"Welcome to Rose Bakery, what would you be having today?"
I said that right after I heard the bell that Aunt Rosi installed by the door to notify that a guest was coming, but I immediately shut my mouth right after I greeted whoever came through the door.
Why did the heavens have to throw another episode of misfortune upon me today? Now after he got me wrecked at school, he really had to show up in my aunt's bakery. This time, with a different girl. I could not tell how many girls he had dated.
"Yo, if it ain't that weirdo." he said.
I tried my best to not look him in the eyes.
I looked down and fidgeted. I was trembling as he pointed at me and approached me.
I was scared.
"W..What would you like?" I staggered.
He giggled as he put his well-built arms on the counter that separated us.
He tried to look me in the face. I realized what he was about to do and tried to avoid it. He laughed, as if he got a new toy. I could not tell what made him laugh that loud. I was sure that mocking me was one of the reasons why he laughed.
"You're shaking, you've seen a devil or what? Well, I am a devil, and you're the angel." He mocked me.
"What would you like?" I asked for the second time. Hoped he would not ignore me again.
He stroked his chin while looking around at the breads in the display.
"That one, a whole box of it." He answered as he looked at me.
I packed his order as soon as possible, hoping that he would immediately go away. I hated to spend too much time with him.
"That would be 36.000."
He pulled out a fifty thousand bill and left.
"Your change!?" I raised my voice a little.
"Keep the change, for being a good snitch."
It appeared that he was really angry about it.
@@@
"Come on, Nilam. Stop thinking about your paper yesterday, alright?"
Lala was right, but it was not like I kept thinking about that paper. There was something bigger behind it. What if that failure costs me my scholarship? How would I continue my study if that happened? I would not want to add another burden to Aunt Rosi's shoulder. She already had it rough, especially since she had to take care of me.
"You should cheer up as well." I said to Lala that appeared to be upset.
"Why would you swing around? Can't you just pick the right person? Don't you feel hurt when you break up again and again?"
"Shut it, Genta. Stop preaching to me! At least somebody wanted me, unlike you, who never had a girlfriend!"
"Just date me instead. You'll get over him, and I'll have a girlfriend."
"Dating my slave? Are you nuts?"
I smiled to see them both. Genta really liked Lala but she preferred to go around with other boys. If only Lala would take a good look for a moment at Genta, she might be able to realize what sort of feelings that he had for her. Plus, they would stop making a fuss over such a small matter.
"Nilam, you're about to submit your homework to Teacher Nur, right?" Echa asked me, she was one of my classmates. I nodded at her question.
"Take mine as well. I don't have time to go to the teachers' office."
"Me too."
"Take mine."
It was always like this. Whenever the teacher gave us an assignment that was supposed to be submitted personally, they always asked me to submit them instead. This made the students from other classes talk behind my back. They thought that I just wanted to make myself seen as a diligent student by the teachers. Whatever, it does not bother me anyway.
"Yes."
"No, it can't be. This is–"
"It's okay, Lala. I have to go to the student council's office anyway." I said.
The first session of the day was vacant since the teacher could not make it to the class. I wanted to make use of this free time to work on some documents in the office. The sooner I worked on those documents, the sooner I could study before break time.
"Meet me during break time, yes? At that place, like usual." Genta said. I nodded.
I walked through the corridor toward the teacher's office at the end of it. When I walked past the school yard, I noticed that it was so quiet. Usually, there was a noise coming from Olan and Rendy, Ricky's gang member, who would sexually harrass any schoolgirl that happened to pass by the schoolyard. The victim would end up crying after that. I found them to be really disgusting.
"Look out, we got a lion cub escaping its cage! Hahaha!" Just as I thought I'd pass through the schoolyard peacefully, their gang was already hanging around there.
I had to ignore them and pass the schoolyard immediately, lest they would harass me as well. Especially with his presence there.
"Rendy, that's a human child." I could hear Olan saying that.
It was not like he tried to defend me, I bet he just wanted to mock me as well.
Ricky was seen to be sitting among them. Lazily smoking his cigarette. Moments later, he threw off and stepped on his cigarette. He stood up and waved his hand to his gang members, ordering them to leave the spot.
"I take my leave." He said, while approaching me with his outstretched arms.
I accidentally looked him in the eyes. He looked confused. His brown eyes stared at me as if he was looking at something bizarre. His rather long hair almost covered his eyes.
"What?" I asked. I was confused, it was supposed to be me who asked him, not the other way around.
"Please don't stand in my way, I have to go." I moved to his right, he moved in the same direction to block my way. Same thing happened when I moved the other way. I could not tell what he had in mind.
Would he trashed these papers to pay back what I did at that time?
Oh how he scared me.
"Give it to me, I'll help you."
"That won't be necessary."
"To the teacher's office, yes?" he asked. I was worried when he just snatched more than half of what I was carrying a moment ago. I was certain that he was about to wreck it all off.
"Y..Yes."
"Get moving." He said.
At the beginning, he walked at a wide pace, but he slowed down as if he tried to match my pace.
"Whose store?" He asked. Why would he ask something like that? Was he hiding something?
"I repeat, whose store?" I could tell that he became impatient.
"Aunt's."
"Helping her everyday?"
I nodded, not only to answer his question but also as an expression of relief, we made it safely to the teacher's office without sustaining any losses.
"Teacher Nur, here's our completed assignment."
"Oh, please put them there." I placed it all right where she wanted me to. She was still busy with the other assignment. Occasionally, she sighed and adjusted her glasses.
"Ricky!? What brought you here now? This is not the student counseling room! What are you up to now!?" Principal Hamdan raised his voice as soon as he saw Ricky.
"Playing around, sir." He replied calmly. I forgot who I was with right now; I was with Ricky, the worst delinquent in this school.
"Cut your hair! I want to see them neatly cut by tomorrow! Button up your shirt! How many times do I have to tell you to dress up properly while at school! Got it!?" Principal Hamdan lightly smacked his head. Ricky nodded without saying anything back. I was certain that Ricky wouldn't even hear the principal's warning.
"Smoking at school again, aren't you?"