Pol and Arm finally got to meet Pete after harassing the latter for days on end. Their best friend looked terrible - he was ghastly pale, cheeks hollow and eyes red and puffy from all the crying. He was practically a walking zombie just trying to get by.

Pol suggested the trio take a trip to Chiang Mai over the weekend - a getaway they think Pete desperately needs, to which their best friend was clearly not in the mood to even think of going on a holiday at this time. Nevertheless, Pol and Arm had already booked their flights (they had to snoop around for Pete's room for his passport but it wasn't that difficult when Pete's room was this tidy).

Still, it took a lot of convincing for Pete to finally agree albeit reluctantly. Or rather, he didn't but Pol and Arm took matters into their own hands. They helped him pack his luggage, get his documents, and all that's left is to take a cab to the airport.

"I don't want to go." Pete said grudgingly as he hauled his feet to the cab waiting outside his apartment as Pol and Arm trailed behind him.

"Come on. It's been ages since the three of us have gone on a trip." Pol persuaded, as he shot Pete a pleading smile. "Do it for us?"

Pete sighed wearily. Seeing his best friends look all excited, he found it difficult to be the wet blanket thus, the trio set forth for the airport and Chiang Mai where they'll spend the next 2 days.

The airport was crowded, bustling with people from all walks of life. Fortunately, it took them less than an hour to get checked in, though Pete silently wished they had missed the flight so he could get back home.

"Let's go." Arm said to Pete, as he hurried the latter from the back while they boarded the flight. There was a long queue and it took a bit of squeezing to get to their seat. Oddly, Arm and Pol were allocated a different seat from Pete. They were seating 2 rows diagonally from where he was.

"Why are we on different seats?" Pete asked, trying to hear himself amidst the noise on the plane as people started streaming in.

"There was a system error." Arm explained. "We only knew of it just now. Tried to change our seats during check in earlier, but there weren't any available."

"Ah." Pete nodded as he laid back against his seat. He was taking the window seat, so the seat next to him was empty (for now). It was a full flight according to Arm so Pete can only pray that the person next to him was pleasant even if it was just for an hour. Let's just say, Pete has his fair share of terrible seat mates on flights.

Pete looked out of the window and the sky had turned golden orange as the sun prepared to set. He was still admiring the view when he felt the seat next to his sink, implying a presence of another. Out of courtesy, he turned his head to greet his new seat mate for the next hour, but his jaw tightened the moment he laid eyes on the very one person he was trying to avoid. The cause of his demise.

Vegas too was shocked to see Pete here for his pupils dilated and his mouth fell open at the familiar figure. "I-"

Pete's lower lip was trembling as he stared at the boy wordlessly. It's been a week since he last saw him so what was he doing here? Coincidence? Pete highly doubts so. He shot a death glare at the masterminds who immediately averted his gaze like they had done something shameful - guess he was right.

"I'm gonna get off." Pete muttered, but before he could leave his seat the pilot had given the command for all passengers to take their seats because the plane was preparing for take off.

This got Pete panicking internally as he felt the plane moving along the runway which meant an hour with Vegas. A living nightmare.

"I swear I don't have any part in this." Vegas insisted, seeing the anger on Pete's face like he was ready to lash out at any time.

"It doesn't matter." Pete dismissed him, before adding on coldly. "It's just an hour." And then Pol and Arm will be dealt with as soon we land, Pete thinks furiously to himself.

"System error, Ken told me so that's why his seat isn't next to mine." Vegas seemed to have got on that this whole Chiang Mai trip was a conspiracy between their best friends. No wonder he felt it strange that Ken would've suggested going to Chiang Mai out of the blue, disguising it as a 'long overdue best friend trip'.

"Not a surprise." Pete grunted as he watched his best friends whispering intently, clearly up to no good.

Regardless, there was nothing he could do now except to sit in painful silence while he prayed for time to go by quickly so he could get out of his misery. But Vegas had other thoughts in mind and it irked him that the latter was trying his best to initiate a conversation when Pete wanted nothing to do with him.

"How have you been?" Vegas asked meekly, as he glanced worriedly at Pete seeing how thin the latter had become in just a week.

Pete snorted at the playboy's sudden show of concern. It was revolting how he was trying to act all nice after he brutally rejected him on his birthday.

"I'm great, thank you." Pete snapped sarcastically.

If it wasn't bad enough, Vegas still couldn't take the hint that Pete was unwilling to talk further and that the latter was at his breaking point.

"I'm sorry." Vegas croaked, as he bit on his lower lip. He had hurt the very boy he loved so dearly the least he could do was offer an apology.

Unexpectedly, Pete wasn't having any of it. In fact, Vegas' apology made him detest the playboy even more. Who was he trying to play the sympathy card?

"I don't need your apology." Pete hissed, then he added calmly. "I'm over it." A lie. But it was the only defense Pete had against Vegas.

