Flashback
Tell Skylar once again that this morning's atmosphere is not at all similar to what happened to the atmosphere inside a Skylar. Neil's whiteness up there seemed to laugh at his dirty self without him noticing beforehand. Dirty in a literal sense. His motorcycle tires were suddenly deflated so walking in search of public transport brought Skylar's unluckiness today.
His grey white uniform had enough mud patches from cars speeding down the road full of puddles, Skylar didn't have enough time to dodge. Next to his shoe was lost after becoming a replacement for a stone to throw a car that pretended nothing had happened and even more gassed.
The incompleteness of Skylar's dress is not an excuse he now stands next to a flagpole while holding a book. The breadth of Skylar's free time does not make him remember to do schoolwork when at home. Skylar even kept himself busy playing online games until he forgot the time.
Skylar admits that he is indeed naughty and loves to ditch during study hours. But for this time Skylar was reluctant to move from the flagpole. His homework took him five minutes to work on after which his book was used to protect his head from the scorching morning sun.
Skylar could have gone straight into the classroom but something from within asked him to stay here for a while. Although the flagpole is not enough to cover the rate of sunlight, it is only enough to dry Skylar's slightly damp clothes.
His dark brown eyes wander around the pitch. Actually from the beginning, Skylar has been the center of attention, but Skylar remains Skylar he will not care.
"Woy bro!" Screams were heard from nowhere. Skylar bowed his ear, pretending not to hear. People are not sane who is screaming in the middle of the field, making air pollution only for Skylar. He doesn't feel like he's the person he's referring to, so Skylar doesn't care and chooses to shut up.
However, the sound is getting closer and closer. Until Skylar can see someone approaching him, but he can't see who's coming clearly because the sunlight is blocking.
"Woy bro! I'll call you." Skylar knows that he's the one called this time. He pretends not to just look, look the other way as long as you don't go towards this pretentious creature. Skylar's memory is good, but as short as Skylar's friendship he has never heard a male voice like this. Moreover, trying to have fun with him, this person may not know himself who does not like to be close to others.
The sudden silence from the man's lips makes Skylar's gaze roll forward. There was no morning sunlight blocking his eyesight, he could see the man who was disturbing his calm. The man was transfixed, right in front of Skylar. And Skylar froze in speechless.
The sing inside Skylar's chest rumbles as his heart rate slows. There was a silence that accompanied them in the freezing that ensued. Skylar's mind seemed to be pulled in a moment full of childhood laughter and tears that cut through Skylar's heart in such away. Where the hero is taken from his life and it's as if the universe brought the hero back to him.
The marks on the forehead and bright brown eyes in front of him that were always colorful now appear gray save the wound, how much the man tried to cover it up, Skylar will know.
"How do we look like our faces? I'm the first to see someone who looks like me." It's like a proper needle piercing Skylar's chest. He just kept quiet letting the longing creep out. Many questions came to Skylar's mind but not a single word came out of his lip slit.
The man observes Skylar and his eyes fall on the name embroidered on Skylar's shirt. "Skylar?"
There's silence that's creeping back around. The air that hovered between them felt empty for Skylar who he quietly breathed firmly, only a hope waiting in every second that drove.
"I told my friend to come here. He said I look like you." The man combs his bangs that hit the eyes backward and Skylar increasingly sees the scars on his forehead.
"Your name?" For the first time, Skylar put out a word, on this guy.
"Neil."
Neil winks at Skylar's reaction when he hears his name. Within a second Skylar's eyes widened, but returned to normal. It was like for Skylar to lunge at Neil, giving him a strong hug to convey how much he missed him. And yelled at Neil that he was Skylar, his sister. Skylar feels something's wrong here.
"Have we met?" Skylar again sounds unknowingly turning cold. He's trying to convince himself.
"Not yet. But our name is almost similar yes if joined so similar to my father's name," Neil smiled sincerely to be able to make Skylar more immersed in the longing puddle that seemed to strangle. Tear back wounds that have long been painstakingly covered.
As in a soap opera on television, Skylar can't believe something like this happened to him. Neil was the only person who never lied to him, so Skylar believed this was true. But for years they haven't seen each other, what Skylar's getting now is a pain that stabs him in the chest out of hope.
"Skylar, do you want to wear my shoes? I see you seem to be overheating." Skylar is silent but when he finds out that Neil is crouching down to open his shoes, Skylar doesn't like this. It's like making a new fact that Skylar can't get.
So without welcoming the shoes, Neil offered, Skylar just left a question in Neil's mind.
***
"Let's not let him be your missing twin." Faiz pats Skylar's shoulder as if to resuscitate. He then refocused on putting color on his abstract-looking image.
"My life is not like a soap opera." Skylar chuckles while coloring the face picture in the picture book with pink color.
"Your twin is indeed missing Skylar, and then he suddenly appears in front of you with the same name and he forgets you," Faiz spoke in a mocking tone.
"You turn out like an ocean too. Because most of watching this soap opera must affect your mind. He just happens to be the same, but he's not Neil."
"Yes you know, I'm proud of your hero. I pray you to let me meet Neil, I want us to play dolls again like we used to," Faiz, just chuckling after saying that.
Skylar was silent but in his heart, he asked Faiz's words just now. But with Neil's presence that had made Skylar miss a little channeled. If Skylar had lost control of himself, when he saw Neil, Skylar would have immediately hugged him firmly and berated the old man who had separated them.
Skylar turned his gaze out the glass window. His dark brown beads can see Neil walking from the canteen to his class. Skylar's eyes do not come off noticing Neil's movements. And Skylar is getting more confident in his thinking.
"Faiz, you're right. He's Neil." Faiz, who heard him, smiled broadly.
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