luciouva

“KIEL PLEASE PINDAH KE BANGKU LO SENDIRI,” teriak Nira, pada teman kelasnya yang tingkahnya membuat geleng-geleng kepala.

Kiel mengibaskan tangannya di depan muka Nira, “ganggu aja sih lagi pacaran nih.”

Kiel melanjutkan omongannya yang sempat terpotong oleh Nira, Ciara sebagai pacar Kiel hanya bisa menutup mulutnya menahan tawa. “El, udah sana duduk lagi, ini tempat Nira.”

Kiel menoleh ke belakang menggoda Nira yang batas kesabarannya hampir habis, “pindah gak ya? Nir, kata lu gue pindah gak? Gak kali ya ada cewek gue disini.”

Nira hanya bisa menghela nafasnya, mukanya terlihat menyedihkan. Pasti mikir “kok Nira gak duduk di tempat Kiel aja?” Barisan duduk Kiel dan Ciara berseberangan, Ciara duduk dengan murid-murid yang bisa dibilang aktif dan rajin. Sedangkan 2 meja terakhir di barisan Kiel yang berisi Kiel dan teman-temannya yang tak kalah menyebalkan. Jadi Nira lebih baik berdiri daripada duduk di tempat Kiel.

“Kiel cepetan pindah udah ada guru,” kata Nira mengingatkan, ia bahkan sudah mengguncang-guncangkan bahu Kiel.

“Masih jelek boongnya, coba latihan lagi,” kata Kiel dengan nada yang meragukan Nira.

“Kiel kamu ngapain duduk disitu? Nira kamu ngapain berdiri?” kata Bu Rita, guru yang cukup tegas.

Kiel langsung berdiri dengan cepat, ia menggaruk belakang kepalanya yang tidak gatal dan berkata, “eh iya bu astaga salah tempat duduk.”

Nira tidak berkata apa pun dan langsung duduk di kursinya, “bisa-bisanya ya lo suka sama Kiel.”

Ciara tersenyum dan berkata, “Kiel seru tau Ra, coba ngobrol sama dia.”

“Ih males banget, yang ada emosi,” Nira mengeluarkan bukunya dan mulai memperhatikan pelajaran.

Ciara yang mencoba fokus ke mata pelajaran terakhir malah selalu ada perasaan untuk melihat ke arah Kiel. Saat Ciara menengok ternyata Kiel sedang memperhatikannya dari ujung kelas. Definisi dunia milik berdua. Not even her teachers loud voice could break the intense eye contact that they're having. Before Kiel breaks the stare, he smirked at her.

Kiel being Kiel, zoned out during class and realizing that Bu Rita has left and the class is being loud and just pure chaos. “Ini pada ngapa?”

“Udah selesai pelajarannya, ayo cepet balik,” kata Noel.

Kiel langsung berdiri dan menghampiri Ciara yang sedang membersihkan kolong mejanya, “pulang aja yuk Ra.”

“Gak bisa El, kamu sama aku kan ada jadwal piket, bersihin kolong meja kamu dulu,” Ciara mendorong Kiel pelan ke arah bangkunya.

“Tapi abis aku bersihin meja, kita beneran pulang ya?” Ciara hanya mengangguk asal.

“Ciara can we go now?” kata Kiel yang duduk di bangku Nira untuk kesekian kalinya.

“I want to, tapi gak boleh El,” kata Ciara yang sedang membereskan buku-buku.

“Says who?” Ciara melihat Kiel dan memegang pipinya, “says the rule, Kiel.”

“Rules are made to be broken so come on Ciara,” kata Kiel dengan semangat, “buku kamu taro di loker aku aja kalo gak muat, sebentar lagi mau hujan.”

Ciara mengikuti apa kata Kiel karena ia sedari tadi terus menggenggam tangannya. Saat sampai di depan kelas tiba-tiba Kiel berkata, “sampe ada yang cepuin Ciara awas ya.

Ciara wanted to say goodbye to Nira but Kiel already pull Ciara out of class. Kiel and Ciara try to act naturally so their home teacher aka Bu Rita wouldn't notice them cause somehow she likes standing in front of the gate just because she remembers almost every student and of course know her classroom cleaning schedule. Kiel melihat kanan dan kiri, dan saat ada segerombolan anak yang ingin keluar, Kiel berkata, “santai aja, okay?”

Ciara mengangguk ragu. Kiel kembali memposisikan tangannya agar ia bisa menggenggam Ciara dengan leluasa. Kiel dan Ciara langsung berjalan di pinggir gerombolan anak itu mencoba untuk berbaur. Kiel mencoba menengok ke arah Bu Rita dan hampir saja ia ketauan karena saat Bu Rita baru ingin melihat semua wajah siswa yang keluar dari gerbang, ada seorang murid yang mengalihkan perhatiannya. Saat sudah sedikit jauh dari sekolah mereka berlari ke halte.

Kiel dan Ciara langsung tertawa saat mereka sedang mengatur nafas, “gimana rasanya?”

“Thrilling,” kata Ciara dengan senyumannya, “my heart is beating so fast.”

“That's when you know you're having fun,” jawab Kiel, “eh but you can't do this without me, okay?”

Ciara mengangguk. Awalnya Kiel ingin mengajak Ciara jalan-jalan menggunakan bus tetapi bus penuh karena sudah mau hujan. “Mau main hujan-hujanan?”

Ciara langsung tersenyum, “i'm not saying no.”

They both run again but started to walk slowly when the rain falls. Every step that Ciara took when she enters a neighborhood just seems so happy. With big trees surrounding them, makes the atmosphere even better. Kiel watches Ciara as she looks up to the sky and said, “Kiel this is amazing.”

Kiel just stood there watching her girl smile so big, she looks so pretty right now. Even the rain couldn't stand a chance of making Ciara look bad. Not even a little bit. “Kiel I finally know what Gabriella feels in HSM.”

“Nah, I haven't danced with you yet,” Kiel puts his and her's bag aside and asks for her hand, “may I?”

Ciara let Kiel hold her hand, he puts her hand on her waist and started moving left to right, and he didn't forget to twirl Ciara a few times for the finishing touch. Ciara couldn't wipe out her smile, she was so happy. Not even a single thing is on her mind except for Kiel.

