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College life was supposed to be the best time of our lives, when you finally get to explore new places, meet new people, push the limits and be free – in theory, reality was more like getting buried by a mountain of books and dealing with teachers that had as much ego as knowledge; still, for a freshman, the first few days at university were magical.
For Film, it was no different – she was in love, not with anyone in particular, but with this new stage of her life and all possibilities that it came with.
The girl’s bright chocolate brown eyes inspected the college campus with the excitement of a small child, she could barely pay any attention to whatever the seniors were going on about – she would make sure to catch up with everything later, after all she was also excited about the hazing activities that involved getting to know the seniors and impressing them, as well as playing a few fun games and learning the way around the campus. She would spend the next four years of her life there, the faces on the crowd would become familiar and maybe even close friends – or enemies, although she hoped not –, maybe one of them would even become more than that…but that was a lot more complicated than she would like to think about now.
Trying to focus on more practical matters, her steps grew quicker as she tried to keep up with the group of students she was touring the university with.
They had visited the main buildings on campus, trying to learn their way around as they followed a senior that had volunteered to guide the freshmen to the Languages building – a mid-sized white construction, adorned with yellowish lights and way too many photos of former students as well as a list of their impressive works. The room where they were at now, probably one of the many classrooms, was organized with various dark brown seats in circular rows with a platform at the base so the lecturer could stand there and talk to the audience – today it would be occupied by the older students. It was modern, just like the rest of the campus, but also had a traditional feeling to it, Film could imagine herself learning to feel like home there.
“I think I just spotted someone I know…Let’s sit with her.” Love, her best friend since fourth grade and companion for today, said as she urged Film to climb up the steps so they could get a seat in a good place. Orientation day truly felt like such a big deal to you when you are an eighteen-year-old.
The senior who had previously guided them, a short-haired friendly looking woman who had presented herself as Fay, waved her hands to get their attention. “Now we will proceed with introductions. Everyone must come down here and do as I say, okay? No need to be shy, we will be friends for the next few years!” With that line the activities officially started.
Film had to refrain from frowning and nod, remembering her shyness had no place there. She knew she had to push herself to be as open and friendly as possible, making new friends and pleasing the seniors to avoid having a bad time – clinging onto Love, who was just as much of an introvert as her at times, wouldn’t do any good.
Forcing a smile – the whisker dimples on her left cheek making an appearance as a subtle shade of red entered these same cheeks – she ran a hand through her long dark hair, taking a long breath before she walked down to the stage once she was called, raising her hands to her chest and bowing her head slightly as she introduced herself. “Hello. I’m Rachanun Mahawan, nickname Film. My birthday is…” She did as the others before her had done, sharing the most basic information about herself and ending with an honest, yet not very creative, “…I chose Languages because I’m very interested in the topic and wish to become an interpreter someday.”
Everyone clapped after her introduction, just like with everyone else, except that she didn’t get to return to her seat right away. “Are you single?” A random voice coming from one of the many faces in the crowd shouted, prompting laughter from the audience and a new blush to Film’s already pink cheeks.
Now she had all eyes on her, be it mere curiosity or genuine interest, it made her feel awkward. She knew it could happen – it always did on occasions like this, she was just unlucky to be the first girl to have to answer today. Nodding, she answered with a soft ‘yes’.
“Interesting…But let’s not embarrass Film anymore, she is about to melt! Go back to your seat. Thank you!” Fay was kind enough to free Film before she had to answer any more invasive questions from the dudes in the crowd – she could hear a few of them complaining, and although it should make her ego happy, it only made her uncomfortable.
How many of those guys would be excited to date her once they learned she couldn’t kiss anyone? Not without consequences…Thinking about her sister’s bad experience made her sigh as she sat down next to her friend. That thought had always kept her from really trying to date, but she knew she couldn’t avoid it forever – she just had to pray she would be lucky enough to find the right one.
Love pulled on the sleeve of her shirt, ignoring what the senior who was speaking, to gossip with her friend instead.
“Look, there are so many good-looking guys in our department! Some cute girls too!” Was what her friend whispered to her, a small giggle leaving Love’s heart-shaped lips as she tried to infect Film with the same enthusiasm. Yet, as her eyes darted around, meeting many new faces, she didn’t stop at anyone in particular.
“Yes, everyone looks pretty cool.” She replied anyway, humoring her best friend. Love didn’t know how it was for her – nobody but her family really did –, therefore she would never be able to understand why Film wasn’t thrilled to see a bunch of cute guys smiling at her.
Dating for her family was something many times harder than the entrance exam – and she had to work very hard to get into this university. More than dating, life as a whole was a little too complicated for her bloodline – and she wasn’t even sure about the reason why, all she knew was it had been like this for a very long time.
All her life she had to be extra careful, be it protecting herself from getting into any incidents, or helping to keep her older sister away from it as well. All it took was one kiss, a single peck on the lips and suddenly all her life could change, and it wasn’t even in a dramatic romantic way. What kind of romance starts with the leading girl turning into a dog because she kissed the guy she liked? Film felt goosebumps just thinking about what her dog form would look like when it eventually happened – because it always did, eventually, but how it ended depended on your luck. She wasn’t very confident in hers.
‘Once you kiss someone from the opposite sex you will turn into a dog for the first time, and from there on you must assume your canine form every night for 100 nights. If by the 100th night you are still unable to break the curse, your canine form will become your definitive one…and that’s not what you want, right? So don’t go around kissing anyone you’ve just met!’ Her grandmother’s words resonated inside her mind, loud and very clear, more like a threat than a warning. Goddammit, it was so ridiculous that she would have laughed at the absurdity of this curse – if it weren't for the fact that she had actually witnessed it one too many times before, and now the fear of being the next victim was so real inside of her.
She wondered how many of the cute guys who were trying to flirt with her now would run away screaming as soon as her brown locks turned into fur and all she could do was bark and, maybe if she were too annoyed, bit their ankles. The simple idea made her frown.
Yeah, dating could wait – or not.
Her mind drifted off as the hazing activities continued – she was still alert enough to cheer and clap for her best friend, but not enough to volunteer to join the games the seniors and juniors were doing on stage as ice-breaks. Luckily, her department seemed pretty chill with the whole hazing thing and it was just a fun get-together to strengthen the bond between all students – or almost. Ally, another senior who looked much less friendly and a lot bossier than Fay, informed them they would still have to collect the signatures as it was a tradition and no one was allowed to skip it.
“Here, little one. Good luck getting all the signatures!” One of the senior boys, Somsak, who was in charge of distributing the tiny notebooks to the newcomers, said handing her the object where she was supposed to collect all the signatures from the second-year students from her department as part of the hazing ritual – her introvert nature wasn’t very excited about having to butter up over a dozen of people just to get them to sign, but she had no choice but to do so. Therefore, she thanked the handsome guy with a shy smile. “A cute girl like you probably won’t have too much of a hard time, but if you do, just call me.” He was clearly flirting, his shiny white teeth making him look like a toothpaste model – enough to get the girls around them blushing and make Film to sink into her seat, muttering a thank you as she lowered her head. Great, now she could even see his signature and something that looked awfully a lot like a phone number, on her notebook.
Thankfully the man didn’t try to force any more conversation, going back to his duty as the other seniors wrapped up the event for the day and invited everyone to go to lunch at the faculty’s canteen. As people started to leave and the place became loud with chatter, Film grabbed her bag, ready to follow Love who was about to go after a small group of seniors to try and get some signatures, when she heard someone calling them.
“You guys are still doing the signature thing? We ditched it in my department, having the freshmen getting us some fried chicken is much more fun for everyone.” A familiar, yet unexpected voice sounded from behind her, making her turn to look at the young woman who walked towards her direction with the usual grin on her face. The tall girl had entered by the door upstairs and was now making her way down with relaxed steps, her hands on her pockets and head held up high, shoulder length light brown hair framing the pretty features that never failed to catch people’s attention – as always, Namtan always looked full of confidence and carried a special warmth that was hard to miss. She stopped in front of them, smiling unwavering as she inclined her head to the side, looking at the younger duo with playful affection. “Hey you two! I thought you guys would be done by now, so what do you think about grabbing some lunch? It’s on me, celebration for your first day here.”
Film blinked in surprise, a second before her lips naturally curved into a smile and she nodded even before the other girl finished speaking. Seeing a familiar face – that one in particular – was such a nice surprise.
“P’Namtan! What are you doing here? This isn’t even your major!” Love said in a low voice, whisper screaming at her smiling sister in the way only an embarrassed younger sibling could do – of course, it had always been like that and Film still had to hold back her laughter every time she witnessed the siblings bickering. Love wasn’t excited about having her big sister coming to check on her, but as for Rachanun, she was happy to know she wouldn’t have to spend lunch time trying to entertain seniors instead of eating; technically, she would still be in the company of a senior, but Namtan wasn’t like the others.
The taller girl shrugged her shoulders, making her green jacket slide up and down her shoulders as her sharp light brown eyes shone with amusement. “What about it? Do you think they would kick me out for entering this public space without invitation?” She raised her eyebrows in a funny way, looking around to see the few remaining second year students of the Languages department bow their heads in acknowledgment before swiftly leaving – of course they wouldn’t kick her out, she was a third-year student, even if from another department. The Internal Relations department was right across the hall anyway, they were practically one and the same.
Love sighed, rolling her eyes at her sister’s antics. “You just ruined my opportunity to get signatures! I know you like to annoy me, but you should think about Film as well.”
Frowning slightly as if she was confused about how her presence could affect their task – she had only entered after she saw some students had started leaving the room, and only after the hazing activities in her own department were over –, Namtan replied tentatively. “Maybe I should just give you my autograph then?” The solution came easily, her hand reaching to try to snatch the notebook from her little sister’s hands – failing; Love knew her all too well to be able to predict her actions; so, instead she got a light slap on the hand. Turning to the much kinder brown eyes that watched the exchange between the siblings, the taller girl tried again. “What about you, Nong Film? Want one?”
“I…P’Namtan…” The dark-haired girl looked from one sibling to the other, Namtan’s expecting eyes, and Love’s unamused ones – her friend arched eyebrows were telling her to remember what the seniors had said and to not just play along with Namtan. Averting her eyes from the ones that reminded her of autumn leaves, she shook her head. “I probably shouldn’t…Sorry, Phi.” She usually would let the taller woman have her way with her, especially if it was a harmless joke like this. Yet, third-year senior or not, Namtan wasn’t from her department and it would definitely not look good to have a random name on her notebook. “But I’m in for lunch! If the offer is still up.” She added, trying to make sure the senior wouldn’t take offense – which was a little silly, considering how easy-going the older had always been; still, Film always felt a little nervous when she had the intense light-brown gaze on her.
Namtan opened her mouth to verbalize an answer, but was interrupted by the arrival of Film’s cousin, her own best friend. “And here you are! We need to hurry up or we will miss the good stuff!” Milk complained, but she waved energetically at the younger duo, greeting them. “Are you guys eating with us?”
With Milk’s expecting eyes on them, not even Love could deny the invitation, nodding with a smile as she asked for directions. Milk seemed satisfied with the answer, hugging the shorter girl by the shoulders as she gestured for the other duo to follow them. “Let’s go to the main cafeteria, so we all can eat together. The aircon is a lot better there as well.”
Film smiled, ready to follow them as she noticed Namtan had already started to do so – yet she stopped once again when the woman turned to her with a half-smile. “You know, the offer is always up for you, my favorite Nong. So, let’s meet often, huh?” Namtan raised her hand as if to pat her head like she usually did to Love, but gave in halfway, setting for just wink at Rachanun playfully, her gaze on hers for a moment too long before she retracted her hand and turned around, going back to teasing her little sister as usual.
Grabbing on the straps of her backpack, Film watched the taller girl’s back for a moment, a little taken aback – Namtan had always been like this to her: sweet and playful, but a little hard to read at times. Why couldn’t she just touch her like she did to everyone she was close to? Part of her knew it was just her way to respect Film’s personal space, but sometimes she wished she wasn’t so careful…it’s been years, hasn’t it? The color that entered her cheeks and tinted them a light shade of pink had a different reason behind it now.
But she didn’t have much time to contemplate, Love was already urging her to hurry up. Shaking her head, she tried to shake off the feeling of Namtan’s warm eyes on her and all the oddly familiar emotions that came with it – Namtan was always warm, this wasn’t anything new, and she shouldn’t pay it any mind. Instead, she would rather focus on the light hearted teasing of the conversation her friends were having, enjoying their laughter and comfort.
There were many new things that day, but having something familiar put her at ease. The next four years would be good ones as long as she had her friends beside her.
Okay, maybe college life wasn’t that cool.
At least, not as cool as the dramas and movies made it look like – no crazy parties every weekend, no magical meetings with super gorgeous guys who would fall for her at first sight, not even gatherings underneath a tree in the green lawn of the university…because everyone was always so busy and overwhelmed with homework and dumb hazing activities that Film barely had contact with her classmates aside from lunchtime, and mostly to discuss group projects.
Nowadays, Film was way too busy trying to keep up with all her classes and collecting signatures to even recall what her romantic and naïve dreams about college used to be – and it had only been a month. The teachers were strict and she had to work hard to keep up, but dealing with the seniors was definitely the worst part.
