Chapter Text
Sand sat in his movie appreciation class, tapping his pencil against his notebook. The elective class was pretty popular, especially with the art and music students, like him, but it usually had a nice mix from the other faculties as well. He looked around, hoping to see a familiar face to make the class more fun-he heard that the class was in partner format and he didn't want to get stuck with someone unreliable. Just as the class was beginning, the door opened and in sidled Ray Pakorn, the rich playboy who bought his way through uni. Sand looked around the room, cringing when he saw the only seat was next to him. Just his luck.
Ray sat heavily in the seat, not a bag in sight, and laid his head on the desk.
“fuuucck, it's so early”
Sand heard the muffled whine from next to him. He grimaced while looking at the clock. 1pm. Sand rolled his eyes at his neighbor's dramatics and sighed just as the prof entered to begin class. As expected, they were advised that the class was broken into pairs, each pair working together the whole term with no switching allowed. To make it worse, the pairs were assigned by seat and Sand was (Un)lucky enough to be assigned Ray. Perfect. Ray did not lift his head the whole class, seemingly having fallen asleep and Sand sighed heavily. Of course the campus party boy would just have to take this class and he had to be stuck with him all semester. It was common knowledge throughout Uni that the man threw his money around, buying himself passing grades and being an overall burden on his classmates. Sand was too busy to babysit the spoiled student and he was going to make him pull his weight, even if it was the last thing he did.
At the end of the class, Ray stirred, lifting his head and squinting his eyes. When he noticed the class filtering out, he began to rise but was stopped by a throat clearing.
“Hey, I’m Sand,” the guy standing next to Ray said. Of course he knew who Sand was, everyone on campus knew about the singer with the golden voice and rotating bed partners, the singer routinely going home with someone different after his sets on weekends. Ray also saw him walking around campus quite frequently, rushing around like he was better than everyone even though it was quite obvious the man was poor. Did he think because he struggled with money that his woes were worse than others? What did he know about suffering anyway, Ray thought bitterly. He stared at Sand, the same withering look that most people turned away at, but the singer just stared back, not backing down.
“Look, can I have your Line at least, so we can chat later?”
Ray almost choked on his air, surprised by the request. He looked Sand up and down before his face soured and he replied,
“You wish. Keep dreaming, pretty boy” and then he turned and walked away, without a second thought.
Sand stood there for a few minutes trying to figure out what the hell just happened. How else would they meet for their required analysis if he couldn’t reach him by Line? He was NOT going to be taking this all on his own, he was already stretched thin enough, no way could he handle all this work himself. Sand drug his hand down his face, scrubbing the tension away and decided he would worry about this later, he had to get to his job right away and couldn't afford to be late.
Sand worked most weeknights at a restaurant in the heart of the city. It was frequented by the high society group and he unfortunately had his fair share of dealing with the high class who looked down on him because he was a waiter. Sand wasn’t struggling, but he wasn’t well off either. He made a comfortable living between his job as a waiter and the weekend singing gig at Yo’s. While he couldn't afford the nicer things in life, he was never without the necessities. That was all that mattered to him in the end.
His shift was almost over when he was seated a 6 top. Sand grumbled at his luck, a group that size would surely take him past when he was set to leave, ruining his plans of going home to catch up on sleep. He could hear the rowdy group even before he got to the table and when he rounded the corner and saw them, he stopped dead in his tracks.
“What the fuck?!?” Sand huffed. Of course it was Ray and his group of friends. What did he do to deserve this rotten luck today? Like watching them make a spectacle out of themselves at the bar every weekend wasn't enough, now he had to see them here? Sand took a moment to gather himself, taking a deep breath in through his nose and blowing it out of his mouth, and then proceeded to the table.
“Good evening, I’m Sand, I'll be taking care of you tonight.” He recited, speaking more politely than he would if he wasn’t at work. The group stopped talking as soon as he opened his mouth, Ray gaping like a fish while the spectacled boy shot him a knowing look. Sand didn’t even want to know what it was all about. As expected, the group was extremely needy, requesting drink after drink, mainly from Ray, and additional food as the meal progressed.
They stayed for hours, keeping Sand much longer than he initially thought it would be. When he came out the last time, he found that everyone in the group had filtered out, leaving only Ray behind. He was wobbly on his feet, obviously intoxicated, and Sand couldn’t believe that friends would just leave him like this. After Ray paid, for everyone Sand noted with a frown, he got up to leave. A flash of worry hit Sand, not for the rich boy, obviously, but rather for anyone who may be on the road as it appeared that Ray was getting ready to drive.
“Hey, Ray, why don’t you call a ride home and you can pick your car up tomorrow?” Sand said as Ray started walking away from the table
“Who do you think you are to offer me advice? Or is it because you think this will get you my number?” Ray sneered.
Sand was taken aback by the hostile response, not sure what he said to really warrant such a reaction.
“Look I don’t care what you do with yourself, but others are out there on the road and you can barely stand straight. You shouldn't be driving. And why did your friends just leave? Who does that?” Sand added angrily
“Don’t you talk about my friends. You know nothing about them or what they deal with when it comes to me. I’m enough of a burden to them. I can find my own way home, I don’t need someone like YOU helping. Plus, I didn’t even have that much, I'm more than ok enough to drive.” Ray replied before storming away from Sand.
