Chapter 2
[Third person’s POV]
Ruben walks into the small apartment with dark sun glasses and a cigarette hanging on the side of his lips. He drops his bags and sighs taking in the place. It looked cozy enough.
“Hey! You must be my roommate!”
Ruben turned to the voice to find a red curly haired tall boy walking out of a room.
Ruben gave a slight nod and pulled on his cigarette, “Ruben.”
“Cool name.” The red guy gave a warm welcome to which Ruben just stared without emotion.
“I'm Mason. I took this room. Hope you don’t mind. The next one is yours.” Mason motions to the room he just walks out from.
“Cool.” Ruben replies picking up his bags.
“You don’t talk much, do you?” Mason frowns a little.
“Is that a problem?” He drops the bags with a stern look.
“Oh no, man. It’s cool. If you need anything am just next door.” Mason chuckled awkwardly pointing to his room.
Ruben took the sunglasses off putting it in his pocket and pulled the hoodie back to reveal his dark locs.
“Damn!” Mason gasped.
Ruben frowns staring him down.
“Don’t take this the wrong way but, damn! You are beautiful! I mean handsome. If you were a chick right now I w_” Mason stopped realizing the uncomfortable look on Ruben’s face, “it’s a compliment. You are a nice looking dude.”
Ruben groans picking up his bags again walking towards his soon to be room.
“One last question.”
Ruben stopped with a heavy sight closing his eyes waiting for this annoying encounter to be over with.
“Are you-are you Korean?”
Ruben spun around fast making Mason jump slightly, “wow hang on! Am not racist or anything. You just look like you are or maybe you are mixed race. I'm fully American, not that you asked.” Mason laughed wholeheartedly.
“Half Thai, half American.” Ruben replies in the best calm tone he could.
“That’s why! I mean Thai folks got some beautiful genes. You clearly are a proof.” Mason eyed him again with a sincere laugh.
“Thank you? Can I go now?”
“Oh man...Of course. I'm so sorry. Sorry you will have to put up with me. And once again, welcome.”
Ruben rushed to the room slamming the door behind him to avoid anymore awkward conversation.
What the hell was that? He thought. How can a person be so nosy. They just met. Of all the people he could be paired with, he got a chatty one.
Ruben fell asleep after setting up his room and getting comfortable on his new bed. His phone rang waking him up. He whines stretching his hand to fetch it.
“Yeah?” He answers sleepily.
“Yo, Ruby!”
“Tine? Hey what’s going on?”
“Just checking on you, bro. How is the new place? You know am not far from your building right? You call me if you need anything, alright?”
Ruben chuckles rolling over, “it’s fine. And yes, yes. I know that. We getting together with Gun later this week right? I will be seeing you soon so don’t worry. I am perfectly fine.” The chat went on for few minutes until he drops his phone with a smile.
He remembers the first time he met Tine. His family has just relocated from Thailand to the USA and he hardly spoke any English and Ruben knew a little Thai so it was friendship at first encounter. He is just few months older than Tine but he was so polite, still is, and kept calling him with honorific. He is the little brother he never had. And Gun was the missing piece to their friendship. Gun was his childhood friend and he welcomed Tine with open arms and they boys have been inseparable since, except when Ruben had to go live with his auntie for almost a year after that unforgettable night.