Getting the signatures was a very annoying task that she couldn’t avoid. Some seniors seemed to be just as annoyed, hurriedly signing the notebooks before sending them off rudely, but most were playful and demanding them – her and Love – to do something for them in return for the signature, things that went from grabbing them some coffee to reciting an old cringe poem they had found on the internet; there were still, of course, the few very hard to deal ones – men, of course.
Right now, as she had collected nearly all signatures required, she was trying to get through the two last ones, but it was giving her a headache. The guys would ask them to perform stupid Tiktok-like challenges and silly dances, just to say they were not impressed yet and they should try harder – it was rather clear as of now that they just wanted to receive attention from the girls that couldn’t really oppose them without risking not completing the task. Tonight, she, alongside Love and a few other freshmen girls who were still trying to get the signatures, had to reunite with the two male seniors at a small diner nearby campus, in the hopes that the free food would make them finally sign the damn notebook – according to Somsak, who had come along as a ‘helper’, it was their best chance.
Yet, so far, all they had gotten was a hole in her wallet and some embarrassing moments. The seniors had decided to extend their fun and were now throwing random challenges at the girls, saying they would get the signatures once it was done – Film wasn’t very confident in this promise. They had already challenged a girl to call her ex and say embarrassing stuff to him – which she didn’t find funny at all, but the girls, Somsak included, laughed like there was no tomorrow.
It should be her turn soon and the brunette wasn’t very excited about it. Well, at least she had no ex to call.
Her gaze wandered away from the mess happening on her table to the table a few meters away, the one by the corner of the restaurant where she could spot Namtan with two other seniors from their department, they seemed to be working on something, but Film was almost sure that they were overextending their stay because Namtan wanted to keep an eye on them – she had always been the protective kind regarding her little sister, and although Love would often complain about it, she still found ways to make sure it was all good with her. It was probably the reason why Love’s challenge had been to only name the cutest guys in their department instead of actually having to call them or something more embarrassing – Namtan’s sharp eyes could be pretty intimidating when she wanted to.
Too bad she didn’t get a relative to come over and rescue her today. Where was her cousin when she needed her?
“I challenge you to…” The annoying senior, Jon, started to say, his voice a little draggy probably due to the alcohol intake. He raised a finger to point at her face, a crooked smile on his face as he slowly decided what she would have to do – and of course he chose the worst possibility. “Kiss a senior! No talking, just go and kiss them so we can see the reaction!” He said loudly, looking proud of himself as the other males at the table laughed at his words and Film grew pale. No, no way in hell she would – could – kiss one of those guys, she didn’t even like them! She wouldn’t turn into a dog over some sleazy dude that smelled like cheap beer and chicken – even if it meant she would fail the hazing test.
As if the skies had heard her pleading and before she could even argue, something made Jon double down on his words, his smile fading as he added: “On the cheek! Why are you all looking at me like that?” The ‘you all’ he was referring to were the pair of very shiny, incredibly pretty and threatening, light brown eyes from the International Relations third-year student at the other table – of course, Namtan had extended her protectiveness to her sister’s friend.
Thank the gods for Namtan’s nosiness.
Film relaxed slightly, a hand on her chest to ease the fast beats of her heart – she would survive for the day. “I…” She took a deep breath. No curse would be activated, but kissing a stranger still made her a little uneasy, even if it was only a cheek kiss. “I will do it.”
Love patted her back in support and the other girls looked at her with curiosity, just like the guys did – waiting to see who she would pick.
“Go ahead, pick someone!” The man pressured once more and Film was forced to stand up and make a quick choice.
Somsak was smiling at her, as if he already knew it would be him – which wasn’t surprising, considering how flirty he had been with her for a while now, always acting so solicit and nice…but she already knew she wasn’t the only one he treated like that. She could already predict what would happen if she tried to kiss him.
Therefore, she took the coward route and turned on her heels, taking a few quick steps to go to the other table instead. He had never said she had to pick one of the guys at her table.
“What?! Jon meant someone from-” Somsak protested, his words echoing Jon’s own protests as they saw her move closer to the seniors from another department.
“You said ‘senior’, don’t go back on your word now.” Love cut him with a firm tone, standing up for her best friend. Raising her hand, she cheered: “Go, Film, make it quick!”
Reaching Namtan’s table, Film was met by the confused look on the two other seniors' faces, probably wondering who she would dare to kiss when they had never even met before – of course she wouldn’t. She was almost dying from embarrassment now, it would be even more embarrassing if she accidentally offended a stranger. So, she made the most obvious choice.
Or at least, the choice she thought was the most obvious one – Namtan didn’t seem able to predict it though.
She stood in between the male senior and Namtan, she stepped closer to the female, leaning in to place her lips on her cheek as fast she could. However, something else happened – the taller woman turned in her direction right at the time, probably to look if she would direct the kiss to the man, but only making the said kiss land right on her lips.
It was only a second, so fast that you might miss it if you blinked. Namtan’s head was just at the perfect angle and Film’s awkward position made it happen before she could avoid it, her lips finding the softness of Namtan’s thinner ones as her eyes grew wide in surprise.
She pulled away as fast as she could, still, there was no turning back.
She had just kissed Namtan by accident – again.
“Oh my god!” Love’s voice was the first thing Film registered, albeit there were many sounds around them now, and the horror in it was more than enough to make Film jump back, and so did Namtan – the older woman’s eyes were no longer filled with surprise, but something that the brunette couldn’t read and it only made her heart heavier. She had truly ruined it.
“I-I’m so sorry!” She muttered, a moment before running away from the restaurant, ignoring her friends’ calls.
“Film!” Namtan’s voice also sounded, but hearing the concerned note on it, only made Film run faster. She was so incredibly doomed.
Namtan was a girl so she would be safe from the curse – but not from the guilt and embarrassment that was eating her up now. Gods, she wished she could just disappear.
Well, no wonder they tell you to be careful with what you wish.
As Film ran outside, Namtan also stood up and hurriedly grabbed her wallet and phone, ready to follow. “Make sure those assholes sign the damn books, okay? I will make up for it later, I promise!” She asked her friends, knowing they would watch over her sister and the others for her – not that her sister needed much protection, she was now very angrily arguing with the senior boys and Namtan was pretty sure they wouldn’t ever forget about the earful they were getting.
However, she didn’t have time to think. She knew Film well enough to know she would probably try to get home, but end up lost in the many alleyways and it would be much worse than feeling embarrassed for a silly mistake – she hoped it was just it.
Looking both sides, she decided to follow the path at left, hoping Film still followed the same pattern of choice she used to pick back when they were kids and would play hide and seek. Her long strides echoed through the nearly empty streets, it was summer, but the evening breeze permeated by drizzle made the streets not as welcoming. She hoped she could reach Rachanun before the rain became more intense.
That night, regardless of what her little sister could think, she wasn’t planning on meddling in her business – her meeting with classmates to finish a project had been set long ago, and Abu’s pub was her to go place for these kinds of things. It would be a lie to say she didn’t get a bit distracted by the girls, which made her work not as good as usual, but she couldn’t help it. Her baby sister was as stubborn as she was fragile and growing up Namtan had always been there for her, it wouldn’t change now, after all, she loved the tiny brat. As for Film…well, it was complicated.
She loved Film as well, but it wasn’t in the same way she loved her sister, of course, it wouldn’t be possible. But she wasn’t sure of how to name that affection either – especially after what happened the summer before her senior year at high school and Film’s first one.
Who would have thought that trying to help someone would make them run away from you like you were the devil incarnate? Tonight, Film looked at her in a very similar way.
Was it because Film knew she was into girls? Or because she thought she was into her? But then why would she always smile at her like that…Heaving a sigh, she shook her head. She needed to focus on finding Film first.
And she did without much trouble – albeit her eyes seemed to be deceiving her.
“Film?” She asked the girl who was standing close to a dirty wall in one of the many alleyways barely lit by the street lights, it wasn't the best place to be in the middle of such a quiet evening. But what worried Namtan more was the way the girl was shaking – from nervousness? Pain?
A little bit of both, but more so, of sheer horror.
Film had run away to avoid the curious looks, Namtan’s in particular. She felt so silly and guilty, how could she even apologize now? She hadn’t even asked for permission before and things just became much worse…She knew how much Namtan didn’t like touching her and she had just stolen a kiss in front of everyone!
The embarrassment was so strong that it almost hid a much more important and worrying feeling – the shift inside of her, an energy she had never experienced before. It was slowly building up, a warmth spreading through her body, goosebumps following, her heart racing even more now.
It couldn’t be it, could it?
Rachanun turned to look when Namtan called her name, her eyes filled with terror as she realized she couldn’t articulate a proper reply – only unintelligible noises leaving her throat. Gods, it was really happening!
Looking from one side to the other she found no escape – it was a one-way street and Namtan was blocking the exit, and even if she weren’t, Film knew there wasn’t enough time to run now. But how? It couldn’t be, she had kissed that girl before! And it was a woman after all!
Seems like they would have to revise the rules book – it was her last thought before she felt her body shrinking and falling and suddenly she was nothing but a ball of fur lost underneath her clothes.
Namtan stood there in shock as she watched Film’s body apparently disappear right in front of her eyes – just for a cute golden colored dog to appear in her place, with the same big chocolate eyes that she knew so well.
She slapped her own face with her palms, trying to wake herself up. No, people don’t simply turn into dogs all of sudden! Film didn’t turn into a dog!
But how else could she explain the woman’s disappearance?
“Damn…I didn’t even drink today!” She exclaimed to herself, finally moving closer to inspect the clothes and the dog underneath it – with ease she managed to grab the puppy that stubbornly tried to hide underneath Film’s coat, bringing the animal closer to herself so she could hug it properly and check it out for anything that gave her a clue of what was happening.
“Film, is that you?” She asked in a quiet voice, looking around to make sure no one else was there. Luckily, it looked like it was just the two of them – and the dog wasn’t very talkative. “Nong Film, what is going on?” Namtan tried to ask, after verifying that the dog had no identification and no matter where she looked, there was no sign or Film – the piercing chocolate brown gaze was also way too familiar for her to ignore. “Film, come on! You can’t just live as a dog! Love will kill me! P’Rose too! Everyone!” She pleaded, but all the dog did was to bark at her in protest. “Sorry, sorry, I know, you are having a way worse night than mine. Sorry, N’Film.” Hugging the dog once more, she tried to calm Film down.
She gently caressed the puppy’s golden fur, using her jacket to partially cover it from the rain. The dog only looked back at her with intelligent eyes, before nuzzling into her neck to hide. Sighing, Namtan decided the best course of action was to leave before anyone saw Film’s clothes and presumed the worst. “Okay, Nong, I will take you home for now. Once we get there, I will think about something…but if you could change back before it, I would be glad!”
And for that request, her only reply was a small, sad, canine cry.
Another sigh left her lips. “I just hope you can go back to normal, Nong Film. Love is really going to kill me if she learns that my kiss can turn her best friend into a fur ball.”
Taking the bus with Film in dog form was a weird, yet pleasant experience. Luckily the bus was nearly empty, and Film was small enough to be hidden inside Namtan’s varsity jacket without much trouble – she let her out once they were seated at the back of the bus, far away from the driver’s questioning looks.
“You know, I always thought of you more like a kitty than a puppy type. You would’ve been a cute kitten, maybe of those with very fluffy fur…” She commented a little absent minded, still using one hand to hold the dog while the other caressed its head. Film, however, didn’t seem to be very amused with such remarks, and for the first time in her life, Namtan was the target of a dog’s glare. So, she quickly added: “But you are very, very cute as a dog! And, to be honest, I like dogs better, so I think you are extra adorable!” And that was true, if she ignored all the problems that came with N’Film’s transformation, she would be thrilled to find such an adorable puppy to pet. “Now, who is the good girl? You are! So cute! Just my type!” She opted for playing with Film just like she did to other dogs, petting her with a smile.
The playtime was over once Film growled at her – apparently, she had overdone it. “Sorry, sorry…” Namtan stopped talking, but not the petting – it wasn’t like she would meet Film like this often, she might as well enjoy it.
Half an hour later the bus dropped them near Film’s house, and Namtan walked to the front door, crossing her fingers for the girl’s sister to be there.
The door opened to reveal a young woman with familiar features, Rose, Rachanun’s older sister who was Namtan’s only hope to fix things up today.
“Namtan, hey! It’s been a while. what are you…” The woman’s friendly voice died down once she placed her eyes on the dog that Namtan had just revealed from under her jacket – Film let out a lifeless bark as if to acknowledge her sister’s presence.
“Er, this is…you know, Film just…” The taller girl tried to explain, gesturing to the dog and hoping that Rose would understand her – how the hell do you tell someone that their younger sibling was now from another species? Luckily, Film seemed to be willing to help as she barked once more, her little body moving as if she was trying to say something. “This is Nong Film.”
“N’Film? Oh.” Tilting her head to the side Rose inspected the dog, pressing her lips into a tight line as Film once more barked at her – this time three times with pauses, as if using a code.
Sighing, the older woman reached out to take the dog, hugging it to her chest. “I will take care of her now, thank you for bringing her.” Stepping back, she allowed Namtan to come in and closed the door so they could talk with privacy. “Did anyone else see her?”