“Another dream come true?” tanya Kiel sehabis Ciara melepas tangannya.

Ciara mengangguk pelan sambil tersenyum dan berkata, “yes, another dream come true.”

Hujan mulai reda, Kiel mengambil tas mereka berdua dan mengajak Ciara lanjut jalan, “ke rumah aku dulu aja, nanti kamu ditanyain kenapa pulang basah-basah.”

“Kiel,” panggil Ciara saat mereka mulai berjalan kembali.

“Apa Ciara?” Kiel menengok sekilas.

“Aku seneng hari ini,” kata Ciara.

“Ya iya lah Kiel,” jawab Kiel, “but I'm glad you enjoyed it.”

“Nanti aku beliin kamu kalung deh,” kata Kiel tiba-tiba.

“Buat apa?” tanya Ciara bingung.

“Gabriella has a 'T' necklace, right? I'm going to buy you a 'K' necklace tapi aku gak mau kalo tiba-tiba kamu keterima kuliah jauh,” kata Kiel.

And yes of course Kiel watches all three HSM movies. Because Ciara kept watching it every time they have a home date, Kiel doesn't mind though it's her comfort movie. He's glad Ciara can share anything with him and not to mention Ciara never really see him as annoying or whatever that Nira thought of him, Kiel just has a lot of energy. Yes, that's how Ciara described him, a lot of energy and out of the box perhaps, and definitely an impulsive guy.

“El, kira-kira kita bisa gini terus gak ya?” tanya Ciara tiba-tiba.

“Gini terus apa?” Kiel menengok ke arah Ciara sekilas.

“Living the teenage dream,” kata Ciara, ia melihat ke arah Kiel.

Kiel tersenyum, ia merangkul Ciara dan berkata, “as long as you're with me the teenage dream lives on.”

Di malam hari yang dingin dan sepi ini, Celine dan Rein sedang berada di sebuah stadium kosong yang entah bagaimana mereka bisa masuki tanpa tertangkap penjaga yang sedang keliling. Celine sedang menangis di salah satu bangku penonton dengan Rein di sebelahnya yang hanya bisa menunggu Celine selesai menangis agar ia bisa tanya penyebabnya.

Sekitar satu jam yang lalu Celine mengabari Rein ingin pergi keluar tiba-tiba, Rein yang tidak mau banyak tanya langsung menjemput Celine. Kantong mata Celine gelap, mata dan hidungnya merah. Setiap Celine menginjakkan kakinya keluar rumah, Celine pasti memperhatikan penampilannya. Walaupun hanya sekedar membeli sebuah barang di tempat yang tidak jauh dari rumah. Sekarang Celine hanya memakai celana tidur dan baju polos. Ya ditambah dengan sweater Rein yang ia bawa jaga-jaga di mobil. Ada gunanya ternyata.

“Rein...” kata Celine dengan suara sehabis nangis.

“Kamu kenapa Celine?” kata Rein dengan halus, ia bahkan membawa kotak tisu yang ia taruh di mobil.

Mata Celine kembali basah, “kamu jangan tanya kenapa, aku malah mau nangis lagi.”

“Maaf-maaf, apa Celine?” Rein menyingkirkan rambut Celine yang basah karena air mata, “kamu mau bilang apa hm?”

“Rein, tau gak sih? Aku capek banget, kan aku ketua kelompok buat projek tugas bahasa, ya aku seneng dong. Kayak wah aku dipercaya sama anggota aku jadinya aku tiba-tiba dipilih. Terus satu anggota aku tuh gak mau ngerjain, alesan terus, huh aku capek ngomong sebentar,” Celine tiba-tiba berhenti.

“Nih minum dulu,” Rein memberi sebuah botol minum.

“Terus aku kayak ah yaudah lah sebentar lagi udah mau deadline jadi aku kerjain juga bagian dia, terus aku kena omel mulu dari orang rumah. Gak tau kenapa mungkin lagi banyak pikiran, tapi siapa sih yang suka diomelin? Aku makin pusing, aku juga ngerjain laporan aku sendiri, terus aku perbaikin bagian-bagian yang udah dikirimin. Aku yang ketik juga kan, terus tadi pokoknya aku dimarahin sama papa kayak kacau banget aku gak tau aku salah apa,” lanjut Celine setelah minum, ia kembali berhenti sejenak.

“Terus aku tiba-tiba marah di grup, kayak ya marah-marah gitu. Tapi anggota aku nanggepinnya baik banget aku jadi ngerasa bersalah udah marahin mereka. Terus katanya Manda sama Cora yang mau kerjain tugas anggota aku yang gak jelas itu, karena mereka liat story aku isinya tidur pagi semua karena tugas,” Celine lanjut bercerita.

Rein menepuk-nepuk pundak Celine menenangkan, “gapapa-gapapa, bisa dimengerti kok alasannya.”

“Terus pas tadi mau keluar kakak aku bilang 'dude, who hurt you?' sumpah aku pengen banget bilang bro who hasn't?” Celine masih bisa melucu.

“Tapi kamu gak nyakitin aku Rein, kepala aku kayaknya udah keluar asep kalo gak ada kamu,” kata Celine dengan mata yang masih basah.

“Mau peluk?” tanya Rein, pandangannya masih fokus pada Celine.

Celine mengangguk kemudian memeluk Rein, “Rein maaf ya kalo hoodie kamu jadi basah.”

“Kalo mau nangis lagi juga gapapa, sesuka kamu,” balas Rein.

Celine melepas pelukannya kemudian tersenyum, “makasih ya Rein.”

Celine kemudian mulai berjalan-jalan disekitaran kursi, “sumpah keren banget kita bisa masuk sini, jadi kayak di film-film gitu.”

“Like the main character and her love interest,” Celine kemudian duduk kembali di samping Rein. Ia menyandarkan kepalanya di bahu Rein.

“Rein?” panggil Celine.

“Iya?” jawab Rein, ia mengusap-usap bahu Celine guna membuat dia nyaman atau sekedar menangkan Celine sehabis menangis.

“Do you ever regret meeting someone that hurt you?” tanya Celine tiba-tiba.

