Yeah, I don't think there are going to be a lot of reviews any time soon, so I am just going to keep writing and when you guys do read it please leave a review. I would love to know that my story is being read, appreciated, bashed, whatever!
I live having a slower pace, that way you really get a feel for the characters and what is going on. If you all think it is too slow let me know. But the way I see it is. More slowly means more chapters. More chapters mean more story, and more story means way more drama and fun. And yes I realize my grammar was pretty horrible there.
For now most of this story will be focusing on Tong as the major person.
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters or this story. I am writing this for fun.
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Chapter Two: Swim Suits, Signatures, and Surprises
The sounds of the mall and the busy street blended together. To some it would be annoying to hear the rush of cars as they flew past on their way to the stores, or the clinking of polished silverware on rustic white china plates at the near by Italian restaurant. Some would find it troublesome to have to listen to the blending of voices and gossip on the street as people hustled and bustled on they merry way. But Tong enjoyed all of those things. He was sitting on his favorite bench his eyes closed and a small smile on his face. All the noise helped to distract his brain and his senses so much that he forgot about all the things that were bothering him. The feel of the refreshing breeze slap his face and tickle his nose helped him to distract his brain from all its troubles. He had finally calmed down from the escapades of the day before and was just waiting for his friend Ying to meet him at the mall. He opened his eyes to check his phone in case she texted him. But as soon as his eyes opened he flinches backwards and almost jumped off the bench. Two brown eyes were so close to his he could see the dark flecks and freckles in the iris. His heart was pumping so fast it felt like it would jump right out of his chest to defend him.
"Tong, I get you every time. Don't you know it is dangerous to sit on a beach in a crowded street with your eyes closed?" Ying chirped as she moved to sit next to him. She started giggling at how freaked out he looked. He shook his head, not really knowing what to say, 'You scared the fuck out of me' was the only thing he could think of and he didn't feel like snapping at Ying, she was always to happy and cheerful to stay mad at.
"But I have to admit, you were really cute sitting here smiling to yourself and enjoying your moment." She mockingly said to him. Though there was some truth to her statement. Over the past two years Tong has grown to be quiet the handsome young man. He had grown a few inches taller, and really toned his muscles up because of his constant football playing. She patted his head and hugged him from the side before he could say another word. "And its all mine, all the girls at school hate me for a reason!" she continued to kid.
"Yeah I know, I am surprised Axe isn't jealous of me, constantly hanging out with his girlfriend." As he started to mock her back she slapped him in the stomach and pulled away from the hug. She just shook her head.
"That oaf knows all about you, who do you think I complain to when you rant at me for hours on end?" A facade of pseudo anger and annoyance played across her face as she crossed her arms.
" That is so touching Ying, I really appreciate all the support. But, are you sure Axe doesn't mind?" he tried to question in all seriousness. But per usual, Ying just rolled her eyes and shook her head.
"When are you going to learn that he doesn't care, and that he knows you're gay anyway? I mean his best friend is Mew." She said offhand but then internally winced at bringing him up. For the past few years both boys had avoided each other in person and in conversation. She could tell by the look on his face that it was not a good time to bring up Mew. "I am sorry… but you know he is my friend as well, and I am dating his best friend. So he is bound to come up sometimes."
"I know, I know," he said bashfully, "I just had that stupid dream again." He ran his hands over his head; his hair was still in the famous Tong buzz cut. She frowned and leaned against his shoulder.
"Really, again? This is like the third time this month. Seriously, you need to find someone and try and get over him. You could get any guy you wanted." She tried to convince him for the hundredth time.
"No… can't we please stop talking about this?" he said as he rubbed his temples.
"I'm sorry." She tried to comfort him. She sat up and then smacked his thigh with a crack. "But it is time to shop, so let's go. I need to find a new bathing suit for my vacation with my parents. You can watch me try them on, it will be so much fun!" she squealed as she bounded up off the bench and grabbed Tong's hand trying to pull him off the wooden planks.
"Fine, but only if I don't have to buy them for you."
"What! No fair, since when do I have to buy my own things? Between you and Axe I bet I could get my college paid for." She giggled as Tong finally got up.
