"Faiz?" Neil looked around restlessly. Faiz had stood before him, and intercepted Sain on the sidelines.
"I knew something wasn't right with you," he said confidently watching Neil's every expression.
Neil closed his eyes, then opened them again while occasionally looking around in case Sain would suddenly appear. "Nothing. I have to go."
Neil was about to return, but Faiz grabbed Neil's wrist first to stop him from running away.
"Why are you so scared? Sain did something to you?" Faiz asked with his brows furrowed.
"No, Sain is not like that," he said quickly defending Sain.
"So, right. What did he do to you?" Faiz made his conclusion and asked back instead. He wouldn't let Neil off until Neil answered him. However, of course, Neil would not answer." Neil, you have to remember. Sain tricked you. Never believe him, what he did to you was wrong."
Neil jerked Faiz's hand, he suddenly became angry with what the man standing in front of him said. "Don't talk bad about other people in front of me."
With that Neil left Faiz on the sidelines, only a few steps back, he froze to find Sain already standing with one hand he stuck in his pocket. Neil was still trying to make a smile for her and took a step closer. "We have to go home, Riksa."
"Okay, you can go straight because there is something I want to do," he said and Neil was a little relieved when he didn't find Sain angry with what just happened with Faiz.
Neil just nodded in response and smiled faintly. Sain then left Neil just like that, causing the smile that curved his lips to drop and return to a thin line.
Maybe Sain is busy, Neil can't ask anything. He didn't want to offend her.
Science tricked you.
Neil blinked as Faiz's voice swirled in his head. Faiz is wrong in judging Sain's figure, he doesn't know Sain more than Neil himself. How could Faiz know that Sain tricked him?
Neil watched how Sain's back slowly drifted away, every time Sain did things that made Neil lulled in pleasure. Neil realized that he sometimes always had two emotions churning inside of him.
For a moment Neil wanted to resist it to keep those hands away from his body and other rebellious emotions, but that was quickly covered by an overwhelming sense of pleasure bubbling around him.
Maybe it's just his love that is too deep for Sain.
***
"Neil!"
Neil turned to find Skylar standing behind him with his hands stuffed in his trouser pockets. His gaze was flat scrutinizing Neil's every move making him feel uncomfortable under that gaze.
He wondered what the relationship between him and Skylar was. In this dimension Neil and Skylar are twins. It seems true.
"Yes?"
"Tell Dad I'm staying over at a friend's house tonight," he said.
Neil nodded and waited for what Skylar would say next when Skylar didn't move from where he was standing.
"What is it between you and Sain?" Skylar asked bringing Neil's attention back to him.
Neil's eyes twitched uncomfortably, wasn't it obvious that he and Sain were friends? Why is Skylar still asking about this?
"We're friends," Neil replied.
Skylar chuckled, making Neil wonder what was wrong with his answer.
"Are you gay?"
Neil quickly shook his head and answered right away. "I am not."
"Stupid," he sneered making Neil gape at what Skylar meant. But Skylar got on his motorbike and raced away.
What's wrong? Neil doesn't know why Skylar suddenly asked him that, or maybe because Skylar sometimes catches Sain kissing him? Questions kept spinning in Neil's mind, he thought even though Neil and Sain had that relationship, that doesn't mean Neil is gay, right?
Neil shook his head which suddenly felt throbbing. He finally quickly returned home because the day was overcast, and soon it looked like it was going to rain.
Neil didn't want to be stuck on those drops of water that fell from the sky halfway or he would remember all the bad things that happened to him more than painfully.
Or more than that, Neil will change his mind and want to get back to where he came from.
***
Neil was drying his hair, wearing a light T-shirt and his homemade shorts.
Neil straightened his body, he only realized now that his waist felt very sore and sore.
He threw himself onto the bed and felt his body completely relaxed now.
Just as he was about to close his eyes, Neil's cell phone rang softly next to him. Neil reluctantly opened the incoming text message and how shocked Neil was that he immediately took a seat.
Neil didn't open it right away, he continued to stare at the incoming message. Until his hands itch and finally open it.
