hey everyone, here is the next chapter i hope everyone loves it
also if any one is interested i am open to suggestions for this fic
and is anyone excited for Nanon's first solo concert next saturday?! I wish i coulb be there in person but im still happy even if all i can do it stream it live
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It was a week later that Pran got his second Pat related heart attack at work.
He was back. Pat and his friends were back.
After a few days Pran had relaxed when he didn't see Pat or his group of friends come back so he had foolishly thought he was in the clear and that they wouldn't be back so soon, if at all.
Pran hadn't seen Pat right away since he had been with a regular client, who had to leave unexpectedly after getting an important phone call. So Pran had started to make rounds walking around the floor looking for a new client to drink with, when he spotted them at a table drinking and laughing. Immediately Pran's heart rate picked up, and he felt like bolting from the room as fast as he could in his heels. Turning away quickly Pran started towards the other side of the room, hoping the group wouldn't see him and would leave without interacting with him. But luck had never been on Pran's side where Pat was concerned, and Pran ran right into Pat's friend, eyebrows.
"Ahh," Nutty gasped as they collided, Korn wrapped his arm around her waist as they both struggled to regain their balance and stay up right.
"Sorry," Korn said, his arms still around Nutty. "I didn't see you there… Wait, you're Nutty right? The host we had last week for Pat's birthday?"
"Yes, I'm Nutty. It's all good, I didn't see you either," Pran said as he got his footing and pulled himself out of Korn's grasp. Pran hoped that Pat's friend would be satisfied at recognizing him and would let him go without wanting to talk, or invite him to their table.
"Are you busy? Would you be available to join us again?"
"Well, no but-"
"That's great," Korn said, smiling widely. "You can join us again, we're over here."
"Sure," Nutty said through her clenched teeth, cursing her bad luck. Pat had always brought him bad luck, it was the only thing about him that Pran disliked.
"Sawadee ka," Pran said as he got to the table and Korn offered him a seat.
"Sawadee khap," the three other guys said back after looking up at Nutty.
"You guys remember Nutty right, I accidentally ran into her and invited her to join us again," Korn said as he sat down as well.
"That's fine. Do you remember our names Nutty," Mo asked, ready to flirt with Nutty as he leaned over the table. "It's ok if you don't, we can remind you."
"I remember your name, Chang right," Nutty said pointing at the right guy. "But I'm not sure about the rest of you, sorry. I meet so many people every week, I don't typically remember the names of people who aren't regulars."
Pran was lying of course, he would always remember Pat's name, but the other two he wasn't sure about and he didn't want to act suspicious or give anything away that would trigger Pat's memory.
"I'm Korn, that's Pat, and the idiot over there is Mo," said Korn as he caught onto Mo's flirting.
"Hey, who are you calling an idiot, idiot?"
"You, that's who, idiot," said Korn, taunting Mo, and then quickly ducking out of the way from Mo who moved to hit him on the back of the head.
"So what brings you all back so soon?" Nutty asked the burning question she had on her mind, hoping to distract them from arguing, and wondering how often Pat would be giving him jump scares like he was in a horror movie.
"We liked it here last week, so we decided to check out the main room tonight," Chang said as he took a sip of beer.
"The bar we usually hang out at is closing soon and we don't know if anyone is going to buy the place and keep it open," Korn said. "We came here last week cus of Pat's birthday, and we decided to come back now cus we've been looking for a new bar to hang out in."
"Oh," Pran said as he fought the urge to scream out that they wouldn't like coming to Spark instead of finding a regular bar to hang out in and that they should keep looking. "Have you decided yet if you're going to keep coming back?"
"I don't know about all of us, but I'm down to keep coming back. Drinks, hot women, and the chance to embarrass my friends by making them sing? What more is there to love," Korn said as he looked Nutty up and down, a small smirk on his face as he wiggled his thick eyebrows.
"Just for that I dare you to take and get a number and sing something," Mo said as he pointed a finger at Korn.
