Just a Game.

Chapter 6

Jimmy is nervous collecting his uniform all alone. Just as he is about to go back, he heads down the stairs and accidentally knocked into someone. "I'm sorry. Are you okay?" Jimmy asks as he tries to help the guy up.

"Y-Yeah. Dude, you're so tall. Are you a new student here?" The guy asks. He reaches out a hand. "I'm Natasit. I'm going to start engineering course next week."

Jimmy accepts Natasit's hand. "Same. Hopefully we'll be in the same class. It'd be nice to go into a class knowing someone." Jimmy says.

"Yeah!" Natasit takes out his phone. "If you don't mind, I'd like to get your number."

Jimmy nods. They exchange their numbers and Jimmy keeps his phone in his pocket. "I'll head off first. It was nice meeting you." Jimmy says his good byes as Natasit head into the foyer. The smaller boy waves good bye at him.

Jimmy smiles to himself. It's his first friend that he manages to make at the campus. So far he's doing well for being alone. He couldn't wait to reach home and tell Tommy about it even though it didn't seem like a big matter.

Pond follows the two boys around as they walk around the wet market. The smell and the wet, dirty floor are making Pond uncomfortable. He don't even know how Tommy and Phuwin are able to stand all of this. He wants to get out as soon as possible.

Phuwin straightens his back after bending over, looking at the salmon on a mountain of ice. He turns around to Pond. "You don't look too happy." Phuwin comments as he sees Pond's face. Phuwin and Tommy could tell that he doesn't like places like this and it is obvious from Pond's face.

Pond shakes his head. "No. I'm fine. It's just that it's so dirty here."

Tommy let out a sigh. "Pond, it's a market. What do you expect? Where else do you think we get our food? It's all this that is going into your stomach."

"Remember my condition when you asked me to stay with you?" Phuwin points at Pond with a smile. "Unless you want to take it back and let me win, I'm definitely fine with it."

Pond rolls his eyes and puts up a confident front. "I'm fine with this. Watch." Pond walks over to the dead salmon that Phuwin was eyeing. "How much is this?"

The lady look at Pond with a lifted brow then at the two boys behind him. "Twenty if you pack it yourself." The lady throws Pond a plastic bag as she folds her arm, looking at Pond intensely.

Pond turns behind him, looking at Tommy and Phuwin then turn back to the lady. He reaches for the fish. He pinches the tail and could feel the slimy texture on his fingers. It sends tingles crawling down back. The lady laughs at Pond.

Phuwin shakes his head and grabs the fish by the gills. Phuwin puts the fish into the plastic bag and reaches into his pocket, taking out the twenty. He hands over the lady the cash. "Thank you. Sorry about him." Phuwin apologizes.

When the three boys walks away, Phuwin bumps Pond by the side as he looks at his hand that touched the fish. "Are you okay? Is this your first time holding a fish?" Phuwin asks.

"Yeah. He usually asks his maid to buy everything. He doesn't even know how to cook." Tommy joins the conversation.

Phuwin could see that Pond is embarrassed so he stopped disturbing him. "What would you like to eat now?" He asks, trying to cheer him up. Phuwin passes his baggage to Tommy who takes it unwillingly.

Tommy watches as Phuwin takes out a napkin and wipes Pond's hand from the grimes. "There. Stop sulking. It's gone now. What would you like to eat?"

Tommy smiles to himself, knowing that he is about to win the bet with Jimmy. "Anything but fish for now." Pond replies.

"If you guys don't mind, can you guys send me off first? I'm supposed to be cooking for Jimmy when he gets home." Tommy request.