It took Namtan a second to understand what Rose meant, but then she shook her head. “No, I just found her a moment before it happened. I didn’t know what to do, so I brought her here.” She explained, following Rose to the couch and placing the plastic bag with Film’s clothes on the small tea table – she had to stop by a convenience store to get a bag before embarking the bus, or else she would look even weird to be carrying around a dog and a bunch of clothes that didn’t belong to her. “Will she be alright? Can I do anything to help?”
It was Rose’s turn to shake her head, declining the help. “She will be fine, by the morning she will be back and later…We will work things out. Thankfully you found her before anything bad could happen.” Film's sister waited for her to take a seat before she continued, a serious expression on her face as she asked, “Namtan, can you please keep it a secret? Even from Love.”
Looking from the puppy that rested on Rose’s lap to the older woman, Namtan couldn’t help but to feel bad for them – and guilty as well. She wasn’t sure about how, but she was pretty sure the whole kiss situation had an effect on Film and maybe it had triggered the transformation. Perhaps it was like a panic attack? No wonder she had run away that other time, the situation may have been even worse…
Now she felt even more guilty. Pressing her hands on her knees nervously, she nodded. “Of course. I don’t think I could explain it anyway.” She promised, reaching out to pet Film’s fluffy head once more, before making a request of her own. “But could you contact me as soon as she is back? Please.”
“Don’t worry, I will have her give you a call as soon as she is up.”
With this reassurance, Namtan could give Rose a thankful smile before standing up. It was getting late and the phone in her pocket wouldn’t stop vibrating – her little sister. “Love is calling nonstop. I will tell her I just brought Film home and she went to bed because she wasn’t feeling so well.” Namtan informed, although she suspected it would be hard to convince her sister about it, Love would have to accept her explanation. After all, it wasn’t like she could just tell her the truth without the younger girl breaking into hysterical laughter. “Are you sure she will be okay?” Checking one last time before leaving, Rose once more confirmed.
“Yes, I am.” At least Rose hoped she would.
As soon as the tall girl left the house, Rose sighed to herself as she lifted Film so she could look into her adorable puppy eyes. “Just who in the world did you kiss to end up like this?”
Film, of course, didn’t reply. Using her glare as her only form of protest.
If only her sister knew, she wouldn’t have let Namtan just walk away.
Film regretted her stupid life decisions almost as soon as Love walked out of her field of vision. Why had she thought that swimming in the lake alone would be such a good idea? She may love swimming, but there wasn’t anyone to talk to and the water was starting to get cold, so she should have just followed her friend when Love suggested calling it a day.
But still, it was one of her last days of summer break and the last day she would be able to swim in the lake and just enjoy the pretty view of the blue sky reflecting in the water as the green trees casted shadow over the edge of the small lake…She loved that place and she could only visit once a year, she didn’t want to miss any of the fun.
Well, clearly, she had been wrong.
The cramps in her leg started only when she was left alone, as if it was a cruel joke. And to make it worse, she was in the deep side of the small lake, so she couldn’t simply drag herself to land or just wait for it to pass – she had to try to endure the pain and make her legs work so she could swim to safety; anyone who experienced bad cramps before knew it wasn’t possible and she was no exception.
She started to panic as her left leg failed her, making the task of staying afloat much harder as she frantically tried to not go down. Film knew that she had to keep her cool, but it was easier said than done.
The first time her head went underwater, she swallowed the water as if it were rocks, coughing as she emerged and tried to stick her head out. She still had one good leg and her arms, why was it so hard to stay afloat all of sudden? It was as if her cramped leg was pulling her down.
“HELP!” She managed to scream, albeit her voice was muffled by the water that tried once more to invade her nostrils. She coughed once more, fire in her lungs as she tried to spit out the water.
For all her life she feared dying as a dog, but now she was afraid she would die even before she had the chance to turn into one.
It was getting harder and harder to stay afloat, as if the water tried to bury her as hard as she tried to survive.
“Nong Film!” She thought she heard someone call, but by then she was too busy trying to not drown to be able to properly register anything – she prayed she wasn’t hearing just the echoes of her own despair.
Her eyes were closed, mouth ajar as she couldn’t help but be pulled down deeper, too tired to fight the water.
Just a moment later, slender hands grabbed her waist, pulling with urge to bring her back to surface, a warm touch so familiar that could barely be noticed by the girl’s cold body.
Somehow, she found herself laying on her back, the great blue sky above, her eyes barely opening as her conscience floated. Was she dead?
Lips coming to greet her, blowing much needed air into her lungs answered her question.
Coughing the water out of her throat, she was turned on her side to do so easily and she could feel the gentle hands on her back, patting it softly. “N’Film, can you hear me? Are you alright?” The person helped her to roll back to her back and Film was once again met with the blue sky so bright above that nearly blinded her.
She blinked multiple times, taking in several labored breaths as her body got used to oxygen once more. So close, if it weren’t for that person she would’ve…
The said person leaned in, her face obstructing Film's view of the sky, replacing it with a pale face dotted with water droplets and the intense brown eyes that looked at her with so much concern.
Light brown eyes, such beautiful ones.
Namtan’s eyes.
Film’s own eyes grew wilder as she recognized her savior, making her sit up in a hurry. Namtan had saved her.
She had touched her lips on hers, not romantically, but as a way to help her – did it still count as a kiss?
“P’Namtan, thank you so much! So, so much!” She forced the words out in a hurry, her throat still burning. But she had no time to lose. “But I have to go now!”
And so she did, bumping into the girl and making Namtan fall flat on her behind as she watched Film run away like she had just tried to murder instead of saving her.
Cold sweat adorned Film’s forehead as she sat up on the bed, waking up from the dream that replayed one of the most important memories in her life — one that she only now realized didn’t mean what she always thought it did.
Another memory, a more recent one flashed through her mind now – last night. Letting out a scream of frustration and pure embarrassment, she used a pillow to hide her face.
“So you are back. Mind telling me what happened last night?” To make it worse, her sister was already there, as if waiting to interrogate her.
Instead of giving Rose a proper answer, Film sunk into the pillow even more. “CPR doesn’t count!”
“I should’ve known it was too odd for Namtan to be there when it happened if she had nothing to do with it.” Rose commented as they ate breakfast together. She rested her chin on the palm of her hand, brown eyes looking at her younger sister with curiosity. “You told me before you didn’t think about her in this way. Two years ago.”
Film sunk into her seat, playing with her cereal to avoid her sister’s knowing gaze. Two years ago, when she came back home running after the whole CPR incident, Rose had helped her to hide in her room the whole day, afraid she might transform at any given minute – it didn’t happen, but now she knew it wasn’t for the reasons she thought. It wasn’t because Namtan was a girl, but because the ‘kiss’ had not happened when they both were fully alert, a condition that she had previously thought only applied to one being completely unconscious or asleep; apparently the curse had too many intricacies and she was a victim of it.
Rose’s question, however, made her sigh to herself. It wasn’t like that – it didn’t matter whether or not she liked Namtan, the kiss only happened by accident and she was pretty sure the older girl wasn’t very pleased about it now. “It was an accident. I was supposed to only kiss her cheek and I only did so because I thought we were clear.” Film explained in a defensive tone, knowing her sister could see right through her – and it wasn’t a good feeling. “We are both girls after all.”
She was avoiding the answer – because she didn’t want to give her one, moreover, she was afraid to voice her honest thoughts.
Film could still vividly recall the expression on Namtan’s face as she transformed, the worry in her voice and the care in her touch – how could she face her now? How could she even have been stupid enough to think the curse wouldn’t work simply because they were both girls? Namtan had treated her with utmost care and not even for a second rejected her or acted as if she was a monster, a reaction far better than what most people in her family ever encountered with their partners. Still, Namtan was not her partner. In fact, that reaction was probably the biggest proof that for P’Namtan she was nothing more than another little sister she needed to look after and protect.
Namtan did it for her like she would’ve done for Love, just like she saved her two years ago because she was her little sister’s best friend.
It shouldn’t bother her, knowing that the first person she ever kissed was such a kindhearted and warm person. But it only made her feel worse. Namtan had saved her twice and in both times, she only gave her trouble in return.
The older woman didn’t reply right away, letting her little sister dwell with her own thoughts for a moment. And when Rose finally replied, she did so in a gentle tone. “Since you are both girls…I wonder…” Rose’s soft voice was free from judgment, but a little distant, as if she were thinking about more than just her little sister’s words. “Regardless, the curse doesn’t seem to care about it.” Shrugging her shoulders, she stood up. It was getting late and she had to go to work, while Film should head to college. “You know what you have to do, right?”
Grimacing, the younger brunette nodded.
To break the curse, you must kiss the same person again, but you should do this when you are in your non-human form and only before the 100 th day mark is reached or it will no longer be effective.
She had to kiss Namtan for a third time, and this time as a dog. No wonder so many of her relatives had met such terrible fates. The simple thought was enough to make her want to never leave that house ever again and just accept to live as a dog – having Namtan’s warm hands softly petting her and carrying her around wasn’t that bad…wait, what was she even thinking now?
“I know. Namtan likes dogs and she knows what happened, it shouldn’t be too hard to convince her.” She said more to herself than to her sister, trying to reassure herself that everything would be fine. She still had 99 days to go, there was no way that she wouldn’t find the courage to ask Namtan until then…at least she hoped so.
“Good. Then it shouldn’t be a problem, kissing a cute puppy isn’t that terrible of a task.” Rose seemed happy with her reply, giving her an encouraging smile as she urged the younger girl to grab her backpack. “Now let’s go, I’m giving you a ride.”
Film followed the older woman obediently, not trying to continue the conversation.
Rose was smiling and trying to cheer her up, but Film couldn’t help but to think about her sister’s own story every time she looked at her. Rose had also been a very cute puppy, her white fur and gentle demeanor making her the target of Film’s many hugs – still, she barely managed to escape the curse and when she did, it wasn’t out of affection or care, but because their parents pretty much forced the guy to do it. That man had been someone Rose deeply cared about, yet everything changed once the curse was revealed.
Could Film really just get rid of it so easily? Even if Namtan did help her, it wouldn’t make her free from it in the future, at least not until she could find the right one.
“I will be out until late tonight, I’ve got to meet a new client. Make sure to be home before midnight, okay?” Rose’s voice broke the silence in the car after a quiet ride to Film’s college, both had been too lost in their own thoughts to talk. “I already texted Milk, so you can call her if you can’t reach me.”
“Don’t worry, I will go home as soon as classes are over.” Rose didn’t even need to mention it, another one of the curse’s conditions was that every single night for the next 99 days she would transform, but only for six hours, from midnight to 6 a.m. Therefore, as long as she was home by midnight, she wouldn’t have to worry about anything except sleeping.
Rachanun looked out of the car’s window, seeing the crowd of students going inside the campus. She should hurry up or else she would be late for class. Yet, Rose’s worried voice interrupted her. “I know that living with this can be a little daunting. So, you don’t have to pretend to be okay.” Her sister’s words were filled with empathy, the genuine concern only someone who experienced the same thing could feel. “But you know you can tell me if you are struggling, right? We stick together, always.”
Her words prompted a smile on Film’s face, of course, she knew it all too well. Growing up it had always been the two of them and she was glad to have someone to share her secrets. “I’m fine. It’s just…new, I guess. I will be okay.” She reassured, giving her sister a quick hug to thank her. “It’s P’Namtan, she can’t resist petting dogs on the street, she won’t ignore me.” It was just an attempt to lighten up the mood – albeit she indeed doubted Namtan had ever ignored a single dog in her life, the situation was a little more complicated than getting some pats on the head.
Hugging her back for a brief moment, Rose backed away to confide: “You know, she took very good care of you…Our stories are not the same, Film, so don’t overthink.” She said as if she could hear Film’s inner thoughts.
Yeah, it wasn’t like her sister’s story at all, but it didn’t necessarily mean it would end well, did it? “Yeah, I know.”
Love, different from her friend who shared the same name, wasn’t a very pleasant thing.
“Hey, I’m fine now. Thank you for yesterday.
And I’m really sorry for causing you trouble again. I never meant to do so.
Thanks for being there for me. You are always too kind.”
Namtan frowned when she finally received a text from Film that morning – not that it was late, it’s just that she had barely gotten any sleep last night and she had never been the best at waiting.
Accidentally kissing her friend – was it what she and Film were? –, seeing her transform into a dog right in front of her eyes, and then having to walk around holding her like a baby, was a little too much to process.
She spent the whole night talking to Boo and Babe about how weird her life was – her dogs fell asleep halfway through, too bored with their mom's rant about a dog they didn’t even know. Namtan felt bad for them, but she didn’t really have a choice. Who could she even talk to? Love was already looking at her as if she didn’t really believe what she had told her about Film and she was the one to blame for the whole incident. She couldn’t call Milk either because she wasn’t even sure if Milk knew about what happened to Film and she didn’t want to accidentally reveal the secret.
Still, once she got the message, she replied right away:
“I’m glad you are okay!
You didn't do anything wrong, so no need to apologize.
I’m sorry if I startled you and made things worse…
Can we talk?
Maybe meet up for lunch or something?
Or dinner?
I can pick you after class.”
She added a random sticker of her dogs to make it look more friendly – and spreading Boo and Babe’s adorableness all over the internet was kind of her habit.
