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34.2 Shame

Arthit woke up from the smell of antiseptic in the air. He opened his eyes, not fully understanding what happened to him. The colorless ceiling, trying to process how he ended up on a bed.

He sat up, feeling like he was moving in water. His movements were sluggish while his emotions were in disarray. Arthit couldn't process. Nothing was in sync.

"Good. You're awake. I got a car waiting for us." Knot spoke carefully, afraid that a wrong word from him might affect Arthit's condition.

Knot watched his friend stare silently into space and nod slightly. Arthit looked very out of it like he was still in shock.

His friend didn't comment on his behavior. He simply helped Arthit with his things and guided him to the car that was waiting for them in the parking lot. Their other friends were already waiting there.

Arthit didn't protest and followed obediently. Thankfully, no one harassed them on the way to the parking lot. At most, they received a lot of stares from other students. Some took pictures, Arthit was still not himself while Knot didn't have the energy to deal with them.

The trip to the car was fortunately short. Arthit got into the car and sat in between Knot and Prem. Toota was on the front passenger seat and Bright on the driver's seat.

They left school without much fuss. It was awfully quiet, which was very unusual with their gang. Normally, someone was shouting or arguing. It was either Bright or Toota, but no one was in the mood for a petty banter.

To fill the silence, Bright reached for the radio, but quickly slapped on the hand by Toota. Toota glared at him, signaling no.

Bright wanted to protest, but he saw the warning looks from Knot and Prem through the mirror. He kept his mouth shut and continued driving.

Arthit quietly looked outside, still lost in his own thoughts. No one knew what he was thinking about.

The sky had darkened when they arrived at their destination. The quiet time helped Arthit gain a sense of awareness. When he got out of the car, he finally noticed that it wasn't the dorm, but a large house. He looked at his friends and saw Bright looking very at home.

"Can you guys tell me again why Bright's living in a cheap dorm when he has a house like this?" Toota asked while looking at the modern house in front of him.

Knot shrugged and helped Arthit with his things. "You know Bright. He has a weird brain. No one fully knows what goes on in his mind."

Bright heard them and rolled his eyes. "There's no fun in living in my parent's house. I can't stay out late. They're quite strict even though I'm quite responsible."

His last words sent Prem laughing in disbelief. He could never visualize Bright to be responsible. He's such a troublemaker. "You? Responsible? How come I haven't seen it?"

"Har Har. I wouldn't be doing well in my studies if I'm not responsible." Bright retorted back and made a point.

"Somehow even though you're my friend Bright, I still wonder how could you finish a five thousand word assignment when you've been drinking the night before it's submission." Toota thought it to be one of the world's greatest mysteries.

"It's a gift Ai'Toot. I'm simply too smart for my own good." Toota swatted away Bright's hand from his shoulder.

An old man that was around 40s welcomed them with an amiable smile. "Good evening sir Bright and his friends. I hope the ride was pleasant. The rooms have been prepared for the rest of your stay."