BRUUKKK!
Diaz closed the door to his room very tightly. His voice was heard all the way downstairs. That morning he had to hear and witness his parents fighting again. Having a big fight and still arguing about the same thing. As usual. He doesn’t want to know about adult matters.
Diaz prefers to plug his ears with earphones and turn up the volume of rock music on his mobile phone. The strains of his favorite music were more beautiful to listen to than having to hear his parents shouting at each other. No one wants to give in between them. Ah, so noisy! It’s so annoying!
Diaz was confused, what the hell did thet want? He never made up, so he started to act indifferent. It was as if he didn’t want to interfere with their affairs. Or favouring one of them. No. He won’t. He wouldn’t do that. Whether it’s slapping each other, grabbing each other, or choking each other, he doesn’t care anymore. Because they also ignore the feelings of a child who comes from a broken home family.
Before leaving for school, Diaz took a few slices of bread from the dining table. He takes his breakfast to school only. He would finish his breakfast on the way to school.
“Diaz, do you want to go to school now?” asked his mummy with puffy eyes. Diaz just nodded slowly, without looking at his mummy.
“I’m going, Mom,” Diaz said as he said goodbye to mum.
“Be careful on the road, Son!” Mum advised. Diaz smiled a sardonic and somewhat forced smile.
A few minute later, Diaz arrived at his school gate. Before entering, he let out a long sigh. He hoped that his time at school would end soon. He was eager to travel to get rid of his headache.
Less than five steps to the school gate, a girl suddenly barged in. She ran around in a hurry ad accidentally nudged Diaz’s arm. Ish! Damn that kid!
“Sorry!” said the girl in class XI while flashing her typical ‘angel’ (aka innocent) smile at Diaz, her senior.
“Heh!” called Diaz, who was rather emotional. “Apologise properly!” he said.
The girl stopped her steps and immediately turned around. She had already apologized to the senior. ‘Wow, he’s deliberately looking for a fight!” she said to herself.
“Who are you calling ‘heh’?” The girl approached Diaz. ‘This guy is dead,’ she grumbled.
“You!” pointed Diaz right at the reckless schoolgirl’s forehead.
Then, the girl raised her chin and puffed out her chest. On the right side of her chest was her name. Her name was clearly embroidered there. Afika. However, Diaz misinterpreted the girl's intention. Why was the girl showing the curve of her chest in front of Diaz? To show off? What's there to show when her chest is so flat? Diaz scoffed to himself.
"You already know that I have a name. My name is Afika. So, don't call me 'heh' anymore! Remember that!" Afika warned him. Her tone of voice sounded very fierce and bitchy. Because Diaz dared to bully her.
"So what? Are you going to apologise properly to your seniors, heh? Girls like you don't have any manners with their elders," Diaz admonished while ruffling her waist.
"I already said that. Did you not hear me say sorry earlier?" Afika defended herself. She didn't want to be blamed for being self-righteous. It was Diaz’s own fault for not hearing her apology earlier.
"Do it one more time! The right one," Diaz ordered.
"I don't want to! Never mind, ah! You're so noisy. I'm already late, I haven't done my assignment yet." Afika left first. She ran away and just let go of the responsibility.
Meanwhile, Diaz could only shake his head at the behaviour of sloppy girl named Afika. This was the first time he had encountered a girl like Afika.
Diaz didn't bother. He walked leisurely in the school corridor while lowering his gaze. Take it easy. No one would notice the troubled student. His charm was far outweighed by the cool, athletic, and favourite guy of the girls in his school.
His name is Alan. Just look at that guy! All the girls' eyes are glued to him. Who else if not the field star who likes to play futsal. Almost every day Alan is shouted hysterically by all the students whose prestige beats KPOP Idols. Eleven twelve.
The school bell rang long. It's time to study in class. Ah, this is one of the boring scenes that Diaz routinely does in class. She sat on the bench, then buried her head on her crossed arms. In a matter of seconds, he would be fast asleep while the teacher was explaining in class.
The chemistry teacher had entered the classroom. The teacher just shook her head to see the backmost bench filled by Diaz again. Never mind! Let it go. As long as it doesn't interfere with his other friends' lessons and his grades aren't a problem.
An hour later, the chemistry teacher called one by one for the students in the class to do their school work on the whiteboard. It was Diaz's turn to be called by the teacher.
"DIAZ!" called the chemistry teacher. Diaz did not respond to her call. The whole class was now watching him.
His classmate elbowed him in the arm. He intended to wake Diaz who was still asleep. "Yaz! Diaz! Wake up!" he whispered.
"Ah, you're so noisy!" Diaz was disturbed by his friend's whisper.
Diaz woke up from his long sleep. Without realising it, all eyes were looking at him now. Some were laughing at him, some were sneering, some were shaking their heads in concern. There were so many expressions from his classmates.
"Where's your assignment?" The chemistry teacher approached his seat and asked him directly.
Diaz took out his textbook. Then, he showed his assignment to the chemistry teacher. The chemistry teacher nodded. Then, he told Diaz to do it on the whiteboard. Inevitably, he came to the front of the class to do the chemistry problem that his teacher ordered him to do.
In less than two minutes, Diaz did it with perfect results. There was no doubt about the boy's ability. Apart from being smart and genius, his grades were also the highest among his friends in the class. There was only one thing he lacked: laziness.
***
"Afika!" Her friends called out to Afika at her study bench. There were about five to six of them.
"Where are you going on your school holidays? Do you want to go to the Idol concert?" one of them asked. Afika shook her head.
"Nope. Thanks," Afika declined.
"Then come with me to Bali! My parents have a villa there. We can have a staycation there while looking at bikini-clad Caucasians on the beach," was another one of her friends who liked to show off her parents' wealth. She offers to go on holiday together.
“Bali?”
To be continue ….