Her bright eyes stared at the phone with expectation – yet the three dots showing someone was typing a reply never appeared; in fact, there wasn’t even a sign that Film had indeed read the text…Way to start a morning, getting ignored by the girl she was in a complicated situation with.
Unfortunately, Namtan couldn’t simply go and ask Film in person – she was a very confident person, but when it comes down to Rachanun, she was as awkward as a toddler sometimes. Therefore, she did as any other day, getting ready for class.
That day, only a few hours later she received a text – but it wasn’t from Film.
“Come down now!
Let’s eat at my department’s canteen.
They have free fries!”
It was Milk, summoning her as she knew Namtan’s class ended around this time. She could really use some fries after three hours of a boring class that she could barely pay any attention to.
“I’ll be right there.”
At least this time the sticker of Boo she used was properly appreciated, Milk sending her back one from Babe – her friend had unofficially adopted her dogs, at least on social media, and it always put a silly little smile on Namtan’s lips. Of course, those were her precious children!
Her smile, however, attracted unwanted, yet expected, attention. As she tried to put away her stuff and make her way out of class, the girls who were sitting beside her – juniors taking an elective class maybe? --, decided it was the perfect time to try to get noticed. And as usual, Namtan was terrible at turning them down right away. It wasn’t like she was the flirty type, but she was naturally friendly and her extrovert nature made it hard to shut down her chatterbox. No wonder she had won the princess title for her major easily back in freshman year.
So, she chatted with the girls about nothing in particular, appreciating their exaggerated giggles – see, not everyone was willing to ignore her! – as they made their way downstairs and outside the building. Namtan gave the girls a small smile, getting ready to give them a lame excuse to avoid giving away her line contact, when she heard someone whisper shouting:
“Liking *sugar so much, I wonder how these girls don’t get diabetes.” Love, her favorite brat, was there giving her a disapproval look – and of course, where Love was, so was Film.
Ignoring her sister’s teasing, she glanced at the brunette beside Love and tried to read her expression, but as soon as their eyes met, Film looked away. And as if she hadn’t really seen her there, she just dragged Love away before Namtan could come up to them.
Sighing, she watched the two shorter figures leave for the main canteen, before she looked back at the juniors who had just watched the silent interaction.
“Are they your friends, Phi?” One of the girls asked and Namtan almost made a face.
“It’s just my sister and…Sorry, girls, I should get going now. I promised a friend I would meet her.” Waving at them, she left with quick steps to the opposite side.
She really wanted to talk to Film, and gods knew she deserved a proper explanation after everything that happened yesterday, yet it didn’t seem like the younger woman was ready to talk now. Time, Namtan would give her some time – but she doubted she could stay away that long.
“You are late and my food is getting cold.” Was how her best friend greeted her as Namtan sat in front of her to eat the fries she had managed to get – luckily the cafeteria lady had a soft spot for her. “Did you stop to flirt with juniors again?”
“I don’t flirt with anyone! Why won’t you and Love stop with this joke?” Namtan defended herself, using a single fry to point at Milk as if it was a tiny sword. “You have your own girls to worry about.” To make her point, she gestured with her head to a group of girls sitting at another table – Milk’s own little group of admirers, also known as the PE department freshmen.
Milk only rolled her eyes, not bothering to look at the girls – they both knew she wasn’t indifferent, just shy. If Namtan was awfully extrovert and wouldn’t shut up easily, Milk often struggled to keep up with her friend’s antics as a much quieter person. However, her timidness only made her look cooler to the freshman – oh silly little ones, mistaking Milk’s awkwardness for a tsundere personally. “As if! Eat your food, it’s getting cold.” Milk shoved the fry into Namtan’s smiling mouth, stopping her arguing back. “So…I’ve heard you took Film home yesterday.”
The International relations students took her time chewing on her fries before replying, fully aware that it was her turn to feel embarrassed. Worse, considering that she was dealing with Film’s cousin. “Oh, yeah…I don’t know what Love told you, but it was just an accident and I did not-”
“Spare me the part about you kissing your crush on accident, because you suck at lying and I know you have been crushing on my cousin for like five years.” Milk said dismissively, throwing Namtan a napkin once she noticed the brown-haired woman had choked on her soda due to her directness. Honestly, Namtan not only sucked at lying, she also sucked at hiding her emotions and they spent way too much time together for her to not notice how her friend acted around her cousin – she was surprised Namtan couldn’t see that it went both ways. “I know about the…er, you know, what happened after the kiss.”
“You do?!” Poor Namtan, still red from nearly drowning on her drink, managed to say. Looking around as if to make sure no one was paying them attention, before learning to whisper. “The dog thing?”
“The curse.” Milk corrected nonchalant, amused by Namtan’s behavior. Her big mouthed friend was surprisingly careful when it comes down to other people’s secrets. Good, it meant Film was in good hands. “Didn’t N’Film talk to you about it yet?”
Shaking her head, Namtan sighed. “I don’t think she wants to talk to me now.”
“Well, would you want to talk to you if you were in her place?” Milk asked, her tone half only half serious, poking fun at her friend who rewarded her with a grimace.
Throwing her last fry at Milk, Namtan leaned back on her chair with her arms crossed. What had she done so wrong yesterday? “Don’t be unfair! I did everything I could to help. Actually, I don’t even know what I did to get her to…” She sighed once more, aware of how crazy it all was and how frustrating it was to not be able to just talk things out with Film. “How can something like that even happen?”
“I know you did. Rose was very relieved when she saw you taking such a good care of Film. I also am.” This time, Milk meant her words, giving Namtan a small, thankful smile. Truth be told, Film’s experience was one of the most positive ones someone in her family experienced – people could act in a very negative way, and it was terrifying; even if they didn’t get to see it, transforming and being alone in the middle of the night when the world looks so huge and you can’t even talk, was awful “It’s the kiss, but it wasn’t your fault, not exactly…She isn’t supposed to kiss anyone, at least without facing consequences. It’s a long story.”
Frowning, Namtan kept her voice low as she replied with curiosity: “How do you even know? Are you also…do you turn into a cutie like Boo and Babe? If yes, can I pet you?”
“Of course not!” Too bad she had run out of fries to return the attack, so Milk settled for kicking Namtan underneath the table, in perfect best friend fashion. “How do you think I would know? But it’s not the same for me...” Shaking her head, not feeling like sharing her own annoying situation at the moment, she tried to get back to the main topic. It was important that Namtan understood the whole situation in order to help her cousin. “Do you want to hear the whole thing or not? We only have an hour.”
“Alright, alright, I will be quiet. Promise.” Raising her hands in a peace offer, she encouraged: “Just please, tell me.”
Not wasting any more time, Milk gave Namtan the shorter version of it all: how someone, so long ago no one could even recall the date, was cursed by some sort of warlock and it made the whole family lineage have to endure the threat of the curse. It was like this only to the direct descendants, unfortunately for Film, she was one of them. Turning into a dog was a risk she and her sister would face for their whole life, at least until the curse’s conditions were all met and she could settle with someone – Milk didn’t specify which conditions, as it would cause more trouble than help. Namtan knowing about the problem would be enough to get her to help and also have her as an ally in the future, if they ever needed one.
It was obviously difficult for Namtan to remain quiet, so many doubts surrounded her mind as she tried her best to listen to her friend speak. Well, it all made sense – it was incredibly crazy, but she had seen it with her own eyes, so it made a whole lot of sense.
“So, everyone in your family deal with it? Damn…” Was all she could say after Milk was done talking. Of course, she couldn’t waste the chance of taking some revenge on Milk for her teasing earlier, so she added: “No wonder you are so single.”
“Don’t make me regret telling you.” Milk glared at her, albeit her friend wasn’t wrong about it – but it wasn’t like Namtan was any better, and she didn’t even have a curse as an excuse. “I just told you because I need you to understand, so you can help her.”
This picked Namtan’s attention right away, after all it was one of the things she had been wondering since last night. “And how could I? I already feel guilty enough, so I will do anything it’s needed.”
“Well, about that…” Milk made her come closer, before she could secretly tell her how she would be able to help, making sure to cover Namtan’s big mouth with a hand before she could show one of her loud reactions. “But not now! You should wait for her to approach you. Film is probably feeling mortified right now. Give her some time.”
Nodding, her light-brown eyes sparked with silver as Namtan finally realized something. “Well, now at least I know why she ran away that one time.” She said more to herself than to Milk, before giving her friend a glare. “You are such a terrible friend, you let me think she hated me!”
“And what should I have said? ‘Oh, don’t worry, she was just afraid she might turn into a dog because of CPR?’” The raven-haired woman said with a chuckle, knowing exactly what the other was talking about – years ago when she heard the story at first, she felt bad for Namtan, but she had to try very hard to not laugh at the idea of her cousin running away from a confused Namtan over CPR out of all things. “Besides, I thought it was obvious that Film really…”
Namtan arched one eyebrow, curious: “Really…?”
“She isn’t the type that would judge someone like this.” Milk said after a moment, rephrasing. It wouldn’t be her the one to tell her friend the obvious – Namtan needed to understand for herself or else it would be pointless. “Maybe you should start to think about why she would choose you instead of anyone else.”
Film dragged her feet, following Love to wherever she was so willingly to bring her in today.
“Hurry up! We will be late.” Love urged her as they made yet another turn, entering a street full of food carts and restaurants on both sides – food? No wonder Love was in such a hurry, food always cheered them up and Film definitely could use some after receiving a less than stellar grade on her paper.
“Where are we even going again? I need to be home early tonight.”
She lifted her head, slightly more excited now at the prospect of eating something delicious. That week had been awful, first the stupid curse ruining her nights and making her feel like she never got enough sleep no matter how much she slept in her alternate form; then a teacher suddenly made them work on an incredibly long paper regarding the history of languages, only to give everyone poor grades because they weren’t ‘detailed’ enough – too bad she wasn’t in her dog form at that the moment or she might have bitten his ankle in revenge.
And third, Namtan – no, she hadn’t done anything bad to her, on the contrary, she had kept her distance for most of the time, apparently getting the clue Film gave her by not texting back that day. However, it was a hint she never really meant to give. She had been too stressed and panicked to properly reply to her request that day, too afraid to face the pretty eyes that would surely face her with so many questions now. She didn’t mean to ignore the taller woman, she only didn’t know how to put her emotions into words, moreover, how to translate them to Namtan without showing how much of a mess she was feeling right now – how much of a mess Namtan had made her just by simply being the kindest person she had ever met.
“Why would you? It’s Friday.” Love asked, pulling Film by the arm, finally entering one of the many doors to reveal a pub packed with strangers.
“Just…family stuff.” She didn’t bother elaborating and her friend was too excited to try to dig in any further.
“I promise we will be back before eleven, okay?” The shorter girl reassured, although they both knew Love wasn’t one that was good at keeping that kind of promise – she was always a tad too late for everything, making the pretty golden watch on her wrist nothing more than a pretty accessory Milk had probably spent a little too much money on. “Trust me, you will like it.”
As usual, you should not trust your best friend – at least when it comes to this kind of stuff.
A few meters away, at the corner of the busy place, there was a group of girls sitting in an oddly organized way, with only two empty spots…was that what she thought it was?
“Love, what the hell is this?” She whispered-shouted to her friend, containing the urge of turning on her heels and leaving the place before she could feel even more embarrassed. Namtan was supposed to be the silly prankster of that family, not Love! “A lesbian blind date?!”
“Calm down, they will hear us!” Love tried to make her quieter, tiptoeing to have a better look at the girls from afar – they were all pretty, in different ways, just perfect for what she had in mind. “I thought you would like it, they are all very cute!”
“Of course not! You are not even into girls! And I…” Was she even into girls? Or guys? With the curse she barely had any time or wanted to dive deep into it, except for…Making a face, shaking her head, she completed: “I’m not into any of them.”
“Please, I know you were so not interested in the guy I introduced you to before. So, why not? Talking to them won’t hurt.” Shrugging, the shorter girl continued, “I just thought you could use some distraction after everything that happened this week.”
“It’s not like I haven’t fluked a test before. And dating won’t help.” Film tried to make her point, still unwilling to just go and sit with a bunch of strangers when she could’ve just gone home and slept.
“You know I’m not only talking about it.” The bronze-haired girl cut her, annoyed at her friend for pretending to not understand what she meant – she knew Film too well to not know the reason behind that lost gaze on her face. “My sister is an airhead and she already has too many girls following her around. You can get someone better if you just give it a try. Will you?”
Film stepped back, flustered by the unexpected mention of Namtan. “I-I…why would you even mention P’Namtan?”
“Yes, why would I mention my sister when you are clearly so not into her that you keep sighing like a loser every time she doesn’t show up.” Love was the one to sigh now, tired of watching her friend acting like a 13-year-old with her first crush – the difference was that she had seen Film acting like that for way too many times over Namtan and it never got past the usual week of sighs and panicked reactions around her sister. She was so done with these two circling around each other. “Come on, forget about P’Namtan. These girls are very cool, so just have some fun! I will pay for the food, so take it as a gift.”
The shorter girl gave her an encouraging push, forcing her to go towards the table and sit down, letting Love to do the introductions.
She sighed once more, before forcing a smile. Here it goes three hours of absolutely nothing.
