Dollar Girl

Chapter 65 The Heart That Returns Destroyed

"Just that crack I can fix slowly, suddenly you break it back. Now I have to start again from the beginning, from the end where the crack started until it can grow. But this time I wasn't sure I'd ever be able to make it look like new again, because I knew it was my fault to have put it anywhere"

Excerpted from Ratna Mangalih's personal archive.

* * *

Long enough Ratna consulted her love motivator to successfully decide what gifts she would give, now an hour has passed and she still runs from one storefront to another. Seeing, glancing and contemplating without being able to decide.

So confused store employees also got dizzy because all the items he suggested there was always a shortage.

"He must be a man who means a lot to you" the official said.

"Ah. that... " Ratna can't just admit it.

"You keep thinking and looking for the best, you must be afraid that the gift you give is not liked by him"

"That would be a pity if it has been bought but not used"

"Actually all items are the same even with different models, a gift from a special person will look special even though many of the shortcomings are the opposite" said the employee.

Ratna was silent, she knew for too long she had been standing there and the longer it would take for her to decide.

"I want this one" he pointed.

The employee smiled and took the item that Ratna wanted, she immediately wrapped it so that Ratna could immediately pay so as not to worry anymore.

"Thank you, sorry for the trouble" Ratna said.

"Thank you again, no problem" the employee replied.

Ratna immediately left the store to go home, her heart would not stop pounding as her steps neared the house of Amus. He was confused by the right time to give the gift, preferably before his birthday as Rere said so that during the party Ratna could see whether Amus wore it or not.

"Alright, it has to be that way" he murmured.

By preparing his heart he walked into Amus' house, coincidentally he saw his grandmother outside and said Amus was studying in his room.

"Amus." called out to him as he opened the door of the room.

"What's wrong?"

"Happy birthday" said Ratna, offering a gift she had just bought.

"Oh thank you, but my birthday is tomorrow"

"It's okay, I just want to give it away now because I'm afraid of forgetting" Ratna replied reasoned.

"Oh well" said Amus receiving the gift.

"Then I go first" said Ratna about to leave, but when she turned around she said slowly.

"I hope you tell me if you like it."

After that speech there was a hopeful smile that Amus saw on Ratna's face, for some reason it made her chest tight. Slowly he opened the gift box that Ratna had given him, in which he saw a nice black watch.

With great difficulty he gulped, recalling the words Ratna had just heard. He took the watch and put it on his right hand, his mind floating as he stared at the new watch. It casts a shadow of Ratna's face inside the clock that beats every second, but then Ardi's statement makes her hand shake.

"Why? why should he?" ask more of yourself.

Amus laid his body on the bed, constantly asking in his mind about which decision he would take. Already often he succumbed to his love and when he will achieve what became his dream he was even faced with a choice between a friend or his love.

"Lord..help me" he muttered, soaking his face in a pillow.

Without feeling he fell asleep just knowing the sunlight woke him in the morning, he rubbed his eyes and realized he was still wearing a watch given Ratna.

A few minutes he thought before he finally took off the watch and put it in a drawer, rushing him to go to the bathroom to go to school.

That morning he did not meet anyone because he deliberately did not want to meet anyone, on his birthday God had given a test that was painful enough so that all he wanted was alone.

* * *

"How's it?" rere asked impatiently as soon as he saw Ratna enter the classroom.

"How's what? I haven't even met him" replied Ratna ketus.

"Oh, take it easy you're meeting tonight, right?"

"I couldn't sleep last night, thankfully I didn't have bad luck" he lamented.

"Here you go, later you'll know the answer"

"What if he doesn't wear it?" ask Ratna worriedly.

"Thinking positively, why are you so desperate?" reply Rere.

Although Rere continued to convince her but her heart was still anxious, she was too afraid to expect more because every time she wished her heart was always broken. Without being able to calm down he passed the day just like that, until nightfall after saying goodbye to Hamdani quickly he ran home.

His heart beat faster as he stood at the door of Amus' house, trying to calm down he took a breath and developed a smile.

"I came. "he shouted as he opened the door.

"Oh my goodness, you're never late when it comes to food" Jimy said.

Ratna smiled and walked into the house, which was when Amus came with food from the kitchen. Their eyes clashed before Ratna's eyes fell on Amus' empty hands, there was nothing there.

Prangs......

"You why?" tanya Ardi looked at the tears flowing down Ratna's cheeks.

"Ah, my eyes are dusting, can you blow it?" ratna asked with a smile.

Amus could only stare at how Ratna was looking for a place to treat the wound, a wound she had intentionally inflicted. The party continues even though Amus lost his taste buds from yesterday, while Ratna still eats a lot as usual even he spends all that food and fights with Jimy as usual.

"Your body is so small how can you eat all this food?" ask Jimy.

"When else can I eat good?" reply Ratna.

He continued to put all kinds of food like a possessed person, swallowing all kinds of flavors that had been mixed into one even though then after returning home he vomited all of it.

The next morning with the vestiges of hope still in the morning he stood by the roadside only to see Amus, as Amus passes by on his motorcycle Ratna's eyes are observant enough to see that Amus's hands are still empty without any money on display there.

