Bet On Love

41. The Mission (Phana's chapter)

Phana leaned back against the wall holding his pool stick in one hand and a beer in the other. It had been a couple of days since he last spoke to Yo and besides going to class, he spent those two days locked up in his dorm room. Kit and Beam really wanted to try and cheer him up so they dragged him out to their favorite bar and were playing a game of pool, but Phana was too sad to be interested and kept having to be reminded of his turn. Surprisingly though, he was still winning.

"Pha," Kit tried not to sound annoyed but this was the fifth time he had to remind him. "It's your turn again."

Phana rolled his eyes and sighed heavily.

"I'll play your turn if you really don't want to." Beam said, snatching Phana's cue stick.

"No way I'm playing you. You cheat!" Kit pointed at him while blocking his path to the table.

"How can you cheat in pool? Move out the way. I'm playing his turn." Beam gave Kit a little shove then moved around the table to get a better angle at the ball. Kit grunted in frustration but his frustration quickly disappeared when he saw that Beam had a terrible shot and didn't sink any balls.

Phana sighed heavily again and took a seat at a nearby table. Beam straightened up and watched him then exchanged glances with Kit. They both set down their sticks and joined Phana at the table.

"What's on your mind boss?" Beam asked.

"How could he think I was cheating on him?" Phana finally asked.

"Come on, Ai'Pha. It's an easy assumption to make after seeing those pictures. Just like when everyone first saw those pictures with you and N'Yo. And those were true."

"But I'm not a cheater!" Phana yelled. "I might have been a jerk in the past but I'm not a dirty rat of a cheater."

Kit placed his hand on Phana's shoulder. If there was one thing he could vouch for about Phana, it was definitely his loyalty; and his devotion even though he sucked at showing it. Outwardly, Phana had been a jerk, but inwardly, there had only been one person on his mind and inside his heart and that was Wayo Panitchayasawad. He had never shown devotion to any other person the way he (secretly) showed it to Wayo, so Kit could understand how the assumption could hurt him so much.

"Look, Ai'Pha. You told him the truth but you left before the both of you could really talk this out. If you had, and he still chose not to believe you, then I can understand you walking out. Why not try again?" Kit asked hopefully.

Phana shook his head. "No. It's not just because he accused me."

"What happened?"

"...he thought it might be easier if I were dating Pring instead."

"Shia! That high maintenance bitch??" Beam shouted. "Who would want to date her?"

"He really said that?" Kit asked. Phana nodded and looked down at his hands.

"I think he's ashamed to be with me."

"No way, Ai'Pha, don't think that!" Beam said loudly.

"Yea, I don't believe that either." Kit agreed.

"Then what could it be? Why would he say that it would be better for me to be with her?" This time Phana had tears in his eyes and Kit was shocked to see them. It wasn't often that Phana got so worked up he cried. The last time he had seen Phana cry was years ago in the eleventh grade. Ironically enough, he had been crying over Wayo then too. Back then he had been angry with himself that he didn't have the courage to admit to Yo that he liked him and he was also stressed about the pressure he was feeling about having feelings for a guy and not all the many girls that threw themselves at him.