Chasing Stars

Important Issues

The atmosphere of the school was still quiet, which sounded just Laura's footsteps in the hallway of the classroom. Today's the first day Laura will occupy her new class in 3rd grade. Like the previous year, his pace was stalled in front of the school mading. Again he saw a list of students on the wall.

His heart is beating fast. He saw the list of class 3 IPA 1 names. His name is on that list. No. 22, Laura Amalia. Slowly his finger lands looking at the list of names below. Lily... Leonels.... Lily... Margaret... Michael... Moira... Natalie's... Niko. No. 29 Niko Fareli's. Luara until must see it 2 times to be sure. He closed his eyes and opened them again. That name still exists. A big smile adorned his lips. Finally he can be in class with Niko. Laura jumped in excitement.

Laura ran to her new classroom. He saw the whole class was empty. For the next 1 year he will spend the rest of his High School in the same room as Niko.

***

Two days later, Laura looked at Niko who was giving autographs to the 1st grade students. As Chairman of Osis, Niko was very busy during the school orientation period. But unlike his peers who prank his underclassmen and gave his autograph without asking them to do anything. This made Laura love him even more.

Suddenly Niko meets Laura, Laura's heart stops beating, her face turns red, and she turns her face away and returns to class. Drowning, he sat on his lap. ''I do suck'', he lamented inwardly.

Here it was, one year and a half after the two words ''sorry'' and ''thanks'' he had thrown at Niko. He still did not have the courage to talk to her. Her gaze fell on Niko's seat, two benches in front of her.

Six steps, just six steps away now with Niko. But Laura still hasn't spoken to him. Her gaze fell on Niko's seat, two benches in front of her.

And in the end he concluded that he did not have the courage to talk to people he liked, when the school orientation period was over, and the days had changed weeks, and days had changed, Laura still had no chance to talk to Niko. Niko is always in the crowd of her friends, especially her boyfriend, Erika from 3rd grade IPA 2.

***

On her fourth week in class, while gazing at the grass from the window of the bus, Laura sighed. He really hoped to be given a chance to talk to Niko, just once.

Suddenly the bus stopped, Laura opened the bus window and looked at the front of the road. It looks like not far from there just happened a collision between a truck and a freight car. This makes the road from two directions impassable. Laura glanced at the clock in her hand. It took a long time for the car towing team to arrive at the location and make a smooth way back.

Laura called her homeroom teacher and told her she most likely couldn't take half the morning lesson until the break. The first clock has a physics review. Mr. Bambang, the homeroom teacher and physics teacher, understood it. He asked Laura not to worry and could follow a repeat after school.

Time showed at 10 when Laura finally arrived at school. After making a report on the picket teacher, Laura stepped into her class. Frankly, waiting 3 hours on the bus without moving at all really bored him. Not to mention, he had to follow up after school. And from the words of the classmates he heard, the matter of physics this morning was very difficult. ''Especially after school later'', he lamented, ''certainly more difficult''.

At that time Laura realized, entering the IPA with the reason that classmates with people she liked was the wrong reason. When Mr. Bambang gave a repeat after school, Laura accepted it with a heavy heart. He saw a piece of paper back and forth containing 10 questions that would soon be able to make his head dizzy. This time it was an open book.

15 Minutes passed, but Laura had yet to find a solution for most of the problems in front of her. Mr. Bambang sat at the teacher's desk leisurely while reading the newspaper.

Suddenly a guy came in and sat down at the table next to Laura. Laura looked at the guy and was surprised, Niko.

''Ah Niko'', greeting Mr. Bambang while standing in front of Niko's table, you also can't come in the morning can't follow the repetition, right? It's about the repetition.''

''Sorry sir. Earlier this morning there was an Osis meeting, Niko said. Mr. Bambang nodded in understanding.

How could Laura concentrate if she only wanted to look at the person she liked the most right now?

Mr. Bambang's words made Laura flinch from his view on Niko. ''OK, you go first. When you're done, leave your answers at the teacher's desk. You guys aren't gonna work together, are you?''

Laura and Niko nodded together. Then Mr. Bambang came out of the classroom. Laura and Niko are there. Laura tried as hard as she could to work on the matter in front of her, but the answers to those questions disappeared somewhere.

On the contrary, he sees Niko working on the matter without any problems. Twenty minutes later, Laura gave up. He is sure he will not get a good score for his repeat this time.

''What should I do?'' he asked in his heart while covering his face with two hands. ''I can't do physics this time.''

When he opened his eyes again, Niko was no longer there. Laura nodded long. ''He must be done, he thought. His eyes looked back at the matter in front of him. Suddenly he realized that there was a piece of paper folded next to his physics book.

Laura opened the 4fold paper carefully and read the 2 words listed there. DON'T SURRENDER.

Slowly Laura smiled. He believes Niko wrote it before she left the classroom. Laura's smile grew wider. Now, his heart is full of new spirit. Slowly but surely, Laura solved all the physics problems.

***

When he had dinner with his mom at the dinner table, his face was still smiling.

''You look happy today, '' Mama commented. ''You tell Mom what makes you happy?''

Laura smiled thinly. ''Today the person I like is encouraging. Last afternoon when the physics replay followed, I gave up. But suddenly he gave me a piece of paper. It says ''DON'T GIVE UP'' .

''So,'' continued mama,'' finally you can do your repetition today.'' Laura nodded.

''Laura.'' said mama seriously, You really like this guy, huh?''

Laura nodded again.

''You know, you believe in you.'' Mama looked at her daughter gently. ''Mama just wants you to be careful.”

"Yes ma."