ECLIPSE LUNAR

Episode 3

PEOPLE are more familiar with calling him Ken. He is the sun in Prisma Jaya, the magnet of all attention, the reservoir of all good things in this school. His parents owned the largest stake in Yayasan Prisma Jaya. He's clearly a man of honor. As if everything was not perfect enough, he also had a flawless handsome face and a watered-down brain.

Who wouldn't want to make a guy like him hook up?

Of course there are many queues of girls who are willing to be Ken's lover. But surprisingly, Ken was never interested. Is he not normal? Could be. But no one thinks like me. For everyone, a Ken is a gentleman who is said to be a taekwondo master, the head of the school basketball team and also a permanent holder of the general champion of IPA majors.

Oh, isn't she flawless perfect?

Yes, if he could brake on all the activities his mouth does. Since the ghost incident Miss San class X first, Ken fame skyrocketed and never dropped until now we almost sat in class XII. In addition to the holder of all the above predicates, he is also still a reliable story teller. Just like the first day of the new school year two years ago, a Ken always tells various stories about the ghosts of this school. He did not cover his abilities at all. What he saw and heard, that's what he told me.

Until now, my curiosity about him has never been quenched. I get upset every time I find school ghosts frivolous if Ken's acting out. But it is impossible to interfere, let alone commemorate him directly. I may be protested by a school. But strangely, why did not a single ghost dare to fight him?!

It's not just the ghosts that get the impact of Ken's muddle-plast nature. According to the grapevine gossip of the children, the guy often made some girls who were interested and about to approach him also ended miserably.

Once a girl expressed her feelings for Ken. Ken refused, it was common. What was unusual were the words that Ken blurted out before leaving the girl. “Other times you do not throw sanitary napkins carelessly. There is a grandmother who from earlier ngikut you continue.”

Had I been that girl, I might have had Ken's face pierced. How could a guy say such a thing to you! Unfortunately, the girl was too innocent. Instead of being angry, she cried, completely believing Ken's words. The next day he asked the local ustaz to expel the ‘nek’ that followed him.

Once again, in XI class, a younger brother expressed feelings for Ken. With a sorry face Ken says, “Sorry, Deck. I can't accept your love. Not because I don't like you. You're beautiful, too. But, I do not want to compete with people who have long impressed feelings for you. He's more entitled than me over you.”

Imagine a jumble of feelings when someone we like says that.

But then with a sinless look, Ken added, “He's a person who has loved you for a long time. He's behind you.”

The class sister looked back. There is only an empty corridor. There's no one. And then scream. Actually there are still many unique story grapevine whenever someone tries to express their love for Ken. I think he did it on purpose to get attention as if everyone's attention to him wasn't enough.

I grieved, annoyed and curious every time I remembered everything about that guy.

Ken's friends are probably just as crazy. If Ken spontaneously says what he sees, his friends will respond with laughter and make Ken's speech as a joke.

The kids don't know themselves! Things like that don't deserve a joke! But I refuse to judge. So in retaliation for Ken's abuse, I often write articles that contain a lot of protest against his attitude. Mostly I write about the attitudes that indigos should take to maintain the security of two opposing worlds. I wrote under the pen name Mahesa. So all this time, no matter how much I insinuated Ken, only the editorial team knew that Mahesa was me.

A piece of wind woke me up from all the thoughts about Ken. The person who triggered my thoughts was now sitting on the only seat in the middle of the stage with the guitar in the deck. Behind him was designed like the screen of a large banner that read:

CLASS XII RELEASE PENCIL FORCE

the 60th.

The sun was high, but Ken's fan girls didn't seem to care. They were crammed in front of the stage to see the poem. I watched from my classroom window on the second floor. If only the girls knew my position was a place that had a good view towards the stage, they would definitely be scrambling over here.

While biting the lower lip, I prepared with a small note and pen, waiting vigilantly as Ken began to justify the location of the microphone and bring it closer to the front of the lip.

I lifted the tip of my lips. “See what I can write for you this time.”

Ken's brief dehaman airs through loudspeakers scattered throughout the school. Luckily he did not sing immediately because what I was waiting for was not his joy, but his chatter. All this time the guy may not have been aware the source of the protest article about him in the school tabloid was from my annoyance at his promiscuous behavior disturbing the calm of ghosts.

“Siang all!” ken shouted as he waved at the crowd in front of the stage. The sound of the bus was pleasant in people's ears, and that fact really sucks in my ears.

“KEN!!” the echo of the cries of the adoring girls was ten times more frenzied.

Ken's smile expands. It looks adorable, but I refuse to admit it.

The guy deliberately cleared his throat, glaring for a moment like trying to compose a word.

I laugh. Has he been thinking about talking all this time?

