Beautiful In Dark

12. Hope On Star Tiles

I'll take all my happiness

Because all my happiness now,

it's on you

---

Lita walked out of her room and glanced at her father who was still sound asleep on the sofa. Apparently, he was drunk again so he could not go to the room. Lita immediately returned to her room. The girl took a blanket and covered her father.

"Lita goes to work first. We can definitely take money." Lita smiled wryly.

As bad as her father was, Lita still wouldn't leave her alone. After all, her father was the only family left for Lita.

Lita locked the door of the house and frowned when she saw a motorbike parked in front of the house. He was even more surprised when he saw Darka leaning on the bike.

"Darka?! Lo what?" Lita never thought about why Darka could be in front of her house.

Darka revealed his ignorant smile that Lita used to see. The young man was already like a prince who was ready to date in stylish clothes and hair drizzle. "You're picking up the princess."

"Fetch me?"

"No, pick up the devil. Yes, go get it, Jel!" Darka became anxious himself.

"Why what?"

Darka***lip. "Umm, there's a place I want to point. That's also if you want to go there today. Yes or yes?"

Lita shook her head in a sign of rejection. "I can't, I have to work today."

Darka's face changed. "Work? Do you work part time?"

As soon as she saw Lita nodding her head in response Darka immediately put on his helmet. "Come, I'm anter lo to work now."

"I'm late, I'm late."

"It's precisely because you're late I anter so it's more flat."

"Does it, I can" said Lita decapitated.

No, Darka's been so good to her. Not only during Tia's birthday party, but also when she stumbles and is humiliated by Grace. Darka even comforts her without asking much about Lita's past and makes her take a break after a grueling job and her encounter with Abra. It doesn't feel right if Lita keeps treating Darka.

"Where? Ride my motorbike huh Jeli, hm?"

Darka put on a face of puppy eyes that asked for pity but instead ended up wanting Lita blasphemed. He sighed. "Okay, just this once."

"ALHAMDULILLAH YA RABB JELI WANT TO RIDE THE DARK BIKE!"

"Whisper!"

***

Darka parked his motorbike at Lita's workplace which was apparently the Ghost House. At first the young man was confused as to what Lita's job was, but after getting inside, it seemed that his job was to become a ghost.

"If the ghost is rich, I want to be kicked every mallem, Jel. You've been wandering in my dreams," Darka raised next to his eyebrows while approaching.

Lita immediately stepped back and pretended to show a vomiting gesture, refusing to swallow all of Darka's flocks. "Basi lo."

Darka smiled. He did not expect it would be happy if Lita returned flat and indifferent to him. It's better than having to see Lita moody all day.

"CIE WHO IS IT, LIT?"

"CRAZY, CRAZY, MAKNAE HAS GOT IT ALL TOGETHER."

Lita was surprised when she came to get a welcome from Siska and Gio. While Darka at the back continued to say so in his heart while smiling proudly.

"LITA'S CEM-CHEMAN YAH CASE!" Dara, the beautiful girl who was preparing in a Dutch none costume, peeked out from the dressing room curtain.

"Hush! In and out, shame!" Mia panicked as soon as Dara popped her head from inside the dressing room and pushed her head inside. "Your victory, Lita? Let's take a seat first, our opening hours are pushed back today."

Lita is surprised by the friendly welcome suddenly shown to Darka. "Eh, I don't think he's gonna be in a minute"

"Can you?! Look at Jeli dandan!"

Lita turned to Darka. He glared at her until her eyes almost popped out. Darka simply raised both eyebrows and asked 'what?' without a voice and an innocent face.

One by one the people in the Ghost House began to get acquainted with Darka. Even Bagas, who had also just joined like Lita could very quickly get along with Darka. Not to mention Darka's expression when he saw Lita in her ghost costume. Darka laughed.

"His flat face fits really well in lo, Jel!"

Lita's face was red, but Darka immediately took one step forward and brought her face closer to Lita's face. He smiled sweetly like a child.

"Father, it's pretty. Still the Jellies I know."

