"You two know each other?"
"Sure... we were former friends back then."
Formerly? Why first?
"Why do you call Ricky a murderer? Why a former friend?" he stopped chewing burgers. Then put the remaining half of the burger on the plate.
Arya's smile suddenly faded away, which had initially been so bright as the sun's rays. Maybe... my question is wrong. I shouldn't have asked him that rudely.
"Sorry... I didn't mean—"
"I was friends with him from the last elementary school to first grade..." he said suddenly. He drank his milkshake then looked at me with that witty look, "He wasn't like that back then...because the family problems coupled with the incident at that time changed him. And I hate him."
"Incident?"
"So the story is, I have a girl... her name is Nilam Cahaya. Well... her twin brother, the Raka... took my girl. Because of Ricky's stupidity, Cahaya died. That's why I hate him?"
"Light Patchouli?" he nodded.
Is this a coincidence? His name and mine are almost the same. Is that why even Ricky Arya approached me? Is it because we have the same name? Then, what is Ricky's stupidity that makes Cahaya die? I don't understand Arya's ambiguous words at all.
"I-"
"There is no question-answer session again, yes. What is clear is that Cahaya is not you. You are two different people. Do you understand? Because I was one of the witnesses who saw his body in the hospital until it was buried at that time."
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."
"I know why..."
"So you mean close to me... is it because we have the same name?"
"That's one of them. But that's not it... then you'll know too."
"Oh."
"I have to protect you from that crazy kid."
"Who?"
"Ricky."
"He's normal. He's fine."
"He's crazy, Nilam." I just replied with a smile. I don't want to argue for someone Arya hates. Because no matter how hard I show Ricky is good... it's useless.
@@@
After that incident this past week, Ricky has been ignoring me. He's back to being the old Ricky. I often tried to say hello to him as if it was useless. He's too busy with his bad friends. Until... the rumors of us breaking up spread throughout the School. I don't know whose mouth was the first to spread it, but the news made the whole school buzz. The students looked thrilled to hear the news. Lala is right. Ricky is the black prince in Pelita Mulya. No matter how bad his behavior was, still, from first grade to third grade, he complained about him. And it makes me a little... sick.
"Nilam...you do your job properly, please! Remember! Tomorrow's quiz competition is the closing of our class meeting! We have to solve the problem immediately, understand?" and... the thing that went back to the way it was despite everything was... because of that issue. The kids are bullying me again. And Mila also, Sis Aldi, did the same thing as before, enslaving me.