"How long you would hug me?" Matteo asked Mary who was still faithfully hugging him soaked body from earlier on. Mary's reflex immediately opened her eyes and shrank away after realized.
"Sorry Matteo, I didn't realized why i did that, " Mary answered.
Matteo just cleared his throat in response while rubbing the back of his neck. "Where's your driver?"
Mary snored after understanding Matteo's point. "Hey, he's not a driver. He has a name, his name is Justin."
Matteo shrugged his shoulders. "He often takes you to school, does that mean he's your driver, right?" he answered calmly.
Mary closed her eyes in annoyance, if this boy hadn't been with her until the rain stopped, maybe now Mary will hit him because just called Justin a driver. What a annoying person.
It is not the first time that boy has called Justin a 'Holy driver'. Actually theyre not have same class, but since Mary likes to take the bus when Justin can't take her to home because of activities or something, they met for the first time at the bus stop in front of the school. In his nonchalant manner, Matteo came and sat down beside his empty seat and said, "Where's your driver?"
Without being explained clearly, Mary knew what the boy meant. She just felt disturbed, Mary sprayed various swear words for him cause called Justin like that. Even though he didn't know who he was at that time. She just realized if they were in the same school. And after that, when they accidentally crossed paths, Matteo would definitely mention Justin as always.
Usually when Mary felt very annoyed because of it, she will tell to Justin. But his reaction was normal. "A driver? Thats true because I love to driving anyway." Justin always says that.
And ya, Mary stopped telling Justin about it and tried to ignore Matteo.
"Please, don't start again and make things worse. I don't wanna fight with you today because you've been with me here before," Mary explained to Matteo.
Then Matteo looked at Mary with an unreadable look. "Since when?" he asked.
Mary looked back at Matteo and confused. "What you means? The rain?" she answered simply, but Mary immediately understood where the boy was asked.
"It's been like since childhood I think?" Mary thought back to how she hated the rain at first. Thinking back on that incident, Mary always felt scared and panicked.
"If I may ask, why are you felt so afraid of the rain? They can't kill you, it's just water, " Matteo said casually.
Mary snored. Yep, Matteo is right. The rain is just water, but that's not a problem. Mary was in such a scary situation where she was traumatized when it rained. But besides the rain, Mary also has other traumas related to the sea.
"Actually, apart from the rain, I'm also afraid when I see the sea, " she explained.
"Are you afraid of the sea either? Gosh, that's weird."
"Can't you just listen to my story until the end?" Mary became irritated by Matteo's responses.The boy finally relented and began to listen to Mary's story like she wants.
"When we were little, my friend and I were almost caught on the waves because we were playing on the beach when it was raining. We were playing without our parents knowing, luckily we were rescued at the right time,"
"And after then you've been traumatized by the rain and the sea?" Matteo asked.
Mary nodded. "When it rains, I always remember that horrible situation from that time. It just felt very scary. Maybe I can avoid the sea, but I can't avoid the rain."
"And what is your friend doing now?"
Mary sighed. A sad expression was evident on her face. "Since that incident, we have never seen each other again. That day was our last meeting. I don't know where is he now, every time I try to ask my parents, they always make excuses. My trauma is getting worse because I lost him by my side."
Matteo scraped Mary's shoulder soothingly. "He'll definitely come back."
"I hope so, "she replied.
"Can i know who is your childhood friend name?"
Mary shook her head. "I don't know his real name, but I used to call him Prince."
"Wow, what a cool name, can you call me Prince too?" Matteo asked suddenly.
Mary frowned, why was he like this? "No, the Prince is only for him. Because the Prince protects me well. You always annoy me."
"I'm with you when the rain coming today. I protect you."
Mary chuckled. "I know, but the Prince is just special for me. And before you, Justin who often helps and protects me and I never call him Prince.
" Really? Wow, the Prince is very lucky, isn't he?"
Mary followed her brows, why was Matteo so curious? She just likes him when annoyed her not like this. Mary ended their conversation about Prince. She had to go home, her mother must have been worried. "I need to go home now, " Mary said.
Matteo chuckled. "Do you want to walk?"
Mary slapped her forehead and she realized if there hasn't been a bus passing by. In the end, Mary was escorted by Matteo home on his motorbike.
*****
"Thank you, driver, " Mary said after getting off from Matteo's motorbike.
Meanwhile Matteo chuckled. "My name is Matteo, not a driver or any other drivers."
Mary chuckled. "How does it feel to be called a driver? Too Annoyed, right?" she teased him.
"No, it's normal. But the driver name is only for Justin Antonio."
"How Matteo can be mad too?"
"Because Matteo is a human too, " he replied as he put on his helmet.
"Come on, it's going to rain again." Matteo told Mary to go inside her house. Mary tilted her head up, but she accidentally saw Justin's window curtain suddenly closing. Mary frowned upon. Isn't Justin on a date with Yuri?
"What happened?" Matteo asked after followed the direction of Mary's gaze.
"Nothing, " she lied.
"I'm home," Matteo said, but before he left he looked back at Justin's bedroom window and caught that boy in a hurry to close the curtains again. What a coward.
After Matteo's leave, Mary smiled remembering the incident because she could tell the story of her childhood trauma that not many people know, including Justin. She just felt better now. And Mary just realized if Matteo wasn't as annoying as she thought all along, the boy was a good listener. After that, she rushed into her house before going raining again.
Justin opened the curtain again. The boy looked annoyed after seeing Mary and Matteo's interaction earlier. "It seems that all this time I've been wrong to be casual with that joker. Aish, looking for opportunities in adversity by using it? Very cunning," he accused Matteo.