"I have no problem singing," Korn taunted Mo. "Don't forget that I was singing when we won the freshy day music contest freshman year."
"Excuse me, we only won because you all bullied me into joining you guys," Pat said.
"Don't remind us. We had to beg him for over a week to play the drums for our band for the contest," Chang complained to Nutty, shaking his head. "Even now he won't give us a good reason why he kept refusing to play with us."
"I told you. I stopped playing in highschool. I don't really like playing the drums anymore anyways. So I stopped and don't want to play again. What's the big deal," Pat complained but his eyes were betraying him, at least to Pran. Behind the irritation Pran could see pain in Pat's eyes, pain that you wouldn't see if you didn't know him well enough to find it.
Part of Pran wasn't shocked by Pat's answer. After the horrible day that was the Christmas party and class concert, Pran wouldn't be surprised that Pat had stopped playing the drums. Pran probably would have reacted the same had the roles been reversed. That day had ruined his life and while he wouldn't wish the pain he had been in after that day on anyone, Pran had hoped Pat had been devastated when Pran had been taken away though, because it would have meant that Pat had cared about him in some respect after everything. The hint of evidence that even if his romantic feeling hadn't been returned, their attempt at friendship wasn't completely one sided.
The last time they had seen each other was when he and his parents had been standing outside the school office waiting for his transcript paperwork so all his academic records would be available to his new school, and Pat had been watching from the otherside of the room, confusion and worry plain on his face before Pran disappeared from his life.
"Chang, you should know better by now," Korn admonished their friend. "When Pat decides something he isn't going to change his mind. Even last time, we had to all but force him into playing for us."
"Well you must have done great if you guys won," Nutty chimed in, hoping to distract them and get away. "What would you like to sing? I can go get you a number?"
"It's all good, I'll go get in myself. It wouldn't be very nice of me to make you go get me a number," Korn said as he stood up and went over to the side of the stage to select a song and get a number to sing. In the main room customers had to get a number to sing and were limited to one song per turn, so there wasn't a chance of people cutting in line or not being able to sing cus there were so many other customers.
"You look different tonight, your hair has changed," Pat said, looking over the table at Nutty after Korn left and Pran mourned his chance of escaping.
"My real hair is pretty short right now, so I usually wear wigs for work," Pran explained, cursing his idea to wear his new wig that night. It was pretty different from his other wigs, but he had wanted to try something new for a while. So when he saw the long, dark rooted and blonde wavy wig at the shop he had taken the chance and tried it on, and had decided to buy it. He had decided to wear it that night with a dark blue wrap dress that was short, and had paired it with a black belt, chunky ankle boots, and sparkly silver hair clips.
"I like it, you look great," Pat said, smirking like he had in highschool when he flirted with the girls they went to school with.
"Thanks," Pran said back softly as he failed to hide how quickly he blushed, unable to help his mouth drying out and his hands getting sweaty. Pran after over six years was still in love with Pat and was unable to guard himself from the influx of emotions that Pat easily ignited in him.
"You know, there's something about you… you remind me of someone, I just can't put my finger on it," Pat said as he squinted his eyes at Nutty, taking a good look at her trying to figure out why she seemed so familiar. "I noticed it the other night, but I still can't figure it out."
"I'm sure it's nothing," Pran said, nervous that Pat would figure him out. While he didn't always show it, Pat was very smart. They both were. Throughout every year of school they had come first and second in every class they took, always trying to outdo the other. For almost everything they were pretty evenly matched and were always beating each other in everything from grades to sports.
"Maybe. Where do you go to school? Maybe I've seen you on campus?" Pat asked, not letting the subject go right away, his eyes glued to Nutty as he tried to figure out what about her was so familiar.
"I don't go to school right now. I've been trying to save up for a few years… but I do want to go to university someday," Pran said, his voice tinged with sadness.
"Really," Mo asked, "are your parents not able to help?"