"You owe me for this." He tried to tell her but she just started to pull him along. As she walked her ponytail bounced around like a rabbits tail, Tong thought it was one of the most mesmerizing things he had ever seen. Suddenly she flipped around to face Tong and was walking backwards.
"So what do you think of my new outfit?" she beamed as she went to go make a model pose. She was wearing a new pair of khaki short shorts that were red, pink, and white plaid. She was also wearing a white blouse with short sleeves and a red under shirt.
"You keep getting more eccentric, and more energetic by the day I hope you know. And you look very nice. Axe is a lucky guy." He said politely as she smiled proudly and turned back around to direct them towards the swimming store. "The Ying I used to know would be embarrassed to wear something that revealing. And to jump around like some pop star would make her feel self conscious." He rebuked. She just shrugged his comment off and kept walking.
"That is what happens when you get a boyfriend and finally gain some self confidence. You should try dating someone, you might like it." She snapped back at him lightly. He fell kind of silent after that comment trying to avoid the whole issue of relationships all together.
"So, when is your family trip again?" They floated through the crowd at a crawl slowly gliding past the busy shoppers at their own leisurely pace. Conversation had to grind to a halt as they passed a music store; it was packed with middle school aged girls screaming. He couldn't make out who was there, but he figured they must be popular. Once they passed the music store the crowd thinned out a lot. The air got less stuffy and the breeze could breathe through the narrow walkways.
"Umm, I don't know actually," she finally answered, "All I know is this place is having a sale, so you should try some on as well. It will be cute!" At that comment he just rolled his eyes and continued walking with her. She eventually linked hands with him and started to swing their arms slowly. "You are such a good best friend."
"Thanks." He muttered as he strolled along with his friend. They finally found the store; luckily there were only a few people there since it was near the end of the night. The guy working at the counter looked up briefly when they walked in. Ying thought his eyes wandered over in her direction for a little longer than necessary. But she paid no mind and just ran to the bathing suits. She seemed to explode with happiness as she started to rifle through all the bathing suits that were on sale. He was looking around when he heard a rough voice from the back of the store.
"The guys swim suits are back here." The guy behind the counter pointed further back in the store. Tong just smiled and nodded his head as he headed over. He thought the checkout guy was kind of cute. He was in his mid twenties, had longer hair gelled back. Wore a tight muscle shirt that fit him well. Tong ignored his impulses and started looking at some of the swimsuits. After a while of looking around he picked four or five that he liked. He stepped into the aisle way to walk back towards the dressing rooms but he turned to look for Ying. She was talking with a female worker about what colors would look good so he decided to sit in one of the chairs near the dressing rooms and wait for her.
"Waiting for the girlfriend sucks right?" the guy tried to make polite conversation as he was stocking some of the shelves near Tong.
"Oh… we aren't going out. We are just friends." He said a bit defensively. The guy smiled happily and nodded making an o sound with his mouth. Something about the way he smirked didn't settle right with Tong, he felt like this guy might try and hit on his friend.
"But she does have a boyfriend, he gets kind of jealous" he tried to say in a polite way, letting the guy know she wasn't fair game, but trying not to get all stereo typically male and macho about it. Just wanted to let the poor guy know he probably didn't have a chance. The guy just chuckled and walked into the back to get some more of the new swimsuits and sandals to place on the shelves. Eventually Ying came over with an armful of bathing suits to try. They spent about an hour laughing and trying on swimsuits. Surprisingly Ying picked her more quickly and Tong did. Leaving her to sit on the chair as he tried his bathing suits over and over again.
"Can we just go already, you have tried that green one on like twelve times already?" she complained. She was getting tired, and the store was going to close soon so she wanted to start getting home. Plus she wanted to go show Axe her new bikinis.
"Just one more." He snapped at her. They always did this. She would be into the shopping at first, but when Tong decided to get picky and actually think about what he was buying she got all fussy at him. He closed the dressing room door and started to change. Meanwhile the female worker walked over and offered to ring Ying up at the other side of the store. She decided Tong could live without her for a moment and ran over to go ring her items up.
