Alinea: Ideas, Love, and Stories

TELETUBBIES

“Kak, Alin is pale, if he is not to the UKS now maybe he will faint.”

The sun is starting to rise. Being hot\-hot, then me and some other new students were asked to sunbathe facing the flagpole. We were punished for a variety of reasons.

I was punished because the skirt I was wearing was too short, but only slightly above the knee. It was also because I was still wearing an elementary school uniform, it was only natural that the uniform had started to short. But, that senior brother did not accept.

The girl next to me, whose name *tag* was Seena's name, was punished for not using the ribbon according to a predetermined amount. The girl had quibbled that at first the number was 7, maybe stuck in the helmet or fell. Again\-again the senior\-brother did not accept any reason.

Meanwhile, the guy next to Seena, was punished for not wearing black shoes. If that I can still accept, because from the beginning it has been told to wear black shoes. However, for the case of me and Seena, there should be a tolerance dong?

“Alin, let's go to UKS!” Seena held onto my arm after a while ago she tried to communicate with Senior Brother who was sitting near us while paddling. The Senior Brother did not respond, just indifferent as if Seena had never spoken. Seena finally made her own decision.

My body is no longer able to move, we have been dried fifteen minutes here. I'm really dehydrated, I want to faint. Seena held onto my arm, guiding a slow step.

“Hei! Who gave you permission to go?”

“He's pale, Brother. Does he want him to faint here? If he passes out, you will also be scolded by the teacher. Already thank goodness we still want to obey the punishment with the silly reason Brother.”

“You dare to fight senior?” The long-haired senior brother who was in disarray immediately stood up, staring in annoyance. My eyes are sleeping, still trying to survive. Wait, if noticed, it was actually that senior brother wearing a skirt shorter than me. Ah, that's not fair.

Seena did not answer the senior brother's words, she turned around, continuing to lead me away. I didn't respond either. The brother screamed, nagged, but we went on. Sayup\-sayup, from an increasingly distant distance, I could hear that the other senior had come and calm down the anger of the Big Brother.

“This, you need to drink first.” Seena came back a moment after she went to fetch some drinking water. He sat me on a UKS bed. There were only two of us in the UKS.

Before long, two girls appeared, their faces looked panicked. I saw the red white uniform they were wearing, it was the same one Seena was wearing, it seemed like they were from the same school.

“Seena, are you okay? We're afraid you're making a fuss with Sister Anne?” The girl who was braided in two first spoke, her body small, but her face chubby. Her skin was the whitest among the three of them. There was a strawberry scent as he got closer to us.

“Tau no, the seniors in your discussion who volunteer senior, we're done.” The other daughter showed an anxious expression, she was the tallest. Her skin was black and curly, I saw on her signboard Elrumi's writing.

“Just relax, we won't die just because of that senior. After all who tries who will dare to disturb us after the meeting of the foundation later.”

I saw the look on Seena's face, unlike before, it was the look of a face similar to that of seniors, full of arrogance. It's just that I ignored Seena's look, Seena's kindness to take me to the UKS and give me a glass of water, enough for me to not be able to dislike her.

“Ah yes, Rumi, Defi, this is Alin. Alin this is Rumi and Defi, the three of us friends since SD.”

I'm nodding. That was our initial introduction. I still remember clearly. Because Seena, Rumi, and Defi were my first friends.

During elementary school, I had many friends, but none of my friends were as close to me as the three of them. We spent a lot of time and stories together.

The whole school already knew, if there was me, then there would be Seena, Rumi, and Defi. We are quite famous because Seena was against the senior at that time, what else Seena was the son of the owner of the Foundation of the school, the more popular she was, and we were also a big fan of that popularity.

Class 1 together. Class 2 together. Until the 3rd grade of semester 1, the incident occurred. Ah wait, I'll tell you later. I am really lazy to remember him. Just writing the story above I had a hard time.

***

There is only one cafeteria at Kusuma High School. The cafeteria was vast, perhaps equivalent in area to the number of six classes merged into one. Naturally, students at Kusuma High School are more than a thousand. Not to mention if the teachers were to count.

In the spacious canteen, there are several food stalls with different owners and types of food, ranging from heavy foods such as Padang rice, soto, meatballs, chicken noodles to siomay, lontong, and so on, pecel and toast and other snacks, there are. Various beverage stalls are also available separately, own juice post, soda post and separate flavored drinks again, coffee and tea post are also separate again. So if calculated there are about 15 different storefronts\-varying, lined up from one corner to the other.

That afternoon I chose to eat Padang rice because my stomach was hungry. Mama did not have time to cook breakfast because she had to take care of the morning. So I just ate cereal. I'm queuing. There were five people lined up in front.

“You are here because you want to eat Padang rice or because you follow me anyway?” The question also arises. Really, ever since the break bell rang, I've been getting uncomfortable. How not? Shaka, the new boy, is following me.

Okay at first I thought because we were in the same direction, because of the break hours, it was natural that he also went to the cafeteria. But, when he came along\-follow stop when my steps stopped, what else is now lined up behind me, certainly makes me feel he does not just want to eat rice Padang.

