"This is my brother Thahan. Thahan, this is Rom, 4th year senior", Nat introduces me.
'What the heck is this thing!' was my first thought.
A guy. Sleeves rolled up to elbow showing off his veiny muscular arms, violent purple hair making me feel nauseous. His forehead showing wrinkles of irritation. Underneath thick eyebrows, a pair of bright eyes that were ogling my sister. Hmm. Nothing different than other guys I guess. He wanna hit on Nat. Typical.
I don't like it.
I don't like him.
I get him though. Faculty bad boy, probably wastes his time away threatening people and pretending to be important. I feel he has a gang and they spend their days beating up students who don't bow their heads down to their whimsical ways. When Nat told me she had a friend in my faculty who can help me out, I was hoping a good guy with kind and polite attitude, studies well and complies with people. How the heck Nat befriended this guy! He must have tried to hit him. Knowing my sister, she probably doesn't want to be in the bad book of this guy just to avoid headache.
Sigh. This is gonna be so dreadful. I hope in my 4 years of studying, I never need help from this guy.
Hang on. What did Nat just say? He is a 4th year senior! That means... He is only gonna be around for a year. And as far as I know there's a three months mandatory internship in the curriculum. And a lot of projects and assignments. So that means, he is gonna hardly be around.
The dark clouds that's been gathering in my head started to disperse a little. I take a deep breath. One year. No, nine months at most. Let's do it. If my sister has decided to put me under his care, she must have thought it through. One thing about my sister is, she absolutely adores me. She won't want to make it difficult for me. And if this guy is still interested in my sister, he will be careful how he treats me.
I brace myself. What's his name again? Right, Rom.
As I'm engulfed in my thoughts, Rom's eyes find mine. At first I see irritation in them but it soon changes to shock and disbelief. He knows. I gulp. He knows I don't like him. As he watches me in disbelief, for some reason, his eyes start to twinkle. The expression change to amusement.
Oh no! He finds it funny. If my assumptions of this guy is even 10% correct. He has just found his favourite toy.
Damn it. Nat always teases me as my fac always betrays my inner thoughts.
I sigh heavily. Let's get on with this.
"Hello" , I say dryly.
Rom arches an eyebrow. A playful smirk around his lips. Okay. This guy likes challenges. Huh. That's a slight difference from other guys like him.
"Swadee khrap Khun Thahan" . He not only folds his hands to wai, but also bends slightly to show his humility. Some people around us chuckle.
F*ck him! He has already begun his game.
Nat clears her throat, glaring at me.
I back off.
"Swadee khrap P' Rom. I am Thahan, a 1st year Business Administration. I will look up to you. Please take care of me." I add a forced politeness.
I look at Nat and she smiles, approving.
Rom looks at me and flashes a smile. Disgusting.
"Well, I shall leave him to you then. Let's see each other around", Nat says to Rom smiling.
Rom finally tores his eyes from my face and looks at her. Jesus! Stop looking at my sister creepily.
"Sure, see you."
Nat puts a hand on my shoulder. "Well, have fun and be careful. I will pick you up in the evening. Call me if you need anything and...", she eyes Rom carefully and gets closure to my ears, keeping her voice a little down, " don't go head to head with him. I know you don't like him. But around here, he has the final words. I heard rumours that even the professors take him seriously. "
She takes a step back. "Take care of yourself", she reminds me again.
She turns to Rom and touches his forearms lightly. I groan internally.
Rom gives a knowing smile. Disgusting. I say again internally.
Nat waves at us and leaves. Her girlfriends toe her as usual.
I watch my sister's retreating back. As a representative of the male society, my sister is one of the most beautiful woman I have seen. She is cordial, kind, generous, good at studying. But she is also practical, cautious and wary of most people. That makes her easy to befriend but not easy to fool.
Me on the other side, according to my sister and my close friends, helpful, kind, faithful, loyal and easy to make a fool. From childhood till now Nat and my friends keep protecting me from 'friends' I trusted. I have spent countless nights hugging my sister, bawling my eyes out at some betrayal or the other. However, this also has toughened me up a lot. I still am the soft kind person to my people. But, even they don't know that over time I have become vigilant and wary of anyone I meet. I have also become reserved and not easy to open up. I haven't befriended anyone since 9th grade. But now, time has changed, I have grown mature. Although I have a boyish look, I feel like life has already made me a middle aged man. I want to make new friends as my old ones are all away now back at my hometown.
"What the hell are you daydreaming of? ", I jump at the sudden yell beside my ear. Rom is looking at me, frowning. " I told you to go line up with your classmates and wait for the seniors. Did you not hear me? Or are you trying to get on my nerves? ", he shouts again.
What the hell! Is that how he manages to keep everyone at his toe? Damn. He is sick.
"What?", he frown again. I must have a big scowl on my face.
I sigh again. "Sorry P'Rom." I fold my hand again amd dart back towards the freshmen line up.
Ugh. I hate it here already.