Tong finally got into the one he really wanted, but it wasn't on sale and he wasn't sure how it looked on him. He took his shirt off and started to pose a little bit. He chuckled thinking Ying would get a kick out of it. So he opened the door and before he walked out said, "What do you think Ying? Could I get laid in this?" he then stepped out and saw no one in sight, besides the guy who was still stocking up the shelves. Tong instantly got a little bashful and a tiny bit pink. He laughed nervously and apologized.
"No don't apologize." The guy said standing up and walking over. Before Tong could slide back into the dressing room the guy reached his arm over Tong's shoulder and shut the door. He stepped well within the boundaries of Tong's personal bubble and smiled at him when he said, "I think you could defiantly get laid in that." His smile turned into a smirk as he moved even closer, so Tong had to step back against the door. Tong nervously gulped as he was being trapped between the hot boy and the door behind him. "Why don't you get it, it looks great on you. How much does that one cost again?" He was so close tong could smell the cologne he was wearing, it smelled light like the ocean.
"I-I really don't know." Tong blurted out, he wasn't to red yet; he was trying to keep his cool. But it was so hard with that guys eyes staring into his.
The worked just chuckled and whispered in a husky voice. "I love it when you strong type get all bashful and shy. It is the biggest turn on. Let me check that price tag for you though." He very casually wrapped his second arm around to the nape of Tong's back and flicked his finger into the swim trunks to flip out the tag. At that, the reaching in the pants, is when Tong let out a gasp and his face turned so red it looked like a beet. He tried to say something but no words were coming out. His mouth just opened and closed a few times like a fish. Until the guy ripped off the tag and lifted it up to look at the price. "Well what do you know, it's on me." He crumbled up the price tag and threw it in the trash. Soon after he took out a business card. He slid it in the swim trunk pocket and smirked at Tong again. "Now if you want to go get dinner, and see if you can get laid in that. Call me." And with that he smacked Tong in the face lightly and went off to restocking. Tong stood there for a moment or two, but then bolted back into the changing room. His breathing was heavy, and his heart was thumping faster than a humming bird. "What the fuck just happened?" He thought to himself franticly as he threw his clothes on and put the swim trunk over his shoulder. He tried to walk past the guy without letting him get a word in. But as he rounded the corner to see Ying waiting with her bag he heard him say, "You better call me kid," Tong just kept walking and acted like he didn't hear him. The male worker walked over to the female worked and muttered something. She smirked and looked over at Tong and waved good-bye. At that Tong grabbed Ying by the hand and ran outside. He had never been so embarrassed in his whole life. His face was still glowing red.
"Tong, aren't you going to pay for that?" Ying tired to stop him as he kept increasing his pace.
"He rang me up at the other register, let's go that guy was a little to forward for my taste." Tong muttered as they dodged through the now almost deserted walkways.
"Oh so you saw him checking me out as well. I knew that guy was a bit of a creeper. He didn't say something to you about me did he?" she asked looking worried.
"Something like that." He dropped the conversation after that, not really wanting to get into the little run in he had with the guy. They finally made it to the bus stop and said good-bye.
"Call me when the American comes. I want to meet him." She said as Tong jumped onto his bus. He just smiled back, with that quirky smile, and nodded. The front of the bus was packed so he made his way to the very last seat. He waited a few minutes and then checked the pocket of the swimsuit. It was a business card; it had the name, Kamol Boonsake and a cell phone number on it. He told Ying the guy was creepy, but as he stared at the card he couldn't help but smile a little bit. A hot guy had hit on him, which was a first. He put the card in his wallet and then put his head against the cold window. The lights from the street lamps and buildings whizzed past making yellow trails of light in the dark blue of the nighttime. As the buildings and people filtered past the window into the shadows Tong started to think about what Ying said, "Should I get someone new?" He thought as the bust came to its next stop with a violent jerk. "Is it time for me to move one, Can I?" his mood kept spiraling downward as he continued to think about his dilemma. Fog had covered the window from his breath, the chilly winter night made the glass feel perfect against his forehead. Without a thought his finger was pressed up against the glass. Slowly his finger moved through the smug of white left by his breath, when finished his hand dropped down to his lap and he closed his eyes. "Hopefully tomorrow will be a more clam day." He thought as the Bus continued to ride off into the night, slowly making its way to his house. The fog started to dissolve as the window's heat began to stabilize. Bit by bit the name Mew faded off the window. Leaving behind only a faint oil mark from Tong's skin.