Sand stood there, once again dumbfounded at the direction the conversation with Ray went.
“What the fuck is his problem? Spoiled asshole” Sand huffed before cleaning up and clocking out. He hopped on his bike and drove home, letting the air cool him down.
By the time he got back to the apartment he shared with his friend, Nick, Sand had forgotten about the interactions with the spoiled rich kid. Mostly, at least. He was still bothered by the man’s friends deserting him while he was inebriated, and Sand didn’t want to dwell on why he cared. The apartment was dark and quiet, Nick most likely out with the new guy he was seeing. Sand didn't know much about him, not even a name. Nick was keeping it pretty quiet and Sand just hoped the guy was worth it- Nick tended to fall hard for guys who weren’t very good for him. Sand could relate in that aspect, he thought ruefully, as images of his cheating ex floated through his brain. He swore to himself after that relationship ended that he'd never date outside his economic class again. He also had a new rule, never sleep with someone who wasn’t his lover more than once, and as he was not interested in having a lover, that solved that problem.
Sand forgot all about Ray until his next Movie Appreciation class as he sat in the class waiting for the rich boy to show. When the class ended and the seat next to Sand remained empty, his mood soured further. Their first assignment was just introduced and everyone around him was gathering with their partners to start working on it and here he was, stuck without even a way to contact him. He stormed into his apartment after class, slamming the door open and shut, startling Nick, who was on the couch scrolling on his phone.
“Shit, man, you scared me. What’s got you in a mood?”
“This fucking shithead Ray. You know him, Ray Pakorn? Pretty ass rich boy who doesn't care about anything?” Nick nodded along, looking confused still. “He’s my fucking assigned partner in that Movie Appreciation class I had to take. Refused to give me his Line last class, acting like I was trying to get in his pants instead of coordinating times to work together. And then today, the asshole doesn't even show up. This assignment is due next week and I’m going to have to do it alone because I got stuck with the most unreliable person ever.” Sand ranted.
“Why don’t you look for his IG and message him there?”
Sand thought that over for a few minutes before responding.
“I can try that. He’ll probably think it's another tactic to sleep with him, as if I would lower my standards, regardless of how hot I think he is. NOT that I think that, I’m just saying, I wouldn't sleep with him. Well I've got nothing to lose anyway, I’m either working on this all by myself this weekend without contacting him, or I can message him and probably still work on it by myself…” Sand said frustrated but pulling his phone out of his pocket. He searched up Ray and found him pretty quickly, rolling his eyes at the dramatic username before clicking on the add friend and message button.
@Sand.and.Sound: This is Sand from your Movie Appreciation class. I am really needing to talk with you about when we will meet to complete the first assignment since we’ve been partnered together for the semester. This was assigned in the class you missed and is due next week. Pls message me asap.
Sand sent the message off after reading it to make sure he didn’t come off as an ass, even though he was pissed with Ray for his lack of accountability already. It was currently Thursday and Sand figured if he didn’t get a reply by Saturday, then he would have to bite the bullet and complete it on his own before Tuesday’s class. Now all he could do was wait and hopefully he’d hear back soon.
Ray felt his phone buzz in his pocket. He was currently out with Mew who was bitching about something or other regarding Top. Big surprise. Ray had to force himself not to roll his eyes at his best friend. Ray used to think he was in love with Mew but now he knew it was just infatuation, but that still didn't stop him from thinking that Mew chose poorly when it came to a boyfriend. Top was just so…insufferable. He pulled out his phone, swiping on the notification bar. He had a new friend request and message on IG. Usually he ignored those but he was looking for an excuse to tune out Mew’s ramblings so he clicked open the app.
New Friend Request: @Sand.and.Sound
Curious, he checked the account and saw it was the bar singer. Man doesn’t take a hint, he thought but clicked on the message anyway. He read it 3 times and still didn’t know what the hell he was getting at. Since when did they get partnered together? And he bristled at the subtle jab at the end about missing class. Oh Ray could feel himself start to get heated.
“Who the hell is this guy?” he said under his breath. Unfortunately it was not quiet enough for Mew to miss and he immediately perked up, latching on to what Ray said.
“What guy?”
“That fucking waiter and singer, Sand. We have this stupid class together- the movie appreciation class they made me take, you know? Anyway, he’s been trying to get my number and now he sends me this bullshit IG message laced with attitude.” Ray groused while Mew leaned over to look at the message.
“You know, Sand is a good guy. I’m not sure what your issue is with him.” Mew replied before continuing, “I mean, honestly, Ray it looks legit. You know that class is all partner work so maybe just message back. I’m sure you have some time this weekend to work on it. Some people care about their grades, you know, and don't appreciate being stuck with someone like you.”
Mew’s words stung. He knew his friends didn’t think very highly of him, calling him a burden more often than not, but Mew was his best friend. The one who was always there when no one else was. For him to fling such words around hurt more than Ray wanted to admit. It’s not like he wanted to miss the class earlier, he had a community service to complete, even though he could have changed the time but he didn’t want to disappoint the kids who were waiting for him. And his friends would know if they ever paid any REAL attention to him. Sighing, he took Mew’s advice and responded.