“Not really,” kata Rein.

“Even the one who hurt you?” tanya Celine memastikan lagi.

“Yes, even the one who hurt me,” kata Rein dengan yakin.

“Why? Doesn't heartbreak suck? They create awful feelings that you have to go through like every day.”

“Heartbreak teach us a lesson, different ones. Maybe the little things that we didn't know but that little things are important to living by,” jelas Rein.

“But you know that feeling right? That feeling when you feel your world is just isn't right, everything is wrong, and you have to through it,” kata Celine.

“Of course i know that feeling but life is an endless journey, jadi pasti kita ngerasain hal yang sama berulang-ulang. But I know we can figure it out, we always do,” kata Rein dengan halus. “You're going through something?”

“Aren't we all?” jawab Celine, “but yeah, not in my best self right now.”

“You'll get through this, you always will,” kata Rein menyemangati, ia sesekali mencium tangan Celine yang ia terus genggam.

“Oh iya, I have lollypops, want one? Kalo di film-film mereka biasanya bakal ngerokok but i don't smoke,” Rein mengeluarkan dua permen dari sakunya.

“Sure,” Celine membuka satu, “cheers.”

“Rein?” panggil Celine.

“Apa Celine?” jawab Rein.

“You give me a sense of happiness that I've never experienced before-” Celine berhenti sebentar, “you deserve everything good in this world, Rein.”

Rein tersenyum, ia meletakkan kepalanya di atas kepala Celine, “i love you so much, you know that right?”

They head home after another deep random talk that Celine started again. Maybe there's too much on her mind, and Rein doesn't mind answering all of the things she's been curious about or all the things she hasn't gotten the answer to yet. We're all humans, after all, we ask about so many things yet we all know the answer. I guess that's why humans are social creatures, we need each other to listen to all of our problems, seek answers even though we already thought of them, or ask directions when we're lost, and then you can tell others, ways when you already found the right one.

“Besok temen kamu disentil aja ya pipinya,” kata Rein setelah mobilnya berhenti di depan pagar rumah Celine.

Celine tertawa, “iyaaa.”

Celine memeluk Rein untuk terakhir kalinya sebelum ia memasuki rumah, dan di dalam pelukan Celine berkata, “i want this to last, Rein.”

“Apa mau kamu?” kata Ilona dengan nada bercanda saat ia pertama kali keluar rumah dan melihat Ayres yang sedang bersender di mobilnya dengan senyumannya yang menyebalkan menurut Ilona.

“Ayo jalan-jalan,” rengek Ayres, ia membukakan pintu untuk Ilona, “come on, jarang-jarang kan aku ngajak kamu sampe dateng ke rumah.”

“Fine,” kata Ilona mau tidak mau.

Ayres menyetel lagu dari playlistnya. Ilona hanya duduk terdiam, membiarkan Ayres menggenggam tangannya. “Sambil makan aja yuk Res?”

“Drive-thru ya?” tanya Ayres memastikan, “atau mau makan sate mungkin?”

“Drive-thru aja, aku males turun,” kata Ilona.

Mereka membeli beberapa burger dan kentang agar bisa dimakan di perjalanan. Ayres menurunkan jendela mobilnya, katanya, “biar kita kayak main characters.”

They were driving on the highway, eating fries, windows down, singing their lungs off to a Taylor Swift song. What could go wrong? Nothing. Ilona and Ayres were having the time of their life. Her long hair flutter all over her face. Ayres brushed his thumb to her palm, Ayres smile satisfied, he thought Ilona would've hated his idea and spent the night just sitting and not enjoying what he's trying to do for her.

Before you think any further, no Ilona doesn't hate Ayres. She just hated getting out of the house. Ayres never forced her, but he's grateful she said yes. If she didn't say yes, Ayres would've gone home with a frown on his face and would text Ilona with the most dramatic sentences ever. Anyway, let's continue. Ayres took a turn and they were suddenly in someone's neighborhood. “Mau kemana Res?”

“Ayres ini komplek rumah kamu?” tanya Ilona sambil melihat rumah-rumah sekitar yang bentuknya sama hanya ada perbedaan sedikit di luarnya.

Ayres memarkirkan mobilnya di depan tempat bermain anak-anak. “Last one who touches the swing is a loser.”

Ilona langsung bergegas keluar dari mobil, Ayres memimpin di depan tetapi ia terjatuh entah tersandung apa. Ilona langsung berlari kencang agar ia menang. And she won. Ayres sempat tertawa dahulu sebelum ia lanjut mengejar Ilona.

“Kamu kesandung apa coba?” tanya Ilona, ia mengecek tangan Ayres yang berdiri di depannya, “ada yang berdarah gak Res?”

Ayres menggeleng, “gak tau, tiba-tiba jatoh tapi kayaknya gak ada yang berdarah.”

“Kamu seneng?” tanya Ayres.

Ilona mengangguk, “it's fun, maybe we should do it again sometime.”

“Besok juga gapapa,” sahut Ayres, ia menggengam tangan Ilona.

“Ilona, you know what's weird?” tanya Ayres tiba-tiba.

“You?” canda Ilona, “apa yang aneh?”

“Kamu, nama tengah kamu artinya bulan tapi setiap abis makan malem kamu langsung tidur, gimana sih?”

Ilona tertawa, “just say that I rarely pick up your call and go.”

“Tapi iya juga ya,” kata Ilona, “our middle name is literally the opposite.”

“Elenio and Neoma, the sun and the moon,” lanjut Ilona.

“Well, that's pretty cute,” sahut Ayres, “ayo main ayunan.”

Ilona swung a few times until she stopped and said, “I think mine's broken.”

Ayres berdiri dan melihat rantai ayunan yang diduduki Ilona hampir putus, “pindah-pindah, pake punya aku aja.”

Ayres swung Ilona's swing, Ilona couldn't stop laughing. She's happy. It's always the simplest thing that made you happy uncontrollably. Ayres was glad. Ayunannya berhenti, Ilona mengubah posisinya jadi menghadap Ayres. She looks up at him and smiles so big, she's overjoyed. Ayres kneel down, “want to carve our name into a tree?”

