Chapter Text
Chapter 1: Sunrise
People think the first day of a new semester is supposed to change your life, a new beginning for students to get their lives together to some extent. Mine didn’t.
It was another normal first day of 2nd year of high school for me. The clock on the wall displayed 7:28, I was early by over 30 minutes. Then why was I so exhausted even though I made it early to class? The irony made me laugh quietly to myself. I had woken up early today, way too early. I was sleeping in my room when I heard yelling in the room next to mine—it was my parents’.
At first I tried to go back to sleep and shut the voices out when I heard hurried footsteps down the stairs, followed by something breaking as it hit the floor. My eyes snapped open as I scrambled to get out of bed. I made my way out of my room and only slowed once I reached the bottom stair.
My father was swaying left to right clearly intoxicated and my mother stood on the opposite side facing him teary eyed.
This was a scene I had seen many times. My father going out bitter, returning intoxicated and lashing out all his anger on us.
He looked at my mother in disgust and began to speak, words slurred, “where is the money in the joint account?” My mother turned her head to look at me slowly, trying but failing to hold back her tears.
She sniffled, voice trembling as she started to talk, “Pik starts 2nd semester tomorrow and the Parent Teacher Association introduced new extracurricular activities this semester and for now the tuition doesn’t cover it so we had to pay for that and so—” She barely landed the last words when a slap landed on her right cheek, the sound echoing through the room and sending shivers down my spine.
It wasn’t the first time she had been hit.
He pointed his finger at her, “and who gave you permission to use my money on extracurricular activities for that brat?” My mother’s broken sobs echoed through the quiet and she sniffled before speaking, “I told you about it after the Parent Teaching meeting and also last week before going to the bank to make the transfer”.
“So because you told me does that give you the right to waste money on that? You made the bank stop giving me money from that account, money I put in there from my hard work just to pay for that?” He said turning his full attention towards me now.
Panic flushed through my eyes— “Run!” was all I heard my mum cry out I knew better than to wait and see who he would hit next.
I shut the door and counted waiting my impending doom
3, 2, 1….. silence.
I waited a few more minutes before slowly opening the door. I walked to the edge of the staircase and saw him passed out. I walked back to my room and checked the time on my phone. It displayed 5:57. Great, I decided to forget about sleeping and get ready for school instead.
I walked towards the bathroom and started brushing my teeth in front of the sink. I looked at my reflection in the mirror and noticed a small bruise on my shoulder. There was a time he carried me on his shoulders I thought rubbing the spot. It didn’t hurt so it wasn’t recent.
But it was a reminder. I got ready and walked out the door in an hour.
No sooner had I reached the bus stop than the bus arrived. I found myself a seat near the back by the window. Plugging my earphones in, I looked out the window and the sun was just rising.
The wind was blowing lightly when I opened the window. It smelt fresh probably because of the bakery that was close to the bus stop. I closed my eyes and let the sunlight fall on my face. “No matter what happens in the night, the sun always rises and shines the next day” I thought with my eyes closed.
❦──────── LIBEROSIS ────────❦
I felt someone tagging on my sleeve gently until I eventually opened my eyes with the sunlight still falling on my face.
I blinked once then twice— my surroundings slowly coming into view. I saw the window first then the desk I just lifted my head off and the board. Oh I was in class. I forgot.
Slowly I turned my head around towards the source of the tugging and saw a tall boy standing with his black bangs falling over his forehead.
His haircut looked kinda ridiculous but in a cute way like he was still in middle school. He stood with his bag slanged over one of his shoulders. He looked at me for a while ans if observing me or waiting for something. When our eyes met, he finally spoke, “I said can I sit here?”
He looked at me eyes blinking and I finally spoke, “sure”. He pulled the seat out and sat down. Placing his books on the table he spoke, “you look like you were deep in sleep even to the point of dreaming” he said looking at me quizzically.
I chuckled slightly and answered, “actually I was. Except it wasn’t a dream.” I said glancing at the clock on the wall, the time read 7:55.
The boy gave me a look between confusion and amazement, “you looked scared” He nodded as if confirming his suspicion. I smiled and answered, “I was”.
