Reputation part 1 - Intent
Perth Apichart stared at the dry erase board filled with diagrams of DNA and the breakdown of a cell but was completely lost. He scratched at the back of his head, a tell tale sign he got frustrated and tried writing it down as if that would make it make more sense but all he saw was gibberish of his own making. His wolffish handsome face was face of consternation. His large dark eyes closed in thought. His round nose flared at he let out a breath. Sighing in frustration he looked a few seats over and saw Lei was steadily writing answers to the pop quiz. The black glasses wearing Star Student was living up to the title. Dressed in crisp white button down with the emerald green tie of the 2nd years, and black slacks which was the private University dress code, he took extra care everything he wore looked perfect. While Perth, the star of the school Soccer Team wore his shirt with a few wrinkles, his pants were black jeans, in his eyes close enough, he frowned and had an idea, crumbling up his paper into a tight small ball he aimed and was about to throw it when Lei looked directly at him.
Perth froze, staring at the glaring face behind the black framed glasses. Lei mouthed the words (Do your test) and went back to writing. Moments later the ball bounced off his cheek. Lei stood with his hands on his hips and shouted "Perth!?!" And Perth looked up from his newly started answer page looking like a deer caught in high beams.
Lei looked confused and Perth shared his confusion both turned to look behind Perth where a blushing smiling girl waved at him. Lei waved back trying to laugh off the embarrassment as their classmates snickered. Perth’s eyes widened incredulously and he turned back to the girl and glared. In response she rolled her eyes. Lei being the smartest in their year was only one of the reasons so many admired him. Lei’s face is beautiful with large almond shaped eyes that were a mix of green with bits of amber brown beneath a pair of long dark eyebrows. He has a long nose with a rounded end above a Cupid's bow mouth. He has a limber swimmer's body. Even his thick brown hair, styled to the right with bangs falling above his green and amber eyes was perfect to Perth.
The loud sound of a wooden ruler hitting the desk brought everyone's eyes forward. Their teacher, a graceful older woman with long blond hair pulled back in a French braid wasn't pleased with the outburst. She folded her slender arms over her ample chest and purses her blue lips.
"Mister Bai, are you finished with your pop quiz?!" Miss Cecil asked in a slow menacing voice
"No Miss C," Lei said as he sat back down. Within seconds she had snatched his paper and spoke.
"Yes, you are now, so leave. Come back when you can keep in your seat and keep quiet," Miss Cecil said and when he opened his mouth to speak, a raised eyebrow from her caused him to shut his lips and leave in a hurry.
"Miss C it wasn't his fault he was provoked!" Perth explained and she didn't bother picking up his near blank paper and pointed at the door. Perth was buzzing with anger and wanted to say more but the look on her face was deadly. Looking down in defeat, he noticed the white canvas messenger bag beside Lei’s seat. He knew it was his because it had a human heart picture done in rainbow watercolor across the flap.
"Is there a reason you're still here?" Miss Cecil shouted. That snapped him out of his revelry and he nodded at her and moved between seats and students to grab the bag and head toward the door. He moved swiftly, his large brown eyes searching the hall for Lei but he was already gone.
"Knowing that geek, he's probably off somewhere crying over this. I doubt he's ever been in real trouble before..." Perth thought, anxiety growing as he took out his old iPhone and placed a call. The bag vibrated and cursing, he reached inside and dug around a bit before finding the sleek new sky blue Oppo phone. He looked at the screen and was shocked to see the contact photo was of him sleeping in class. Perth frowned at the photo, it wasn't a good one. His mouth had drool on it, and he looked like a dog passed out.
"That sneaky little fox," Perth said dropping the phone back into the bag and going off to find the little fox.
Lei sat in one of the stalls, breathing heavily and holding himself as he tried to get a hold of himself. He was so embarrassed, all the eyes on him, the laughter. His heart was beating so hard it felt like it was going to burst out of his chest. He tried so hard to calm down, to just focus on breathing. That's what his mother had told him when she was alive.