Sebelum Ilona bisa menjawab, Ayres sudah menarik dirinya ke pohon terdekat. Dia sedang mencari sesuatu yang cukup tajam, dan menemukan sekop mini yang ditinggalkan. Dia menulis 'A.E + I.N' di tengah pohon. “What if some kid found it?”

“Well, I hope he, she, or them finds it cool and would do it too with their significant other in the future. And I hope the first thing that they would think of is 'who is this A.E? I bet he's an interesting man' ya gak?” kata Ayres menaikan kedua alisnya naik turun.

Ilona memutar bola matanya malas, “no, they would think 'this I.N girl is definitely pretty as the moon' ya gak?”

“You are though,” kata Ayres dengan senyuman andalannya.

Did Ilona forget to tell you that 76% of Ayres is annoying as hell but the other 24% is kinda cute? Well, now you know. Flirty boyfriend stiff girlfriend. Ilona would've been the biggest liar on earth if she said she didn't enjoy his company even though most of the time Ilona would've just stared and him and got nothing to say. While in her thoughts, either it's filled with “what in the...” or “okay that was kinda cute.” and nothing in between.

His middle name fits him well. He has a bright personality, Ilona couldn't decide if he's funny or just flat cheesy, either way, he still puts a smile on her face. And couldn't forget the golden retriever energy that Ayres has. One time, Ayres couldn't stop jumping because he saw a cute dog walk past by. They were the polar opposite of each other, but it's always the difference that complements you. If you somehow relate to Ilona, well, good luck finding Ayres.

“Udah Ayres, ini hampir tengah malem,” kata Ilona dalam pelukan Ayres.

Ayres wouldn't let Ilona go into her house, “kamu diem dulu.”

Ayres memeluk Ilona dengan erat, ia menaruh kepalanya di atas kepala Ilona dan dengan cepat mencium dahinya, “kamu kenapa gemes banget aku gak mau lepasin.”

Ayres akhirnya melepas pelukannya dan membiarkan Ilona masuk. Ilona yang hanya tinggal membuka pintu tiba-tiba berjalan lagi ke Ayres dan mengecup pipinya sekejap.

“I love you and maybe let's do that again?” kata Ilona sambil berjalan mundur ke rumahnya dengan senyuman yang jahil.

Similar to any other night, Amara is resting on her bed, playing with her phone; trying to entertain herself on this untroubled night. Up until she heard a knock on her window, suddenly her mind started to recap all the horror movies she had watched that started with a knock on a window.

“Loh kamu ngapain kesini?” Amara whispered with a surprised face after opening her window.

Kalandra, her beloved, climbed a tree right in front of her balcony and knocked. “Hehehe, hai.”

“I bought you flowers, ya gak beli juga sih aku ngambil dari toko mama,” Kala said after handing her a bouquet of flowers.

Amara put a finger on her lips with the intention to make Kalandra lower his voice a little. “Thank you, Kala, tapi kamu ngapain kesini?”

“Aku mau culik kamu, ayo cepetan ikutin aku,” Kala joked, he then grabbed her hand, “kamu pake jaket dulu tapi, nanti kedinginan.”

Swiftly, she grabs the nearest jacket her eyes can lay on, “Kala, where are we going?”

“We are going stargazing,” Kala answered when he was already a meter less from the ground. He then jumped and help Amara climb down the tree.

“Stargazing dimana? My parents would've finished me the second they found out I'm not in my room at almost 12 pm,” no matter how calm she whispers she still sounded like she's panicked.

Kalandra, who's still holding her hand, kissed the top of her hand gently, “in your backyard of course, but I'm going to promise you I'll take you somewhere far and have a real adventure, okay?”

Turns out, Kalandra brought a basket filled with a blanket, a mini telescope, and a sandwich. Kalandra opens the blanket and lie down, he opened his arm so then Amara can use it as a pillow.

“So am I going to stargaze alone?” Kala asked jokingly.

Amara lays on Kalandra's hand. Her mouth is agape cause there are actually a lot of stars tonight. She can't stop thinking about the man who asked her to do this, Phileas Kalandra. Phileas is actually a character from Jules Verne's book, “Around the World in Eighty Days.” He was a wanderer. Meanwhile, Kalandra means delighted or joy. Kalandra and his essentials for adventure are actually noteworthy.

Kalandra once told Amara about his thing for adventure. His mom used to travel a lot when she was on break or when she feels like it. When he was a kid her mom would tell stories or show pictures when she travels and she gifted him her notes, with every story or detail when she travels about a certain place. Born with such amazing stories from her mom, he feels the necessity to do the things that she used to do. The excitement, the sudden heartbeat when you found a beautiful place. He just needs to do it.

Amara thinks his black converse or his jacket jeans has been to a lot of places than a regular human or even Amara. One time when Kala was 17, he booked a ticket to the nearest city at dusk just so he could watch a sunrise from a moving train, and when he arrived at the station he just went back home. But don't worry, every time he has a sudden urge to go out he leaves a note on his mother's door.

“Ra, seneng gak?” Kala looked at Amara who was clearly still astonished by the pretty stars.

Amara nodded and smiled, “the sky looks so pretty tonight, prettier than I've seen on pictures.”

Kalandra memberi Amara sebuah teropong kecil dan menyuruhnya melihat bintang-bintang. Amara tidak berhenti memuji langit malam ini, bintang-bintang yang sudah menghiasi malam serta bulan. Kalandra menyingkirkan rambut-rambut yang menghalangi wajah Amara.

Amara meletakkan kembali teropong kecilnya dan berkata, “i don't know i can see this on my backyard, i should've explore more.”

Kalandra peers over the girl that's laying on his arm, Kaia Amara. Her name means pure love. And she loved purely. She would listen about Kala's sudden adventure, what he found, and just stories. With her doe eyes, he knows that deep down she also wanted to know the euphoric feeling he's been telling her about. The girl with long brown hair has been filling a hole in Kala's heart that he didn't know to exist in her pure and simple way. Just by being existing in his world.

“Ra,” panggil Kalandra sambil memainkan rambut Amara.

“Iya?” Amara mengubah posisinya agar ia bisa melihat Kalandra sepenuhnya. His keen eyes has been her favorite things to look up close.