In a moment, a red tinge was painted on Lita's cheek, the girl pushing Darka who was laughing in satisfaction had already managed to tease Lita while Gio and Siska cheered the most frenziedly.

"I'm sorry Darka, but single people like that, it's usually a doang audience." Anna spoke up.

"EH I JOMBLO LO WHAT?" Siska is self-mishered.

"It's like Ann, so we're not single, are we?" shoot Gio.

"Relieve it! Mending me the same devil!"

Lita and the rest of the Ghost House laughed. Secretly Lita sat down, if she knew what they were like, guaranteed Anna would prefer Gio.

***

"Darka, my house turns left." Lita screamed a little while she was traveling with Darka to her house, but the guy went in the opposite direction from her house. "Where are you going? I'm calling the police, yeah."

"Gue wants to pinch you in half an hour. Can, huh?" darka asked in a serious tone.

"Well, ish?" Lita hissing doesn't like.

"Udah, follow me," said Darka calmly.

"If you know gini, I will not ngijinin lo nganterin I go home. My hatchet was kidnapped like this" Lita grumbled, making Darka laugh.

"If the kidnapper is handsome like me, you can't refuse."

Plaque!

Lita slaps Darka's helmet in annoyance. "Lo just focus on it!"

"Yes, mom, yeah-"

"Jayus, please" cut Lita completely disgusted.

The journey continued in silence because Darka was really focused on driving because the road was a bit dark and there were a lot of vehicles. Speed's normal. Five minutes later, they stopped at a house.

"This is Anwar's house. I told you, permission to use the balcony of his parents' room. You gotta get there. Beuh, go!" take Darma after he comes down and pull Lita's hand wrapped in her red jacket cloth to enter the house that is not locked at all.

"Anwar lives alone?" ask Lita was-was.

"Yes, it's safe, if there's a danger I'm ready to protect" Darka said as if understanding Lita's concerns.

Lita just followed. The house is very quiet and spacious. Anwar himself was in the lounge watching TV, just waving and having Darka act as comfortably as Darka and Lita pass by him to head up the stairs and climb up to the second floor.

They were still walking until they finally arrived at a closed door. Darka unhesitatingly opened it, and saw a room with a large window leading to the balcony.

From the window alone Lita can see the view of the complex, trees and buildings decorated with beautiful lights. Added to the night sky that was vibrant with stars and full moons, Lita could not stop looking at him.

It's exquisite.

Lita touched the window glass. He was unceasingly amazed.

"Lo didn't know the killing part yet" Darka said, making Lita curious and just then, Darka opened her window. A gentle breeze instantly hit Lita's face, flew her hair child and reflexively her eyes closed.

Darka beside him looked at him, smiled widely and closed his eyes, enjoying the soothing chill.

"This is my place if sad, my place if happy and my place if you want to shoot girls" explained Darka without being asked. "Obviously, I brought you because I'm happy."

"Why are you happy?"

"Gue met you, I was curious about you and I was interested in you. It makes me happy."

"Lo's crazy." Lita railed, but Darka did not respond.

"Lo why the hell?" ask Darka. "Lo kayak is not passionate for life. You're dead."

Lita was silent, she was busy staring at the flickering stars and finally smiled faintly. "It's gone, my life seems lost. Now I just wait for my time to run out."

"Original? You live that much?" ask Darka in disbelief.

"Well, should life get wet?" Lita asked back in a disappointed tone.

"Ye, anjir, that's not it!" darka cried, laughing loudly. "Lo doesn't know the connotation, yeah. Do you have no desire? Some hope?"

Lita shook her head small. "Not interested."

"Lo look at the stars. What are they there for?" darka asked suddenly, raising another topic and it made Lita not tired of listening to him.

"To decorate the sky, is it obvious, right?"

Darka shook his head, not agreeing with Lita's answer. "They have special powers."

"Huh?"

"Lo can make the same wish of them."

"That's if there's a shooting star" Lita said in disagreement. "Ngaco, lo."

"Gue believes the starfish can grant hope. Come on, follow me." Darka clucked with a serious face. "Close your eyes, then say the desire to live your life in the future."

"But I don't have any desire" Lita replied, making Darka cluck again with a face of disbelief.