“Hello.” She managed to say as she accidentally bumped into Namtan in front of the PE building where she had been waiting for P’Milk to hand her some books she had bowered. Namtan’s presence was a surprise, but she was probably there for the same reason as her.
The idea of running away crossed her mind, but the taller girl’s soft voice echoed before she could do anything, the gentleness in her tone all too familiar – Milk loved to tease her about how Namtan had a voice only to baby her and Film always denied it; but there was no doubt Namtan spoke in a softer, calmer tone to her in comparison to her usual loud and fast one, maybe because she knew Film could get easily startled.
“Hey, Nong Film. How have you been doing?” More than the soft voice, Namtan was also giving a special look today, the bright eyes watching her with care as she could touch her with this glance, although her hands remained by her sides – as usual, it hadn’t changed.
“I’m fine, really. Sorry for not replying, I was…” She moved uncomfortably, holding onto the books and averting her eyes to them. Why didn't she reply? Because she was an idiot, clearly. “Adapting. Thanks again for what you did that night.”
“I think I can understand, I know you are having a hard time. And I am also at fault here.” Namtan shook her head, stepping closer, tentatively – not close enough to invade Film’s personal space, but close enough so they could talk in a quiet voice. “We can talk once you are feeling more like yourself. I would really like it.”
Biting down on her bottom lip, Film nodded. “I promise I will try.” Trying was all she could do – all she had to do, considering the time was running and Namtan was her only hope.
“Anytime you are ready, just call me…You know I really like dogs. Boo and Bear are like the loves of my life! I mean, not in a weird way, like my children.” Namtan’s smile and her silly babbling made it clear that she was fine with waiting, moreover, the gentle spark of silver in her eyes reflected how much she wished to make things okay between them. She even dared to, tentatively, reach her hand to pat Film’s hair lightly – for the very first time in almost three years. “I’m just saying I don’t have any reason to dislike this part of you, or any other. Nong Film is Nong Film.”
“I know, you are wonderful to your dogs.” And she was also wonderful to her, always been. They had met when she was only a kid and Namtan had always been warm to her, being especially patient with her timid nature and learning how to approach her instead of just ignoring her like other kids would – maybe it was back then that Film started to develop a special fondness to the person in front of her. Therefore, she finally braved up to lift her chocolate eyes and meet Namtan’s lighter ones, confessing, “I felt very safe that night…thanks to you. I don’t think it would’ve been like that with anybody else.”
“I just couldn’t leave you alone. You are too cute to be ignored.” Namtan said as if to lighten up the mood, but there was honesty in her voice as she gave Film’s hair a final pat, before stepping back. “We could grab lunch together sometime…We don’t have to talk about that. I just miss eating with you…and my brat sister, of course.”
Film’s chest felt lighter as she heard the invitation, as if things were starting to slowly shift back into place. Yes, she could do it. “Maybe next week?”
“Then it’s a deal!” This time the smile she received was more open, her tone chirping as if Namtan had relaxed as well – at least until she spotted someone walking towards them. “And talking about the brat…I should go, she keeps looking at me as if I kicked a cute puppy…you.” She whispered the last word, shooting her a silly wink before leaving. “See you around, N’Film.”
“You are P’Milk’s cousin, right? Can you get me her line ID?” The voice of one of the girls brought Film back from the memories of her conversation with Namtan earlier today and to the current conversation, albeit her mind hadn’t been there from the start – the girls, although pretty, were as boring as it gets and it only took them fifteen minutes to become just as disinterested in her as she was in them. Then they had moved on to Love and showed their actual intentions all along – hitting on their relatives. Gods, it was like going back to high school.
Shaking her head, Film gave her a tight-lipped smile. No way she would sell out her cousin to those dumb juniors. “P’Milk doesn’t have any public accounts. She is a very reserved person.” Which was true, but she said it in a way to discourage them.
Of course, it only made the other girl go back to bothering Love instead.
Honestly, Film wasn’t very sure as to how it happened or why, but Love and those girls were now comparing pictures of her cousin and Love was rather passionate about hers – bragging about how all of hers were taken during their hangouts and how P’Milk loved to take pictures of her…she was showing off as if it was her girlfriend and not just another friend.
Rachanun could only facepalm her friend’s behavior – Love clearly had drunk a little bit too much.
“No, no, no! P’Milk is not like P’Namtan, I can’t just give out her ID! She doesn’t flirt with anyone!” Love, who had had a few too many happy cocktails – or whatever was that red thing that she kept gulping like it was water – said loudly, defending Milk as if her life depended on it; as for her sister, she didn’t spare her any good words and it made Film frown just as much as the disappointed girls did, albeit for different reasons. “She is actually pretty shy around new people, which is pretty cute. You should’ve seen her…” As Love continued to babble about Milk like a broken record, the girls became quickly bored.
“But, P’Namtan is also pretty cute! And you said she is easy to approach! I saw them at lunch on Wednesday and the visuals were like, whoa!” Film’s frown only grew deeper as she heard that one annoying girl – what was her name again? Sam? Som? Whatever, she was just annoying. “What about giving me her number?”
“No.” She said more out of spite than knowledge. No way in hell she would let Love just throw Namtan at those girls – luckily, Love didn’t plan on it either.
“Ew, no!” Love echoed Film’s own answer with a much louder one, for which Film was grateful this time. “Why would anyone want that?! Did you know she used to pick her nose so much that mom had to slap her hand?”
“She was seven at the time, though.” Film defended, knowing a little too well all of Namtan’s embarrassing stories Love had to tell – which were, mostly, silly things all children do and it only made the cool and confident Namtan of today sound more human and approachable; the giggles the girls let out made it clear they thought the same.
“Yes, tell us more about her as well! What is her type?” One of them asked, sounding a little too eager and Film had to focus on drinking her soda to pretend she didn’t care.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t think it will work out.” Love cut it, as usual she was great at sabotaging her sister’s love life – younger sibling things that luckily were working in Film’s favor today. “She likes them…” A dramatic pause to sneak a peek at her friend, before shaking her head, before continuing. “Very fat! She says she loves them fluffy and hairy. Even better if they drool a lot.”
“What?!” The girls reacted in horror, but Rachanun only rolled her eyes.
“P’Namtan only cares about her dogs.” She clarified, just to make sure these women wouldn’t get the wrong idea about Namtan. She regretted it as soon as the horrified expressions turned into tender ones as the other women echoed:
“Oh, but that’s so sweet!”
“Come on, N’Love! Can’t you put in a good word for me?”
“Don’t you want a cute sister-in-law?”
“No!” Love shook her head in a negative, before pointing out at Film. “That’s why I brought Film here.”
“Enough!” Film decided it was time to call it a night – before the girls voiced the obvious questions they had after hearing Love’s nonsense; so much for being a good friend, she would surely scold her tomorrow. “I mean, I’ve had enough. I’ll get going.” Getting her bag, as well as Love’s, she stood up and put some money on the table to cover their share of the tab. “And so will you.” Not giving her a choice, Film grabbed her drunk friend by the arm, so Love would have to follow her.
“What? But my drink! And P’Milk’s picture!” The shorter girl tried to protest as Film said her goodbyes to their ‘dates’ and forced Love to greet them properly as well.
“Love, let’s go now.” It wasn’t common for Film to be the nagging one, but she had to be firm or else they might stay the night at the dumb bar, having to fulfill a dating guide about Milk and Namtan. “Please excuse us, I need to be home soon and so does she.”
Leaving the pub, even if still dragging a drunk Love with her, made Film feel much better. The evening breeze was much more pleasant than the smell of old fried food and beer that permeated the previous place; the fact that she didn’t have to deal with those girls was even more pleasant.
“You didn’t even let me pay.” Love complained as she rested her head on Film’s shoulder, holding her arm for support.
“You can pay me back tomorrow. It’s getting pretty late.” Love’s house wasn’t that far away, so if they could walk quickly, Film would have enough time to get into a bus to her own house.
“Are you bringing me home so you can see P’Namtan?” Love clicked her tongue in disapproval. “You know, she looks very ugly at night! And so do you!”
“You are talking nonsense. I just don’t want you to trip and fall into a manhole and die.” The taller girl sighed, flickering Love’s forehead in response to her free insult. “And stop saying nonsense about me and your sister. P’Namtan has always been very good to you and all you do is poke fun at her lately.”
“…and ugly in the morning…Believe, you won’t want to get married to her.” Love made a face, dragging her feet lazily to keep up with Film’s steps.
Married? Yeah, Love had drunk way too much for her tiny body. “You do know you guys kind of look alike, right?”
Making a face – because Film was right –, the smaller one continued: “Why do you even like her to begin with? And why does she have to like you? Friends and family aren’t supposed to mingle.” Drinking made Love a little too honest and childish, easily revealing her thoughts and worries. It wasn’t like she hated any of them, it was the opposite. “No dating. I can’t lose you two if you break up.”
“She likes me?!” Was the only part Film’s brain registered, albeit Love was still on a on-going rant about how her sister and best friend dating would be gross and how she couldn’t live without any of them, but she didn’t want to watch them making out in front of her.
“Heard it?” She called once more. “No dating!” And as if to end the conversation, she proceeds to snooze on Film’s shoulder like a cartoon character – a heavy one at that.
Film had, in fact, not heard anything, but she didn’t have time to argue as it was already past eleven and suddenly she understood that taking a drunk friend home could be a hard task.
When Film finally managed to leave Love at her home, safely under Namtan’s care – Film didn’t really think she would see her, but she needed help to bring Love inside and Namtan was the one to open the door and easily carry her sister inside as if it was a common occurrence.
Luckily or not, they didn’t have time to chat, as Film left in a hurry under the excuse of having to take the last bus home.
“Shit! It’s almost midnight!” She cursed to herself as she walked with long strides, looking from one side of the road to the other to try and spot a potential ride. Of course, she would find creepy drunk dudes smiling at her and no bus in sight – so she walked even faster, towards the next bus stop. “I knew I should’ve taken a cab.”
Now, it would take at least 20 minutes to get to her house, if she was lucky enough to hail a taxi or find one online…even so, she would risk transforming on the way. Getting a hotel room was also an option, but she didn’t know she had enough money to cover for it and she wasn’t sure she could walk there as fast…
Another minute passed by. Damn it.
She should’ve just stayed with Love, after all it wasn’t like Namtan didn’t know about her secret…but could she even? The last thing she wanted was for her best friend to learn about this side of her – Love might pass out, and then wake up just to take some selfies with her, before nagging her for having kissed her sister.
Sighing, she looked at the watch on her wrist – less than twelve minutes to go. Going back to Namtan’s house would probably take just as long and she couldn’t risk it.
The best option was to look for a hiding place, pray that no one suspicious would spot her, and accept her fate – of course, she would call for help before, so someone could come and get her eventually.
But Rose was on a business trip now. So, Milk was her only option – and she had to cross her fingers that her cousin had a light sleeper.
She wasn’t.
But three calls were enough to make a groggy Milk pick up the phone.
“P’Milk, hello! I’m sorry for calling so late, but it’s an emergency…” But then she only had about six minutes to go and she couldn’t waste it. Hiding in a badly lit alleyway, she hugged herself as she asked for her cousin’s help. “Can you please come pick me up? I kind of lost track of time and now…” She didn’t need to put into words, her cousin knew better than anyone how the curse worked. “I’m in an alleyway near Love’s house, I will send you the location and a picture of it… I will be waiting here, so if you could please come…Please.”
“Don’t worry, Nong. Can you wait for about ten minutes?” Milk said without a hint of hesitation, as expected from her ever-reliable cousin. “Just stay put and I will get you.”
Her sensitive ears captured the sound of footsteps way before her eyes could identify a figure walking towards her, making Film hide even further behind the small pile of clothes. The figure was wearing jeans and a white shirt, a beige jacket on top of it, a white cap covering most of her face – it was a woman, for sure, which made her relax a bit and dare to step out of her hiding spot to take a better look at the newcomer.
As the huge – from a small dog’s point of view – feet stepped closer, Film didn't have time to try to identify her cousin. “Hello there, my cutie. Did I make you wait long?” Bright and beautiful light brown instead of onyx ones – those were the eyes that greeted her as the woman lifted Film to her eye level, greeting her with a fond and mischievous grin. Namtan. “Milk sent me to pick you up. But you should’ve just called me from the get go, don’t you know I will never let you down?” There was a note of disappointment in her voice as she spoke to the puppy, although Rachanun couldn’t articulate an answer, only blinking in awe at the woman’s sudden appearance.
Film felt cold for a moment – as she was put down so the other woman could place her stuff inside a bag that she threw over her shoulders –, before warmth engulfed her whole body again as Namtan pulled her closer to her chest, covering her with the jacket so she would be extra safe and partially hidden. “Let’s go home, N’Film.” The older girl informed as she started to walk with Film, as if it was just another night for the two of them – someone looking from the outside would probably find the sight of the duo quite lovely, as the small dog snuggled up to the woman and the woman carried it with so much gentleness; and, indeed, Film felt a little too comfortable now. “Don’t worry, Boo and Babe are sleeping with Love tonight, so it will be only the two of us.”