“Are you happy...” Kalandra diam sebentar, “with me?”

“Banget Kala, kamu ceritain aku banyak hal yang belum aku tau, showed me things, and we are stargazing right now, are you kidding me? Of course I'm happy,” kata Amara dengan semangat.

“Okay, nanti pas anniversary kita nonton sunrise di kereta,” Kalandra kissed Amara's hand, it's his thing when he made promises.

“Itu 4 bulan lagi tapi...” jawab Amara pelan, ia menyibak rambut Kalandra ke belakang.

“Selama 4 bulan aku harus jadi orang yang orang tua kamu percaya, jadi besok-besok kalo pergi gak usah diem-diem kayak gini,” kata Kalandra.

The night ended beautifully, they danced for a moment, Kalandra twirled Amara a few times. Kissed her forehead before she enters her house. Amara didn't have any sweet dreams though, because her eyes wouldn't close. That was the first main character moment Amara has ever felt, it was indelible.

“Kamu udah cari resepnya?” tanya Leia setelah mencuci tangannya.

Hari ini ia dan Skylar berencana membuat kue kering. Kata Skylar sih agar Leia bisa lebih mudah memiliki teman jika membagikan sesuatu. Entahlah diantara mereka berdua yang ahli berkomunikasi hanya Skylar. Kalau ada lomba menyebutkan nama orang-orang yang ia kenal dari abjad alfabet, pasti Skylar juara satu.

“Udah,” Skylar menaruh hp nya di kitchen island, “kamu kebiasaan banget udah cuci tangan tapi lupa kuncir rambut.”

Skylar mengambil iket rambut yang biasa ada di pergelangan Leia dan mengikat rambutnya asal. Skylar mengeluarkan bahan-bahan yang dibutuhkan dan menaruhnya dengan rapi diatas meja. “Kamu ikutin first stepnya dulu, aku mau cuci tangan.”

“Sky, tolong deh itu measuring cupnya,” setelah Skylar berikan measuring cupnya Leia sibuk menuangkan bahan-bahan kering ke mangkuk yang besar.

Skylar mengambil alih mangkuknya dan mulai mengaduk, “siap kamu besok?”

Leia hanya menghela nafas, “ya kamu tau lah jawaban aku apa.”

Leia mengambil mangkuk yang lain dan memberikan Skylar saringan tepung, “duh aku takut banget, mereka responnya bakal apa coba? Jangan-jangan kayak...”

“Gak boleh negative thinking, everything will be okay tomorrow,” Skylar memindahkan adonan ke mangkuk yang baru, “coba latihan ke aku.”

“Hi, nama aku Leia, aku ada cookies as a gift so that we all can be good friends,” kata Leia asal setelah memanaskan oven, ia kembali berdiri di samping Skylar yang sibuk memisahkan kuning dan putih telur. “Kayak gitu?”

“Sebentar-sebentar, colokin mixer dulu aku,” Skylar mengaduk bahan tersebut untuk beberapa waktu.

“Takut, udahlah gak jadi kasih cookiesnya. Nanti kita makan aja berdua,” kata Leia sambil menuangkan bahan kering ke adonan yang baru diaduk.

“Bisa Leia, pasti bisa kok punya temen. Kamu nanti harus pede aja,” Skylar mengambil loyang dan langsung membulat-bulatkan adonan kue dan dipipihkan.

Leia ikut membantu Skylar karena sedari tadi hampir Skylar yang melakukan semuanya, “gak bakal ada yang jahat kan ya besok?”

Skylar memasukan loyangnya ke dalam oven dan kue pun siap dipanggang. Skylar mencuci tangannya dan segera membuka celemek Leia dan juga punya dirinya. Ia mengajak Leia duduk sebentar di sofa sambil menunggu kue nya matang.

“Oke, tentang pertanyaan kamu yang terakhir, aku gak tau Leia. Tapi pasti ada kok yang mikir hal yang kamu lakuin itu gak jelas atau gak penting. Tapi yang paling penting tuh buat gak usah mikirin omongan mereka, paham?” kata Skylar sambil menyingkirkan rambut-rambut yang menghalangi mata Leia.

“Ah aku tetep takut, pasti besok awkward banget,” kata Leia takut, she's worried for tomorrow.

“Mungkin besok ada suasana awkward but that doesn't mean it'll stay forever. Ada kok pasti yang mau jadi temen kamu, dan kamu lupa aku satu sekolah sama kamu?”

Everything that comes out of his mouth just seems comforting and he never really added words to make things that are not okay so it could sound fine. He's honest and genuine not to mention is really friendly. Everyone loves Skylar, everyone knows him. And Leia being a socially awkward person is just glad to have Skylar around. Knowing he'll do all the scary social things, like if someone asks too many questions or just overall aggressive.

While Leia is imagining all of the worst things that could've happened on her first day as a student in her new school, Skylar is giving her tips on how to make a good impression or how to make friends on the first day while holding her hand to give her comfort.

---

From the first step she took into her new class she already feels the intimidating stare. Not all of them though, Leia just didn't have the guts to take a glance or even examine. She just goes to her seat and notices that her chair mate is trying to make a conversation because she's making that gestures. Please let it be a nice day today.

The bell rings 2 minutes ago to tell it was break time. There's a bunch of girls that stay in class, they were looking in each other eyes and then looking at Leia's. They walk in groups which to Leia it is scary as shit. One girl put her hand out, “hi, gue Bella.”

Leia is anxious but tries her best to answer. She shakes her hand and tells her name. Please make a conversation.

“Mau makan ke kantin gak? Kalo gak buru-buru nanti keburu abis,” kata gadis dengan name tag Kayra.

Do you know that SpongeBob office fire meme? That's what happening in Leia's head, accurately. Leia take a deep breath, and answered, “sebenernya gue buat cookies buat kalian, mau?”

Rasanya ada 30 orang yang menjawab “mau” karena gadis-gadis tersebut terlihat sangat bahagia ketika mendengar kata “cookies.” Leia segera mengeluarkan beberapa cookies yang ia dan Skylar sudah masukan ke dalam plastik dan membagikannya.