“You turned out to be spiciness too huh?” Instead of answering my question, he was getting stuck.

“Awas aja if after this you follow me to the dining table.”

I threatened. He smiled, as if to laugh but was held back.

As soon as I was ready to grab some food, I rushed to find an empty table. There were not many empty tables, I found one in the corner of the canteen that was close to where I was standing. I sat down, looking out, back at the food storefront.

“This is not because I followed you, but this is the nearest empty table.” Shaka smiled, sitting in front of me.

“Must be here?”

“I told you, this is the nearest empty table. I'm lazy way far\-away.”

“Say you are following me.”

“*Well*, so why?”

“And I said don't demand me, move no? Or am I moving?”

Though I had put on the most jutek face, but Shaka just laughed. “You're ugly when you're angry, you've eaten. After all, aren't you lonely? Hobby eating alone.”

“I moved.” I immediately stood up, but, when I looked around, the nearest empty table was no longer there. Some empty tables are at the far end, the area is a lot of boys\nya, I was a doubt to go there.

But\-but, as soon as she saw Shaka again, what else she smiled looking at me who did not find the empty table, made me prestige to sit down again.

The last\-word of Shaka was quite tickling, but the prestige made me have to endure that tingly and replace it with a puff of despair.

“Btw, we are again in the cafeteria, meaning all the rules you write do not apply, right?”

I spooned the rice into my mouth, lazily responding.

“Oke, sorry for your name. I don't mean anything\-what, suer.”

Though I'm not mad at Shaka because of the name he's led. I just don't like being approached. I don't like making friends with anyone.

“Sorry to be accepted on condition that you shut up and finish the meal, the entrance bell will soon sound.”

“Ready!”

I miss finding Shaka full of enthusiasm and her eyes sparkling. He immediately ate voraciously, even the speed at which he ate defeated me who had already instilled food from the beginning. Several times Shaka raised his face, he seemed to be about to speak, but I first gave a signal to be silent. Thank goodness he complied.

“The food is up and you're sorry for me, which means we're friends now, right?” Shaka reached out again, I looked at him in wonder, my food was one more mouthful.

“*Why*? What else is wrong?”

I smiled oddly, ignoring Shaka's hand, choosing to spend the last mouthful and then sip a glass of water.

“You boys\-men, just make friends with boys\-boys. There, there are many boys\, you can invite them to make friends.”

“Indeed since when is there a rule boys\ should be friends with boys\?”

“Once, obviously I'm not interested in making friends with you, so please stop teasing me. I say goodbye and please don't follow me.” I moved, hurried to leave the canteen. The bell rang along with my footsteps.

Fourth point about Shaka, he's stubborn. I could only sigh in annoyance while looking at her ashen with lips pursed forward. He followed my steps again. Yes, I know he and I are heading for the same class, but why should he walk near me.

Not to mention, from the beginning, since walking to the canteen, during the meal in the canteen, until now back to class, I felt a lot of pairs of eyes that were watching us. Ah, no, I mean pay attention to Shaka. Yes, Shaka is handsome, maybe that's one of two reasons. The other reason is because Shaka's uniform is different from ours.

“I've decided something.” He said as we stabbed toward the classroom. I have no interest in looking, but my ears are listening. He seemed to know that I was listening, so he continued talking even though I did not turn, “I will follow you until we become friends.”

My footsteps stopped suddenly\suddenly, making Shaka who was walking behind me startled and bump into my back. He immediately apologized, we chatted, “You want what the hell?”

“Loh? You don't*budeg*, do you? I want us to get some peace. Is it hard to be my friend? Or do you want to be my girlfriend?” Shaka chuckled amusedly with his own idea.

“Ngga funny.” I'm speeding up, getting into class. Hoping to avoid that shitty guy. But how can it? He was clearly\-clearly sitting at seja with me. Oh, my God, I think I'd like to change classes, or if I could just change schools.

Shaka, the sweet-looking vocalist on stage back then, turned out to be a real bitch!

Shaka gave me a piece of paper, I read his messy handwriting, **No rules are prohibited from sending letters, so may I write a letter as our means of communication during study**?

I exhaled an irritated breath. Today, it felt like I had breathed a hundred times in a similar tone. Miss Leona, our Biology teacher was taking notes in front of the class while explaining, but Shaka instead gave the paper with non-essential contents.

Instead of replying to Shaka's letter, I put the paper in the drawer.

**I will disturb you until we become friends**.

The next letter appeared again.

“Until here any question about Cell?”

Miss Leona asked a question. All students are silent.

During the semester break I was already private with Jihan, so I had mastered the initial material about this cell, the intention was that I wanted to casually ask to appear active in class only, mama said it can add points at Kusuma High School and make us known to teachers. Yes, my mother is an alumni of Kusuma High School because I entered this school, later I also had planned Mama to enter the Faculty of Medicine where Mama studied first.

My intention to raise my hand vanished because\-for Shaka gave a letter that made me angry and disperse the questions I had designed.

Because of the contents of Shaka's last letter, I had to give up. Reply to the letter in the shortest possible word.

**Okay, we've confirmed**.