We forgot about that incident after awhile. Pai was more open about Claire, which was, uh… Both a good thing and a bad thing.
He told me about everything he did with her and I had to pretend to be happy.
I swore that I was gonna go crazy.

“I think she might be the one, Sy-san.” Pai sighed and lay back on freshly cut grass in the afternoon sun.

I gave him a funny look. “You mean the one? Like, for marriage?” No way, this was, like his first girlfriend.. He couldn’t be serious!

“Well.. I dunno.. Maybe?”  Pai sounded convinced.
I was not, and did not want my best buddy/ the object of my desires (insert mental slap here) getting hitched before he gave me a chance! Well, and he was kinda young, and she wasn’t the sharpest crayon in the box…. But mostly the first one. Kidding, kidding.

“Pai… You can’t just, like go and marry her, she’s…” I hesitated. All that I could think of were insults. Not nice, Sy….

Pai sat up. “She’s what?”

“She’s… Just… Not right for you. I don’t think she is.” The nicest thing I could come up with.

Pai suddenly stood up. He looked miffed. “You’re just jealous you don’t have a girlfriend, Sy-san.”

No, I’m jealous you have a girlfriend, you moron. “What?” I said instead.

“I know you and I have been spending less time together, but I like her, she makes me happy! That should be good enough for you!”

I was speechless.

“Talk to me after you’ve done some growing up.” He growled and stomped away.

He’d.. He’d never spoken to me like that (well, we’d had fights and all, but I mean, that was just cruel). It pissed me off and made me sad at the same time. I ran up and grabbed his arm.

“I’m trying to look out for you! She’s just some- some stupid slut, Pai, haven’t you heard about her—“ I found myself  looking at a bunch of fuzzy green. Oh, I was on the ground.
My cheek seared with pain. It took me a few seconds to realize I’d just been punched in the face.
But.. by who? Not Pai. No way!

I sat up and saw Pai still stuck in just-punched position.
He straightened up and glared at me.

“Sy..! What the hell is wrong with you!? How dare you say something like that about her!”

I felt so empty. I didn’t care what I said. “Screw you. If you wanna go fuck up your life, fine.  Piss off. I won’t care anymore. But she won’t love you, Pai.”

Pai looked shocked, then angry again. The only other time I’d ever seen him this angry was when he’d yelled at my dad in that hospital room.

“Well screw you, too, then. You can be such a prick sometimes, Sy….” He gave me one last icy glare and left.

I let my head fall into my hands.
What was going to happen now? Surely this wouldn’t end our friendship, but….
What Pai said stung more than any punch ever could…

I went home when the sky started to become overcast.

I spent the rest of the night in my room, just staring at the ceiling.
I had been way out of line to say what I did… Now what was going to happen?
Guess I was gonna have to be the mature one and apologize…
Well, I’d do that tomorrow. It was late now. I was tired.

I still remember that night…

Pai and I were so close.. I felt my face get hot. He laughed and said something I didn’t understand. I have no idea if it was gibberish or just another language, but after, he kissed me.
I wrapped my arms around his neck, trying to get him to go deeper.
Oh, how long I’d waited for this.

I felt his hand travel up my back, and realized that we were both shirtless.
I shivered.

I had to pull away from the kiss to catch my breath, but Pai needed to keep his mouth occupied, so he went at my neck.
I kept the noises in my throat as he kissed it.

I felt another hand run down my chest, way down south, and as he kissed me again his hand—

The phone brought me out of what would have meant a change of sheets.
Huh… Dream… Damn you phone!
Oh well… It was 11:30 in the morning. Time to get up anyways…

I picked it up and managed a groggy “hello”.

“Sy-san!” It was Pai. And.. he sounded distraught

“Pa-Pai? What’s wrong?” All my anger from yesterday was out the window.

“Sy-san, please, I ne-need to talk to you.. P-please!”