Meja Leia otomatis ramai dengan para murid, bahkan murid-murid yang sedari awal tidak ada niatan ingin berkenalan dengan dirinya secara langsung segera mendekat ke mejanya karena siapa yang tidak mau cookies gratis? Leia tidak keberatan karena memang ia buat cookies yang cukup banyak.

Pembicaraan langsung lancar, gadis-gadis tersebut ternyata baik. Mereka langsung bercerita banyak hal kepada Leia tentang hal-hal sekolah. Saat Leia sedang mendengarkan seorang gadis bercerita tentang pengalamannya dihukum saat upacara, sebuah kepala muncul di pintu kelas. Skylar ternyata. Skylar hanya menunjukkan senyumnya yang menjadi salah satu hal kesukaan Leia setelah ia melihat meja Leia dipenuhi banyak orang.

“Makasih,” kata Leia dengan tidak mengeluarkan suara.

Skylar mengangguk dan ia juga balas tanpa menggunakan suara, “nanti pulang sama aku.”

Hari ini hampir seluruh siswa menetap di sekolah sampai entah kapan, karena mereka harus menyelesaikan properti masing-masing atau latihan untuk praktek seni minggu depannya. Tetapi tak banyak dari mereka yang akhirnya memutuskan untuk mengerjakan projectnya di tempat lain karena terlalu banyak orang di kelas.

Nesha dan kelompoknya sudah selesai membuat properti dan tinggal bagian tempel-menempel. Nesha memutuskan untuk jalan-jalan di dalam sekolah karena terlalu banyak orang di kelas dan ia sudah mengerjakan properti dari awal dan ingin anggota lain berpartisipasi.

“Lah kamu masih disini?” Nesha melihat Raka yang sedang duduk di pinggir lapangan bersama beberapa temannya yang sedang bermain game.

“Tadi properti aku baru banget selesai,” Raka menghampiri Nesha dan menarik tangannya agar Nesha duduk di sebelahnya.

“Ah udah jauh-jauh aja yuk, Raka sama Nesha pacaran terus,” kata Faresta, temannya Raka.

Raka dan Nesha hanya tertawa, “sumpah takut banget gak sih minggu depan udah praktek?”

“B aja,” kata Raka sok dengan nada bercandanya.

“Iya, kamu emang paling keren banget deh,” kata Nesha dengan sarkas.

“Aku gak sabar banget hari Rabu praktek basket,” kata Raka tiba-tiba. Nesha menolah, “sumpah?”

Raka mengangguk, “kenapa Sha?”

“Cemen aku main basket, ya semoga hari Rabu tiba-tiba aku bisa deh,” kata Nesha pelan.

Raka berdiri dan berkata, “kamu lupa ya pacar kamu anak basket?”

“Tunggu disini sebentar,” Raka berjalan ke arah teman-temannya yang duduk di tangga seberang lapangan dan mengatakan sesuatu. Tiba-tiba Raka berjalan kembali dengan sebuah kunci. “Ayo kita ambil bola dulu.”

Sekarang Raka dan Nesha sedang berada di bawah tiang basket dengan Raka yang memegang beberapa bola di tangan. “Coba kamu shoot.”

Nesha mencoba memasukan bola ke ring, tetapi gagal. Raka segera mengoper bola lain yang ia pegang. “Kamu kurang lompat, coba dari jauh, lari terus lompat.”

Nesha mengikuti kata Raka dan mundur beberapa langkah. Ia kemudian mencoba shoot setelah berlari dan melompat, “ah dikit lagi masuk.”

Raka menaruh bola-bola yang ia pegang di pinggir lapangan. Ia menunjukkan tangan yang benar ketika ingin shoot. Ia memegang tangan Nesha dan memperbaiki postur tangannya. “Nah gini, coba ulang.”

Raka berjalan ke pinggir lapangan dan melihat Nesha yang sedang mencoba sekali lagi. Akhirnya berhasil, bolanya masuk, dan tekniknya benar. Raka langsung bertepuk tangan dan berkata, “keren banget lah cewek aku.”

“Terus Sha, terusin pacarannya,” goda temannya, Diva, “gue kira cuman duduk di luar taunya bersama sang pacar.”

Nesha hanya tersenyum. Raka segera mengumpulkan bola-bola yang tadi ia ambil dan menaruhnya kembali, “beli minum dulu yuk Sha.”

Raka and Nesha are currently sitting by the playing area while watching Raka's friends playing basketball as if it's the national championship. Nesha rests her head on Raka's shoulder while eating a candy that he bought. Nesha points her finger to the blue and said, “look it's almost sunset.”

Raka gazes at the sun that's almost setting and looks vacantly at the person next to him, Nesha Ayara. She's deeply captivated by the sun that her eyes flare almost like the sun. He sees her flushed skin because she stays too long under the sun.

“Ke kelas aja yuk?” ajak Raka halus.

“Bentar lagi mataharinya terbenam, jarang-jarang aku liat matahari terbenam,” jawab Nesha, ia masih asik memandangi langit.

“Muka kamu udah merah gitu, mending ke kelas terus liatin aku sepuas kamu,” kata Raka.

Nesha langsung menoleh, “hah?”

“Nama aku kan artinya juga ada yang matahari. Aelius Raka, kalo liatin aku nanti muka kamu gak merah-merah gini,” Raka menyingkirkan helai-helai rambut yang menghalangi muka Nesha.

Nesha memukul Raka pelan, “nyebelin kamu, aku masih mau liat matahari.”

“Yaudah iya, tapi deketan sini,” Nesha mendekat, Raka langsung menaruh tangannya di atas kepala Nesha guna menghalangi sinar matahari, “nah kalo gini kan kamu masih bisa liat terus mukanya gak merah.”

Repentance may not be in Nesha's life while she's dating Aelius Raka. Weird but blissful is a way to describe Aelius Raka.

Setelah asik berpiknik di pantai dengan pemandangan yang indah, mereka memutuskan untuk melakukan kegiatan mereka masing-masing. Mara dan Juno berjalan di pesisir pantai, Claire dan Axel yang sibuk kejar-kejaran seperti Tom and Jerry, dan Oceanna dan Shaka memilih untuk bersandar di sebuah pohon dan hanya menikmati matahari terbenam yang tidak lama lagi.

