Orbit

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The distant echo of upbeat music fills the air somewhere within the campus while the stage lights flash faintly through the frosted glass of the tiny jail booth.

It was supposed to be a night of celebration - the school's founding anniversary, a chance for students to let loose and forget their deadlines for once. Instead, Namtan Tipnaree, a third-year film major student and self-proclaimed queen of spontaneity, found herself slumped against the wall of a poorly ventilated campus security booth.

She wasn't alone.

Beside her sat the quietest person she'd ever met in her life. Correction - not just quiet, agonizingly quiet. The girl, whose ID lanyard identified her as Film Rachanun, a Sophomore Architecture student, had barely spoken a word since they were shoved in here together an hour ago.

If it wasn't for those stupid dorks - Mark and Nanon - taunting her to re-enact a scene from their stage play after the dean's welcome remarks, she wouldn't be in this godforsaken situation right now and what pisses her off even more was the fact that her actual partner in crime got away with it!

"Damn you, Mark, Nanon & Milk. Count your days because once I get out of here..." she muttered under her breath, clenching her fists as she does so.

The clanking of handcuff chains resounded through the room, breaking Namtan's vengeful thoughts.

She side-eyed the girl beside her and then stared at her wrist in disbelief, the cold steel of the cuff biting into her skin. Attached to the other end of the chain was the wrist of the most motionless girl she'd ever met.

Film sat perfectly still; her expression unreadable as if being handcuffed to a complete stranger was just another Friday night for her.

"This has got to be a joke," Namtan finally groaned, rattling the chain between them for emphasis. She's the type who couldn't stand being silent for so long.

"Phi! Do you seriously think what I did was an offense? The dean has finished talking by then so it signals the start of the celebration!" She turned toward Kapook, a criminology student outside the booth window.

"Nong, I gotta wait for the go signal. I'll be in trouble if I let you two loose" Kapook reasoned sluggishly as she scrolled through her phone. Not even sparing Namtan a glance.

Film finally spoke, her voice calm but faint. "You were standing on a table shouting 'Viva la revolution'".

"She has a point!" Kapook said, matter-of-factly.

"That was a performance piece," Namtan shot back, indignation coloring her tone. "Art is meant to provoke emotions! It's not my fault that the school admin lacks imagination." She gestured dramatically with her cuffed wrist, accidentally tugging Film's arm forward.

"Ow! -" Film flinched, trying to yank her arm back.

"Sorry!" Namtan winced. "Goodness, this is a disaster. How did you even end up here, anyway? You don't exactly scream troublemaker."

Film sighed softly; her fingers doing invisible circles on the floor they sat on. "I was at the drinking fountain trying to refill my water bottle when suddenly I saw a girl running towards me, took a left turn and hid herself.

Next thing I knew, one of the designated student guards grabbed me by the arm and dragged me through the crowd, he may have mistaken me for someone else since we were wearing the same hair tie"

Namtan leaned behind and saw that the girl had her hair up in a ponytail using a thin, red lace. And it dawned on her - Milk Pansa! Her jaw dropped and bent her head down low, biting her lips.

Guilt starts to creep in.

"Kho Tohd kha Nong'Film, I'm sorry I dragged you into this stupid mess. The guard mistook you for my friend, Milk. The one I did the re-enactment with during the welcoming address earlier"

She turned to Film, bowing and doing the 'wai - ไหว้' gesture with her free hand as an apology. Her head briefly touching Film's shoulder.

Film flinched at the touch and a barely visible blush forms on her cheeks. She gripped the hem of her skirt upon realizing the close proximity between them.

She managed to cough out a little "It's fine Phi, don't worry about it" before scooching farther away from Namtan.

"This is quite the unexpected turn of events, huh?" Namtan huffed, blowing away a rogue hair strand stuck over her eyes.

Radio silence.

"I didn't think I'd end up here today. How about you?" She tried again. Film glanced at Namtan briefly, then looks back at the floor.

"Let me guess, if you weren't trapped here, since you're from Architectures, you most probably spend your time at benches or library? Sketching something, like buildings or maybe hmm, sceneries, am I right?" Namtan continued.

It's already bad that she's stuck in this miserable booth while her friends are out there having the time of their life, there's no harm in trying to befriend her 'inmate', plus, it'll make time pass by faster.

Film tugs at the cuffs nervously, avoiding eye contact albeit stealing a glance when Namtan's focus is elsewhere.

"Have you tried sketching people? If I pose like Queen Elizabeth, can you draw me?" she poses dramatically. "Like this?"

Film's lips twitch, almost like they're holding back a smile, but she quickly covers it by pretending to scratch her nose.

"The least we can do is keep each other company while we're trapped here, I don't bite you know." Namtan surmised. "I do bark though, woof woof!" she proceeds to mimic a dog, tongue out & holding one paw up with her free hand.

Film, surprised by the random silliness, looks at Namtan and couldn't help but chuckle, she shakes her head quickly and looks away.

"Aha! There we go, that's not so bad, was it?" Namtan grins, seemingly proud of her work.

- 🐥See you on the next chapter 🐼-