“Yes. Do you want to go on holiday to Bali?” Afika’s friends offered.
"No, it's okay. I'm too busy to go on holiday," Afika kindly declined. She reasoned as best she could.
"Where do you want to go on holiday? Homecoming to your ancestors' hometown?" her boyfriend teased. To the laughter of her other friends. What a comedian! You can do it.
Afika only smiled briefly. She knew they were joking. So, she didn't really take it as a mockery or an insult. It was just a joke from a friend. She could tell the difference and understand it.
But still, there was a sense of resentment in Afika's heart right now. And she had to let it out immediately. Before it got out of hand and they were all affected.
"Anyway, I'm busy! I have to help my family sell food at the stall. So, I didn't have time to enjoy the holiday like you guys," Afika explained with a regretful look on her face.
"Huh? You sell at a stall?" Afika's friends were surprised to hear her statement. They looked very shocked at that moment.
"Oh my gosh! That's too bad, isn't it," regretted another friend, who had just joined in.
Afika shrugged her shoulders, "What else can I do?" She seemed resigned to not being as lucky as her other friends. Who could go on holiday somewhere expensive.
"Just a moment, I need to go to the toilet first," said Afika. She hurriedly left the classroom with a grunt of annoyance.
So what if she couldn't go on holiday? Is that a big sin? No, isn't it? Afika continued to grumble her way to the toilet. To the point, she entered the wrong toilet.
Wait! What the hell is this? Afika widened her eyes in shock as she found herself in the middle of a crowd of male students. Oh my! What should Afika do now? She was so embarrassed.
When Afika came out of the boys' toilet, she accidentally bumped into someone and almost fell backwards. Luckily, the student immediately supported her waist.
Deg!
"Are you okay?" the student asked.
"Eh, Alan?!" Afika felt awkward. She blinked her eyes as the incomparably handsome boy supported her from falling on the floor.
"Be careful! You could fall if you don't watch your step," Alan advised her while flashing the smile of an angel who had just descended from Heaven. You know, the one with the dazzling white light on the back of its wings. Well, that's roughly how Alan's figure was shining in Afika's eyes right now.
Afika nodded slowly. Her heart was racing as if she was riding a roller coaster in an amusement park. It was a real adrenaline rush. Yes, just like that incident earlier. She was still transfixed by the sight of Alan entering the boys' toilet. Oh my! Snap out of it, hey!
Afika, who was nervous because she was approached by a handsome guy, suddenly froze at that moment. She patted her face, trying to wake herself up from the hallucination in broad daylight. This must be a dream. This daydream is really fun, she thought.
"Aaah, he's so sweet," Afika got excited after meeting Alan. At least the resentment in her heart had been relieved by Alan's true handsomeness.
Afika was about to return to her class. She no longer needed the toilet to pour out all the frustration raging inside her chest. After meeting Alan, she was now tame again. A smile returned to her thin lips.
"What kind of dream did I have last night," Afika was still smiling to herself as she walked along the school corridor. However, her smile soon faded. It even vanished instantly. After she saw Diaz walking towards her.
Oh my!
Afika reflexively turned around and pretended not to see her senior. That’s bad! If she got caught, she'd be finished!
Diaz just walked past her. He no longer remembered the ‘bar-bar student’ who had grumbled and even nudged him earlier that morning. His gaze was straight ahead as he had to go to the teachers' room. Again, he was called to the teacher's room for the same problem. Sleeping in class and not doing schoolwork. A classic problem. It often happens to certain students.
Afika hurriedly left. She hoped that her seniors would never remember her existence again. In accordance with Afika's vision and mission at school. She just wanted to study quietly, have many friends, and graduate with satisfactory grades. That was enough for her. Don't let any serious problems get to her!
"ALAN! IT'S ALAN!" cheered the students who had suddenly packed the field. After Alan came to the field to play football.
Afika's focus was diverted at that moment. She became curious about Alan. How attractive was that handsome bloke? She slowly approached the pitch. She also sat on the long bench facing the field.
Ah, my goodness! If you look around, Alan is really handsome, Afika admired in her heart. She didn't dare to say it. Just like the girls who cheered her on at school. Who was Afika anyway? Just an ordinary student from an ordinary family. She wasn't very pretty either and wasn't popular at school. How could Alan be interested in her. Make it up! Eh, look first! That's usually how it goes.
Afika gave up before the battle. There was no point in fighting over the idol that the girls deified. There are too many rivals. Better to retreat pretty before getting your heart broken. It is said that when love is rejected by an idol, it hurts more than breaking up with your own boyfriend. Not to mention the haters' attacks. Ah, no! She won't be ready to accept all that.
Afika got up from her seat and left the pitch. Before she left, a ball suddenly landed right on her head. Her classmates shouted for her.
"AFIKA WATCH OUT!"
Too late. Afika turned around and the ball hit her in the face. Oh my! It hurt like hell. Her head felt dizzy. Like seven helicopters were dancing above her head. Suddenly, Afika collapsed and lost consciousness. That's bad! Afika fainted too. The impact of the ball was hard enough to put her to sleep for a long time.
'Am I going to be a sleeping beauty now?' Afika thought proudly. 'And then, Prince Alan will give me my first kiss.' Afika's imagination soared.
A student took her immediately to the school medical centre. The boy picked Afika up and ran her to the room. Luckily, there were nurses and doctors on standby in the health room. They immediately gave first aid to Afika, who had just been an accident.
To be continue …