The Stare

Aifaa POV

The sun smiled when the cloud appeared. The two were always together high in the sky. Without them, no clothes would be dried and no beautiful scenery could be seen yet there was this one girl who hated them for being so brightened in the morning. Others would be contented whenever they see the sun and sky beaming up there but she was one of the thousand people not liking the day rather nightfall appeared instead. As later she must sit for the examination for History subject. The subject was kind of hard for her as she did not like learning about past matters. She never got an A for this subject ever since she learned it thus she got a B instead. History paper 1 will be started at 8 o'clock while paper 2 started at 10 o'clock.

She was walking straight to the Dataran with Nurul beside her with notes on her hands reading and memorizing the important dates and their events as they will reach there for another numerous step. They were early 30 minutes today and came at 6.30 am. In the meantime, Aifaa simply walking and spacing out. Thinking the possibility of History. The possibility to change the subject to a better one. Then, wh-questions were all over her mind. It went berserk.

'Where this all started? Where??!'

'Which country started the war first? Which??!'

'When the history took place? When??!'

'Who made this History subject? Who??!'

'Why History? Why??!'

'What made them think this subject was important? What??!'

'Huh?!!'

'And...'

They already arrived at the Dataran and she was still spacing out not stopping from her track. Whilst Nurul already stopped and standing in their usual place while lifting her baju kurung uniform a little prevent it from the dirt. The other hand stayed holding notes and then she sat on the tar. There was 1 female student from the houldhouse economy stream and 2 female students from the religious stream who sat at the Dataran by that time. They seemed into the notes and notebooks while Aifaa was climbing on the stairs.

Nurul realised her best friend was not by her side as she felt silent all over the place and eyeballs began to wander around. She saw a familiar student was moving to the stage. She instantaneously discerned the student was her best friend and slowly headed to her without making any attention. Sh*t! What she's doing there?

'How come I'm thinking about this right now? Eh??! Whatever' Aifaa thought.

"Aifaa! Woi! Aifaa!" Nurul called but got no response.

"What was she thinking? Ya Allah" She whispered with a sceptical front that could be seen on her countenance.

'How history was made? How??!' Aifaa still spacing out in her own world.

"Woi! What were you daydreaming about?" She asked and tapped her shoulder fivefold as soon as she reached upfront of her best friend.

"U-uh? What?" Her thoughts disappeared and were began startled with the last tap.

"I said... what were you daydreaming about?" Nurul asked the same question again as she did not answer it.

"Um... Uh... Nothing..." She said then smiling at her.

"It ain't nothing when you were not stopping from your track, Aifaa" Nurul crossed her hands and raised her brows.

"Okay, fine... just... thinking about the wh-questions on how History was made and blah blah blah... I don't like it" She told while her hands turning to a bunch of fives.

"We already studied this subject together last 2 weeks. Don't worry about it. I believe you can and do your best, okay? You wanna make your life better, right? We will crush it!" Nurul tried soothing her uneasiness as she knew it was quite difficult for her since she doesn't like the subject.

"Yeah, I did everything you told me. I do lots of exercises and read repeatedly as well" She answered while trying to smile then a lopsided smile could be seen on her face.

"Yes! We are going to fight this together with Dee, okay? You wanna make your mother proud so bring your knowledge, exercises you did and brain with you to boot for the papers" Nurul enthusiastic told with her exciting front like a meme. So comical and ghastly.

"Weh! Don't make your face like that! BHAHAHAHAHAHA... And I always bring my brain to- wait... what the??! D*mn! Oh, you wanna said I'm brainless before, huh?" She laughed then registered what her best friend said earlier.

"I'm just joking. Don't take it seriously" Nurul quickly told her before she gets beaten by her.

"But thanks to you for helping me though it's pretty much difficult to handle a student like me. I could see the improvement even a little" She thanked and complimented her for willingly teaching her.

"Ya, stubborn girl you are. And... no problem. My pleasure. Now, let's go shall we?" Nurul nodded while sincerely smiling and tilted her head to their spot as a sign.