Darka almost gave up, but he had other suggestions. "Lo ask for a long life."

"No way," Lita replied.

"Don't do that. I'm sad" Darka said seriously. "Lo ask for happiness. No, no more objections. Hope, start."

Lita eventually follows Darka's movements to close her eyes and hopes for a flick of stars. The starry night sky with the full moon is proof that hope is needed to be a motivation to continue living.

At least, from today Lita has hope to be happy. May the stars grant her hope.

"Kayak little boy, yes," Darka said after finishing hoping, he laughed and rubbed his nose awkwardly. "Gue was just messing around and obviously the flickering stars couldn't live up to my expectations. Only the Creator can."

Lita smiled thinly. "By knowing too."

"So, what were you hoping for?"

"happy. What's again? You said so."

"You know my hope, don't you?"

Lita frowned in wonder. "Actually no"

"Gue wants to be close to you. I am interested in you. Mind you?"

***

The next day, Darka continues to approach Lita. The young man tried to take her to the cafeteria together even though Lita refused. Darka won't give up until Lita wants to.

The place that usually filled Darka, Sandi, Putra, and Anwar is now sometimes also filled by Lita. Make Darka fans a little hesitant to approach.

Dark? Darka's just having fun. Yes, there's Lita.

"Eh, uh you know, Lit was the Darka in the Lempa-AAAHHH!" not finished talking, Sandi had screamed first because Darka suddenly stomped on her feet.

"IN THE THROW ERASER KNITTING SAME BU EKO GOBLOK REALLY HAHAHA!" The son continued and became riled up. Anwar laughed until no sound came out and tried to explain.

"Some daydream, in tanya 'DARKA DO YOU PAY ATTENTION TO MOTHER NO?!'"

"No, ma!" Sandi snatched the made-up voice of Anwar that was exactly with Bu Eko, a language teacher who was aged and impressed fierce.

"Throwing eraser dong until the face of the item!" The son was getting riled up against the table laughing. Lita so laughs at the third level that successfully makes Darka embarrassed.

"Udah, no! Ah have you on mah even jatohin image I anjir!" Darka poked out his lips, making Lita silently smile with her increasingly childlike manner.

"Lita you can't laugh! Laughing at me!"

"What the hell, Ka?" Lita even laughed a little. Darka refrained from being too big right now.

"Gabisa, gabisa, you've been laughing."

"Eh, this is a violation of HAM! Laughing is my right"

"JELLY WENT HOME WITH DARK TODAY, O GOD!"

"Oh yes!" Lita immediately hinted at the index finger in front of her mouth to keep Darka quiet. The young man felt victorious again.

Darka stuck out his tongue. "2-0, Jellies."

***

Darka smiled all the way home. It's rarely like this. Darka had never been brought home before. He parked his bike in the garage.

A car parked there. His father must have come home sooner today. Darka sighed and went inside the door. Darka's intention at first was to pass by her father and immediately enter the room, but apparently her father was waiting for Darka in the living room soda.

"Dark."

Darka stopped at the first rung of the stairs. Without turning her back, Darka replied. "Yes?"

"Father get a report from the teacher if you're not going to study lately."

"Bah-h"

"DID YOU KNOW DARKA!" His father cut him first. "Dad not want to see you act again! It wasn't finished yesterday, now you've done it again?!"

"Udah, Cassian Darka just got home!" His mother first broke up while continuing to stroke his father's shoulder. "Darka, you're going upstairs right now?"

"You shouldn't have him! The more he becomes! Why are we tired of being raised as troublemakers?!"

"Udah! Darka you're up."

Darka's down at her mother's behest. He immediately ran to the top floor of his room and slammed the door. Darka tried to dissipate the heat in his eyes.

No, his father was right. Darka shouldn't have grown into a troublemaker. He should have kept what his little sister had given him.

Darka stared at the photo on his nightstand. Guilt raged inside his chest. Darka should be better than this. But Darka can't do it when the person who used to be valuable to Darka has to go because of Darka.

"Gue kangen lo, Sifa. I miss you so much, deck."