Dollar Girl

Chapter 19 The touch that creates fear

"What is love? if you can't sleep and are always restless when you think about it, can you say that it's love? so does that feeling have to be reversed? is love part of love? if so, what if a loved one doesn't like us? I don't need wings to fly, nor does my body make me feel comfortable. As long as we are under the same sky, resting on the same earth no matter whether you belong to anyone or I belong to anyone. Love is the right of every human being, but to love does not mean to have, therefore, let my heart be stoned to endure the pain and sorrow of love that I cannot hold still that love will be as holy as it is".

Excerpted from Ratna Mangalih's personal archive.

* * *

"Hey I bought the second Rambo DVD, you want to watch it after school?" ask Jimy in between breaks.

"Of course!" answer the others simultaneously.

"Don't forget the snacks" Ratna continued.

"Me and Ardi will take care of that, you take it easy" Amus replied.

"You are indeed reliable" said Ratna.

"Hi!" sapa Jaya suddenly appeared.

Amus replied with a smile and a nod of his head, while Ardi and Jimy looked less happy with his presence.

"Na, I want to talk to you" Jaya said slowly.

"Oh, alright" said Ratna immediately standing up.

They went a little far away from the others so that no one could hear their talk, from afar they could only see and try to guess what Jaya wanted to say so as to avoid them.

"Did Jaya ask for something?" said Jimy saw the motion of Jaya and Ratna.

"I hope it's not something troublesome" replied Ardi.

"What are you guys doing? just let them do as they please" said Amus who was uncomfortable with the behavior of his two friends.

"Who are you on?" ardi and Jimy asked together while looking at Amus with a threatening look.

"A. uh, of course you guys" replied Amus nervously.

Ardi and Jimy looked back at the lovers, muttering each other's thoughts until Jaya was seen leaving Ratna.

"What's he talking about?" ardi asked as Ratna returned to her seat.

"Oh that's um.... Jaya just said today was her birthday"

"Then?"

"She invited me to her birthday party"

"just you? he didn't invite us too?"

"It's a family event, so he just invited me to introduce him to his family" Ratna explained.

Ardi and Jimy looked at each other, implied suspicion on the invitation. At first, Ardi insisted that he would come, but Ratna managed to convince him that everything would be fine, and promised to go home sooner.

After returning home from school Ratna was busy looking for the right gift to give to Jaya, long enough he thought before deciding.

"Damn! it's like this, I'm late" he murmured as he glanced at the wall clock.

Ratna quickly prepared, put on proper clothes and ran out of the house. As he ran past Amus' house without him noticing Amus standing in front of the window staring at his disappearance.

Lucky Ratna came on time, but he was a little surprised because Jaya's house was filled by people who were his age.

"Ratna! have you come?" call Jaya as you approach.

"Are they all your cousins?" ask Ratna.

"No, they're my friends"

"You said it was a family party" Ratna said confusedly.

"Oh, the show was changed so I invited all the friends I could invite. Come inside!" bring Jaya.

Amidst the hustle and loud music Jaya invites Ratna to continue in, gives her a drink and introduces her to her friends there.

The festive party made Ratna several times in living alone in the midst of strangers, discomfort began to make Ratna not at home to want to go home.

"I'm sorry, I left you again" said Jaya who just returned.

"It's okay"

"There are many friends who have not met for a long time, on this special day I get carried away. We'd better go somewhere quieter so you can relax a little bit"

"All right."

Jaya takes Ratna away to another place, a quieter and quieter room. They sit down and start to relax but Ratna still feels uncomfortable, especially if she is only alone with Jaya.

Restlessly he began to play a hand while Jaya was sitting casually right beside Ratna, slowly moving her hand on Ratna's back to play her unraveling hair.

"Come on. You look tense" Jaya said seeing Ratna's upright sitting position.

"Ba-good" Ratna said.

He took a deep breath and tried to relax as much as possible, but Jaya's growing touch and closer body made Ratna aghast.

"Calm down. I won't hurt you" Jaya said slowly.

"Jaya." call Ratna slowly.

But Jaya did not make the call, her fingers crept between Ratna's hair while her other hand pointed Ratna's chin to glance at her.

Their gazes clashed, with such a close distance Ratna could feel Jaya's breath blowing on her lips. It was hot enough to make his heart beat faster, getting firmer as Jaya's face got closer and closer.

"It's late, I have to go home soon" Ratna said.

"I'm sorry, I have to go" he continued, starting to get out of his seat but.

Gep

Brucks

Kyaa....

With a single pull Jaya dropped Ratna's body back onto the sofa, her hand locked onto Ratna's wrist so she could not move and with an angry look she said.

"Just for a second, I'm just asking for your time for me for a second"

"We can meet at school later" Ratna replied nervously.

"No! we never had time to be alone, we were Ratna's lovers. We should have enjoyed time alone"

"Jaya... I beg you to let me go" said Ratna began to fear.

But Jaya began to try touching again with her lips, slowly starting from the arm to the neck then to where she wanted all this time.

"No!" ratna yelled at Jaya's body before her lips could touch her.

"Rabra!" call Jaya who was not happy about the action but the look on her hard face turned shocked when she saw the tears that flooded Ratna's cheeks.

"I-I'm sorry, Ratna I didn't mean... "

"Don't touch me!" ratna shouted as Jaya's hands stretched out for her.

"Ratna.... "

Not yet Jaya finished his sentence Ratna had already run to leave him alone, carrying fear with tears and a more wounded heart.

* * *

Many times Amus stared at the clock on the wall, with anxious feelings many times he stared out the window just to make sure Ratna had gone home.

He tried to sleep but his eyes reluctantly closed, he tried to read a book but there was nothing he could digest.

"Where exactly is that guy?" his mumbling was almost crazy.

It was eleven o'clock at night, the breeze bringing a piercing chill. His hand grabbed his jacket and put it on before going outside, he decided to buy coffee to stay awake.

But his steps stopped when he heard the sound of people crying behind a pile of rocks on the side of the road, with suspicion and a little curiosity slowly he walked closer to the pile of stones.

"Rabra!" his call was startled to see the figure of the girl squatting down while lowering her head.

Ratna looked up her head, seeing Amus looking at her in surprise.

"Amus." called Ratna while directly hugging in the middle of sobs.

"W-what happened?" ask Amus in wonder.

"Hiks.. I'm afraid... "

Slowly his hand went to rub Ratna's back, calming her down as much as possible.

"What's going on?" ask him again.

"Jaya... "

"Did he hurt you?" cut Amus guessing.

At first Ratna did not answer, aware that Ratna was still depressed Amus chose to shut up and calm her down first. After a while, Ratna told me what had just happened to her.

"What's? he dare to do that to you?" shouted Amus wrathfully.

"Where are you going?" tanya Ratna saw Amus walking away.

"Certainly make calculations with that jerk"

"Don't! I beg you. I don't want everything to get messy, it's night anyway"

"But I can't just let him go"

Ratna immediately approached Amus and held his hand gently, the action was added with a cute face to beat Ratna making Amus' heart beat fast.

"I'm fine, after all he didn't manage to do it so I beg you not to go" Ratna said.

"Yes-yes already then" replied Amus while turning his face away.

"Then let's go home, it's too late"

"Come on!" ratna answered back cheerfully.