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Mew's head was throbbing from all the screaming. Hundreds of teen girls were crowded into the small music shop, packing the place until it was about to pop. He sat behind a long rectangular table, the fans would come and get an autograph from each band member eventually making their way to Mew at the end of the table, and then they were ushered out. His band mates seemed to love the attention, the worship from all the teens, and the endless line of admirers. Yet another girl started screaming when she walked up to Mew. The blood curdling shrill she let out as she pushed the CD under his nose was enough to make him wince. His timid smile barely covered the pain and exhaustion from his face. Thank god it was almost over, his eyes wandered to the clock and he saw that the music store was closing in five minutes. Eventually the storekeepers had to push all the teens out of the store. The emptiness of the space gave Mew a profound sense of relief. He briefly said bye to his fellow band mates and then bolted to the back exit as fast as he could, slowing down very slightly so Axe could catch up with him.
"God… I am so happy that is over." Mew blurted as the walked through the ally behind the stores. The back entrance seemed to be the best option, since all the girls were still crowding the front entrance waiting for them to come out. Axe just chuckled and put his arm around Mew's shoulder. They walked in silence through the dingy ally. It smelled slightly of trash and fish, with cans and rubbish bins littering the path. It was silent, and their footsteps echoed softly, but he still preferred this silence to the ruckus of busy fans. The dim lights gave the ally an eerie feel. Mew's ears were still ringing from all the girlish squeals.
"I know how you feel, and I know you hate those crowds. But…" Axe tried to continue without offending his friend, "It means we are popular and gaining a larger fan base. Which is outstanding, the band has been suck a success!" he tried to cheer happily. All Mew could do was smile at his friend's positivity.
"I guess you are right. Did you hear Aod though; he was talking about a tour after we graduate. South Korea, China, Japan, we would be traveling everywhere!" Mew tried to perk up for his friend. Axe always hated to see Mew down in the dumps, and Mew really didn't want to make it hard on his friend.
"Yeah, we are going to make so much money, be so famous, and get all the ladies…. Slash men for you." As he said that Mew jokingly smacked him in the back of the head.
"Now, now, you are dating one of my best friends Axe, don't talk about other women." They both laughed as they finally made there way out to the bus stop.
"I am going to meet my parents for dinner down the street, so I will talk to you later. If you see Ying let her know that I said hi, and that I will call her when I can." Axe said as he started to walk off to find his parents. Mew just smiled and nodded good-bye. As he looked around he noticed Ying at the bus stop down the road, and then he noticed whom she was with. A jolt of pain shocked at his heart as he saw Tong get into the bus. For a moment he felt like he was going to burst into tears, he tried as hard as he could to push those feelings away. He tried to replace it with the numbness and tired he felt prior to talking to Axe. Tong's bus pulled away as Ying started to make her way to the bus stop that Mew was at. As soon as she saw him she let out one of those highly appreciated girlish squeals and jumped on top of him.
"Hey there!" he said as he hugged her, "How was shopping?" he said, he didn't really want to know because he knew tong was with her, but he kind of did.
"It was great," she started as she stepped back to give the poor kid some room to breathe, " I got two amazing new swim suits, and I am seeing all my favorite people today!"
"So you already saw Axe?"
"What? Oh no, not yet, is he going to call tonight?" she off handedly remarked. Mew just chuckled at her; this is how they always were. They both pretended not to care, and made it look like they weren't invested in the relationship. But the truth was, they were crazy about each other.
"Yeah, he will call as soon as he can."
"So how did the signing go?" she asked giggling and punching him in the arm. God, she had so much energy today.
"It went… like it always does… it was very loud… with lots of teen girls screeching in my ear. Why didn't you stop by like you said you would?" he blurted out before he could put two and two together.
"Oh… there was a change of plans and I was shopping with Tong…" she said while averting her eyes.
"…oh…." He tried to sound as surprised as he could, but he didn't think he pulled it off to well. There was a long awkward pause and Ying started the conversation she had been trying to have with him for about two years.
"Why can't either of you just tell me what the hell happened? I thought you guys ended on a good note, what happened? You said you were pretty much okay after the Christmas festival, and then come January you guys hate each other, and cringe when I bring the other up. Maybe it would help to talk about it?" she pleaded for the millionth time.
