A Step to Meet a Friend

How to Meet a Friend, 7

...When did it start? ...

...I didn't realize I liked it for a long time....

...***...

Clara looked out her classroom window. Raindrops drenched the window glass. Clara could hear the noise of the adjoining students playing. Looks like their teacher didn't get into class today.

Clara sees her teacher explaining the lesson but Clara is unfocused and prefers to look at the students running around the corridor.

'No!'

Class teacher Clara seemed angry because the students next door disturbed her while teaching. Class teacher Clara walked towards the classroom door and called out to the noisy student. All of Clara's classmates laughed.

Clara saw the students who were in the omelette of her class teacher and one of them there was Raga there. Clara chuckled at Raga's cute nodding expression hearing her class teacher's lecture.

Suddenly Raga lifted her face and her gaze met with Clara.

Clara automatically stopped her smile and looked down embarrassed to notice Raga.

'Ah, embarrassing.' Inner Clara.

Clara raised her face after her class teacher returned to explain the lesson. Students who were in the omeli had gone to their classes including Raga.

'Why did my heart beat so hard after seeing Raga?' Think Clara.

*

Clara knew it had started from the beginning. Clara wants to put an end to her strange feelings and focus on the National Examination (UN) which will be held next week. Clara heard advice from her class teacher to be more active in learning.

Clara is currently sitting in the cafeteria with her friends. Clara got up and wanted to order a cold drink due to the erratic weather. It was raining this morning and it was hot.

"You want a nitip? I want to buy bubble tea, '" said Clara.

"Oh, I'm Ra. I'm picking Macha, right?" Violetta cried spirit.

Rani and Sumi shook their heads as they already had their own drinks.

Clara went to the seller's aunt.

"Bi, one taste of Red Velvet and one Macha." Clara.

The seller's aunt nodded.

"The one in the back?" Ask the seller's aunt.

"Eh?" Clara was confused and was about to turn her head but the man was already standing next to Clara looking through the menu on the wall.

'Deg's'

'Raga, why is it here?' Inner Clara.

"Two Ori, One Macha" Raga said.

Raga looked over because Clara was watching her.

Clara saw Raga giving a smile to greet her. Clara replied awkwardly.

"Buy drinks too?" Tanya Raga is just a pleasantries.

"D-yes." Clara answered nervously while looking down reluctantly to look directly at Raga's face.

'Just been thought of, just appeared him.' Clara's grouse in the heart.

"Oh..," answered Raga accordingly.

That brief conversation produced waves of interesting pull on each other. They are too nervous to open their voices because they don't know what to say. This sudden encounter felt awkward for Clara, as well as Raga.

Until the seller's aunt stopped a thought between the two of them.

"This is Dik, Red Velvet and his Macha." Said the seller's aunt giving a bag of plastic with Clara's ordered drink in it.

Clara took it and paid for it.

"First yes..," Clara told Raga and was countered by Raga's nod.

Clara went to her friends at one of the cafeteria tables.

Clara handed Violetta a drink and sat back on her stool.

Clara's friends saw Clara talking to Raga from a distance earlier.

Clara drinks her drink, "Nothing."

"Masa? It looked serious like that..," Sumi replied suspiciously.

"Yes, there's nothing between you two." Violetta.

Clara's three friends looked at her with probing gazes.

"Ah, seriously. We have nothing to do. Just ever met Trus greeting each other." Clara felt intimidated.

'True, Raga and I have nothing to do.' Inner Clara.

"I don't want to date for now either. Soon we want UN, there's no time for that." Clara.

"Ah, seriously. No exclamation of you Ra. You always said start learning every time a guy starts approaching you." Sumi said looking at Clara's colossal behavior.

In this white-gray period he should have made good memories instead of just focusing on learning and continuing to learn. Sumi, Rani, and Violetta did not understand how her friend always felt at home to be single even though almost all children at school had been dating or at least had their own chat.

"Yes Ra, you don't want to try it. I'll see on the other hand like Raga has a taste for you, huh..," Violetta replied.

'Deg's'

Instantly a faint hue appeared on both of Clara's cheeks.

"Ah, time? Not likely. He's just ordinary I think." Elak Clara is ashamed.

'How can a person like Raga like me.' Inner Clara.

"It could be Ra. You don't suspect anything, his friends often yell that he likes you." Reply Rani.

"Yes Ra. I've also been secretly observing that he sees you a lot." Sumi Say.

"Em, I'm not sure. But if that's the case, she should have told me, right? If you're silent, I'm silent too." Clara said that.

"Haha, so you also have the same taste of Raga huh?" Sumi said in the laughs of Violetta and Rani.

"Em, a little." Answer Clara.

Sumi, Violetta, and Rani looked at each other and smiled meaningfully.

*

A few days later...

The National Examination (UN) has begun. Clara is ready to beat the questions on her desk. He filled out the name and number of the exam on his answer sheet. Clara is not one room with her friends and she is alone in this room because she does not know the students who are here. Clara sees most of this room in the contents of students from other classes only a few of Clara's classes such as Jeno, Zera, Lita, and Miko. Clara was not very familiar with them as they were in another entourage.

Clara stared at each question sheet on her desk and she smiled meaningfully. It's a question he learned last night and he thinks maybe he can answer it right.

Time passed quickly until the bell rang. Clara collected the question sheet and answers to the supervisor's desk and took her bag to insert the stationery. Clara saw that her friends were waiting at the door and Clara rushed to them.

"Ah, how do I forget the formula to find the number 24..," said Violetta sadly.

"Prophe Vi. Let's hope your guess is right hehe..," Sumi said encouragingly.

Rani embraces Violetta's shoulder.

"Where are you Ra. Aman?" Ask Sumi.

Clara chuckled, "Aman is. Good thing I learned all the things I learned at home."

"Well, you're lucky Ra. We've only got things that are hard and far from predictions." Sumi's murmur.

Violetta and Rani nodded lethargicly.

Clara slipped between Violetta and Rani and grabbed them, "Patience, there's still another test."

They walked down the corridor to the canteen.

'Deg.'

Clara passed the Raga examination room. Clara saw Raga chatting familiarly with a girl. Clara noticed that the girl liked Raga. They laughed and Raga patted him on the shoulder.

'What do I feel? I feel a little disappointed and maybe Raga already has a boyfriend.' Inner Clara.

...-TBC-C...