Not A Mental Illness

"Tasia! Are you all right? Please hold on a moment." Hadyan said, immediately carrying her and walked away quickly.

"Tasia! What's wrong with Tasia?!" Marya was shocked by what had happened to her best friend.

"Hadyan, wait .." Called Patra, who was still sitting on the floor of the corridor while trying to stand up.

Marya and Patra were about to step up to chase their two friends.

"Hey, hey, you kids! Please help me carry books from the library to the teacher's room for a moment. Come with me inside." Suddenly, a math teacher, Miss Dewi, stopped them.

"B.. but Miss.." Marya tried to refuse.

"I'll take her to the clinic. You guys just go." Hadyan exclaimed as looking back, then continued his steps.

Marya and Patra looked at their two friends worriedly. But, like it or not, they have to help Miss Dewi. A math teacher, who was famous for her fierceness. If they run away, she might have a grudge and make them struggle during the math class later.

**

"I'm sorry. Please hold on a moment." Hadyan whispered nervously. He really felt guilty because he was the cause of the pain Tasia was feeling right now.

The girl did not answer, her vision was blurry and occasionally darkened. She was just trying to move her limp legs, following where Hadyan led her.

Arriving at the school clinic room, Hadyan immediately carried Tasia and laid her on the bed.

"What's the matter, boy?" asked Miss Lensy, the school clinic nurse.

"My friend is suddenly dizzy. May I have a glass of water?" Hadyan answered quickly.

"Of course." She immediately took a glass of warm water and a large bottle of eucalyptus oil, then took the stethoscope from the top of her desk.

"Thank you, Miss." Hadyan immediately grabbed the glass and helped Tasia to drink it.

"It looks like anaemia (low blood pressure). Tasia used to go to the school clinic because of this problem." Mrs Lensy said by rubbing eucalyptus oil on Tasia's forehead and neck before checking the girl's heartbeat.

"Used to?" Hadyan repeated.

"Yes. Tasia used to have low blood pressure, which was quite severe, so she often fainted. Because of that, I remember her face very well because she always went in and out here. But it's been a long time since she visited this clinic. She usually comes when she fell and got injured while playing sports."

Hadyan nodded until their conversation stopped, because Tasia finally got her consciousness back and tried to sit down.

"I've recovered." She said, inviting Mrs Lensy to laugh.

"You really are full of enthusiasm, Tasia. There's no need to rush like that. Do you have another exam?" she continued.

"No, Miss. I'm serious. I don't feel dizzy anymore. The pain suddenly disappeared!" She explained confusedly.

"It's okay if it's gone now. But, I'm forcing you to take this iron-booster supplement." She showed half of the supplement strip, containing four tablets.

"You.. what's your name?" She turned to Hadyan.

"My name is Hadyan." He replied.

"Okay, Hadyan. Make sure Tasia drinks those supplements with lots of water. I have an important business in the teacher's room. So, if Tasia's already feeling better, you two could go back to class. Don't stay here too long." She said, before getting a nod from the two students in front of her.

After that, she immediately walked out with two agenda books in her arms.

"I can't believe I've experienced something like this twice in the past two weeks." Said Tasia, half pensively, still in a sitting position.

"How do you feel? Is it that painful?" Hadyan asked worriedly.

"It doesn't hurt much. But I felt very dizzy and often have hallucinations. I think I'm going crazy." She shook her head anxiously.

"Tasia, you're not crazy. Don't say things like that." He said, by fixing Tasia's messy hair and tucking it behind the girl's ear.

Tasia quickly slapped Hadyan's hand, "don't touch me!"

Hadyan immediately pulled his arm, he tried to be patient, "I'm not trying to touch you on purpose. It's just hair. Your hair is messy."

Slowly, Tasia's annoyed gaze towards Hadyan started to fade. What happened to her? Why does she have to be so angry?

'Hadyan is right. It's just hair, he's just trying to cheer me up. Why am I always mean to him?' Tasia thought, feeling guilty.

"I'm sorry, Hadyan.. I'm too sensitive lately. I don't know what's going on with me." She massaged the bridge of her nose in frustration.

Hadyan looked confused, but tried to understand. He knew Tasia's current state, was nothing but the result of the mark he gave and events beyond human logic that he forced her to experience.

"It's okay, Tasia. I understand you are in a mess. But if you don't mind, you can tell me about your problem. But, again, I'm not insisting."

Tasia smiled. She knew that the guy in front of her said sincerely. He is a good guy. All the blame is on her. But still, what she was believing and suspecting all this time were very difficult to fade.

"Thank you." She said. "Yes, to be honest, I have a problem that, for some reason, is related to you. And it seems that one-sided problem makes me very sensitive and emotional when I'm around you." She lowered her head and glanced at the guy slightly. Prepared to be considered as a mentally ill person by Hadyan.

"About what?" Hadyan asked seriously.

"I know this is embarrassing and unreasonable. So.. ah! I don't even know where to start.." She moves restlessly. Hadyan looked at her impatiently.

"Actually, I often dreamt and hallucinated about you. Strange isn't it? And please don't think that I love you or anything. Moreover, obsessing over you, that won't happen. Because honestly, I don't have any feelings for you other than as a friend. And.. it pisses me off every time I see you." She explained fast like a moving train.

She looked a little scared at Hadyan. Afraid of how his reaction would be, after hearing her ridiculous and utterly unreasonable story. Afraid of Hadyan's thought, that she was obsessed with him and the other embarrassing things.

'This girl.. How should I respond to it? What should I say? Over time, the influence of my mark will fade, and she will remember everything that happened before.' Hadyan thought.

"So you mean, you feel like I'm haunting you, do you?" Asked Hadyan slowly.

"Em.. that.. can be interpreted like that. Maybe it's true that I have gone crazy." She answered.

"Maybe, you're either crazy or I'm really haunting you. Which one do you think is true?"

Tasia frowned, "Somehow, I.. feel that I'm not crazy, and it's true t-that you.. haunt me?" She answered in a trembling voice, "I'm sorry.. You may think I'm crazy. But, this is how I really feel right now. I'm confused why my brain is like this."

Hadyan was silent for a few seconds, making Tasia wait for him impatiently with a pounding heart. Maybe, this is her last day as a sane person in Hadyan's eyes. After that, this guy will avoid her forever.

"You're right. I'm haunting you." He smiled gently.

"Maybe, you can just say I'm crazy, instead of trying to cheer me up like this." Tasia sighed tiredly. This guy is too kind.

"There are a lot of things that human logic can't explain, right? Isn't that something you believe in? The mythical stuff? Like the bruise on your back?"