"When are you going to dream? he's not what you expected!" ratna said to her broken heart.

While Rere was so enthusiastic to see Ratna coming to class and was ready to ask, but Ratna's lethargic face had already answered a question that he had not yet asked.

For three days Ratna waited deliberately for Amus in the morning only to see his hands, but each eye did not find what he was looking for his heart was getting crushed and destroyed again.

Until he arrived at a point where Ratna lost the passion in his life, while being alone he did not stop cursing himself with various insults. He also became more temperamental and rarely gathered with others until Jimy again became suspicious of his relationship with Amus.

"Excuse me, can you order a cup of laughter?" tanya Ardi was standing right at the cashier's desk.

"Sorry our shop didn't put it on the menu list, meaning we didn't have it" Ratna replied following the joke without a smile.

"I heard the playground sold it, do you want to buy it there with me?" tawar Ardi's.

For a moment Ratna stared at the figure of the man she always considered her brother. Suddenly it flashed in his mind what if the kiss on the lake was Ardi who did it, some time ago they had been in one thrilling moment.

With various things that have happened between them Ratna began to think maybe Ardi who has been putting his heart, even though he has a lover but none of the girl he likes.

"Can you wait until my working hours are over?" ask Ratna.

"Of course" answered Ardi happily.

That day there were not many customers who came, according to Ratna's working hours were free starting from eight pm. Soon they go to the playground to refresh a complicated mind, they try some easy to challenging games.

Slowly Ratna's smile returned until her cheerful laughter, Ardi had managed to restore the color of Ratna's life that had faded. Tired of playing they decided to take a break while enjoying the fresh and sweet ice cream, Ratna so enjoyed it that she unknowingly smashed her lips.

"You're like a child" Ardi said as he wiped a stain on Ratna's face.

Unfortunately his hand touched Ratna's soft and full lips, his attention was now fixed there. He could not lie to himself who was tempted by the gentleness and wanted to feel it directly, slowly he brought his face closer. Making Ratna fixated on the eyes, then Ardi's nose and lips that get closer to him.

Ratna remained silent, waiting for those lips to reach her. But when they were close enough there was one feeling that stuck Ratna's heart, until the coldness in her hands due to the melting ice cream made her turn her face.

That's when Ardi only realized what he was just going to do, he did not expect Ratna so tempting to make him flutter himself. He awkwardly invited Ratna home especially because the night was getting late.

What had just happened made Ardi unable to calm down, he was afraid that Ratna would hate him but what happened was precisely Ratna behaving as if nothing had happened. He returned to being a cheerful Ratna and the dollar who was eager to eat, of course this makes Ardi happy.

In the classroom, Ratna who has returned cheerful makes Rere very happy.

"My life must not end just because my expectations are not well fulfilled, in the future I will receive more rejection. Be it in romance, work or maybe other life choices" Ratna said.

"I'm glad you can be steadfast but don't let your heart die because of it, your love story may be with someone else you hadn't expected" Rere said.

Instantly Ardi's face was what Ratna remembered, it was possible that from the beginning the prince was Ardi. But he does not want to decide quickly, if it should be tried then he will start very slowly to be careful because he does not want to be disappointed for the umpteenth time.

* * *

Seconds change minutes, minutes change hours, hours change days and times that continue to spin make a statement in the rap book. Ratna and her friends now officially move up to the second grade, in this way Ratna is faced with the option to take the majors she wants.

With steady Ratna told his homeroom teacher that he wanted to enter the IPS department, he wanted to continue to develop his knowledge in banking. It was fully supported by his homeroom teacher and his father because Ratna is good at processing money, if he has the luck that later he will go to college by taking banking again.

Rere's best friend from first grade took the same major, which means for the remaining two years they will return one class and continue together.

At the age of sixteen, Ratna now looks even more beautiful, as usual her cheerful nature does not disappear so much as her love for food and drink.

But there is something different here, he is increasingly thinking mature and not easy to fall either in love or life. This is what makes Ardi have to work extra to make Ratna aware of his feelings, they are close without any rivals and it's good luck that Ardi must take advantage of as best as possible.

During the school holidays as usual Ratna spent it by working in Hamdani's tavern, this time Ardi also worked to get a lot of moments with Ratna.

"You just got home?" ask Jimy who accidentally met when he came out of his house.

"Yes, what are you doing yourself?" reply Ardi saw Amus who was also there.

"Regular" Jimy replied while moving his hand like he was playing PS.

"You didn't go on vacation to your mother's house?" ask Ratna.

"No, tomorrow my mother and father will come here" Amus replied.

"That's how it looks" Ratna replied with a smile.

They were silent to each other, since Ratna knew that Amus did not like it because the watch he gave once he never wore they rarely spoke.

Sometimes they joke too but not as often as they used to, they're like two adults stuck in the bodies of teenagers. That's how Jimy describes the situation of Ratna and Amus who became more quiet

"Well see you tomorrow" Ratna said, raising one hand.

"Well, "reply back Jimy as he looks at his two best friends walking together.

"Amus, I don't know why I feel that Ardi and Ratna have more of a relationship. Do you feel it too?" ask Jimy.