Dollar Girl

Chapter 25 Half The Truth That Makes a Barrier

Ardi ran quickly down the street, but he saw Amus and Jimy right in front of him buying drinks.

"What are you doing here?" tanyanya.

"Oh, the match futsal was canceled because it was already out so we shop first" replied Amus.

"What are you doing yourself?" ask Jimy.

"I drove Ratna to buy a book, I forgot about your appointment so I left her alone to go see you guys"

"The basis of irresponsible men, at least take him to the house of a girl's safety is more important than playing futsal" Jimy said.

"sorry"

"Come on, go see him, maybe he's still there" Amus said.

The three friends walked back, when they arrived at the bookstore Ratna was no longer there. Nor did they find him anywhere, when they thought Ratna had gone home a girl's scream shocked them.

Quickly they ran towards the source of the sound, an unpleasant feeling made them think badly about Ratna's safety. But Ardi who first found the two girls near the trash can immediately called Ratna to stop what she was going to do.

Jimy and Amus who had just caught up could only be stunned staring at that terrifying scene, for a moment as if stopping abruptly.

Brucks

Uhuk Uhuk Uhuk uhuk

Yuni fell with a red neck condition due to the giggling, he could not stop coughing even though a few minutes had passed. Ratna stared blankly at her three best friends.

"Ar... di.. uhuk please a.. ku.. " Yuni lirih said while crawling forward.

"Yuni!" call Ardi who regained consciousness and then run to help Yuni get up.

"Ratna.... What are you doing?" jimy was still in shock.

Ratna did not answer because for her there was nothing she needed to say, they had seen what happened and even though she said the truth no one would believe. Just like before, when Sari first hugged him and when he tried to retaliate he was the one who got punished without anyone willing to listen to him. Learning from the past he understands there is nothing to say when others believe more in what they see without finding out the truth.

Still mute Ratna just walked past Amus and Jimy, even when she got home her face remained expressionless.

"Why are your clothes wet and dirty?" asked Sapardi who saw his daughter coming home in a mess.

"I fell in a puddle" replied Ratna coldly.

"Oh. All right, clean yourself up let me wash your clothes"

"No need, I'll wash it myself"

"Well, "Sapardi replied awkwardly and astonished at his daughter's cold demeanor.

When dinner time arrived Ratna remained in a cold fashion that made the atmosphere of the house feel haunted, there was nothing Sapardi could say or do because he did not have the courage to do it.

Finish eating as usual Ratna cleaned the table and washed all the dishes, after which she went to lock herself in the room. Fatigue so violently attacked his body made as if his bones were broken, he tried to close his eyes hoping to fall asleep.

But in the darkness of his eyes all he saw was Sari's sickening grin, then Yuni with her mocking laughter. His clenched hands tightly held back the emotions to the point where he released those feelings, his hands quickly moved pushing and strangling Yuni simultaneously.

Those few seconds he clearly saw Yuni's reddened face, his eyes started to glaze over after thrashing about trying to break free from her grip but to no avail. Ratna opened her eyes and smiled enjoying the sensation that felt delicious.

* * *

The sun arrived to mark a new day with clear weather, Ratna got up from her bed and moved as usual but still with a cold expression.

He did not say much at breakfast so when he heard that Sapardi was going to work and came home late, when he met Amus who was also about to go to school he did not show any expression.

What makes Amus surprised not to say hello, Ratna even acted as if she was not there. Those who usually fight in the morning suddenly become strangers overnight, even in class Ratna did not say hello to Jimy or Ardi.

"I still can't believe Ratna could do such a horrible thing" Jimy muttered.

After Ratna left they helped Yuni and asked what had happened to them, Yuni replied they initially passed by and chatted as usual but suddenly Ratna got angry and did so.

Of course they asked further about what caused Ratna to be angry to do so, with Yuni's guilty face answering honestly she was a bit jealous to see the closeness between Ardi and Ratna. But with a frightened face Yuni said back she only wanted Ratna to take care of her heart as a fellow woman, but Ratna took offense to the remark and brutally attacked Yuni.

"If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes I would never have believed Ratna did it, now that I've seen it I still can't believe it" Ardi said.

Hhhhhhhhh

They let out a long breath while looking at Ratna in frustration, not knowing what really happened until Ratna suddenly changed.

"Hey! could it...he's possessed?" hatch Jimy.

"Don't joke! you believe in that kind of thing?" ask Amus.

"That's the only good reason!"

"Anyway we have to find out" said Ardi.

Amus did not stop looking at Ratna thinking hard until he realized there were blisters on Ratna's elbow, not big but enough to make him wonder where Ratna got the wound from because it looks like the wound is still new.

Usually after school they do not go straight home, Jimy will go to buy some DVDs with Ardi while Amus will meet his futsal club friends. But that day they all walked right behind Ratna, watching her from a considerable distance on the way home.

"Aish... I can't take it anymore, I'll ask him directly!" said Ardi who was impatient.

"Eh wait!" shouted Jimy who was not concerned.

Amus and Jimy immediately ran after Ardi who had stopped Ratna's steps, without a second thought he asked.

"Tell me what really happened yesterday? why did you do that to Yuni?"

"Did Yuni not tell you why?" ask Ratna to relax.

"That's... she.. in-she says you're mad at her because you're offended by her words, is that true?"

"You.. You're angry just because Yuni asked you to keep her feelings? Ratna what's wrong with you? how can you handle that to him when he's just asking for your understanding!?" yelled Ardi furiously.