Only the two of them in Namtan’s room? The idea should make Film blush and freak out, but right now she was nothing more than a cute puppy for Namtan and she couldn’t blush even if she wanted to. Therefore, she could only let out a happy little sigh as she closed her eyes, snuggling up to Namtan’s neck and inhaling the scent of Magnolia and something so uniquely hers – it put her heart at ease. More than safe, she felt comforted and loved.
Oh, she was so into deep – but it was fine, at least for tonight.
Namtan placed Film on top of her bed once they arrived home, watching the sleepy dog with fond eyes as she patted her head. Transforming probably took a lot of energy, no wonder Film had slept almost as soon as she had picked her up.
Earlier, Namtan had been busy convincing Love to do the same – her drunk sister was really something; she had lost the count of times Love told her to ‘stop hitting on her best friend unless they were planning on getting married’, just for the next moment she would be sleeping sitting on the closed toilet seat with a toothbrush still in hand. Luckily their parents were traveling this weekend or they both might get an earful. Milk’s call came right when she had put Love to bed and was preparing to go to sleep as well.
Needless to say, she didn’t hesitate once she understood the situation. Of course, had she not been so distracted with her little sister, she would’ve remembered that Film couldn’t be by herself that late at night. Namtan had run as fast as she could to come and get Film safely home, glad to see the puppy was okay.
Now, as she sat on a chair across the room and watched Film’s calm sleep, she couldn’t help but to think she had to do something about it. It’s been over a week now, and even if Milk had told her Rachanun had around 100 days to break the curse, the idea of allowing her to go through needless suffering wasn’t pleasant. Yet, Film hadn’t asked for her help yet.
“You are a stubborn one, aren’t you?” She said to herself, after all, Film was still deep asleep and even if she weren’t, a conversation wouldn’t be possible for the next few hours.
Glancing at her wristwatch, verifying they still have over four hours until Film could come back to normal, she wondered what to do next. With a small sigh, she made a decision, setting an alarm in her phone – she would get ready to sleep and nap for a bit, and later she would check if what Milk had told her was true.
Unfortunately, and maybe due to the adorable creature sleeping by the end of the bed, Namtan couldn’t really catch any sleep – instead old memories ran through her mind. She had known Film for so many years now, ever since they were both kids. However, now she could understand things better, as if rewatching an old movie after knowing its ending, it was easy to tell where the plot twist lies.
Film had always been a shy kid, with her awkward smile and dimples too deep for her small face, Namtan couldn’t recall a time in which she didn’t find the younger adorable – perhaps it was the reason why she often went out of the way to accommodate Film, aiding her to navigate through the complicated and annoying social rituals they both had to participate in. While Namtan had always been the type that talks a little too much and can easily stand up for herself, Film tended to try and hide in a corner, so it was up to Namtan to come and rescue her whenever Love or her other friends weren’t there to do so.
At first, she did it because of instinct – the same way she had always made sure to watch over Love and make sure her little sister wouldn’t struggle, or with Milk, her much quieter and slightly clumsy friend –, the natural impulse to make sure Film wouldn’t get bullied or have an awful time when she could’ve been by her side instead. With time, however, she understood it wasn’t a fully selfless reason.
Namtan liked to be around Film, to watch her smile grow from timid to genuinely amused, to hear her small laugh and see her eyes crinkling in the corner as if she were so happy to see her, she liked their silly conversations and comfortable silences…she liked to be with Film. That realization didn’t affect their relationship, as she considered it only a natural progression, from seeing Film only as her sister’s friend, to one of her own.
It wasn’t until she was around sixteen that she realized that there could be more to it – and once she did, it was hard to look past it. At that time life was already a little too complicated for her, as it is to all teenagers, but understanding she may like girls, moreover, one in particular was overwhelming. So, she didn’t do anything – for once, Namtan who was always so active and adamant, chose to take the cowardly route, a decision she never regretted until recently.
After the lake incident, she was sure any non-platonic feelings she could have for Film were fated to lead to her own misery, making her go from simply pretending to not feel anything, to actively making sure she would never do anything – even if by accident. She kept her hands inside her pockets, she looked away as soon as Film looked at her reaction, she made sure to talk to as many girls as she could so she would never look suspicious. She was successful, and never felt good about it.
But here they were now. Ever since Namtan saw Film at college, ignoring any lingering feelings and pretending the tension between them didn’t exist, became harder and harder, to the point she understood it was time to stop hiding behind her cowardness and face things head first.
The alarm rang needlessly as the woman was already ready to do what she had to.
“N’Film? Film, wake up.” She called softly, waking her up and making sure she had her full attention. “I will help you out, so don’t worry and just trust me, please.” Standing up, she grabbed a blanket from the closet and wrapped it around Film – Milk had been very direct about making sure her cousin wouldn’t end up naked in an alleyway, and even if Namtan’s room was far from an empty street, she still made sure to protect the girl’s decency. She locked the door, just in case.
Making sure the covers were wrapped around Film well, she gently lifted her up so they could see each other eye-to-eye, which was a little bit embarrassing, Namtan had to admit. But she was determined to do it, Film deserved it.
“I actually spoke to Milk about it and she let me know what I had to do to help. I was waiting for you to approach me, but well...I guess it’s better to do it before it becomes a bigger issue for you.” She explained, her voice adorned with a hint of hesitation and concern – she didn’t want Film to endure that curse anymore, she didn’t want to worry about the girl being lost in the middle of the night unable to call for help…Whether it would make Film a little mad at her or not, she would do what she thought was right. “I will try to make it quick, so, if excuse me.” It was the first time she had to excuse herself before kissing someone, but it was also the first time she was about to give someone a kiss to break a curse – hopefully –, so she tried to not allow the awkwardness to take over her.
“Just so you know, if you had asked me, I would have done it right away. No matter how cute you are now, I still like the original version of you the most. I’ve always liked you…I still do.” The addendum was done in almost a whisper, honest, but shy – why was it always like this when it comes to Film? Maybe because it mattered, it mattered how her words would be received and the repercussions of them. “Please, don’t run away this time.”
Closing her eyes, she took in a deep breath before leaning in to ever so softly kiss Film – an innocent kiss, light as a feather and as full of care and fondness as the ones a beloved puppy would have received from a child. Hopefully, that one second would be enough to save Film.
As she opened her eyes and was met with the chocolate brown ones still trapped inside the tiny canine body, she felt her heart sink inside her chest – had she done something wrong again? Had her kiss cursed Film for good?
Namtan was wondering whether or not she should try kissing the puppy again, and even pursed her lips together to complete the mission, when she suddenly felt the weight on her arms getting much heavier and change form, urging her to hug – the now human – Film, better to not allow her to fall; even though she was the one who ended up losing her balance.
As Namtan hugged her closer, and Film tried to cling onto her, both stumbled back as the younger brunette held her by the neck, pulling her in a little too close – so close to cause another accident; even though Namtan managed to avoid falling down and kept Film safely with her, she couldn’t avoid the lips that met hers.
Plump and warm, very human lips. Right on top of hers.
Another kiss, accidental just like the last one, but a little longer.
Film pulled back, her face red – a redness that creeps down her neck and bare shoulders and that would have caught Namtan’s eyes any other day, but that was now disregarded as she blinked in awe for a second before she realized what it meant and made a decision.
Instead, or letting go of her, Namtan made sure to keep her close, using one hand to cup her face and bring her closer for a – non accidental – kiss. A proper one this time. She couldn’t allow Film to be cursed all over again because they were just too clumsy to share another kiss when they were not supposed to – hopefully she could break the circle before it was too late.
Little did she know, the circle had already been broken – and Film herself only realized it now.
Namtan’s hand softly caressed Film’s jaw, keeping her in place as her lips did the same to the girl’s, for the first time kissing her as she deserved it – with care and passion, slow and full of meaning. Kissing her bottom lip and then her top one, molding her mouth into hers as she felt the woman relax and gently sigh contently against her lips.
She hugged her close, her hand caressing her waist in a similar way as Film did to her nape now. Her heart was beating fast, drumming in her ears with a rhythm all too new as she got drunk in the feeling of finally kissing the girl she had loved for so long – and getting a response just as intense.
As she backed away only slightly, enough to take a breath, the light brown of her eyes was met by Film darker ones for a brief moment, before they both closed their eyes once more as the younger woman pulled her in for another kiss – disregarding the potential effects of the curse.
And it was just one of way too many kisses for Namtan to keep track of.
There was a smile on her lips as she deepened the kiss, gently biting down on the brunette’s lips and receiving a quiet sound as a reply. Film’s hands were in her hair as she kissed her deeper, tasting the everlasting hint of chocolate in her tongue, the younger responding to the kiss with eagerness.
Namtan wasn’t sure for how long they kissed, but they were eventually forced to separate by the sound of her alarm informing it was 6am – time for Film to turn back, or it would’ve been, hadn’t she broken the curse with so much intent.
They looked at each other with glossy eyes, a smile playing on her face as she looked from Film’s pretty eyes to her swollen lips and red cheeks – oh, she was so adorable! Even more adorable as Namtan noticed the redness also reached her neck and…she averted her eyes right away, suddenly remembering that only a blanket was covering the girl, and it had slipped quite a bit thanks to her eager hands.
Film seemed to notice it at the same time and as she stepped back in horror, Namtan closed her eyes and turned around to make sure no incidents could happen.
“I didn’t see anything!” She made sure to clarify, which was replied with a mortified grunt. Namtan had to bite back a giggle.
Yes, so very adorable. She could really live with such a sight for the rest of her days.
“Sorry, I got too excited and lost the count.” She said once she was sure Film had wrapped herself around the blanket like a burrito – but didn’t dare to turn around until she was told to do so.
“Count?” Film asked in a small voice, and Namtan could almost imagine her red face.
“Er, kiss count? I don’t want you to transform again, but I can’t think straight when you are so close.” The taller woman replied, taking a hand to scratch her neck in embarrassment and a silly, very sincere, happiness. She was supposed to make sure Film was fine, not to make out with her – Love would definitely kill her if she knew about it. But well, it wasn’t like she was the only one to blame…She only had to find a way to make sure Film didn’t transform again. “I will keep you company, just in case you turn again tonight and you need me.”
“Oh, that.” It took Film a moment to reply, her teeth biting down on her bottom lip as she hugged the blanket closer to her body and observed Namtan’s back. So, she didn’t know? Should she even tell her? Maybe later. “I don’t think I will. You don’t have to worry.”
“You don’t?!” Namtan was surprised, so much that she dared to look over her shoulder, forgetting about her manners to check on Film’s expression instead. The girl looked very sure of herself, as if she knew something Namtan didn’t – and of course she did, all Namtan knew was what Milk and Rose had told her, and none of them ever bothered explaining that part. “I mean, that’s a relief. I was wondering how we would be able to da-”
“Namtan?” The brunette interrupted.
“Huh?”
“Can you leave for a moment? I need to get dressed.” She added the last part in a small voice, averting her eyes so as to not embarrass herself even further.
“Oh yeah, of course!” Namtan was quick to respond, feeling her own face heating up, although her blush was more due to her lack of sense than anything else. “I will just…er, wait outside!”
“Want to see you.
Can I come over later?
*pleading dog sticker*”
With the silliest of the smiles on her face, Film had to put down the phone so she could act like a silly teenager and bounce from one side to the other as she giggled to herself – good thing Rose was still taking a shower and couldn’t watch the scene; and maybe Film wouldn’t mind it too much even if she did.
After all, she felt very happy today.
The curse was broken, but more than that, she received a much bigger gift last night.
Growing up, she always wondered if she would be one of the lucky ones – if she would be able to find a good partner that could look past all her faults, even that stupid curse, and love her regardless; it was pure luck, really, in her family there were the ones who lived their own fairy tales, the ones who had to accept to live a life on their own, and the ones who couldn’t escape the curse…no matter how careful you were, you never know until it’s your turn how things will end.
Somehow, the brunette never thought her own curse would come to such a sweet ending, so fast and so easy – maybe she was the luckiest of them all. Or maybe she was just very lucky to have met Namtan when she was still a kid.
Back then, when she was nothing but a timid child who would cling onto her equally shy best friend to try and face the world, Namtan appeared as a bright spot in her days. She and Love were already very close when she finally saw the older girl for the first time, as Namtan came to the school gates to pick Love up so they could walk home together – she wasn’t like the present Namtan, with her confident smile and elegant strides, she was all legs and excessively large smiles that matched her pigtails.
Still, Film remembered seeing that friendly face made her feel warm and safe, even if she couldn’t look the girl in the eye as she introduced herself and followed the sisters to their house to finish a school project. She remembered how Namtan would ruffle her hair lightly the same way she did to Love, offering her snacks before leaving them alone – it was silly, but it felt nice, and as time passed,and she learned that was just the way Namtan was, she got used to it and started to wait for such moments.
Of course, she was only a kid and it didn’t mean anything. It was like she had two older cousins now, since Milk was also there to watch over them like good guardians. Still, being around Namtan always felt a bit different. Maybe it was the playfulness in her smile, the silly winks and the gentle pats on her head, or maybe it was simply the weight of the light brown eyes on hers, but the warmth never left Film’s heart whenever Namtan appeared.
With the years things slowly changed.