Shaka asik memainkan gelang Oceanna, yang empunya sedang mengistirahatkan kepalanya di dada Shaka. Angin pada sore itu tidak terlalu kencang, jadi hanya sedikit pasir yang beterbangan.

“Shaka deg-degan ya? Kedengeran,” kata Oceanna. Ia sebenarnya daritadi mendengar perubahan detak jantung Shaka.

Shaka tertawa. Membuat Oceanna mendengar suara tertawa yang aneh karena ia sedang bersandar di dadanya. “Shaka coba ngomong.”

“Ngomong apa?” kata Shaka pelan.

“Aneh denger suaranya, tapi coba ngomong lagi.”

“Oceanna Cleo,” panggil Shaka.

“Apa Shaka Maheswara?” jawab Oceanna yang masih belum menggerakan kepalanya, “kok Shaka deg-degan lagi?”

“You look pretty today, I mean not only today, you always look pretty. But yes, you look so pretty right now with that dress,” suara Shaka terdengar bergetar.

Oceanna bangun dan menghadap Shaka, “thank you.”

Oceanna pindah posisi dan duduk di samping Shaka, ikutan bersandar di pohon, “Shaka, what if you're just some rebound love?”

Shaka menoleh, “tiba-tiba banget Ce bahasannya.”

“I don't want you to get hurt, even I'm not sure of my own feelings,” kata Oceanna dengan muka yang datar.

“Then I'll be fine,” Oceanna menoleh ke Shaka, “kalo jatuh cinta juga harus siap buat patah kan?”

“Ce,” Shaka memegang tangan Oceanna, “I'm not rushing anything, if you need time, then take it, dan kalo Oceanna udah tau mau Oce apa then just tell me, okay?”

His smile is unfeigned, his words seem true. Shaka and his comforting presence made Oceanna feels seemly. Although, it should've been Oceanna giving him the feeling of certainty, not the other way around. You could say she's lucky, having people that would try and understands her without having the need to rush everything out.

“Shaka?”

“Hm?”

“Main air yuk?”

Shaka langsung berdiri dan menggulung celananya sedikit, ia tidak lupa menawarkan Oceanna tangannya dengan maksud membantunya bangun, “okay now what are you waiting for?”

---

“Ini Juno lagi yang nyetir?” kata Mara.

“Iya udah gapapa, kamu di depan aja Mar. Tadi Axel di depan malah tidur, nanti aku ikutan ngantuk,” kata Juno setelah menutup bagasi.

“Gue gak mau duduk di belakang,” kata Axel yang tiba-tiba enggan masuk mobil.

Oceanna langsung masuk, “tinggal duduk doang apa susahnya sih Xel?”

Setelah Shaka menyusul duduk di belakang, Axel baru mau duduk. “Karena biasanya yang duduk di belakang itu kasta terendah di mobil.”

Claire hanya bisa menggelengkan kepalanya, “ini pada mau makan dulu apa gak?”

“Terserah, gue sama Oce ngikut aja,” kata Shaka tidak lama setelah Juno mengendarai mobilnya.

“Ngantuk?” bisik Shaka. Ia melihat Oceanna menyenderkan kepalanya pada jendela mobil.

Oceanna mengangguk. Shaka menepuk pundaknya, mengisyaratkan Oceanna untuk meletakan kepalanya disana. Sebelum itu, Shaka melepas jaketnya dan menyelimuti Oceanna, katanya, “biar gak kedinginan.”

Shaka mengusap-usap lengan Oceanna agar ia cepat tertidur, “udah tidur aja, nanti kalo udah sampe aku bangunin.”

If Shaka could scream right now he will. This might be one of his happiest days, not because Oceanna is sleeping on his shoulders but also spending time with his friends by the beach, having a picnic, which seems like a dream. But still, being with Oceanna made him even happier. If he could turn back the time and felt the same thing again, he wouldn't do it. His heart would've felt like he just rides a rollercoaster three times in a row. And that's not the most pleasant thing, well, according to Shaka. If only Oceanna could see how blushed he is and how his heart is beating so fast. Ah, Shaka would've got out of the car so fast.

“Pada mau makan gak? Palingan gue mau beli mie cup aja sih, Shaka mau?” tanya Mara.

Shaka menggeleng, “nanti Oce bangun, kalian aja sana.”

Axel turun dan menutup mobil cukup kencang yang membuat Oceanna bangun. “Shhh, udah tidur lagi aja.”

Shaka mengelus-elus rambut Oceanna, “Oce mau makan emang?”

Oceanna menggeleng, “iya yaudah tidur aja lagi.”

“Ini tuh jatohnya gue ngadu gak sih?”

Sudah hampir 8 menit sejak Oceanna menceritakan hal tentang Callie. Oceanna meletakan hpnya di samping kepalanya, dan bercerita sambil memandang langit-langit kamarnya.

“Enggak Oce, itu namanya curhat.“

Suara Shaka sekarang sudah pelan-pelan menjadi suara kesukaannya. Entah karena pembawaan Shaka yang santai atau karena gaya bicaranya yang cukup lucu.

“Shaka.”

“Hm?“

“Mimpi Shaka waktu kecil apa?”

“Mau jadi pemain bola, soalnya dulu suka diajak nonton bola waktu kecil.“

Oceanna tersenyum membayangkan Shaka kecil heboh berteriak menyemangati tim kesukaannya. “Tebak gue mau jadi apa.”

“Guru?“

“Ih keren banget kok tau?”

Shaka tertawa, “iyalah Shaka gitu loh.“

“Tapi sekarang mimpi gue bukan mau jadi 'apa' tapi 'dimana', tetep mau jadi diri sendiri, tapi mau punya rumah di pinggir pantai, terus tiap pagi jalan-jalan aja di pantai.”

“You like the ocean cause your name starts with the ocean?“

Oceanna bertepuk tangan, “Shaka pinter banget sih.”

“Mau liat laut terus setiap hari biar gue inget sama diri gue sendiri.”

“I'm afraid that one time I tried to figure out myself but it turns out I just lost myself along the way. So perhaps looking at the ocean would help me. Mimpinya aneh ya Shaka?”