'Neil, I've been here too. To meet you and beat you up for being away too long.'
Michelia.
Neil fell silent after he read the message over and over again and confirmed that the number that sent it was indeed Michelia. However, it was useless because Neil knew that it was Michelia who sent the short message. Old friends who have not met him.
"...Michelia has died with her head cut off." Neil flinched as the words flashed through his head. He shook his head vigorously to clear his mind.
Neil's eyes fell on his motorbike key, Neil quickly grabbed the key which was lying on the study table.
Neil quickly darted out of his room and downstairs, he found his father sitting on the sofa watching television. His father seemed to notice Neil's presence around him so he turned his head to Neil and raised his eyebrows questioningly.
"I want to go away for a while, Father."
His father just nodded without saying anything. This made Neil relieved and went straight out of the house. Neil didn't care how heavy it was out there because the clouds didn't want to leave Michelia alone in this dimension. Because he more than knew and felt when Neil arrived here and didn't find someone to accommodate his complaints at that time he was completely crushed.
Neil braved the rain at night no matter how drenched his body was because now Neil felt that he was needed. As a friend, that girl is always there to accompany Neil and with him through his difficult times how can Neil be silent now.
"Michelia I'm coming!" Neil shouted from behind his helmet.
***
Neil drove fast on the slippery asphalt, he didn't care how his body had been wet from the heavy rain on his shirt thin.
He couldn't wait to see Michelia, see how he was and what he looked like now. Neil was smiling from earlier with his heart thumping with pleasure. His best friend whom he loved dearly and had not seen for years, now there was only a thin distance that Neil was trying to close.
Neil also wanted to hear how Michelia was there during Neil's absence, or at least Neil just wanted to hear how Michelia chattered back, talking about her complaints.
It was clear that Neil missed the girl.
Suddenly the sound of tires squealing against the asphalt filled Neil's ears until Neil's motorbike swayed and rolled on the wet asphalt road and was deserted by vehicles.
Neil rolled over with his knees rubbing against the asphalt causing fresh blood to flow along with the raindrops that fell on his wound.
Neil didn't complain by blaming the rain for causing him to be like this, but instead, he laughed loudly blaming himself for being too excited in the pouring rain of the night to meet Michelia.
Maybe Michelia would scold him for this little carelessness and Neil missed that too.
Neil quickly got to his feet, he limped towards his motorbike which was lying on the side of the road. Neil climbed on it slowly and started running.
***
Neil was standing in front of the gate of a whitewashed house with a large yard. A smile still curled his lips as Neil looked at Michelia's house which was in this dimension the same as it was in the real world.
Neil took out his cell phone which was in his pocket, he thought for a moment that he might only need to make one call to Michelia who was here.
Quickly his long finger made a call on his cellphone and directly put it to his ear waiting for an answer on the other end.
Until the call was answered with Neil's heart beating fast and he stood restlessly in his place.
"Neil?"
Neil stiffened at the sound, his mouth opening only for him to close it again.
"Neil? Is that you?" Michelia's voice on his cell phone called out with obvious worry.
Neil nodded and knew that Michelia couldn't see him through his cell phone call.
Neil opened his mouth and started to speak in the cold night piercing his skin. "I'm in front of your house, Lia."
"Gosh Neil, I didn't ask you to come in the middle of a rainy night like this." The noise on the other end made Neil shake his head slightly. Calls are turned off immediately.
Neil wiped the water running down his face, he squinted to see Michelia peeking in the window from inside her room. Neil raised his hand and waved softly and with that Michelia disappeared from the window.
It took a while until the figure of Michelia opened the door of her house wide and put on an umbrella then walked briskly towards Neil.
As Neil got closer he could see that the girl heading towards him was the real Michelia. Neil's eyebrows rose to find Michelia's tears had rolled down her cheeks.
When the gates of the house were fully opened, Neil didn't take long to think. He immediately lunged at Michelia and hugged her tightly.
The umbrella had fallen at their side and Neil's tears unknowingly fell. "I miss."
Michelia nodded on his shoulder and tightened the hug even more. "Me too."
Continued...