“First of all, I want to say thank you to the XII class brothers. Thank you for giving us all the best for our beloved school. Thank you for graduating all with the best values.”

Ken's words provoked a frenzy of applause for the students of class XII.

“Gue prays for your success. Wherever you are after you leave this school, I hope you can succeed and become useful people.”

Applause is back. I hold my pen firmly. Come on, doesn't he usually talk nonsense?!

“The second, make my generation friends, welcome to the highest class!”

This time, the XI class children who were about to die to the highest grade cheered Ken by name.

Ken made a gesture to keep everyone calm. “Thanks for our XI grade teachers who have guided us earnestly. You are our biggest inspiration. You are our life lamp.”

The few XI grade teachers sitting on the row of chairs beside the stage smiled proudly at Ken, making me even more fed up.

“Serena!” Someone patted my shoulder hard.

My attention's seized. I turned my head in annoyance and found the thick-browed guy approaching my face. I retreated instantly away from her face.

“Yes, Karen! Ngagetin aja!”

Subjectively, I think this guy is more awesome than Ken. How to describe a Karen? For me Karen has the right blend of alluring charisma and serenity. The father's Arab blood makes him have a high nose, thick eyebrows and deep eyes while his alluring charisma and serenity comes from his mother who is of Yogyakarta descent.

The supercuek guy chuckles amusedly. “Ngapain is there?”

I distanced myself from the window and turned completely to Karen. My friend who is a hobby of basketball and writing poetry is carrying a box of mineral water, put the luggage on the table and then looked at the window.

“Oh, the Ken,” muttered in a strange tone.

I chose to sit at the table by the window. It just so happens that the class is quiet because everyone is busy with PENSI events. Karen turned towards me. Chairman of OSIS as well as the chairman of the PENSI committee is he. Why did he come here to see me?

“You don't like children?” Karen insinuating. I laughed hearing that.

“Yes said people. Usually the enemy is more attentive than its own team,” he added.

“Don't bother Aldebaran Karendra!” my ketus. “I'm just looking for new news aja.”

Karen nodded. But he looks even more mocking. “During this news you write always about Ken.”

I blinked. “Ya clear dong! If he were to step down from the position of most wanted, maybe I would write about others.”

Karen mangosteen. “Oh, so. But yes, if I read, the writings of the Mahesa is more than just follow the trend of most wanted. More precisely, he is obsessed like a loyal fan really.” That guy glanced at me. “Do not think I do not know if Mahesa is elo!”

I'm mute. I didn't expect to get such an outright accusation. Instead of answering, I created a pause by standing uncomfortable.

It was fortunate that the pause was broken by Karen's cell phone ringing. My friend is shaking his lips. “Ran, right, I can tell from where? What I don't know about you. But for a minute, my sister called.” Karen stepped away from me to pick up the phone.

In my heart I wonder, did Karen have a sister all this time? I watched the conversation on the phone from where I was sitting.

“Emang Papa didn't pick up at the airport?” asked Karen, her thick eyebrows clinging. He listened for a moment, then laughed amusedly. The water of his face turned relaxed. “And I told you just wait at the airport, Papa will definitely pick up. But if you want to go home by yourself, that's okay. Know the home address, right?”

I have a feeling that the sister Karen meant must be a girl. Curious, I approached him. My best friend is still on the phone.

“Ya already, you do not travel far yes. I still have to help my friends with consumption. When I'm done, I go straight home. Most afternoon. Careful, yeah. Bye!”

Karen disconnected. “Who?” ask directly.

Karen put her cell phone in her pants pocket. “Emang different yes if you talk about paparazzi, just cepet.”

I ignored her giggles and kept a curious face.

“My grandfather from Jogja,” answered Karen finally while lifting back the mineral water cardboard.

“Which are you?” I was surprised while putting on an offended look. Karen never told me she had a sister. “Sodara twins I.”

I'm slack.

“Regularly dong muka!” Karen chuckles. “Later if my work is already done, I call ya! We hang out with three.”

Karen stepped away leaving me who was just about to scold her. How could it be that for almost two years of being friends, I didn't know he had a twin brother?!

I kept my frustration until the PENSI series was over.

It was almost five in the afternoon when I walked into the room where many of the members of OSIS were busy tidying up. But I didn't see my best friend's nose.

I pat the shoulder of Monic—, the deputy chairman of OSIS who looks busy coordinating its members. “Nic, see Karen?”

Monic said, “Rendra huh? He gave permission to go back first. Said he was going to pick up his sister.”

So the invitation to hang out was just Karen's talk! Once again I swallowed the frustration. The next day the boy did not go to school. And the next morning, he sent a chat to my LINE when the new doorbell rang. Instead of bringing the good news, Karen's chat content was more than enough to make me rush out of school and choose to meet her. []