Home For My Soul

29|Rid Bet

“For a long time,” complained Theo who stood at the campus gate.

I received the helmet he thrust. “It wasn't me who told you to wait,” I said, defending myself.

“Lo accidentally forgot the deal, huh? Today is Friday, the day we have lunch together.” He reached out his hand, helping me ride his motorcycle.

I rejected the hand and sat in the backseat with my own ability. He rode his motorcycle so fast that I had to hug him tightly. So obnoxious. I'm sure he did this on purpose so he could feel my chest.

We entered a not-so-crowded restaurant and he chose the corner table. Seeing him just silently staring at me, then I didn't talk either. But he didn't stop observing my face and body, so I couldn't stand it anymore.

“What's up?” many risi.

“Lo still dieting?” tanyanya.

“I told you, I need to reach my ideal weight. My breath is stuffed with this big body. You want me to die young of a heart attack?” my challenge.

“Lo will be fine. Don't lose more weight than this,” threatened.

“Or what?” I accepted the threat. “What would you do if I still lose weight? I'm not crazy, Theo. There's a lot I want to achieve, so I don't want to die young.”

“Indeed you want to do what so need thin body?” tanyanya wants to know.

“I don't want to be skinny. I-de-al,” I said, deliberately mentioning each syllable clearly. “I want to be a walking skull.”

“Because of that, do not lower more than this,” he said again.

I looked at him carefully. What's wrong with her? Why doesn't he want me to lose weight? Wouldn't her attempt to convince her parents of our relationship be easier if I wasn't fat?

After all, men in general like slim women. I can't believe he's any different from them. Because if his people like fat girls, Amarilis must have been estimated by many people for a long time. He was the only one in our class.

“You're afraid of falling in real love with me if I'm thinner, huh?” my guess.

“That's a command, Amarylis,” he said in a half-threatening tone.

“You don't like Katelia because she's mean to all the students at school, but Amarylis is different. Therefore, you forbid me to be close to Brother, whereas on the other hand, I may be familiar with Hercules. You are afraid that if I become beautiful, you will fall in love with me,”.

“We are dating, falling in love is natural,” he said casually. “Lo think I'm afraid of falling in love with you? Don't-don't you yourself be afraid?”

“I won't fall in love with an arrogant guy like you,” I said firmly.

“You bet?” his challenge.

“I don't want to risk my money for this silliness,”.

“If I fall in love first, I release you from any rules. If you are in love, then whatever I ask you to do,” he explained.

I liked the sound of the bet, so I extended my hand to him. He grinned as he shook my hand. “Atal.”

On weekends, I busked in the always crowded park. The four people I had initially avoided already knew I was Katelia, so I could no longer stand playing the violin. After all, those three naughty girls will not interfere in my affairs anymore.

Ah, except for one person who somehow wants to be my best friend. I can't believe he's sincere about being friends with me. There must be something he wants. So, I had to be careful and not be fooled by her hospitality.

After putting the money through the ATM, I went home. The tuition for the two semesters was already fulfilled, then I could focus on the daily living expenses. My dinner is always safe, because someone's buying it. It's just lunch that I get lucky sometimes.

On Monday morning, I did not meet any of the three girls. Brother and Theo were also nowhere to be seen, so I was able to walk leisurely down the corridor towards my classroom. My favorite seat was still empty, so I immediately occupied it.

“For this topic, I want you to do a task with a friend. You can choose who you want to work with, because I won't specify. The task you must give me next week at least three in the afternoon,” closed our lecturer.

The disaster finally happened. I hate group work. I prefer personal tasks, because I don't have to deal with lazy friends who just want to get grades. Or a much demanding colleague, but the task is not completed.

Being Katelia has many advantages. He never had trouble making friends for group assignments. Everyone is on his team. As Amaryllis, I must be patient to be the last person one of them will choose.

“You want to do this task with me?” ask someone who is standing on the side of my desk.

I was stunned for a moment because I knew that voice. I raised my head and my guess was right. “You sure?” I asked back.

“Of course. If you don't want—” said Sonata with disdain.

“Come, we make a very good task!” seruku happy.

He smiled broadly. “I have many ideas about the task!” He sat on an empty chair by my side, then pulled it so we could talk closer.

After determining the timing of our discussion, I rushed towards the campus gate. I don't want my day to be ruined by hearing her unimportant tirade. Anyway, I don't want to throw away my free lunch. The scholarship announcement I applied for is still a long time away.

He didn't talk as long as we ate, busy himself with his tablet. I also ate voraciously while repeating reading the topic we learned earlier from the lecturer. So, I have a topic that I can propose while discussing with Sonata.

My phone shook, so I took it out of the bag. I frowned reading the name on the screen. “Halo, Ma?” my broom.

We don't have a specific schedule for communicating. So whenever they want to talk, they call me. Unlike them, I never called or texted first. It still feels awkward to talk to Amarylis' parents.

“I need your help. Hercules is fiddling with my phone, so I don't know how to get into my social media account!” panicked shouting.

Fucking hercules. Why didn't he put things back the way they were after they were worn? I took a deep breath, then gave him instructions to give the communication tool to his employees who understand using gadgets.

In less than five minutes, the account can be reused. So I led Mama to change her entry code so that it could not be misused by her employees earlier. I learned a lot from my experience of making friends, no one is entirely trustworthy.

Our phone call ended and I was able to resume my studies. That stupid Hercules I'm gonna teach you a lesson. Just look at it later. As the only hope of the family, he was troublesome to the old man instead. What did he do with Mom's phone? Just be careful if he messes around.

“Mama lo open a cake business?” theo asked, breaking the silence. He must have guessed so because he heard the name of Mama's email address earlier.

“Iya. Otherwise, I will not be allowed to go to college and have to help his business,” I replied.

He was stunned and looked at me intently. The habit is starting to make me uncomfortable. Why did he just look on without saying anything? Maybe he has the ability to read minds? Ah, no, I'm thinking too far.

“Lo changed,” said briefly.

“What do you hope I behave how?” I asked back. “You're bullying people, what do I have? Ordinary face, money is not much, the name of the parents is not big, so I am now an easy target, Theo. I have to change if I want to survive.”

“Lo seriously want to achieve the dream of a Katelia? Lo do not want to have other dreams that make more sense and according to the level of lo?” He raised both his eyebrows.

“You insulted me?” I said pissed. “There are dreams that really make sense, therefore we struggle to achieve them. Do not expect you can go to college easily, have a luxury vehicle, and everything is easy, you can underestimate me.”

“Gue is just trying to help. Your resistance will be greater as an Amaryllis.”

“I know and I'm ready with it.”

Sonata and I met in the lecture hall as agreed. We had a discussion together and I was happy to hear all the ideas from him. We share the task of finding more information about the subtopics.

Aunt Ruth welcomed me to their home and asked me to wait in a normal room. Matt's gonna be late again. At that time I used to find information from the results of my discussion with Sonata.

My disciple came with a tired face, but he forced himself to study with concentration. I went back to my job when he finished what I gave him. Thankfully, my part is done and I am ready to discuss it tomorrow with Sonata.

“Kak,” call Matt. I was murmuring because I was drinking water. “How does it feel to be dating?”

Spontaneously I choked on hearing it. Why did he suddenly ask about it? Pimply. Does he know about my relationship with his sister?