"Sometimes the world seems too big for you, I know it well my love. But close your eyes and focus on each breath you take. With each breath think about one good thing. Count them, focus on each person or place and count them. It will help slow your heart and you'll smile after" he could still hear her soft, gentle voice and he closed his eyes. Tears ran down his cheeks as he remembered Miss Cecil failing his test. He clasped his hands to his ears and tried to block out the sounds of her angry voice and the students laughter.
Outside the stall, Graham Tavish was styling his hair. Tall and handsome with a face with no blemish, all the girls wanted Graham. His family's wealth and position of power in the world of Digital Tech made him a very sought after man. He took advantage of this every chance he could. Each lock of his recreated bed Head hairstyle needed to be flawless. The sound of wheezing and whimpering caught his attention and he turned quickly and looked at the white stall doors. He narrowed down the sounds to a doors few feet away from him and asked out loud.
The sounds became muffled and he knocked on the door.
"I'm.....fine... please go away," came a choked reply. Graham remembered his older sister Becca when she was having anxiety attacks and knew it was the worst thing he could do. So he reared back and kicked the door hard. The door swung back and almost hit the boy huddled forward holding himself so tightly his knuckles were white.
"Hey...hey," Graham said softly crouching in front of Lei. He didn't know the boy, his tie was the green color of the junior, and he was a senior so this boy was his responsibility.
"C'mere," Graham said and reached out and grabbed Lei and lifted him off the toilet and carried him out of stall. The freshman was so small it was like lifting a girl Graham thought as he carries him out of the bathroom and to one of the benches beside it. Taking hold of Lei’s trembling hands he smiled down at Lei who watched him with frightened eyes.
"It's going to be ok, whatever it is, it's not as bad as you think it is. Just lay here and catch your breath," Graham said softly and kept smiling as he turned to make sure no one was around. His sister had always hated the way he looked at her when she was escalating . So he made sure no one could see Lei’s face as he cried. He was grateful no one came, after a few minutes be felt a soft tug on his shirt. He turned and his eyes widened as he looked down at the golden skinned boy with Amber eyes looking back at him. His cheeks were Rosy from crying and his eyes were puffy from it too.
"Thank you," Lei said slowly and Graham nodded. To him Lei looked as beautiful as any girl he had dated, and he couldn't think of words as the boy sat up slowly and held his held.
"Headache? Yeah that happens after a anxiety or panic attack."he finally said remembering how to talk.
"How did you know," Lei asked his eyes tearing up again.
"My sister used to have those, she still does but she doesn't live with me anymore so I don't know how many she has," Graham recounted. Lei nodded and looked around frowning.
"I have pills in my bag, but it's not here."Lei explained trying to get up but fell back down. Graham held him up against the wall and spoke, "Easy there, your body is coming down from being super active it takes a minute to feel right again" Graham said smiling a charming smile and wiped at Lei’s brow with his sweater sleeve.
The same smile Perth saw from a few feet away having finally found Lei. His large dark eyes were set in a glare as he stomped over. Graham's attention was on Lei but Lei saw the tall angry man heading there direction and quickly moved Graham's hands away.
"Little Fox! You forgot your bag!" Perth exclaimed his heartbeat pulsing in his ears as he watched Lei move away from the handsome guy Perth had seen at the Medical building. The man had a reputation for bedding any beautiful woman who walked past him.
Lei leaned forward and reached for it and Perth took a step back. His intent to get Lei to move away from the wolf next to him. Lei’s eyebrows rose in surprised confusion. He rose from the wooden bench and stepped forward to take it. Graham wise to his intent now, grabbed Lei’s other wrist. Perth reacted on pure instinct as he let Lei have the bag and shoved Graham back.
"Don't touch what's not yours." Perth growled as he moved into Graham's personal space. They were nose to nose, tension burning between them.
"Is he yours than? Last time I checked you were very straight or are the rumors about our star Soccer Player lies?" Graham asked smiling a teasing smile. One that made Perth really want to punch off his handsome face. Lei shoved his way in between the two of them, annoyed with the dog and the wolf snarling over him.