"No. They… we, we haven't talked in over three years now. When I told them I wanted to live my own life my way, they were not supportive at all. They had my life planned out for me and didn't care what I wanted, so I left and haven't looked back," Pran said, not enjoying thinking about his past with his parents.
"Fuck, that sucks. What faculty do you want to go for?"
"Music… I love making music, it's why I like working here. My parents are a little old fashioned, they don't believe in jobs that aren't proper or reliable. If my mae had her way I would be going to university for something that would come with a big paycheck and stable career. She hated it when I bought my first guitar for myself in highschool. She's always said hobbies were a waste of time and money, that my time was better spent on studying. I may not always like it everyday, but I've been way happier struggling by myself than I was when I was doing things her way, living my life according to her rules," Pran said and he meant it. He may not like struggling some months to pay rent, or having to stretch out his food and skip a meal or two, but he was much happier without his parents in his life even when he missed them sometimes.
"Wow, but your singing is really good, I can't believe that that's all it took for them to turn on you," Korn asked, looking shocked.
"The day I graduated high school the first thing my mae told me was her plan for me to move abroad and go to a school she picked. Within minutes of coming home I found out that my thoughts and hopes about what I wanted to do and living my life didn't matter to her. And when I told my mae I wanted to live my own life the way I chose, she slapped me across the face. I left home right then and there, and I don't regret it one bit," Nutty said, her voice becoming tight as he thought back to that day, cheek aching in phantom pain from the slap she received.
"You're mae is wrong, living your life for her isn't worth it… I would know I've tried. My por had the same idea. He wanted me to follow in his footsteps and do everything he did and it's made me miserable. We have a family business, he wants me to take over after I graduate, but I'm not going to, no matter how long he keeps bugging me about it," Pat said before taking a drink of his beer.
"I'm gonna get another beer," Chang said before getting up, suddenly feeling a little awkward at Pat's mini rant.
"I'll join you," Mo said before darting away too.
With everyone gone except Korn, Pran wasn't able to help but feel more uncomfortable than he had in many years. He wanted to look at Pat, but looking at him without talking was a recipe for awkwardness that Pran definitely didn't need on top of everything else. Thankfully Korn liked to babble and was able to keep Pran's mind off of the awkwardness until Chang and Mo got back, which was quicker than he had expected.
"So, how long have you worked here?" Korn asked just as Chang sat back down next to Nutty.
"About three years. I started working just after finishing highschool and left home," Nutty said. "I got lucky and made friends with someone who worked here then, she took me under her wing and got me a job here and a place to live."
"Is she still working here?"
"No, she moved to Korea almost a year ago, she's hoping to be the next Lisa," Nutty joked.
"What about you? No dreams of becoming a Kpop Idol?" Mo asked as he also sat back down with another round of beers.
"No, I have no wishes to go through all that," Nutty said, not wishing to think of how well his crossdressing would affect that dream if he had the desire to pursue that kind of dream career. "That world is very competitive and too crazy for me."
"I get you. It looks so much fun and amazing to be an Idol, but I don't know how some of them even make it through everything. The trainee process seems so demanding and intense by itself, let alone if you actually get to debut," Korn agreed.
"So how close are you to getting into a university?" Pat asked, his eyes staring at Pran in a way that made him question if he was building things up in his mind, an easy thing his brain did around Pat.
"Not very. I mean, I got into a bunch with high exam scores when I first applied when highschool ended, but without my parents I don't have a lot of extra money to cover school expenses as well as the living expenses I already have. But I'm always trying to save what I can. It also helps that I've been working here for so long, I have a lot of regulars who tip very well."
"What about picking a university? Have you decided which one you want to go to?"
"Ah, probably South Tech… I had hoped to go there originally for school, now it's still my top choice, especially since it's pretty close and has a good music faculty," Nutty said as she wondered when she would be able to make it there, it wasn't like she was getting any younger, most people her age we're in their last years of university or already graduated.
