3. New School

I was just silent, sitting pretty on the sofa as the socialite women talked about the many things they had to do to me.  Previously, I was very grateful because they were willing to accept and acknowledge me as my mother's child.

They said they didn't care about my background back then, but now that I'm the daughter of a Lily, I have to change to be like someone from a prominent family.

Some of them take their children.  Bams is one of them. Ah, there's also Rose, the half-blood woman whose beauty can make anyone who sees her reluctant to blink.

"By the way, where do you want to go to school?"  asked Aunt Yuyun.

I nodded slowly.  I was quite confident and accepted wherever my mother wanted to send me to school.  Well, I'm smart and now pretty, so it shouldn't be hard to adapt wherever it is.

"I see, Melody is very familiar with Bams. Let her go to school at Bams' place!"  said the mother excitedly.

Aunt Yuyun said that my mom wanted to have a child for a long time, but unfortunately, it was not easy to realize. If it's true that we complement each other, that's great.

"Bambang's school is a public school, not an elite special school. It's better to go to Rose's school, it's more prestigious," said Aunt Yuyun lightly.

I gaped in disbelief when Bams' mother mentioned her son's name.  Wait, that's what aunty said, Bambang, right?

"Let Melody decide where she wants to go to school! Isn't the most important thing, she is comfortable and likes it? We parents have to support their choice!"  said Aunt Lisa.

"Well, that's right!"  said another.

They also provide school recommendations which they think are quite promising.  But, if it's all up to me, I'd prefer a public school that doesn't discriminate between castes.

"I choose Bams' school,"  I said without hesitation.

Everyone was silent but finally nodded in acceptance of my decision.

"Bams, take care of Melody, okay? Because she is a new kid, auntie is afraid that she will be bullied."  said mother.

I want to cry because I was touched.

"Don't worry, Melody is safe with Bams. As long as you have some pocket money, Aunt."  Bams joked.

A lightning-fast punch hit the back of Bams' head.

The man only grimaced at the perpetrator who turned out to be Aunt Yuyun, his mother.

***

I gaped in disbelief to see a motorbike parked not far from where Bams was standing. Bams is one of the children of mother's friend's socialite. But, he picked me up on a motorbike? I think rich kids always ride in cars.

"Just for your information, if you stay there too much, we'll be late!"  Bams exclaimed in an even tone.

I tried to smile to hide my surprise.  And, something immediately caught my attention as soon as I stood in front of Bams.

The man's name tag.

"Your name is Bambang?"  I screamed reflexively.

This is confusing.  I want to laugh.  However, my surprise was much greater.

"Yeah, blame my father for not having any slang at all. You can still call me Bams, to make it more comfortable."

I shook my head quickly.  I think it's a pretty unique name and easy to pronounce.

"Bambang just funny," I said with accepting the helmet that Bambang gave.

"What are you doing, teasing me?"

"Who's teasing? Your name is good, unique. It's like a Javanese name!"

Bambang took a deep breath and climbed into his motorbike.

"That's up to you!"  he exclaimed as he started the motor.

I smiled broadly, then climbed onto Bambang's motorbike.  He also drove his motorbike through the busy streets of Jakarta.

Arriving at school, Bambang took me to the secretariat room.

"I'll wait at the canteen, I'm bored if I have to wait for you outside here. Anyway, when your business is done, look for me in the canteen. You know the place, right?"

I nodded slowly. Well, I'm not a spoiled child who needs nothing to be with, but because our parents are always worried, I can't help but follow Bambang for today.

Bambang immediately went to the canteen, while I entered the secretariat room.

After all the business is done, I look for Bambang in the canteen.  The canteen here is very big and crowded.  How can I find that man?

Brugh!

Unlucky!  I hit someone so the drink he was holding spilled on his school uniform.

"Well, damn it. Beauty has no eyes!"  the more.

Okay, I admit that I was wrong, but wasn't his remarks too harsh?

"Sorry, I'll change the drink," I offered.

"No need, I can buy it myself! Next time, use your eyes, don't use your mind's eyes!"  he grumbled as he walked past me.

If only I had an inner eye, damn it!

I inhaled as much air as I could to fill my lungs with new air.

"Damn bastard!"  I swear annoyed.

"You can swear too, apparently, I thought you were a sweet girl who didn't know how to speak rudely!"  whispered someone right behind me.

I looked back and was surprised to see Bambang who was standing there with an innocent grin.

"I've been looking for you ever since!"  I exclaimed annoyed.

"I was behind you!"  said Bambang casually.

Behind? Good! Is he playing on me?

"About that guy, don't take it to heart! Today, Paijo's mood isn't good anymore, that's why he's digressing, please understand."

I squinted and tried to digest Bambang's words.  Paijo?  What was the man I hit earlier?

"Isn't his name Ajiantoro? I just saw his name tag earlier"

Bambang shook his head slowly.

"His nickname is Paijo! Don't ask why, because I'm too lazy to explain! Besides, it doesn't matter, right?"

I nodded slowly.

"Oh yeah, please treat Meatballs, I'm hungry but I don't have my wallet!"

"Don't worry, just order what you want!"

I immediately tiptoed happily and immediately ordered a bowl of meatballs and orange juice.

"Oh yeah, I'm curious, from that moment on, the students I passed were gossiping about Roulette, what exactly is Roulette? People's names, gang names, or what names? How come they're so excited?"

"Roullete is a bunch of some brat, so you don't have to point them out!"  Bambang exclaimed while sipping my orange ice.

A bunch of brats?  Okay, it's better not to have anything to do with kids like them.  Mom will be very worried, she will also be annoyed later.  So, just be safe.

"By the way, who's the one who dressed you up? That's tacky, elementary school kid! Your hair is tied in two, you're still observing."

"Mom is doing the make-up, it seems like mom likes to dress me up. It's not good to refuse and make her sad!"

Bambang nodded slowly.

"If my mom sees this, she can immediately grab your hair!"

"Why is it so?"

"It's like saying, my mother is a tomboy, while your mother is feminine. You understand, right?"

Oh, that's right.  Even though they are very close, they always argue over everything.  However, it was clear that the two cared about each other.