Love no longer liked to have her older sister following her everywhere and Milk was way too busy with school work to do the same for Film, so she started to see P’Namtan less frequently, but somehow it made her pay more attention to the girl’s presence. It was when she got used to observe Namtan and started to understand that she would never be able to see her the same way she did to her cousin and older sister – and it had nothing to do with family bonds.
She noticed when Namtan became even taller, but also more graceful and her footsteps became quieter; she noticed the way her face became slimmer and her eyes sharper, her voice louder and more confident; she noticed how more and more people were always around her now.
She noticed it all, yet failed to notice the most important thing – Namtan was always looking back at her.
As a teenager, she was going through her own changes, still too awkward to be noticed by most – still, Namtan was always there for her. Be it to call out anyone who could bother her, be it to give her that one smile that seemed to be only hers, be it to encourage her with a soft voice and a pat on the back…She made it all too hard for Film to not fall for her; even if back then she didn’t know how to put it into words.
Film grew up, guys and girls approached her, yet she never paid them much attention, placing all the blame into the curse when she knew deep down it wasn’t the case. The curse made her wary of others, made her question the worth of love over all the risks, made her always discard any potential boyfriends without a second thought – the curse, however, was never an obstacle for her feelings for Namtan. She lied to herself claiming it was just because the curse didn’t work if it was someone of the same gender, but her façade was completely broken that day at the lake – not because of a curse, but because of the erratic beats of her heart that made it way too clear that the curse wasn’t the thing really stopping her from loving someone; indeed, it didn’t at all.
She ran away that day, just like that night at the alley, not because of the curse – she ran away because she didn’t want to lose Namtan, even if they were never more than friends. The change in Namtan’s behavior back then didn’t go unnoticed, every single time she wouldn’t receive the gentle touches or the loving gazes, it hurt a little too much, making her sink deep into the huge metaphoric pile of sighs from which Love would try so hard to pull away her.
This week she had been under it once more – too scared to move and be faced with Namtan’s kindness, but nothing more than platonic love.
She was oh so silly, even more now that she smiled to herself like a loser, but she was completely fine with it. After all, Namtan had never looked at her like a sister either.
So, after five minutes of walking from one side of the room to the other, she finally replied to the message:
“I want to see you too.
I’ll be waiting.”
The bandaged heart she added in an impulse was enough to get a white one in return and send her into another embarrassing round of pacing back and forth with a silly smile on her face – one her sister and cousin spotted right away; Film wasn’t even sure when these two had appeared.
Milk and Rose exchanged a knowing look before turning to Film with amused smiles.
“Spill.” And just like that, the older girls demanded her to tell them everything about last night and how her curse had been broken – and everything else.
Needless to say, that Film tried to not delve too much into the details, already knowing the kind of reaction she would get for the next few weeks or even months – she still received it regardless.
“It’s not like that. We are both girls.”
“I don’t like P’Namtan like that. Are you insane?”
They said, echoing the things Film herself had told them before – of course they wouldn’t let her off the hook without some teasing.
“Can you guys stop already?” She complained, covering her face with her hands, only to receive laughter in return.
“I’m sorry, Nong, but you have to admit it’s too funny to not poke some fun at you.” Rose, her usually calm and collected sister, seemed to be having a lot of fun as gently poked her sister’s cheek before sitting down on the couch. Rose had just come back early this morning, just in time to find Film getting home at suspicious hours – she didn’t say anything back then, probably waiting to gang up on her with Milk.
“And at Namtan!” Her cousin added, her smile way too big now – of course, she was the one to send Namtan after her and Film could be, she had told Rose about the plan and the result of it already. “I’m going to have so much fun tomorrow.”
“No! Don’t bother her. She…” Film made a face, the simple thought of having Milk teasing Namtan all day made her embarrassed – her cousin would surely talk too much. “She doesn’t quite get it yet.”
Milk blinked in confusion. “What do you mean?”
“She did break the curse…fully. But only told her I won’t transform anymore. Didn’t tell her why.”
“Fully?” Rose intervened, looking puzzled as she considered it very important information.
“Oh…we…I…I didn’t transform even when I kissed her again.” She couldn’t just tell her sister she had made out with P’Namtan last night, but it was hard to hide anything from the pair of smart brown eyes on her – two pairs, to be more exact.
“Again?” Her cousin struggled to contain a chuckle. “Well, wasn’t it expected, though? It’s Namtan.” Milk said as if it was the most obvious thing – and for her it was, there wasn’t a single moment she worried about her cousin because she knew from the start the two of them would end up just fine. “It will be fun to watch her follow you around all the time because she is afraid she didn’t kiss you enough that day.”
Film threw a pillow at the taller woman, trying to wipe the smile off of her face. “You are indeed having too much fun!” She complained, feeling her face grow hot due to embarrassment – Namtan had indeed tried to kiss her enough to make sure the curse wouldn’t be active again and she didn’t doubt she would try to do it again…and she wouldn’t mind it. “I will tell her, just didn’t get the chance to do so yesterday. I was kind of embarrassed…You guys should understand how it feels, instead of making fun of me.”
“Understand how it feels to be in love with Namtan? No, thanks.” The taller of the three women said as she crossed her arms in front of herself in rejection – no wonder her and Love got along so well, they bonded through teasing Namtan. “I hope I can understand the feeling one day, without my friend involved.”
“I wish I could say I do, but my experience was nothing like yours, for which I’m glad.” Rose said in a more serious tone, reaching out to pat her sister’s shoulder in support. Rose had had a tough time with her own curse, facing many weeks of suffering before finally being freed from it – but not in the sweet way Film had been, and not to find her happy ending, just a bitter one. She was relieved her little sister didn’t go through the same suffering. “I’m really happy for you, Film.”
Film returned her smile, but there was a shadow of insecurity in her eyes as she confessed, “I should probably wait until tonight to celebrate. I keep thinking that maybe things-”
“Nothing will happen, Nong. Believe, I know.” Her cousin’s words, this time, wasn’t to joke around, but to reassure her with facts. Milk had been Namtan’s friend for even more time than Film knew her, and there was nothing that she didn’t know about the girl. “Namtan has liked you since high school, maybe even before it…And the same is true for you, isn’t it? Liking her for so long…Unless the rules have changed, you are completed free now.”
“Yes, I really like her.” The words rolled out of her tongue easily, bringing a lightness to her chest she didn’t feel in very long – suddenly she felt the urge of saying it again, this time to the person responsible for these feelings. Milk was right, it would be okay and she shouldn’t think otherwise. “It feels good to say it aloud.”
Rose softly ruffled her hair, as if she was still a kid. “Look at you, all red! My baby sister is the first of the family to get into a relationship!” She sounded rather proud, albeit there was a note of amusement in her voice as she turned to speak to their cousin. “Milk, don’t tease her too much when I’m not around to help. I will be back by 8!”
“Huh? Where are you going?” Rachanun looked at her sister in confusion, not only was it the weekend, Rose had just come back from a trip. “You just got home.”
“Smin asked me to have some coffee while we go over the models for the project.” The older brunette explained as she grabbed her bag to leave. “The new client I told you about, remember? It’s a big project and I’m having a lot of fun with it, so I didn’t see a reason to decline.” Rose gave Film a kiss on the head, doing the same for her cousin, before waving them goodbye and leaving the duo sitting on the couch with confusion written all over their faces.
“Since when does she have coffee with clients on the weekend?” Film asked aloud, although she knew Milk was just as clueless about her sister’s odd behavior as she was.
Her cousin shrugged her shoulders. “Maybe she finally got a date? It’s been years since the last time she tried.”
“A date? You know how she feels about dating.” Shaking her head, Film dismissed the idea. Her sister was probably just excited with the idea of a new lucrative project, that’s all. “What about you? Some girls from my department were talking about you yesterday.” And about Namtan as well, but Film would rather ignore it. “You are more popular than I thought.”
“You know I’m not interested. Things aren’t that simple in our family.” Even if Milk’s situation wasn’t like hers, her cousin still had her own reasons to prefer staying clear from dating for now. “Not all of us have some silly dog lover at our feet, you know?”
“You are just like Love!” The younger woman protested Milk's teasing, even if she wasn’t exactly wrong. “And talking about her, did you know she keeps a bunch of pictures of y-”
“The Film lover must’ve arrived!”
Milk took the chance to run over to open the door, leaving Film no choice but to follow, just for the two of them to be bombarded with the rather shocking greeting:
“Did you sleep with my sister?” Love asked with her arms crossed in front of her chest, but she stepped back in surprise once she saw Milk standing there instead of Film. “I meant, Film!” She recovered just in time, or almost.
“I already told her we didn’t!” Namtan, who was only a step behind her belligerent sister, took the chance to give the girls an apologetic smile. “But she insisted on coming. Sorry!”
“I saw you two together this morning. Do not lie to me!” Love didn’t even give Film – who had assumed a new shade of red upon hearing such inflammatory accusations out of nowhere – the chance of protesting. “Now listen up, you two.”
“Namtan, N’Love, come inside first. Arguing outside the house is bad manners.” Milk was the one to guide inside the small, yet mighty, newcomer alongside her much taller and less intimidating, sister.
Love stopped in the middle of the living room, raising three fingers as she spoke to Film and Namtan – luckily, the brown-haired girl had taken a place beside Film, giving her a small, nervous smile. “Three things! One, be good to each other; two, never break up, and third, do not make out in front of me, it would be very gross. Got it?” Love ordered as if she was a modern dictator instead of a cute girl who was trying to think about the best way to make sure her best friend and sister wouldn’t end up in a terrible relationship that would ruin everything between their friend group.
“Sometimes I forget how fierce N’Love can be…so cute.” Of course, the sudden compliment came from her cousin, successfully crumbling Love’s strong front and reducing her to a red mess just as big as Film.
Namtan let out a nervous laughter and Film followed suit. Love had her own way of doing things and she could only nod in reply, not bothering to argue.
“We won’t break up, don’t worry.” Namtan reassured, glancing at Film before patting her sister’s head and doing the same to Rachanun, as if teasing them for being shorter. “But can you stop talking as if dating me is that awful of a thing? I’m very popular!” She was just trying to lighten up the mood, bragging about her popularity as if it was such a big deal – the glare she received from Film, however, wasn’t very pleasant. “As in many people like me. I don’t like them. I don’t date them. I really don’t.”
“I didn’t say anything.” Film crossed her arms in front of herself, not bothering to look at Namtan’s pretty eyes as she spoke – she wasn’t really mad, she was just playing along. “Why would I? I get it, so many people like you. So many girls.”
Namtan’s bright brown eyes grew wilder as she raised her hands in front of her body, like a white flag. “I was just joking. I don’t want you to get the wrong idea.”
“Girls like the ones I saw you talking to last week, right? Or the ones who were gushing over you yesterday?” Okay, maybe she wasn’t completely joking and a small, petty, part of her still remembered those girls around Namtan when she was supposed to be the one with her.
Seeing the back and forth between the new couple, Milk decided it was time to step out – and drag Love with her. “Come on, N’Love. I will get you some food and we can watch movies while these two figure things out.”
“Let’s go, I don’t want to watch them being all lovey-dovey.”
Namtan waited until the others were out of sight, before she could continue her defense – why did she even need one? She hadn’t done anything wrong, yet the last thing she wanted was to get Film mad when this was supposed to be their first day together. “They are just juniors I met in class. And I really don’t know who else you could be talk-”
Another glare stopped her, making her swallow her words and try to think about something else to say. But instead, she was robbed from her defense as Film stepped closer, wrapping her hands around her arm. “I know.” Film said with a small smile full of amusement and a hint of fondness. “Come with me.”
“You do?” Namtan blinked in confusion, keeping her eyes on Film’s back as she was forced to follow her into her room, far away from their nosy relatives.
“I do.” Nodding, the younger lead the way, opening the door to reveal the room that was still decorated in colorful tones, reflecting Film’s love for painting and natural artistic inclinations. It wasn’t as messy and full of stuff as it used to be when she was a teenager, but the walls were still adorned with paintings and photographs – one of which carried a warm memory for the two of them.
Namtan naturally walked towards the picture, smiling at the sight of younger versions of herself and Film, alongside Milk and Love, in their last summer trip – the same in which the incident happened. That picture was taken the day before, so there was no awkwardness to be seen, only Namtan’s silly smile as she leaned her head on top of Film’s and hugged her by the shoulder. She smiled to herself, turning to look at the girl to continue their conversation. “And how do you know? You were avoiding me that day, that’s why they tried to tag along.”
“You are not good at lying.” Was a simple reply, but that made a lot of sense, even more so now – that day she had been too flustered and confused to properly talk to Namtan, and it would be a lie to say she didn’t feel her heart heavy seeing her talking to other women, but she had also seen the look in the light brown eyes as Namtan looked back at her. Someone who stared at her with such lingering eyes couldn’t be flirting with anyone else. “And now, I also know you’ve always liked me, and that I can trust you no matter what.” She added with a small smile, looking up to see her reaction with amusement.
“You really heard everything I said last night.” Feeling suddenly shy under Film’s knowing look, Namtan scratched her neck, averting her eyes for a moment. She had forgotten all the blabbering she did to the dog yesterday. “I wasn’t lying, but I regret only taking one selfie with you as a puppy.” What was also a fact, she had only taken one picture with Film when the adorable puppy was still deep asleep and she could pose with her without getting glared at.