"I am not a Toy, Graham! You don't get to touch me no matter what condition I'm in when you find me." Lei stated, giving Graham a glare in dare to contradict him. Perth smirked at him. But Lei turned to face him with a similar look.
"And You! We are friends, we share a common goal but that doesn't make me your property. Stop acting like a dog pissing on my leg or stay away from me." Lei said and stomped off away from the two dumbfounded men. He was grateful neither chased him or they would have seen the redness of his face and the trembling of his hands. His crush had been jealous over him, he couldn't believe it, refused to believe it. He finally stopped at the elevator and took a breath.
"What is it with you," Graham asked, the smile he had used gone. In its place a frown and measuring curiosity. Perth looked into those eyes for a while. It was always easier to tell a stranger a secret, you don't care what they think of you. But the people you're close too, the ones who see you every day, it's impossible.
"I...I don't know.Lei, he makes me crazy. The things that run through my mind when he's happy or in pain. I don't know. I want him to look at me the way he looked at you," Perth said lowering his head in defeat.
"Sounds like you Love him." Graham said after a moment of thought. He sat down and folded his arms waiting. Perth heard the words, but it took him moments to process the weight of them.
"Maybe, but it doesn't matter. You heard him, friend, that's what I am," Perth said looking down at Graham who shrugged.
"You sure are stupid soccer star, but word of advice. If you don't tell him, you'll only ever be his friend." Graham stated before pulling his phone from his pocket and beginning to text someone. Noting that Perth was still there, he waved him away without another word.
"He seemed pretty angry with me," Perth thought as he walked back the way he came. He didn't take the elevator remaining on the second floor of the college Science building. He was lost in his head, his mind replaying the anger on Lei’s face as his feet moved on their own. Looking up finally he saw that he was back at Miss Cecil classroom. Looking through the glass of the metal door he saw she was still there. At her desk grading tests from the previous class. A thought came into his head and he knocked.
The look she gave him wasn't a happy one and he let out a sigh of relief when she motioned him in.
"Mister Pravit, I thought you'd be off with a short skirt by now." Miss Cecil said lowering her reading glasses and looking at him.
"No ma'am, I was wondering if you could let us retake the test," Perth asked sheepishly.
"Why would I do that? You don't comprehend the basic make up of cellular structure and think it's your mission to antagonize my star student. And he is easily baited by you to do something stupid every time." Miss Cecil said, her brows creasing into a straight line.
"You're right, it's my fault not Lei’s. Can he retake the test, me I will just work harder, pay more attention," Perth said clasping his hands in a sign of prayer to her. She raised an eyebrow
"If you could even stay awake during one of my lectures that would be an improvement," she added and paused thinking it over.
"You're not really here for you to retake this test at all. Are you?" Miss Cecil asked leaning back in her chair
"No, it's for him. I don't think he's ever failed at anything before. So to have a failed test is probably hitting him hard. So if you could let him do it again, I promise that I will leave him alone during your class. And I won't sleep anymore." Perth begged.
Miss Cecil closed her eyes, massaging the bridge of her nose as she sighed heavily and nodded.
"You both must be here tomorrow at 7am sharp, if either of you says a word I will fail you so fast your head will spin." Miss Cecil stated in a cold voice raising her ruler for emphasis. Perth ran to her and held her hand excitedly.
"Thank you Thank you Thank you!" He shouted, Miss Cecil shook with the strength of the shaking and finally had had enough and smacked his hand soundly with the ruler. Perth moved out of reach rubbing the back of his hand but still grinning from ear to ear.
"Get out, I have work to do and I assume you have studying to do if you want to pass this test. And do let Lei know" Miss Cecil said as she put on her reading glasses and went back to work.
Leaving the classroom, Perth’s eyes widened in fear at texting Lei about tomorrow. He was unsure of how to do it after the jealous ass he had made of himself. Taking a deep breath he pulled out his phone and unlocked it with his face and sent a "Hey Lil Fox" before exhaling loudly. His face red from holding his breath. Now to wait for an answer and get some lunch, his stomach growling as he made his way to the canteen.