@Darkness_Raydiates: Sorry for missing today, I had an important appointment I couldn’t miss. I was unaware we were partnered for this class, you can fill me in on the assignment later. I’m sure I could find some time in the next few days to meet. What time works for you, since you work at the bar and I’ll see if it works for me. Message me here
Ray hit send, satisfied with his reply, knowing he was being petty for being so cold in response but the singer had it coming. He pocketed his phone, grabbing his drink and getting back to his night with Mew.
Sand was fuming. He left the message from Ray on read and now, a day later and he still hadn't brought himself to reply. He was debating on just doing the whole semester by himself, it would beat the headache of having to deal with his bratty partner after all. He shook his head to clear his thoughts, he would message him later tonight, after he was done playing at Yo’s. Decision made, Sand threw on his leather jacket and boots, and left for his gig. His bike was in the shop, just normal maintenance, but they were backlogged so it would be a few days before he could get it back. Luckily his Grab was already waiting for him and before long they were pulling up to Yo’s.
Sand loved the bar scene, his band had a pretty good following and it made him feel like a real rockstar with groupies there cheering him on. Halfway through his night, he caught a familiar sight in the back booth. There stood the exact person he was trying to ignore. Ray was with his friends, all of them being loud and acting like they owned the place. Sand could admit that he always thought the rich boy was attractive but his mouth and attitude, in addition to his reputation, spoiled it for him. And after meeting him officially, not just hearing rumors and seeing him at the bar, he was more convinced than ever that he would never lower himself to even think about sleeping with the man.
After he finished his set, sweat sliding down his face, stinging his eyes a little, a hand holding a handkerchief slid into his line of sight. He brought his head up, getting ready to flirt and possibly bring someone home tonight but the smile died on his lips when he saw it was Ray standing there.
“I’m good, thanks” Sand said curtly.
“Why are you such an ass? Fuck. Would it kill you to take a rag to wipe off your face? Should have known you were too good to touch anything of mine, huh?” Ray spit out.
Sand stared at Ray, taken aback by his reaction but before he could apologize or say anything else, Ray continued on
“And what the fuck is your problem? You message me with all kinds of attitude about finding time to meet for this apparent assignment then you ghost me when I respond. So do you want to work on it or not because my time is valuable and you are wasting it by playing games.”
“Where do you get off acting this way? You fucking sent me a message basically saying you think I’m beneath you and now you act surprised when i didnt respond right away, Let me tell you something, Khun Nu, my time is just as important as yours, if not more. And I need this grade so if you aren't going to put in 100% just forget about it. You can skate by on my shirt tails like I'm sure you've done for every class, huh?” Sand sneered back before zipping up his guitar case and storming off.
Sand stood outside in the smoking pit, hands shaking as he lit his cig and took a deep drag, the nicotine filling his lungs and calming him down. As he stood there, anger dissipating, Sand realized he was the biggest asshole. Ray didn’t come to him with any ulterior motive other than to be nice and Sand just ripped his head off. Granted Ray did the same, but Sand deserved it. He hung his head down, angry with himself for letting his emotions take over, he was better than that but somehow, Ray knew just how to push all of his buttons. He heard the door creak open but since this was a popular place for the smokers to hang out, he didn’t think anything of it. That is until he heard a timid voice begin to speak.
“You got a light?”
Sand whipped his head up so fast he thought he heard a crack. There stood Ray, looking contrite, with a cigarette between his lips. Sand pulled his lighter from his pocket and offered it to Ray, only for him to place his hands behind his back and lean forward, looking directly at Sand. Sand shook his head slightly, a smile playing on his lips despite himself, and lit the cigarette in Ray’s mouth.
“Look, Ray, I’m sorry about earlier. I have no excuse for my behavior. And you’re right, I totally ghosted you after I initiated everything. I had actually planned on replying after I got off tonight. You free anytime tomorrow before I go back to Yo’s at night or Sunday, anytime? We just have to watch a movie and analyze it, so it shouldn't be too long.”
“Mn. Want to go for Sunday? I won’t be up for it tomorrow but I'll make sure to be rested for Sunday.” Ray replied.
Sand read between the lines- he would be too hungover for tomorrow but Sunday would be fine. He rolled his eyes internally but just nodded his agreement to Ray.
“So where do we meet? I have them movie already, you can come to mine or I can bring it over to-”
“We’ll meet at yours” Ray replied, cutting Sand off before he could continue.
Sand snapped his mouth shut with a click and then after a beat, “Ok. sounds good. I’ll message you my address. Am I lucky enough to have your Line yet or am I still relegated to IG?” Sand added with a wink to let Ray know he was joking.
“Dick. Where's your phone, I’ll add you”
They exchanged Line’s and Ray sent a quick sticker to Sand before he snuffed out his cigarette and turned to leave. Sand shook his head before ordering his Grab to take him home, his mind filled with questions about Ray he didn’t have the answers to just yet, but he wanted to find out.