Cocooned

WHAT HAPPENED TO JAYA?

I frowned seeing the girl standing in front of me, a crumpled hard slip that read 'Terry' was within his grasp. A smooth oval face with a red hue on it made the girl look adorable. When she smiled like now, rows of well-groomed teeth lined up neatly, adding to her beauty.

Hey, focus, Bro! Consciousness hit me right in the head to stop staring at him. "Yes, right. I'm Terry."

"Follow me," the girl ordered.

The slender legs clad in three-quarters jeans swiveled and moved away, leaving me still stunned. Am I this lucky? Go back to Malang City and get a girlfriend?

Shut up in the vehicle, I occasionally glanced at him who was behind the wheel. Even from the side of the face of this girl pleasing to the eye—nya lentik above the tiny lips full. It felt like this face looked familiar, but it was impossible. If I had known him, I would have remembered.

A moment later, he stepped on the brakes and parked his vehicle in front of my house. Uh, home? The shock made me stick my face to the window of the car and sure enough, this is my home. I don't think I mentioned the address, nor did this girl ask, then where did she know my house?

"Sorry, I don't think we're acquaintances yet. I—."

"Terry, it's me, Valerie," she said, leaving me agape. "Well, I told you, you better go home before you completely forget everything."

"The vallerie? Not likely. Did I get a concussion while I was in the pool? Where did your thick glasses go? So, what's your color teeth?" My outstretched hand cupped both of her adorable cheeks, then pulled the earlobes, and pinched the nostrils. "Where's the plastic surgery? Very nice!"

"Hey, stop that!" he shouted while brushing my hand.

I was still staring stunned at the face that met red beside me. "The perfect plastic!"

"No oplas-oplasms! You forgot me, huh? You shameless friend." His hand quickly stretched out and pinched my chest, so deep that I cried out for mercy. The pain strikes to my deepest memory and dawns me that she is the old Valerie.

Just now I was about to open my mouth to give him an explanation, suddenly the car door swung open. "Remain here long ago? Not good with neighbors. If you want to talk inside," my sister's hard.

"Sir, sister, I'm going home" Valerie said as she moved her head to be seen by her brother. Moonlight—was that a street light (?)—that illuminated his face made me silently observe.

"Terry, if you still haven't moved, I'm forced to drag you out" sister threatened, as if she couldn't see her sister happy.

Reluctantly I got out of my seat and took my things out of the trunk, not forgetting to say good night and thank you for the ride. Brother had already returned to his house which was next to mother's house, while I was still waiting outside, watching his car move away.

Being on top of the contest, my mind began to dig up again the memory of Valerie. It's still clear in memory, when Linda introduced me to her at the beginning of the lecture. Yes, they were good friends during High School. Then Valerie introduced us to Jaya. Susan on the other hand is Linda's college friend who ends up in our little gang.

Among the four of them, Valerie was indeed different from Susan and Linda. While other female friends are often baper and spoiled, she is not. Her calm demeanor made me feel safe and trust to tell her anything. Therefore, instead of avoiding her who incidentally is Linda's best friend, Valerie was the first person I called to vent the problem of the run-off of my relationship with her best friend. I didn't even hesitate to cry on the phone at the time.

I imagine again Valerie's face that used to be—'s eyes are framed with thick glass, colored braces, bangs of hair that cover next to her face, not to mention clothes that are far from fashionable. Then, with the imaginary ability of an architect, I took off one by one the attributes on his face, rolled his hair up, and changed his clothes accordingly.

The voila! Still not the same as the girl who just drove me home. I still haven't been able to digest how a geeky girl turned out to be adorable. Strange as it may seem, what made Val change?

　

　

"At first I couldn't believe you'd want to go home, Ter. I thought nothing could bring you back," Jaya said, showing off her confident grin that used to be cherished by the female students who watched the SME basketball games we participated in.

"Yeah, what else? If I don't go home, maybe I'll go crazy, 'cause everybody calls me every day just for that." I thank a waiter who took away empty plates, as well as delivered my new order, a glass of Americano in a mug.

Sitting on the terrace of the cafe, I realized that I secretly missed this city. The cloudy weather in December and the cool breeze that sneaks between the green trees, inversely proportional to the sultry of Jakarta. Oh, add also the smoke pollution and noise pollution that regularly decorate my days.

"Do you have a partner to go to Linda's wedding?" tanya Jaya, a puff of vape smoke with Tokyo Banana liquid side filled the air as she exhaled it.

"Yet, you?"

"I want to take Valerie."

I'm speechless. A question is, are Jaya and Val dating? Well, it's not impossible considering they both live here and work as doctors in the same hospital, but neither brother nor mother ever said anything.

Curiosity makes my tongue itch to ask, "You have a crush on Val, huh? Hey, ngaku!" Jaya didn't answer me, only her grin expanded beautifully. While sipping Americano, I studied Jaya's mimicry. "Yesterday when Val picked me up from the airport, I was shocked. She changed 180°."

His eyes slightly widened, he was clearly shocked. When Jaya turned her head, her eyes squinted in a way that made me tremble. "How does Val know your date of return? Do you call her often?"

"No koq. But you're right, how does he know my date of return? I forgot to ask you yesterday." I recorded it in my brain and would ask Valerie when I met her again.

Fretful mimic radiated in the Jaya Sea. Back the smoke billowed from his lips as he said, "Val changed because of someone."

"Someone?" many surprised. "Have a boyfriend or husband? Why didn't he say?"

"You're like a bad old granny, Ter. Don't you also keep your feelings for Val," Jay accused in a jealous tone, which made me wonder, what's wrong with them?

"It's not. If you want to take her, go ahead."

"He rejected me," said Jaya, a heavy breath of air accompanying his bowed head.

"What happened while I was gone, Jay? Among the five of us, only me and Linda do not live in a peaceful little paradise called Malang. Honestly, I was jealous of your life that seemed not pursued by the material." I paused for a moment to sip my black coffee, before continuing, "But, why did I catch an unhappy tone?"

Jaya's hands were touching her hair. I can capture his more concentrated frustration from the vape smoke in the air. "Didn't you work in the same hospital? Is there a problem?"

"The thing is, I don't know who Val likes."

"Maybe Susan knows. Have you asked him?" Jaya's silent. The sudden silence made my forehead wrinkle with many questions. "Why don't you ask him?" my insistence.

"Because—." Jaya's answer hung in the air. I waited.