"So what color are the bathing suits you got?" he tried to change the subject as he ignored her last statement.
"Mew!" she shouted a little frustrated at being brushed off like she usually was.
"I didn't know that was a color! Or are the making women's swim suits with my face on it now?" Mew said as he put on a face of mock surprise and horror. Ying couldn't help but chuckle at the thought of Mew's face covering the tits of girls everywhere.
"Shut up!" she smirked as she pushed him. She swore under her breath as they continue to joke around. When the bus came they sat near the back of the bus in a calm silence. They were both pretty tired. But then Ying got her second wind. She turned to say something to Mew so fast that he flinched. "One of my friends is having a party this weekend! You should come!" she excitedly remarked. Mew just paused and thought for a second.
"Axe got roped into going… didn't he?"
"No, he says you have to come with him if he is going to attend the party!" she complained. "Which means you have to come, come on it will be fun!" she pleaded. After a bus ride home of Ying pestering him he finally said yes. Ying just smirked and triumphantly shouted in joy. Mew rolled his eyes as they stepped off the bus and parted ways for the night.
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The next day Tong was in class dozing off, his homeroom teacher had just started to talk about math when his eyelids felt like they were made of lead. Sleep was not something that happened for Tong last night. The whole night was spent tossing and turning as he thought about his life. Despite his best efforts his eyes finally snapped shut, his head slumped against the hand he had been using to prop it up. His body had just started to slip into the lucid state of tiredness, when suddenly he felt a sharp pain in the back of his head. His eyes popped open and he turned around. Sure enough his homeroom teacher was standing there with a notebook rolled into a rod. His teacher suddenly exploded into a rush of talking. Scolding Tong for sleep and doing this, complaining to Tong that he had no enthusiasm. Tong wasn't in the mood to fight so he just apologized. Anger welled up inside him as the teacher continued to badger him about his actions. Tong got the point, don't sleep in class, and definitely don't sleep around Mr. Tsoi. The yelling continued for about five minutes, all of which Tong had to wrestle his own urge to snap at the old man who was nagging him. But his patience was rewarded when Mr. Tsoi went to give him detention. As the words started to come out of his mouth the principal had started the morning announcements. Tong acted like he couldn't hear him over the Principal's list of things to saw. By the time they were over Mr. Tsoi was yelling at a girl because she was chewing gum. It seemed like today was Tong's lucky day. He was about to doze off again when someone smacked him in the shoulder. Soon after a note landed on his desk, he looked around to see who had given it to him, but everyone was looking forward taking notes. The paper unfolded easily and he casually slipped it onto his notebook so it looked less conspicuous when he looked down to read it. Pink loopy handwriting was sprawled over the note,
Tong, you are really cute.
Your Secret Admirer
A blush appeared on his face as he once again looked around to see if he could tell whom it was. But all the female students were focused on their notes. This always happened before he was asked out. So many of the girls liked passing notes and clues to their crushes. A groan escaped his lips as he crumbled up the piece of paper. This always meant he had to turn someone down, then they would be angry with him, and then they would start to spread the rumors. When the bell rang for class he quickly grabbed his books and ran out the door, dropping the note in waste bin. It was the last class of the day now he had to rush off to football practice. By the time he got to the field most of the team was there already doing stretches. He sat next to Som and joined in with the butterfly stretches.
"You are so lucky, Tsoi was so close to giving you a detention." Som commented.
