YOU'RE EVERYTHING I NEVER WANTED (A VP fanfic)

Chapter 30

PETE

Pete finds himself in a cabin with Sean and his so called followers. However somewhat to his surprise Vegas' other friend Dan is also there.

Pete hadn't thought Dan to be a nasty bully too. But you can never guess.

'It's just a few hours of journey, I can handle them' he tries to muster up courage and takes his seat beside a guy from second year he supposes.

Sean is sitting with his legs pulled over the small snacks table in the middle. He offers Pete a lazy smirk in between the puffs of his cigarette. The heel of his boot facing Pete and could be a deliberate attempt at superiority.

"You came alone." He observes.

Pete shifts uncomfortably in his seat, something about the tone doesn't sit well with him. He offers a little nod in return.

Sean chuckles and Pete feels a bit like the sacrificial lamb. His hand itches to touch the phone sitting in his pocket, earlier he set the recorder on. And he has Vegas' number on speed dial...just in case. Vegas will be in some other cabin with his friends.

The train starts moving. It's a six hours journey to the hills of Chiang Mai. Pete feels suffocated because almost everyone in the cabin starts smoking eventually, the air heavy with nicotine.

Pete is thinking about slipping out with the excuse of a bathroom break when someone holds up a cigarette in front of him.

"I- I don't smoke.." he refuses awkwardly.

"Nobody asked if you do." Sean voices and everyone laughs.

Pete gulps nervously. The hand still holding the cig stick in front of him, all eyes on him.

Looks like he can't refuse. With a trembling hand he takes the cig.

"C'mon you just gonna hold it like lollipop? Aww the good kid can't smoke" Another bout of laughter follows.

He puts the stick between his lips and someone lights the tip for him.

"Take a puff, it's your big boy moment." Sean continues his guide to smoking and apparently everyone finds it amusing.

Pete thinks they'll leave him alone if he obeys and doesn't show fear. So he takes a puff, hot air fills up his lungs immediately and he chokes on the foreign sensation. Bouts of violent cough follows, Pete gasps for fresh air but the room is filled with nicotine. His misery tunes out all the loud mocking voices in the background.

Someone takes away the stick from him.

"That's enough."

Pete squints up through his watery eyes to find it's Dan who's spoken.

"Looks like you have a knack for choking, what else do you choke on?" Sean wonders, voice full of suggestive tone.

Some laugh, some show disgust by doing gagging voices. Pete's ears burn at the dirty suggestion. And a cold fear creeps up...how do they know?

He has been confused about his sexual identity for a while now but he has never viewed it as something dirty or embarrassing up until now. Is that how the world views people like him? Or maybe he's reading too much into the lines... maybe Sean is just trying to get under his skin... because there's no way they'll know right?

'Don't give him the satisfaction of getting a reaction out of yourself' he tells himself.

The journey continues and for some time they forget about him, thankfully. Drinks are out one by one. Someone puts on a loud DJ music. Pete calculates his chances of getting out alive from this cabin. He head starts throbbing. He has always been sensitive to smell of smoke, it was difficult with Vegas in the first few months for this reason. But apparently Vegas has stopped smoking now for whatever reason Pete is glad. Thinking about Vegas makes him smile.