Clicking her tongue, the brunette glared at her without any real intent. Truth be told, she only pretended to be sleeping half of the time, and seeing Namtan dotting on her so much was a little too cute to get mad at her for. “It was your one and only chance, I’m not transforming again…thanks to you.”
Frowning slightly, Namtan put aside her silly thoughts to focus on the real problem that they should’ve been discussing all along. “Yeah, I remember you saying that, but I don’t understand. I thought the kiss would only break it once, but it could happen again.” At least it was what Milk had told her, emphasizing the risk her family was always at and why dating could be such a big problem. In fact, Namtan still didn’t understand how they could live seemingly normal lives, getting married and having kids, when a kiss was enough to wreak havoc in their lives. “Is it because you kissed the same person twice? Does it only work the first time then you are good?”
“Yes and no. There are conditions for it to work, specific ones.” Film looked down, fidgeting with her fingers as she tried to think about how she could explain it – why was she feeling shy all of sudden? Maybe because she had the fox-like eyes on her now, or simply because they were alone and she would have to say it aloud…breathing slowly, she reminded herself that there was nothing to fear. “I told you before. I trust you and you genuinely like me…if you didn’t, it wouldn’t work out. It’s like a test, if your feelings weren’t sincere or if you didn’t deserve my trust, I would be punished again and again until I broke the circle and found someone new to try again.” Trust was the hardest thing to achieve, not only she had to find someone trustworthy, they also had to trust her enough to be willing to stay around after hearing about the curse, moreover, they had to love her enough to accept it and be willing to do what it takes to break the curse…it was asking too much from most people, but for her it had been so easy. Her choice was Namtan, after all. “I’m very lucky I don’t have to try again, because of you.”
Her lips instinctively curved into a smile as she heard Film’s words, Namtan feeling a mix of embarrassment and happiness as she understood it all. No wonder Milk sent her to get Film. It wasn’t just making sure she could break the curse that night, but that she could break it for good. The knowledge that she no longer had to fear that her actions could trigger the curse and affect Film negatively, made her feel lighter and relieved. The fact that Film sounded so content and grateful was also nice, although it also made Namtan wonder if gratefulness was all that the girl felt for her – their kisses last night told her otherwise and she told herself to not overthink.
“Is that why you didn’t ask me to kiss you before? Because you wanted to make sure that I liked you?” She asked instead, stepping closer to Film so she could reach out to gently tuck her hair behind her ears and look into her eyes. “Milk says I am too obvious, so I thought you knew about it. Actually, I thought you knew about it for the longest time.”
“I didn’t think it would work, I thought you didn’t see me like that.” Her fear of receiving a confirmation that Namtan’s feeling were only planotic, and that even though she was free from the curse for now, she would never be able to do be with her, was scarier than anything else – of course, she was scared of ending up as a dog for life, but she always knew Namtan would never deny her help, therefore she never dreaded it like she was supposed to. Looking back, it was so silly of her. Yet, she was glad she didn’t have to face any of the worse outcomes. “Don’t give me this look, you wouldn’t even touch me!” She tried to defend herself once she noticed Namtan’s teasing eyes on her, prompting her cheeks to become warmer. “I thought you looked at me like another little sister.”
Letting out a chuckle, Namtan shook her head in a negative. They were both so wrong about each other’s feelings and if it weren’t for that curse, they may remain as such – maybe she had to thank the gods for their weird luck. “Because I thought you were creeped out by me!” Reaching out, she involved her waist with her arms and pulled Film closer, leaning in so she could look into her pretty chocolate eyes. “Do you really think I looked at you like I look at my brat sister? Or at anyone else? I guess I will have to work on making sure you never think about it ever again.” As to illustrate her words, she sealed her lips onto Film’s softly, but long enough to make sure she would get the message – long enough to make her want to hug the girl even closer and make the moment last all night. “From now on, let’s just be honest with each other, okay?”
Nodding slowly, Film brushed her lips against Namtan’s in what was starting to look like a very natural reaction to her – and maybe it was, because she didn’t remember hugging her by the neck, but now she was holding onto her just as tightly and she didn’t want to let go. “Okay. So, I should let you know there was another condition as well.” She confided, still so close that she could see the silver sparks in Namtan’s as eyes as the woman gave her a questioning look – she rewarded her with a peck. “I couldn’t have chosen anyone else that night. For it to work, I’ve to love the person just as much.”
If saying it to Milk and Rose already made her feel better, saying it directly to Namtan made Film feel her heart race, happily beating as she saw the same love she had just mentioned reflected in Namtan’s eyes. Her ever so talkative girlfriend – was it what they were now? The thought made her even more giddy –, was silent as she hugged her tight, snuggling up to her neck as her hands caressed her hair and back. Smiling like a fool, she only hugged her girl tighter, her eyes disappearing in a smile that was just as big as she relaxed against the warmth of Namtan’s body and the sweetness of her floral scent.
Kissing her neck ever so lightly, Namtan had to control her own smile as she lifted her eyes to observe the moonlight coming from the windows of Film’s room – it was already night, yet the brunette was still safely in her arms, perfectly human, just as she was supposed to be. The confirmation made her even happier and she pulled back, just so she could kiss Film once more. “This means I can finally touch you without worrying about you running away, so I will abuse my rights.” The warning was only half a joke as she indeed planned on clinging onto Film from now on, to make up for the lost time.
Film didn’t mind it, if anything, the warm flush on her cheeks was born of anticipation rather than shyness now, the shorter woman being the one to pull Namtan down for a long kiss instead of pushing her away. To be able to kiss the person she liked without a single worry was something she never thought was possible, but here they were now, and the brunette could almost feel herself melt into the warmth of the kiss as Namtan deepened the contact and she sighed happily as she kissed her back with as much passion.
“I will be the one running away if you two keep on doing it in front of me.”
Correction, there was one worry she still had – her sister-in-law, who now looked at them as if she had just walked in into her parents making out, and for Love, it was pretty much the same thing.
Breaking the kiss with laughter, she gave her best friend an embarrassed smile, but didn’t move away from Namtan’s embrace.
Love shook her head in disapproval, but there was some fondness in her eyes as she told them to go downstairs so they all could have some pizza and watch the movie she and Milk had chosen.
Namtan only watched without a word, biting on her bottom lip to hide a chuckle as she back hugged her girl. “I knew it, she is happy for us. Just like I am.” She commented once the girl had left, placing a kiss on top of Film’s head as she added: “Let’s go, honey, you owe me some cuddles for all the fur you left on my sweater yesterday.”
Not bothering to protest Namtan’s teasing, Film just hit her arm lightly, before dragging Namtan downstairs. Yes, she was also very happy.
Six months later.
Namtan and Film’s children were having a great time tonight – Babe and Boo. The dogs were running from one side of the park to the other , enjoying the evening breeze and the much less crowded place to play, while their ‘moms’ watched them from a comfy spot on top of a blanket.
Namtan hugged Film closer to her chest, kissing her bare shoulder and giving her a smile. Film turned to kiss her on the mouth, but was stopped by the sound of someone cleaning their throat. Milk.
“Your sister is watching.” The raven-haired woman informed, making the couple look over their shoulders to check if Love was already back – she wasn’t. “The other sister.” Milk pointed out the white dog who was sitting a few meters away, looking very solemn in comparison to the vivid duo, Boo and Babe.
“Oh, sorry, P’Rose!” Namtan said, sending her sister-in-law an apologetic smile that was returned just by the dog walking away to go lay down by the shadow of another tree – as a human Rose was quite talkative, but in her canine form, she seemed to be rather serious. “Is she going to be alright?” Her question was delivered in a quieter tone, not wanting to attract attention from Rose or Love who was still busy getting ice cream from a truck a dozen meters away.
“She still has many days to go.” Film was the one to answer, although she didn’t have a good reply to give. Would her sister be okay? She hoped she would, but it was hard to tell. It was Rose’s second time going through it and she hadn’t really spoken much about the topic. “She will tell us when she is ready.”
Glancing at her sister, she silently prayed that she would be just as lucky as she was.
Namtan and Milk didn’t get a chance to reply, the shorter bronze-haired woman arriving to hand Milk an ice cream cone and taking a seat beside her. “No ice cream for you, with so much *sugar you might as well die of diabetes.” She told Film, refusing to share her strawberry ice cream with her sister and her girlfriend. When they glared at her, she shrugged her shoulders. “I only have two hands.”
“You could just have asked for help.” Namtan nagged as she stood up to go and get the ice cream herself. “The usual, honey?” She asked Film, receiving a nod as confirmation. Instead of just walking away, she leaned in to mess her sister’s hair before she forced her to stand up as well. “Come on, little sis, show me the way! And don’t argue, I will get you something as well..if you are nice!.” Like this, Namtan dragged Love away as the duo bickered and Film only watched them with amusement.
“They will never change.” Milk chuckled. “Why are we here again? Bringing so many people to third-wheel your date is a little too much.”
Film shook her head, she would much rather be alone with Namtan honestly. But they weren’t there for a date. “Rose asked me to bring her today…Don’t ask, I don’t know why.”
Milk looked from Film to Rose, who was now once more sitting nearby, her white fur brushed by the wind as she suddenly ran to meet someone who was passing by. A woman? The cousins exchanged a look in confusion.
“Your dog is so cute!” The woman told them as she patted Rose’s fur affectionately, her sharp eyes turning into half-moons as she caressed the dog’s head. The stranger was wearing an expensive looking long white dress dotted with blue flowers, her pale skin contrasting with the jet black-hair and onyx eyes. Her face was one of intimidating beauty, but that became much more attractive with a smile, just like now. So pretty. Maybe a model? There was a small crowd taking pics near the river, it would make sense. “What’s her name?”
“Hm, she is…White…” Film tried to improvise, taking a moment to come up with something. So, was that the person Rose wanted to see tonight? It didn’t make much sense, unless…. “White Rose.”
“White Rose, a very pretty name for a pretty girl.” The woman nodded in approval, still caressing Rose’s ears. She looked rather fond of dogs, albeit she didn’t seem to have taken notice of Boo and Babe yet. “I have a friend called Rose, is it weird that she reminds me of her? The same pretty brown eyes.” Her tone was amused, but slightly perplexed, as if the resemblance was hard to believe – oh, gods, little did she know.
“Jasmine, come on! The photographer needs you.” An older bald man called, vigorously waving his hand as to call for her attention. The woman made a face, giving Rose a final pet and standing up properly. Film noticed the silver necklace around her neck, matching the equally bright bracelet. Maybe she was there for a photoshoot? Rose did mention working with new people for a campaign, the woman could be a part of it.
“Seems like I’ve got to go.” The woman gave them a polite bow, dusting her clothes. “Thanks for letting me pet her!”
As the woman left, the two cousins watched her back disappear in the distance, joining a group with cameras and big white panels. Definitely a model. It looked like Rose had quite the eye for women.
“Do you think that is Smin?” Film asked Milk, although it was Rose who gave them the answer by approaching the duo and laying down beside them. “Will take it as a yes.”
Milk caressed Rose’s fluffy head, giving her a half smile. “I guess liking dog ladies is a trend in this family.”
“I didn’t even know she liked girls.” The youngest commented, receiving a sigh from Rose in reply. She would’ve said Rose’s taste has gotten much better in comparison to the stupid guy who had almost ruined her life back in high school, but she didn’t get the chance to do so.
“Who likes girls?” Love was back with Namtan, too many ice cream cones in hands which they distributed between the humans and dogs – lactose free vanilla ones for the canine friends, since Namtan loved to spoil her babies and Rose was also awarded one today.
“Milk.” Namtan responded instead, feeling there was something off in the atmosphere – someday they would have to tell Love about the crazy curse that haunted Film’s family, but for now, they had just told that dog was a friend’s and Film was taking care of it for a few days. Unluckily for Rose, the second time your turn is more severe, meaning that every night she would turn as soon as the sun went down, instead of waiting until midnight, making her require much more care. “She likes them all so much that she can’t just pick one and remains single…Or maybe she likes one so much that she doesn’t know what to do about it.” She provoked her friend, getting an annoyed look in response.
Love rolled her eyes, seemingly ready to start her Milk defense as usual, but once she looked at Milk something seemed to make her second guess her actions and she just sighed, sitting down to focus on feeding Boo and Bae instead.
Namtan looked a little confused by her sister’s behavior, but didn’t pry. Instead, she handed her girlfriend her chocolate chips ice cream with extra frosting, as she liked.
Film thanked her with a peck on the lips as soon as the woman took a seat beside her. “All good?” Namtan whispered into her ear, her hot breath making Film shiver and having to hold in a giggle, instead snuggling to Namtan’s side.
Nodding, Film looked from her sister to Milk and Love who were sharing ice cream over a quiet conversation, then to the open field in which Boo and Babe still ran and in which she could see the filming crew at the distance; and finally to Namtan’s expecting face, the brown eyes the same color as the autumn leaves that looked at her with so much fondness now. “Everything is just right.”
Things may seem messy now, but she knew everything would fall into place eventually – just like it had for her. It was a matter of time and luck – and she would give it a little push as well, if she had to, for her sister and friend’s sake.
Placing a kiss that tasted like chocolate and cherry on Namtan’s lips, she gave her a broad smile. “Just like I wanted it to be.”