"I know, I have no idea what he has against me. It seems like he has been out for me all week." His teacher was really irritating Tong, he always seemed to pick someone and target them for a while; he just never thought it would be him. Usually he was pretty good in school, he was responsible, and his grades were better than most of the other football players. He looked across the field and a large group of girls was forming. This happened every Thursday practice, all of the girls grouped together to watch their practice game. Usually they did drills, running, sprinting, and weights on Monday through Wednesday. But Thursday was always the day they played a practice game, the losing team always had to do a two-mile run so the games got pretty fierce. The girls always arrived because the low school budget meant shirts versus skins. Under classman girls were usually the ones to run in packs and have cameras. Most of the team was flattered and posed for them at times, making a huge joke of it. But Tong just thought it was annoying. When stretching was done the two captains decided to pick teams. It went as it usually did, all the seniors like Tong and Som were picked first. Tong and Som ended up on the skins team today. He couldn't help but let out a little groan as the giggling echoed from the other side of the field. Som had, of course, already taken off his shirt and was blowing kisses to the girls. Outgoing and flirtatious were Som's two biggest qualities, he was quiet the opposite of Tong. That was probably why they got along so well, Tong was the strong silent type, and Som was the flirty, cocky, talkative type. They balanced each other out when it comes to social events, Som liked it because Tong usually attracted the to them, but then Som swooped in and charmed them with his smooth words. That was also the way they played well together. Tong new how to set up a play, he knew how to dodge, spin and get passed the other players, then he passed to Som and he pulled off the goal. They both did well on their own and scored a decent amount, but together they dominated the field. Which is how their team got their first goal. Barely a minute into the game and Tong had set up the perfect shot for Som, whom had head butted it into the goal. It was a mistake to let one side get them both, it really made the teams a little unfair.
The game dragged on, the score went back and forth making it come down to the last few seconds. Tong has found and opportunity to get the ball in position, but the other half of the team had Som completely blocked, so he decided to go for it. The game was tied, this was the last play, Tong started to move in with the ball. He dodged a guy here, spun past another teammate there. He cranked h is shot, and sure enough it went in. His team was screaming in joy as they ran towards him. Everyone started jumping on him, dog pilling him until everyone was on top of him. He was about to start cheering when he suddenly blushed. There were about ten half naked, good-looking men on top of him. They were all sweaty and sun baked from playing all afternoon. Tong yelled at everyone to get off him, telling them he couldn't breathe. But really he just felt very uncomfortable. How would the rest of the team feel if they knew? They all got off of him, not noticing that he felt nervous, they just kept cheering and were now making fun of the other team, which had to run before they left for home. As the team continued to celebrate Tong ran off to the locker room to shower and get changed. The only one who noticed he wasn't in a good mood was Som. Tong took a quick rinse and then quickly started to put his clothes on. By the time the rest of the team got into the showers he was almost done and ready to go.
"What is the rush?" Som asked sitting next to him. He looked kind of confused as Tong started to speed, throwing his clothes into his bag, and putting his cleats into the locker.
"Oh… nothing, I just need to get home and clean up the guest room for the American that is coming tomorrow." He lied in a heartbeat. Tong was nervous about Som finding out about his sexuality, what if their friendship ended?
"Okay, well you look kind of upset. So, if you want to talk just let me know." He tried. Not really sure what to say to his friend who was about to leave.
"It's fine really, I am just tired, I didn't get a lot of sleep last night." Tong replied as he quickly zipped up his duffle bag and stood up. "I'll see you at the party. I won't be at school tomorrow because we are picking up the American in the afternoon."
"Sure, sure. Make sure your American comes to the party as well!" Som tried calling after Tong as he was already slipping out the door. Som just shook his head and continued to dress. He was starting to get worried about Tong; his friend always seemed so upset.
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Tong was still cleaning the guest room, he lied about it before, but he didn't realize how fast karma had bit back for that little white lie. He had to scrub the floors, dust and empty the dresser and closet, replace the sheets, the currants, and clean the guest bathroom as well. No matter how fast he worked it felt like nothing was getting done, and the more he had to do. Sunee came to the door and knocked,
"So you done with the floors yet?"
"No… but I should be soon." He said as he scrubbed the floor on his hands and knees.
"Good because you need to get the extra fan out of the garage as well." She said as she walked away.
"Ahhh!" Tong screamed as he chucked his rag into the soap water bucket. The chores were never ending, what had he done to deserve this. He turned around and his stepsister Phailin was leaning against the doorframe with her arms crossed, smirking down at Tong. "What are you looking at?" he snapped at her.
"Just the house boy, you missed a spot." She teased as she started to walk away. Tong made a face and then stuck out his tongue when he got an idea. The exchange student wasn't even here and he was already causing Tong a great deal of pain. The next semester was going to suck!
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I hope that was exciting enough, I have some pretty juicy stuff planned. This was a build up chapter a lot of shit is going to go down soon! I hope someone reads this lol!