my left hand, which holds nothing, then walk forward to quickly.

That’s when I realize that Tina’s hand is so warm, so comfortable to hold but that doesn’t change my ideas of looking at her in a bad way. To tell you the truth, though I know she’s a daughter of uncle Steven, I still hold some negative thoughts of tomboys. It doesn’t mean that I disgust them or something, but I just feel tomboys are just like playboys. They’re totally girls who have the same gender as I do but why their hearts are just so unstable? They have so many girlfriends at once. About Tina, I know nothing about her. She’s rich and she’s good at everything, but I sure don’t believe her that she doesn’t have a girlfriend though she told me she had none. Besides their unstable hearts, there’s nothing about tomboys to hate about.

I’m feeling a bit shock now that Tina’s holding my hand and walking across so many people and mostly girls. They are all starring at me in a frustration emotion as if they’re going to kill me. I really want to ask Tina to stop holding my hand and give myself a chance to explain to those girls that I have nothing to do with her, but Tina is just in hurry more than I am.  I have to endure all the looks from those girls and try to walk as fast as Tina.

Arriving the bookshop

It is 15 minutes before 8 am and as I assume, the school bells will ring by that time.

Tina and I arrive and we are standing in front of the counter to request our stuffs.

“Excuse me, do you have any available books for the technology and science major for year 2 students?” Tina speaks politely with a low voice.

“If you don’t mind, I’ll have to check if there are any availabilities. Please wait a moment, dear” an old woman is checking on her computer now. Tina just smiles to that old lady.

“I’m sorry, dear, but all the books are sold and I’m afraid you’ll have to wait until next 1 hour. Can you come around again?” the old lady replies after she has checked.

Tina frowns then tries to smile back to the old lady.

“I thank you, madam and I will come back. Thank you for your service.” Then she turns her back to the old lady and meets my face.

“You’ll be in trouble.” Her face is truly in horrible situation.

“What is the punishment for not having books like that?” I’m getting scared too.

“You’ll have to stand for the whole morning at the school flag. It’s simple to do when you’re shamelessly.” Tina sighs.

“But it really is my first day here, so no lecturers will scold at me or punish me anything!” I try to comfort us.

“Yeah, maybe. I’ll try to find you excuses for that. Don’t worry.” She smiles warmly to me as if she’s known me for a long time.

After the smile, the school bells ring and all students are hurriedly walking into their classes except us both.

Tina stands there with a shocking face then speak quickly.

“We can’t be here. We have to get to class NOW. At least it takes us 5 or 10 minutes to walk to our building from here. Be quick!” She’s so much in horror then takes my hand in hers again then walks.

“Wait, what is the punishment for being late like this?” I ask her while we’re walking as if we are running.

“It actually ups to lecturers who punish us. Please don’t ask me more, I will tell you if we can make it or you will know by yourself in case we can’t” she doesn’t even look back to me just concentrating on the way to the building.

Arriving to computer lab

Tina and I finally arrive the computer lab in our building with exhaustion from walking a long way to here and also with sweat for 10 minutes to here.

Knock, knock, knock…

Then Tina opens the door and walks in while I’m walking behind her waiting to see if anything happens. I can see that there are many pairs of eyes that are starring at us, including Pei’s as well. Pei will be my classmate too?

“I’m sorry professor, but I really don’t mean to come late but I actually…”

“Tina? So actually it is you who come late for today?” a man’s voice rises up.

“I’m really…” Tina couldn’t finish her sentence at all so I got to help.

“I’m sorry Professor. But Tina is here with lateness today all because of me. I beg your pardon, sir, but I am a new student here. Please kindly see my receipt and my acceptance first.” I try to explain as much as I can to make him tolerate for us both so that we can stay in class.

I hand in my receipt and my acceptance letter to him. He scans through them for a moment then hand those letters back to me.

“Welcome to the university of Rangsit, Miss. Sushar Manaying. As I assume, I can call you…?”

“Just Aom, Sir.” I smile to him.

“Alright, let’s move back to our problem with Tina. You can go to have a seat while I’m taking care of this problem.” He points to the seat, which is available for me but actually, there are 2 seats over there, perhaps its owner is also late.

“Umm sir, please forgive me, but Tina helped me in here, because of me that’s why she’s late like that. Please forgive us both.” I try to explain him again.

“I really have to do my job, Aom. Tina knows the rule but she broke it, while you don’t. I can’t punish anyone who doesn’t know the rule.” He starts to get his face serious when he turns back to Tina.

“I’ll take full responsibility for my lateness, sir.” Tina’s face is as serious as the professor’s face.

“Go back to door, close it and stand in front of it. Put a pencil or pen in your mouth and put your 2 arms on your head for this whole section. You’re not allowed to rest until this section ends. Now go” he is totally nasty.

Tina nods then walk to the front door. Tina leaves now and I know no one else in class but Pei though Pei sits behind my seat so that means I’ll have to sit alone here? Well I have no choice.

