Chapter 2

"Ah, your hair!" She exclaimed as she noticed my new hairstyle.

"You are really cute!" Genta appeared to notice it as well as he sat behind us, beside Rian. Another student that shared the same fate of being ignored like a noise in the background.

Unlike me, who is often called 'weirdo' or 'lion cub', people often call him 'freak' or 'geek'. But I never think anything of it. It doesn't pose a direct harm anyway.

"So, I don't look weird anymore, right?" I asked, they rolled their heads and smiled.

"Adorable!" They commented in unison.

"Rick! Come here for a sec, bro!"

I dared not to look at the student who had just come in. Today, he could go to school again. I shuddered when I heard that name. I knew something bad was about to happen, again.

Yes, Ricky, that boy.

I chatted with Lala when that boy passed me by. Through the corner of my eyes, I saw him stop for a moment, glanced at me, and viciously grinning at me. It happened before he took a seat in the back, where the delinquents gathered.

"How was your vacation, bro?"

His accomplice referred to his punishment as 'vacation'.

"Not bad, I can laze around all day."

Pathetic.

"It was all because of that lion cub! Had she not been acting all high and mighty back then, the cops would not have sniffed us out. It must be her that calls the cops on us, she has dropped a dime on you, Rick!"

What was wrong with that?

Ricky looked at me lazily, then pulled out a cigarette from his shirt pocket. To others, smoking in the classroom is prohibited; but to him, it was mandatory.

"What can I say? She's a student council." He answered lightly.

If I could, I would definitely steer clear from those delinquents, I'd rather bury myself under the heap of unfinished documents in the student council's office.

"We got a biology test today, you know that, Rick?"

"Nope."

"Of course you don't, you'd score a perfect grade anyway."

I loathed him.

How could he, a delinquent, score a perfect grade? All he does is just fool around with his friends all day long if he isn't busy making a fuss. While I, the student who studied all day, always lost to him. How could it be? I don't understand.

"Morning, students."

"Morning, sir!"

We said our prayers before we commenced the test, Rian was assigned to distribute the tests and we worked on it as soon as we got our hands on it.

I noticed many of the students started exchanging answers, from throwing papers around to using sign language. How could they do that? Were they not studying the night before? I believed that studying was the last thing on their list, they preferred to fool around or just doing whatever useless pastime activity of their choice.

As soon as I finished the test, I placed my test sheet on the teacher's desk then left the classroom. I did not find the test to be very difficult. At the last session of the class, I had to submit my English paper to Teacher Marita. Luckily, I did it some time ago. I decided to submit it now so that I could continue working on those heaps of documents in the student council's office. At the moment, I had 15 minutes left before I had to return to the class for the next session. I decided to use that time to read something in the library.

As I turned around toward the library, I saw him. He walked with a girl in his arms, maybe that was one of his girlfriends.

I had to get away from him. I believe that would be the best course of action. I did not want to have anything to do with him.

SMACK!

"Nilam Cahya! When will you stop walking recklessly!?"

I looked down in fear as I fell on the floor. My papers were scattered around me. I accidentally bumped into Teacher Nanang.

"Apologies, sir." I apologized and went on my way.

I picked up my papers as fast as I could; but he was faster. His dirty shoes purposefully stepped on one of my papers. Those white muddy shoes messed up my paper. I believe that he did that on purpose.

"How careless of me, I messed up your paper." As he crushed my paper harder beneath his heels.

I looked up, Ricky and his girl giggled to mock me.

I resented him.

"Watch where you're going, or you'll bump into someone. Eh, sweetheart?"

"It's okay, my bad." I replied.

I would do anything to stay away from him and prevent exchanging words with him. I had to remake the ruined paper or I'll lose some grade on English.

Don't cry.

Crying would have solved nothing. Teacher Marita would not care what happened to me. All that she wanted was the result. Even if I have to pull an all-nighter, I must see this through. Nobody would care how I feel. I must stand up for myself and pull myself as far as possible from Ricky. He definitely had something prepared for me, ever since that day.

@@@

Now that I had my paper reworked, I hope Teacher Marita would accept it. I was lucky that I had the chance to use the computer in the student council's office during break. It may not have given me an A+, but I still hoped for at least an A.

"Pardon me, I come in late." I said.

Teacher Marita was the strictest person when it comes to punctuality. Any students that entered the class after her would be considered late. There was no reason good enough to justify the student's mistake. She would punish any student who came in late by making them stand by the door until the class was over.

"5 minutes, where have you been, Nilam? You don't usually come late, was there something to do in the student council's office?"

"No, ma'am. My paper fell and ruined. So I had to remake it. This is my paper, I've just finished it." I explained it while showing my ruined paper, hoping that it could be strong evidence to back up my justification.

Dummy, I should not have shown her this.

"So? What does your recklessness have to do with me? Had you been a little more careful, you wouldn't have ruined your paper."

I looked down as I held my tears back. I should have guessed that she would not accept any justification. Especially the one as dumb as mine.

"Remove yourself from the class, stand by the door until the class is over."

"Right away, ma'am. But would you please accept my paper?"

"Think about it, your classmates managed to submit their paper right on time. Do I have to betray their effort to do so and accept yours as well? I know how bright of a student you are, but I will not cut you some slack for it. Please head out and submit another paper should I make another similar assignment."

"But–" I stopped myself.

There was no way I could explain myself out of this.

"Yes, ma'am." I just accepted my fate and left the class.

Once again, I could feel how they mocked me. Only Lala and Genta who expressed their pity on me. Ricky grinned again to me, he would definitely spit on my face if he had the chance.