"Hey, that's where we go," Korn exclaimed with a grin. "We're all in the Faculty of Engineering… Too bad you aren't already going there, we would be your seniors, even if we wouldn't be in the same faculty."
"And who would want you as their senior," Pat taunted Korn, "you're lazy and always hitting on everyone."
"Hey, what's wrong with hitting on people?"
"Nothing… But you hit on everyone, no one is safe from your cheesy lines," Mo chimed in with a look of disgust.
"You're just jealous cus I don't hit on you," Korn claimed.
"Blah, who would want that? Besides you're too busy starting fights with the Architecture students and dragging us into it, you and Pat," Mo complained.
"Yeah, well they deserve to have their faces punched in, especially that asshole. After three years you'd think he would give up by now but he starts fights way more than I do," Korn proclaimed even if almost all the fights he started were just with Wai.
"Architecture? Do- do your faculties not get along… What about the fact that you'll have to work together later in life?" Pran asked, wondering for the first time if he had dodged a bullet by not going to South Tech as an Architecture student like he had wanted to six years ago.
"No… we hate each other. The Engineering and Architecture feud has been going on for over twenty years. When my por went to South Tech the feud had already started, and it's still continuing now and has gotten even worse nowdays than when it started," Pat said.
"So you have to hate everyone in Architecture?" Pran asked, feeling a little sick to his stomach as he wondered what would have happened if he had ended up going to university the way he had planned. We're he and Pat destined to always be on opposite sides? Never on the same team? Would he and Pat have ended in the middle of another feud that would have made them enemies once again?
"We don't have too… but we get too! They're all assholes anyway, on the first day the other Architecture students started the first fight we got into and we've been fighting ever since," Korn said with a smile. "Besides. School is way more fun when we get to beat them in class and with our fists."
Nutty laughed lightly along with the guys as she felt sick inside… thinking of another life that she could have had. Looking up at Pat Nutty had never felt more unsure of her choices and her unreturned feelings. Maybe they were destined to be nothing more than enemies…
PATPRAN ):)
Pat shook his head trying to shake off the drowsiness as he got back into his car after dropping Korn's drunk ass off at his dorm, having to half carry him to his room as he was swaying and singing to himself.
On nights like this Pat wished he still lived with his sister, even if he and Pa argued with each other like cats and dogs, annoying the other just for the fun of it. But as it was Pa had moved into Ink's dorm with her during her second year after they had been dating for a few months, leaving Pat to have his whole dorm to himself once again. There was something about the quietness that got to him sometimes that made him feel like he didn't fit in his skin, like there was something he was missing that would make him feel at home… complete. He felt better around his sister, his friends, his girlfriend… Pam. He and Pam had been together for about eight months now, and she had been hinting at wanting to move in together, but Pat had been ignoring the hint, pretending that the hints flew over his head, or acted like he didn't hear her. He didn't like living alone and sometimes didn't understand why he acted the way he did with Pam. He was happy with her… right? So why did it constantly feel like if he got closer to her, moved their relationship forward he would regret it later.
It was a feeling that hadn't only plagued his relationship with Pam, but even other less serious relationships he had had in the past. There was always an off feeling that surrounded Pat, one that he was unable to understand and get past.
Shaking his head again to stop himself from getting lost in his own thoughts Pat started the car up and began his short drive back to his empty dorm, empty except for a secret he didn't let himself think about much these days, buried away in his memories until it was nothing more than a faint thought if it came to the surface.
As he pulled into the parking lot his phone dinged as he got a text. Pulling out his phone as he shut the car off he saw that Pam had texted him asking him to come over for the night. With a deep breath Pat put his phone back in his pocket like he hadn't received the text and made his way up to his dorm room alone.
On nights like these Pat couldn't help but think of the past and despite not wanting to be alone the one person he wanted to be there with him was long gone from his life. As Pat went to bed he unconsciously thought of guitars, windows, and dimples he would never see again.