"Bambang?" I screamed in panic. I immediately ran to Bambang who was waiting for me in the parking lot.
"Why are you so battered?"
Bambang just took a deep breath, as he handed the helmet to me.
"No need to fuss, let's go back I'm tired!"
I immediately shut my mouth tightly. After wearing the helmet, I immediately climbed into the seat of Bambang's motorbike and was silent for the whole trip.
Earlier, Bambang panicked when he called Paijo, and in the afternoon, he was battered? Wait! Bambang is a member of Roulette? And Roulette is a bunch of brats?
I'm sure he's in a fight. Look at his face!
"How come you can bring Paijo's cellphone?" asked Bambang suddenly.
"Let's just say that I'm not in the mood to meet him! Have you been in a fight? Which school are you at?"
"Shh, shut up! You're going to catch a cold in your mouth!" said Bambang casually.
"You don't want to run away, Bams? If Auntie Yuyun finds out that you've been in a fight, you can beat yourself up later! You're a former athlete!"
Bambang laughed softly at my words, clearly visible lines of a smile on the man's face from the rearview mirror.
"Don't worry, she won't get angry, just nag and cut the pocket money!"
I took a deep breath. The fight was something very serious. How can Bambang be so relaxed?
"Mel," called Bambang.
"What?"
"You don't have a crush on Paijo, okay?"
Hah?
How?
"Why? I mean, why should I have a crush on him? Don't worry, I'm not going to have a crush on an obnoxious guy like him!"
Bambang nodded slowly.
"Good! Don't be! He's a playboy, I'm afraid if you get a crush on him, you'll get hurt like other girls."
Playboy?
Damn it, what kind of girl could have a crush on someone as annoying as him?
"Brother, I want to ask you something!"
"What?"
"Later, but when you get home, it's not good to keep screaming on the motorbike!"
Bambang nodded slowly. When we got home, I gave the helmet back to Bambang.
"What did you want to ask?" asked Bambang slowly.
"You're a Roulette's member?"
Bambang didn't look surprised when I asked that. And judging by his expression, it seemed true that he was a member of Roulette.
"So you're a bad boy?" I insisted.
Bambang still refuses to answer, he just looks at me flatly.
"You told me to stay away from Roulette, you know, does that mean you want me to keep you away?"
Bambang looks annoyed to hear my question. He rubbed the back of his neck lightly with furrowed brows.
"You just know me as Bambang without any Roullete frills. Don't get involved with the Roulette guy. It's dangerous!"
Danger?
"I don't know, I'm dizzy! Do you want to go in first? Let's treat your face first, you know it's really ugly, you know!"
"No need, if you look at me, you'll be in an uproar later!"
That's right.
"I'll be right back!"
***
I waited for Bambang in the school parking lot. The man's motorbike was gone, but he texted me to wait for him in the parking lot.
Where is he going?
"Hey, you whose name is Melody?"
I turned around to see who said my name just now. A tall man with glowing white skin, and brown hair, walked up to me.
"Who are you?"
"Bambang has an urgent business, he asked me to take you home!"
But, mom said, don't go with strangers.
"No need, I'll just take a taxi!"
"You don't believe me? I'm not a bad person! Just ask Bambang directly!"
I took a deep breath, pulled my cellphone out of my skirt pocket, and tried to turn it on.
And ...
Why did this thing die at the wrong time? Well, it's my fault that the past few days of marathon watching dramas without paying attention to the battery.
"Want to use my phone?" bargained the man while holding out his cellphone.
"How are you, Peng? Have you taken Melody?" Bambang exclaimed as soon as the phone was connected.
"Hey, where are you?!" I was annoyed.
"How come you haven't come back yet, Mel? It's been quiet at school, right? Hurry up, you're vulnerable at this hour!"
Vulnerable to what? Considering it's near sunset, could it be a ghost?
"I want to take a taxi home, okay?!"
"Don't! You just go back with Gepeng!"
"Mum would be excited to know that I came home with someone other than you!"
There was a heavy sigh from the other side.
"Just this time, Mel! Please go back with Gepeng! You'll be safe with him!"
After saying that, Bambang immediately ended the call.
Damn it!
"With me? Or do you still want to take a taxi? Or, it's up to you if you want to take a taxi back, I can follow from behind!"
"It's complicated, you know, it's just you! What business does Bambang have? He's fighting again? Wait, you're Roulette too? But Bambang told me to stay away from Roulette!"
"You're noisy! Come with me!" said the man while pulling my bag to follow him.
I thought he was driving a motorbike like Bambang, but he took me to a black car.
The man opened the door for me.
Nice, that's really a very nice gesture. Meaning, he is the type of man who respects women.
After darting out of the school, we passed an alley filled with well-built men and various kinds of motorbikes parked on the side of the road.
I've passed here many times with Bambang, and it's never been like this before.
Maybe this is what Bambang meant by danger.
"Hold on Mel, I'm going to step on the gas!" exclaimed the man next to me with a serious face.
Sure enough, after saying that, the man immediately accelerated the car without bothering to hit the brakes.
The men who previously intended to confront us immediately pulled away in a panic, some were even nearly run over.
"You almost ran into someone!" I screamed in surprise.
"If we don't go fast, they will block us, and something bad will happen! This is why Bambang asked you to come with me! Do you understand?"
I took a deep breath. Shortly after, the man started driving his car at a standard speed.
"They are Roulette enemies? How come they look like thugs? Aren't you guys fighting with fellow students?"
"You're so stupid!" the man sneered.
Gosh, is it okay to just ask? Isn't it fair if I ask? I need to know what happened, so I can be more careful someday.
I'm upset now. I shut my mouth tightly and looked out the window.
"Oh yeah, where's your house?" the man asked without looking at me.
Still annoyed, I refused to answer the man's question.
"Don't want to answer? Yes, I can ask Bambang!" he said casually.
I ignored the man's words and just kept looking out the window.
"Bro, where is Melody's house?"
After being told by Bambang, the man immediately took me home.
"Thanks!"
After saying that, I rushed out of the car. And as expected, mom was waiting for me on the terrace. She squinted as she watched the man's car move backward.
"Mom, why are you outside? Come on, it's already sunset!"
I pulled my mother's arm into the house.
"Who was that?" asked the mother probingly.
"Bambang's friend, he suddenly had an urgent business, so he ordered his friend to take me home."
"Isn't he handsome?"
Oh, Lord ...