"But now I know that love and hate are brothers who fooled us, separated us."
I closed my book after feeling satisfied and proud to have read one of the famous love poems.
I looked at the faces of my classmates, and it was clear that I could see they were looking at me with admiration. At least I had tried to read the poem with full appreciation.
"Thank you, Arvita. I didn't expect you can read poetry as beautiful as before,"
I looked at Mrs. Kayla, the Indonesian teacher with shoulder-length hair and straight bangs. She praised me sincerely.
I replied with a shy smile and slowly walked back to my seat.
My heart immediately felt uncomfortable when I accidentally saw a pair of strange eyes staring at me.
The boy didn't show any expression at all. Does he not like the poetry I read?
It's up to NOT MY BUSINESS!!
I keep trying to concentrate on class time. At least sitting next to Armand, you will get eternal peace and tranquility.
It was very calm and peaceful because Armand never said anything to me.
It's been almost four months, but we're like strangers.
Or...
Could it be that Armand is an alien, like the one in the Holywood movies that I often watch with my father?
Ohh, Arvita. Don't worry about the guy next to you. Remember, this is your last year. You have to graduate with the best grades.
Remember your mother - Mrs. Sri Rohimah threatening to marry you if you don't pass or act up again with all your blacklists that are already fully recorded.
Not long after the bell rang loudly, I immediately tidied up all my writing utensils and books. As usual, Armand was faster than her.
I have to admit that Armand was a smart man, so smart there seemed to be no question he couldn't answer.
I was snapped out of my thoughts when the man had risen from his chair. He quickly grabbed his bag and walked away, leaving me still stunned.
I can only mutter a little soundlessly, "You freak..!"
I thought AGAIN while tidying up all my books and stationery.
But suddenly, my eyes were distracted by a badge that fell on the floor, an identification that she was sure was not an identification from this famous country.
A photo with a size large enough, clearly attached to an ID. The thing that surprised Arvita, was when she realized that it was Armand's photo.
I widened and widened my pupils when I saw his data. An odd birth year in my opinion. Armand was three years older than me.
"Haha?! is this serious?! Is this really Armand?"
I saw Benjamin Arman's name Dirk Eugenius printed on the ID. I was sure that it was Armand, the student who became my classmate.
"What?? Isn't that wrong? Should he be in college at this age?" Arvita mumbled to hold the ID she had just picked up from the floor.
"His ID from the Netherlands? Really?!" Vita muttered again, still looking at the identification.
"I'd better give him back immediately."
I immediately ran outside the classroom, looking for Armand's tall figure, and ran towards the school gate when I saw a luxury black car was about to come out of the gate.
A very flashy luxury car, and often I saw Armand ride it.
"WAIT..!!!"
I screamed as loud as I could, rivaling the loud voice of Toa.
I tapped hard on the car window which only looks black from the outside. I was still holding my breath, which was still panting, and finally, the car window opened.
Armand's face was seen from inside the car looking at me with the same gaze.
"This is yours, right?" I said breathlessly.
Immediately after I handed the ID, I saw Armand only reacted slightly to see the ID.
And immediately he snatched from my hand, while I tried to give a smile that I know must be strange on my face right now.
"Let's get out of here," Armand said to his driver, and don't care about Arvita's whereabouts.
"What?! Thank you! You should say that!!!"
I was even more annoyed when Armand immediately closed the car window and didn't even say thank you or anything as a form of appreciation because I had found and returned his ID.
"OK, ENOUGH, ARVITA! YOU DON'T NEED TO BE GOOD WITH HIM!!"
I started moaning in annoyance and started walking by forcibly dragging my feet. I'm still annoyed with remembering the incident.
How can there be such a person, and what's worse is that he became her seatmate?
And I have to endure until graduation arrives.
"Patience... patience, Arvita."
"Slowly... slowly... the important thing is to pass..."
I kept muttering and started riding my battered motorbike.
***
I kept trying to get through my last year of school, trying to ignore my weird seatmate.
I feel Armand getting more and more silent, after the incident of returning the ID.
I felt his gaze on me grow colder and crueler until I finally came to the end of the struggle.
I graduated with good grades, all students celebrated with joy.
I even participated in celebrating our graduation with some of the students in the class.
But again, Armand was just silent. Even fed up with class conditions that are too noisy. He came out in a hurry.
I know I'm trying not to care about him, but I'm curious about the guy.
Even at the farewell party, Armand was never seen. Some students said that he had returned to his father's country in the Netherlands.
Whether it's true or not, it's none of my business. Because I still have to face many tests for the rest of my life.
I thought when my high school life ended. I would be happier...
"Anyway, many people want our child to be a real girl!!"
I looked at my mother had bent her face and both hands, sitting up straight while crossing her arms. I could only hide beside my father.
"Remember, I don't want Arvita to take another major!! Especially the athlete school. Did you see our daughter's behavior? Every day, our daughter looks like a boy?"
My mom still vomits all her mistakes. "Well, well... I know, Arvita from the start wanted to go to school..." I tried to argue.
"NO!!!
"Why did you kill herself? Then I became a widower, right?" My dad teased me on purpose. Mother is showing more and more grim faces.
"Ohh... do you want to be a widower? So that you can marry again?!" Rohimah snapped.
"It's not like you think, Rohimah..." Rojali grabbed his wife's hand.
"If you don't want to take the secretarial major, most of you will marry me!! You know Jafar is Babang Fauzi's son" Threatened my mother deliberately.
"Mom!!! What the hell?! I don't want to get married.!!" I answered louder.
"Come on, Arvita!" My dad said, smirking.
"Besides, why do you have to be a secretary, ma'am? Don't you have any other majors?" I asked annoyed, and I felt weird about the title of secretary.
"Arvita? You can also get a handsome husband who is educated, the future is guaranteed, well-established, the house is already there..."
I started to hear my mother chattering for a long time. This must be the result of a complicated gathering of moms and dads. What made my mother so adamant that I could be the woman she wanted
"What the hell !! I'm not a child anymore. Why do they always force me to become what they want!" I said angrily and walked away, leaving my parents.
And here I am, Arvita Mawarni Sri Cahya. With a long struggle, I finally majored in Communication Science and Secretary.
With all my soul, I tried to obey my mother's wishes to be the daughter she wanted.