Once again the moment repeated itself, when his mother was angry with him who acted rudely to Sari just because of a trivial matter. Again he was blamed when not completely wrong, he just tried to defend himself not attack without cause.

"I thought I could think of you as my sister, but it turns out you're just a friend who can be lost at any time" Ratna smiled bitterly.

She was determined not to cry this time, her tears were too precious to cry for someone who did not care about her at all. Instead, he will leave with a smile.

The smile that Amus first saw was in Ratna's face, a strange smile that could not be explained with words because in that smile there were many feelings in it. A smile that continued to disturb him until night, even so uncomfortable he could not sleep at all.

Amus decides to go out of the house looking for something that can take his mind off of Ratna's expression and smile that looms over her.

"Oh Amus! you haven't slept? it's quite late" said Sapardi who accidentally met outside.

"I haven't been able to sleep, did my uncle just come home from work?"

"Yes, I get a job so I want to finish it quickly even if I have to go home late"

"That's it"

"Pulse... Amus, I want to ask you something" said Sapardi who suddenly turned serious.

They went to angkringan and ordered ginger milk to warm the body from the cold night air.

"What would you like to ask?" tanya Amus started the conversation.

"Arrhhhh, this is about Ratna" replied Sapardi who made Amus stunned.

"Yesterday he came home in dirty and wet clothes, I also saw blisters on some parts of his body. When I asked him he just answered falling in a puddle but I couldn't just believe what he said, because something was wrong"

"Wrong?"

"The attitude! he suddenly became a quiet person even cold" replied Sapardi who made Amus know that the attitude he showed to everyone.

"Are you guys fighting?" sapardi asked.

"Ah.no! we are friends as always" Amus replied quickly.

"Yes, I believe, you guys fight a lot but I know even once angry with you he will be cheerful as usual" Sapardi said while nodding his head.

"Honestly, I'm very worried about him, his attitude is very unusual. I even found the same look in Ratna on the day she just moved here, blank eyes without emotion. I'm afraid someone put him out there until it traumatized him"

"What's? Ratna... have trauma?" ask Amus in shock.

Hhhhhhhh

"For five years he lived with his sister and stepfather, and even his late mother could do nothing to defend him. It really took me a hit, if I was rich Ratna couldn't have been taken away and lived at home with those savages. All this time he's been tortured to the point of having no life in his eyes, his body is just a body without a soul."

Amus was quite surprised to hear the dark story of Ratna, all this time he only knew a little about Ratna's stepfamily without ever asking further. Ratna also never once touched on her personal matters.

"But ever since she moved here, after she met you in an instant she turned back into the cheerful little Ratna. I am grateful for that and hope that he will continue to be happy, so I ask you for help. Please keep the past of Ratna secret and find out what happened to her so that she turned cold, maybe this is troublesome but.please make Ratna cheerful again as before" said Sapardi hopeful.

"Why is my uncle talking like that? Ratna I've thought of as my own sister, I will definitely do my best"

"Thank you" Sapardi said in earnest.

* * *

Ardi could not accept Ratna's statement that justified his actions, because it was without realizing it he made a distance between himself and Ratna. But it was not dizzy by Ratna, she was relaxed as usual with her cold expression even though Jimy also looked disappointed to her.

Only Amus still behaves as usual, even after school, Amus came to visit while bringing his favorite food.

"You've done schoolwork?" ask Amus.

"Hmm, I'm working on it" replied Ratna coldly without turning her face away from the book.

Amus began to pay attention to Ratna more carefully, at the sight of one hand Ratna did not stop scratching her elbow which he remembered there was a scuff scar there.

"Stop scratching it!" amus shouted while pulling Ratna's hand.

"Ah... See what you're doing? if it is scratched and the wound will never heal and become an infection! a wound that is dry will indeed cause itching but you should not scratch it" said Amus to see how severe the wound was.

Without asking Amus to apply the ointment carefully so that the wound heals quickly and does not cause itching, the attention apparently makes Ratna aware that Amus is different from others. He continued to behave as usual despite seeing his actions and hearing his confession.

"What... Don't you hate me?" ask Ratna suddenly.

"You know I hate you so much, you're always a hassle and only care about food despite being sad" replied Amus who made Ratna smile again after a few days of losing her life.

"If I don't eat, I'll die!" his reply.

"While some people starve to death, but at least it takes a week to die, you've only emptied your stomach for a few hours how can you die?" snapped Amus.

"But I'll drown if I don't eat" whined Ratna.

Amus stared at Ratna's spoiled expression to the point of embarrassment and they laughed together, letting go of the fatigue that had shackled their hearts.

For some reason but there is a warmth that enveloped Ratna's heart until without him noticing to Amus he poured all his heart, he poured all his heart, about how Yuni's treatment that crossed the line to make him ride black and feelings of waste that made his heart ice cold.

"Why didn't you tell me everything in the first place?" asked Amus astonished at once concerned.

"Are you going to trust me? all this time you were so considerate and kind to me but just because half the truth you saw yourself suddenly there was a barrier between us, and, then how do I tell you that the barrier is thicker after my statement that justifies the event but has not told it completely."

Amus could only bow lethargic, ashamed of the self that could not protect Ratna properly. The feeling of emptiness due to being wasted can now be felt as well, Ratna's new feelings reached him after all that suffering.

"Ratna.. From now on I promise you, I won't hesitate anymore!" amus suddenly said.