After 3 hours of completing her History paper 1 and paper 2, she bid goodbye as usual and immediately waved her hand to Dee. She then was in view at her watch that showed seven past twelve. Plus, waiting for Nurul 5 metres behind while Nurul was struggling to search for her bag and found it after closely looking for it one by one for 3 minutes.

Aifaa later saw Zambri and Badri were staring at her as well as her best friend. They were staring from head to toe finding for who knows what behind Nurul. Not too close and not too far. Those 2 boys did not see she was looking in their direction and observing what they do. They then chatting a bit before Badri left Zambri alone. He seemed to rush somewhere but who cares.

She despises him for treating her like a toy in class at times. She was his only victim either he was bored or not having anything to do. He likes to tease her and she hates that including him as well. Zambri then walking to the stairs not far from him and talking with himself. He seemed suspicious even though he never treated her like Badri did but she could feel the stiffness in him when he reached the stairs. He looks mad or upset or something. She could not understand as his back was showing instead. She wants to go there and peeking on him but decided to just stay put until the tallest best friend of her's coming.

He abruptly walked back to where he was standing earlier. Nurul then finished putting all her things in her bag and starting to walk but Zambri appeared ahead of her out of nowhere. She had time to shut her leg's system before an unpleasant accident happen. She was shocked he appeared in a flash without a warning or sign. He seemed emotionless as she could not read his unreadable countenance.

He wants to talk to her yet her best friend rescued and quickly pulled her to the other side. Nurul was confused. Aifaa then intertwined their metacarpus covered by the skin and leaving him there. She bet he opened then shut his mouth and was baffled afterwards. It actually showed wholly on his physiognomy even they did not look.

"Whoa, what were you doing just now?" Her tallest best friend asked and shot her a questioning glance.

"Rescuing you of course" She said nonchalantly as well as shrugged her shoulders.

"He seems weird" Nurul opined with a curious tone at the end.

"He IS weird" She emphasized the middle word in her sentence and somewhat furious was showed in her voice.

"Why do you say that? Nurul curiously asked.

"I saw him and Badri looking at each of us from head to toe" She began telling what occurred before he appeared.

"Really? Woah, so sudden?" Her best friend was surprised and starting to get interested in the story.

"Yeah, they talk about something then Badri's gone" She elucidated more with a plain casual front.

"He's gone? They always went back home together, aren't they?" Nurul asked further as she was inquisitive.

"Yes, I think so. And I saw Zambri was like angry or disappointed or something. I don't know" She nodded and described what she saw earlier.

"And he suddenly appeared in front of me after that, yes?" Nurul took in the moment she described him.

"Wait! How do you know?" It was now her turn to ask her best friend as the table has turned.

"I glanced at you the moment I spun to your way. You keenly looked at him. I thought you looked at someone else but no one else was there. Only him" Nurul told while glimpsed at her.

"Ah, that. Yeah..." She was stunned as she thought no one shot a look at her or she was just intrigued by him at that moment.

"But he looks like he wanna tell me something" Nurul stated as she was eager to know what he wants to tell her.

"Uh-uh, no. Don't be close to him. I don't trust him" She negatively respond to her statement and advised her as she got experienced from the past and moreover, for her safety as well.

"Uh-oh! Okay, mum" Nurul said and chuckled after the last word.

They then sat on a long-form outside the gate after arrived. Nurul was kicking her shoes while getting a sight of the grass under her shoes. Whilst she also waiting for the van and eyeballs roaming around above the sky. Daydreaming got the best of her as tomorrow will be her freedom day or in other words, the tenth and the last subject to be precise. She was the happiest person in the world at this moment in time as she already passed her least liking subject. She was grateful as the sun and sky were still smiling until now. Even brightened than this morning. It somewhat showed what she felt at the moment. The coruscating and shimmery radiation from the scintillating sun in some way made her dazzled and sweltering as summer.