I had gotten off the bus and arrived to class at 7:28. I decided to take a nap before class started and ended up reliving my nightmare, no not a nightmare but actually my reality again.
Even in the world of fantasy my brain still chooses to remind me of how my life is— isn’t the universe playing such a cruel joke?
I snapped back from thinking to myself and realized the boy had been staring at me the whole time. This time I decided to speak first.
“are you new? I haven’t seen you before”.
“Oh yeah. I guess we can say I’m new or my grades miraculously picked up last semester. I’m Jaijai. But you can call me Jai” he smiled.
He’s a little cheeky I thought to myself.
He looked at my book on my desk squinting his eyes to read the name
“Sanit, that’s a cool name” I looked at him with a puzzled expression and eventually said “call me Pik that’s what everyone calls me.”
He nodded and repeated the name, “Pokpik” he said and smiled mischievously. I was taken aback by the nickname. Was he making fun of me saying I’m small.
I decided to retaliate and call him “Jaijai” instead of just Jai as he suggested but he smiled and I caught myself smiling back.
The bell rang just as the teacher walked in. She greeted the class whilst setting her materials down. She started off by taking attendance when suddenly she exclaimed, “oh my word, it must have escaped me but we have a new student with us here. Jai could you stand up and introduce yourself please?”
Jai rose to his feet and cleared his throat before speaking “Hello, I’m Jai from room B. I hope we can all get along very well” he finished.
The teacher motioned for him to sit down and he took his seat. She continued with the attendance and when that was done she, she began her lesson. When the bell rang for change of period, I heard the teacher call my name signaling me to her table
“Sanit please help Jai articulate well. Since he’s already your desk partner things will be easier.” She ended.
I nodded “yes ma’am I will” I said excusing myself.
When bell finally rang for lunch time I was starving. I made my way to the dining hall with my food coupon. I showed it to the lunch lady and helped myself with food on my plate. I went and sat down in the back quietly.
The first bite barely landed in my mouth when someone nudged me.
“Hey scoot over”. I looked up and saw Jai.
Why did he want to sit here of all places? It was in the back and hotter since the AC barely reached here. I chose here specifically because it was quiet and less crowded— I shifted anyway. He sat in the seat which was previously mine.
We ate in quiet for a moment but then I noticed only I was eating and he was just staring at me, as if observing me. Then slowly he slid something over to me. I looked at him puzzled.
“I’m too full. I made a sandwich with a full loaf but could only manage half a piece, help me finish it”.
I looked at the half-wrapped sandwich and back at him. As if sensing I was about to refuse he looked at me with pleading eyes and said “please?”
”Take it as my desk-warming gift as your new desk mate” he added
”That isn’t even a thing” I said look at him dead in the eyes.
”please?” He said lifting his hands in a wai.
I reluctantly picked up the sandwich and took a bite—it was good. We spent the rest of lunch eating in silence till we returned to class.
—✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* Jas_t_mine *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧—
Once the last school bell rang, I packed my bag quickly and left the class in order to not miss the bus. After school it was more difficult to catch the bus since they easily got filled up.
I reached the bus stop in time, I let out a relieved breath
“Which bus?” I heard beside me. I turned around—it was Jai. “bus 10” I replied simply.
“Same” he said. We both got on the bus and I found a seat near the back and sat by the window. Jai sat in the seat next to mine and said nothing. I connected my earphones in and started playing my playlist.
When it was almost my stop, I took out the right side of my earphones and spoke in a low tone “my stop it next “. Hearing that Jai stood up giving me room to slide out. “Thank you” I whispered before getting off, perhaps the thank you was for giving me room to get off easily or the sandwich earlier.
I walked down the street passing by the old bookshop continuing down the road. My house wasn’t far after I reached the playground. I saw a little girl playing with her dad by the swings. Mine used to pick me up and spin me around too I thought.
He used to bring me to the park and buy me ice cream too.
Mom would always complain about my dental health but we all ended up getting the ice cream anyway. I kept walking till I got to my house. I paused and looked up the street I had just come from. Suddenly remembering something
Hmm, I never asked where Jai got off.