Tina’s P.O.V

Great. What dad says is so true. I share the same trait as him by helping people without thinking of my own self. I helped Aom, and this is my result. Standing shamelessly. I’m doing what that professor told me to without disrespecting what he said. I can say that I’m so lucky because this is the study time, no one will notice that I’m here. Speaking of no one will notice me, I’m sort of thinking that even the professor won’t even notice me too because he has so much works to deal with this class today. Standing like this is a shame enough, what if next section Aom still doesn’t have a book for Mathematics class? Oh my god! Mathematics lecturer really doesn’t tolerate to anyone! I don’t think I can let Aom standing like my condition now, or my dad will kill me. Dad has asked me to take care of Aom at school. What if by her first day, I let her endure all the problems like this, what would that be? Oh well. Guess I’ll have to do something now. I sneakily open the door with a small gap for myself to look at the professor to see if he really doesn’t notice at his punishment on me. I try to look and he’s teaching nonstop and that’s when I can have a chance running to the bookshop again. The first section will end by 9:30 so I’ll have to be in front of the door at least 15 minutes before the bell rings. Let’s see. What time is it now? What? 8:30 already? It’s time to go.

10 minutes later

“Excuse me, madam, has the set of books I’ve requested arrived yet?” I met the old lady again.

“Good timing! The set of books has just arrived now. You’re very lucky, there’s only one set here available then it won’t come again.” She smiles.

“I thank you. Then please sum up the price please?” I smile back.

“22600 Baht” she replies.

No worries about it because I’m sure about it that I have more than 50000 baht in my wallet.

I paid all the money then carry this giant pack of books with me along to class.

Arriving to class

I really got no idea where I can put the books or know a place to hide them so, I decided to put them in my bag. Great! Super heavy! And I have to stand here 15 minutes more.

Tina Tina! You have to endure it! Right! Enduring. I try to make myself to forget about this heaviness I’m having so I count myself from 1 to 900 so that by the time I reach 900 the bell will ring but fortunately, the professor opens the door and calls me back in.

I walk back into class with smiling to classmates and go to my seat. What? Aom will be my seatmate? I have never had a seatmate before because no one is brave enough to sit next to me. I don’t know why too, don’t ask me but as I think, because they afraid that they might faint so best not to be near me. And now? Aom is sitting next to me? Does that mean that she has to sit near me every section because I don’t have a seatmate at every class and other seats in my class are already full. Whatever.

I go back to my seat while Aom is starring at me with disbelieve that I sit next to her.

“So it’s you?” Aom shakes her head.

“Huh? So you feel so bad having me as a seatmate?” I raise my eyebrows.

“A lot” a short word but painful though bearable.

“Tina, I hope you learn your mistake and please do not be late next time” our professor cut off.

“I’m sorry and thank you, sir” Ha, ha. Actually I didn’t stand there at all, I had all my way walking away from class, isn’t that cool? But the problem is these massive books! Ugh! Aom’s existence here ruins me everything! But it’s my bad of having too kind-heart, right? Well, I guess that is it.

“Alright, we got 10 more minutes left to the break, any ideas on this unit, questions?” Professor said.

He stays silent for a while waiting for any student to answer but no one speaks anything so he continues.

“Hmm, Okay, in case you don’t have anything to ask me now, we’ll have a 10 minutes early break but please remain silent because you might disturb other students. Enjoy your break” after he’s done speaking, he packs up his bag and leaves.

After he has left and I have made sure to myself that he’s gone already, I take out the books from my bag then put them in front of Aom. Aom seems so surprised about this.

“Don’t tell me you…” Aom tries to question me but I cut her off.

“Uh huh. While I was getting punished, I ran to buy this for you.” I nod and Aom tries to look at my sweat on my shirt. She tightens her eyes when she sees that.

“Why?” Alright, this question is very hard to answer now.

“Well, I don’t want you to get punished like me by the next section because the next lecturer has zero tolerates” I shrug and Aom seems to believe in me.

“But I didn’t ask you to buy for me!” she rises her voice.

I laugh then look back to her eyes.

“Can you tell me how much money you’re bringing with?” I look at her bag.

“Well, 3000Baht at most.” She replies me while she is looking at the inside of her bag.

“That’s my point. It costs 22600Baht for those books. And even if you go on your own, will you have enough money for them?” I laugh at her again.

“…” she stays silent again.

Pei gets in front of our table and puts down his face between us so quickly and speaks.

“Don’t you have another class now?” Pei is starring at our eyes.

I lean backward then say.

“Okay, alright, let’s go.” I pack my bag and get out of the table while Aom is still getting in trouble with her tons of books.

“Let me help” I insist her.

She stares at me then hand me some books to help carrying for her.

I receive the books from her then walk out of the room.

“Umm, where are we going now?” confusing voice of Aom.

“Don’t worry, this building is for year 2 students. All subjects which are included in our year, are all in here so we don’t have to walk far.” I half smile to her then continue “Actually, it’s located next to this room on our right here. A few steps away.”

“Oh…” then she still follows me around but then asks a question again.

“We suppose to be in school for only a morning, right?”

“Yes, but you can stay if want.” Then I laugh.

“Very funny.” She stares away now.