And that was the last thing either had said to each other for the entire duration of the flight. Though Pete was relieved that the conversation between the two had finally ended, it didn't stop the dull ache in his heart nor the occasional side glances he took.

After all, when you're in love it's hard to tell yourself otherwise.

The plane landed in Chiang Mai in the evening so by the time Pete had gotten off the plane, the sky was dark outside and only stars remained in the night sky. Pete had allowed Vegas to get off first, and when the latter bidded him goodbye, Pete couldn't describe the feeling in his heart - On one hand, he was glad that he didn't have to see nor speak to the boy again but on the other, he was sad to see him go. The irony, Pete thinks cynically to himself.

"Thank you so much for the surprise." Pete quipped, as he shot his best friends the death stare earning a gulp from the pair.

"Hehe." Pol smiled sheepishly, then he added quickly. "His idea." He pointed a finger at Arm who could only roll his eyes at his best friend's accusation and betrayal.

"Anyway, we're going our separate ways now." Pete said, trying to conceal the disappointment in his eyes with a bitter scowl. "No more games from you two."

"Mhm." Pol nodded earnestly like a puppy which had learnt its lesson and only then did Pete finally forgive the two.

They hopped on a cab to their hotel for the next 2 days. It was a lodge in the great outdoors of Chiang Mai. They were on a budget but Pol and Arm managed to get a great deal through the internet so despite only paying a few hundreds, they were able to get a decent room. They had to book 2 since one room could only accommodate 2 adults, so Arm and Pol shared a room and Pete had his own which the latter really didn't mind. On the contrary, he preferred to have a bed of his own.

But happiness was just that short-lived. As they were preparing to check in for the night, Ken had come up to the same counter.

Before Pete could say anything, Ken made the first move.

"What a coincidence!" Ken exclaimed with a beaming grin.

"Fancy seeing you here!" Pol returned Ken's enthusiastic greeting with a warm smile, and so did Arm, like a well-rehearsed scene from the movies.

"Arm and Pol." Pete was seething with anger as he hissed at the two, demanding for an explanation because if Ken was here, that means-

"Pete?"

Speak of the devil. Vegas was genuinely surprised as his eyes widened at the sight of Pete whom he had just met not too long ago.

Pete was so ready to pull his best friends to the side for a thorough reason why Vegas would be here, when the lady at the counter said to Ken apologetically. "I'm sorry sir, there are no more rooms available."

"Oh no." Ken feigned a worried look on his face, "Did my booking get lost in the system?"

"I would suppose so." The lady responded, as he checked her computer once more to make sure she wasn't leaving their reservation out. "Nothing, still."

"Ah.." Ken nodded slowly, "It's already so dark outside. I doubt there are any hotels open at this hour."

Pete smirked triumphantly to himself as he watched the scene unfold in front of him. Guess luck's not on their side and that means Vegas and Ken were going to have to find somewhere else.

"Our room can fit one more person."

"What?" Pete directed his attention to Pol who was very willing to share his and Arm's room.

"No you don't." Pete scowled bitterly. What was his best friend thinking?

"I do. We could get a pull out bed." Pol retorted with a knowing smile on his face like he had this all planned out. "Oh but we'll need room for 1 more."

Right, there were 2 of them. Pete snickered. "So I guess they'll need to find another hotel then."

"Your room's available." Arm noted as he turned to look at Pete.

"It isn't!" Pete waved his arms desperately in denial earning a pout from Pol.

"Why are you so stingy? It's so late and you can't possibly expect Ken and Vegas to go find a hotel at this time of the day. It's just for one night." Pol reasoned and it did make Pete feel a little bad for throwing the two out on the streets.

"If it's too much of an inconvenience-" Vegas was interrupted by Arm before he could finish.

"Not at all! We're friends." Arm remarked. "So that's settled then. Ken, you'll room with us and Vegas you'll room with Pete."

"NO!" Pete bellowed as grew flustered. "I'll room with Ken."

"I prefer rooming with Arm and Pol, if you don't mind." Ken stated, giving a lopsided grin and a suggestive wink at the two.

Pete groaned in disapproval but Pol was quick to add on and it was enough for Pete to concede. "You can't possibly force someone to room with you."

"Vegas wouldn't want to room with me either so going by your logic, Vegas would have to room with you guys too." Pete argued, before glancing at Vegas briefly then back at Pol. Two can play this game, Pete thinks smugly to himself.

"I'm okay rooming with Pete."

And just like that, the smile on Pete's instantly face fell, his jaw dropped in shock like it was the most incredulous thing he has ever heard. It also didn't help that Ken, Pol and Arm were sharing proud smiles - #vegaspete mission accomplished. 

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a/n: arm, pol and ken are so funny mwahaha guess their plan did work - kinda.
anywho thank you for the commentss and please keep them coming! :') alsoo, feedback is greatly appreciated (not the best writer here so any constructive criticism is greatly valued).