“Enggak, I believe all of your dreams would come true. Mungkin enggak sekarang, tapi I believe every dream of yours Ce.“

Oceanna tersenyum, “thank you Shaka, gantian dong Shaka ngomong.”

“Hm apa ya?“

“Warna kesukaan Shaka apa?”

“Biru.“

“Kenapa bisa suka biru?”

“Dulu waktu itu mama gue pernah beliin sepatu futsal pertama gue and it was blue. Gue seneng, karena ngerasa mama perhatiin hal-hal yang gue suka.“

Every word that came out of Shaka's lips sounds genuine, he is genuine. “Hey, Shaka?”

“Apa Oceanna?“

“It's almost 2 am, maybe sing me to sleep?”

Shaka membuka hpnya, dan waktu menunjukkan pukul 1.53 dini hari. “Mau lagu apa?“

“Any song, I just wanted to hear your voice until I fell asleep.”

If only Oceanna would've known, Shaka right now is holding on for his dear life. His heart is beating so fast, he put his hand on his chest and feels the heartbeat. He took a deep breath and started to sing.

Tell me somethin', girl Are you happy in this modern world? Or do you need more? Is there somethin' else you're searchin' for? I'm fallin' In all the good times I find myself longin' for change And in the bad times, I fear myself

“Ce udah tidur?” Shaka tidak mendengar apa-apa selain suara nafas Oceanna, “good night Oceanna.“

“I kinda wish we did a video call instead of just a call, I bet you look peaceful as ever. Ah, I better stop talking before I said some dumb things and then finding out you haven't fallen asleep and I'm just making a fool out of myself.“

“Wow gue jadi bawel gini, you should know how I have turned into the talkative Shaka that I didn't even know I had it in me, I didn't even know I can bring out so many topics when I'm with you. Nah kan, I'm making a fool out of myself, I guess everyone's a fool when it comes to you.“

“Ah I'm saying weird things. Selamat tidur Oce, you deserve a nice dream.“

“Oce, makasih ya udah temenin tante jalan-jalan for the whole 3 day,” Serafina memeluk Oceanna sebelum ia memasuki security check.

“Sama-sama tante, Oce juga seneng banget bisa spend time sama tante lagi,” kata Oceanna dengan senyuman.

Serafina mengusap-usap tangan Oceanna, “semoga nanti bisa ketemu Jake di waktu yang tepat ya Ce.”

Serafina memeluk Oceanna untuk terakhir kalinya, “dah Oceanna.”

Oceanna menunggu Serafina lolos pemeriksaan baru ia kembali ke mobil yang dikendarai Shaka. Oceanna tersenyum saat memasuki mobil.

“Kenapa Ce? Tiba-tiba senyum gitu,” kata Shaka yang sedang mengendarai mobil.

“Gak tau, tante Serafina bikin gue seneng aja. Her words are just, I don't know, I guess it's full of hope?” kata Oceanna sambil memandangi jendela.

So I guess I know why Jake seems so full of hope.

“Asli gua kagak paham dah uang jajan lu berapa, tapi makasih Claire,” Mara melihat ke arah Claire dan memberinya flying kiss.

Claire tertawa geli, “ya cukup lah intinya, gue seneng juga sih bisa jajanin orang terus.”

“Ini mah bukan jajanin anjir, lu ngasih makan anak orang terus,” kata Shaka di sela-sela main gitar. Shaka menaruh gitarnya dan duduk di samping Oceanna, memperhatikan dirinya yang sedang sibuk mengerjakan tugas.

“Shaka tolong deh, hp gue bunyi tolong bukain. Gue sebentar lagi selesai,” Oceanna memberikan hpnya ke Shaka.

“Dari Hesa ini, ngajak ketemuan,” Shaka menaruh hpnya kembali, “tapi kalo mau ketemuan harus sama gue.”

Oceanna yang sedang mengerjakan tugas tersenyum, “iya-iya sama Shaka.”

“Gua mencium bau-bau pdkt nih,” kata Mara ke Claire.

“Lah, itu mah udah lama, lu aja baru tau sekarang. Oce udah cerita duluan ke gue,” jawab Claire sebelum memakan martabaknya.

“IH CE LU GAK BILANG KE GUA KALO DEKET SAMA SHAKA.”

Oceanna dan Shaka langsung melihat satu sama lain sambil tersenyum. “DIH MALAH SENYUM-SENYUM.”

“Udah Mar makan aja mending,” kata Claire, “nih makan lagi masih ada banyak.”

Mara menunjuk-nunjuk Oceanna yang duduk di depannya, “you owe me a story.”

“Iya-iya,” Oceanna masih fokus dengan tugasnya, “oke yes selesai uhuy Oce keren banget.”

“Claire, minum lo masih ada gak?”

Claire menggeleng, “abis.”

“Ah yaudah deh gue sekalian taro mangkok juga ke dapur,” Oceanna menaruh laptopnya ke atas kursi dan mengambil mangkok, “itu jangan lupa plastiknya dibuang.”

Shaka mengekori Oceanna masuk ke dapur. “Ngapain ikut-ikut kesini?”

“Hehe iseng,” Shaka berdiri di belakang Oceanna saat ia mencuci mangkuk.

Kembali mengikuti Oceanna dari belakang saat ia berjalan ke sana kemari. Oceanna balik badan dan bertanya, “Shaka mau apa sih?”

“Gapapa, mau ikutin aja.”

Oceanna duduk sejenak dan minum, ia melihat Shaka yang berdiri di depannya. Oceanna menaruh gelasnya dan memegang tangan Shaka, “makasih ya udah ditemenin.”

“Udah yuk keluar lagi,” Oceanna berjalan duluan tetapi tangannya ditahan Shaka. “Kenapa?”

“Ce, nanti cerita ya?” kata Shaka dengan halus.

Oceanna mengangguk, “iyaaa Shakaa, ayo ke depan nanti ditungguin Mara sama Claire.”

Oceanna berjalan masih dengan tangan yang dipegang Shaka. Shaka yang ditarik hanya tersenyum-senyum saja, sampai terdengar suara Mara.

“Oke udah selesai yuk pacarannya, mending Shaka pulang,” kata Mara dengan senyuman yang menyebalkan.