Paper Dove

My Apology to Juan

" Well, this is the prima donna of our school", Sarah saw me sharply without shame. 

I turned my face away from Sarah and took a tissue to dry my face. I try not to get hooked.

" I'm not the prima donna of this school sis", I replied patiently.

Elsa came up to me but Sarah's friends pulled her out of the toilet. Ban anyone from entering so they can freely bully me.

" Emmm ..you're so weird to Juan. You know, Juan just fits in with me. How desperate you are" said Sarah sharply.

" ha? A timing? I do not catch up with Juan, brother Juan who keeps running towards me? So how should I?", I fight. I'm tired of things like this. 

" It's so conceited of this child", Sarah's friend was angry as she approached me. 

Sarah laughed softly "Juan is not the type who will run towards the girl, let alone chase. And you have to realize, you're a new kid.do not know yourself.do not know shame.sook beauty ", Sarah shoved my shoulder with her finger. 

I smiled meaningfully. I scratched my un-itchy forehead.

" So now brother Juan keeps coming to me that's what's his name? Likey? Of love? A fan? Brother Sarah do not need to be jealous, mending brother learned the right to graduate UN", I said full of courage.

I saw Sarah was so upset "Fuckin' girl", she pushed me and made me fall near the sink.

I was very angry, but my legs were limp and my hands were trembling in shock. One of Sarah's gang friends poured water from a bucket in the corner of the room. 

Byuuurrr. I had regretted having hurriedly changed my sports clothes in uniform.

"Warnings for you beauty-ass and.", Sarah had not finished speaking when someone shouted in a quite thunderous voice from behind her.

" DARKY !! ".

We looked in that direction. Brother Juan was standing with a face I had never seen before. He's wrathful.

Sarah who saw Juan was immediately frightened as well as Sarah's friend. 

I shed tears when I saw Juan coming, wanting to feel like I was yelling at Juan to help me. 

" Sarah you're crazy" Juan spoke stifledly looking at me trying to stand up.

" Eh hey Juan.. Why are you here?", Sarah stuttered. 

Juan came up to me, clutching my face, looking at my tears as if he wanted to cry.

Juan's hand shook with anger. Juan helped me up and asked Elsa to take me to the UKS. 

I left the toilet without a sound. But I saw him pull Sarah's hand by force out of nowhere.  

***

I've changed into Juan's sports shirt. The clothes are too big but I feel comfortable, my uniform skirt is lucky not to be hit by water.

" Huh, good thing I always carry clothes in reserve everywhere. If I can't be ashamed of it" I told Elsa who helped me bring the school bag to the UKS.

" I'm sorry, I couldn't help you earlier. They play crackle. So I had no choice but to ask for help" said Elsa feeling guilty. 

"Sa thank you. I was afraid you were in anything" I said, hugging Elsa. 

I cried softly, Elsa calmed me down.  " You must be scared, right? Sorry to" said Elsa. 

" You call brother Juan yes", I asked as I wiped the tears that flowed down my cheeks.

" Yes, the teacher's room is far away. I'm afraid it's the same with Juan, so I'm Adam's brother's samperin. Adam called Juan", Elsa's story.

I'm nodding. Elsa patted my shoulder. 

" Now that you rest, I've permission to the teacher if you're sick. I'll get samperin back here".

" Yes, thank you Sa" I said and lay down. My head hurts amazingly, the pain medication I'm taking hasn't reacted yet. I close my eyes and I don't know when I started sleeping. 

***

I don't know how long I slept. When I woke up the sunlight from the window was a little orange. 

" Gosh, what time is it. I'm crazy to fall asleep here. Elsa where the hell, I didn't wake up", I quickly grabbed my bag to take the HP.

" It's only 4 o'clock. I thought you were going to sleep until morning. So I prepared a snack and a camper stove to cook dinner ", Someone from the bed next to me spoke. 

" Sister Juan, what's the matter here?", I was surprised to see Juan.

" Please look after you. Elsa I told you to go home, sorry for the afternoon. How's it? Wealthy already? Want to go home or stay here? Tomorrow's the school's red day off" Juan said at length. 

I'm a manyun, how many minutes next I've been sitting in the back seat of Juan's motorbike. 

" Sister", I called slowly while on the bike.

" Hmm?", Juan said. 

" Em.pardon me yesterday. I'm emotional" I said slowly. 

Juan suddenly stopped his bike on the side of the road.

" What did you say? I didn't hear" Juan said as he took off his helmet.

Juan looked at me with a triumphant look

" Okay I'm sorry". 

I smiled, either because of the weight of my heart that was lifted or because Juan wanted to make up with me "buy me fried rice, yes", I said casually as I climbed on the bike. 

Juan laughed "so I'm the deal. It is possible if fried rice, not expensive first. I'm so sick of you" Juan said so very honestly.

" how did I. I asked for anything. Never, most meatballs, pegs, martabaks" I said sure. 

" You forgot your act of bringing your classmate. Fortunately, it's not the class you brought".

I laughed on Juan's back "Yes yes. Sorry deh".

Juan smiled and carried his motorbike through the afternoon sky of Ruteng, with me comfortably leaning on his back. 

****

Tomorrow I'm really sick, Flu is heavy. Juan came to my house but I couldn't go with him, he said he wanted to show me the tree. 

" Are you okay?", Juan looked worried.

" It's okay, at most 2 days rest is also healed" I said convincingly.

" So tomorrow you don't go to school?" asked Juan again.

I nodded as I picked up the tissue on the table and cleared my nose. 

" You go home. Ntar hit me, ", throw me out.

" I'm not gonna get knocked down just because of the flu. Take it easy" he said bragging. "what do you want to eat?".

" I want to eat red sticky rice but not green beans. I don't like green beans" I said, then took a lying position on the couch.

Juan helped me put a blanket up to my neck. My head hurt probably because of my stuffy nose and I don't know what I look like right now in front of Juan. 

For the first time Juan said my name correctly. 

" Dew, I'm out right now. I'll find the red sticky rice, I'll come back" Juan said. 

" Where is my brother going? Here", I reflexively held her hand. Maybe right now the head cells in my brain are not working properly so I'm doing a really weird thing. 

Between sleeping and not, I felt Juan clasping my right hand quite tightly. 

" Juan", I called him without brother frills and so on.

" Yes dew. You want something?", Juan is a little closer to me. 

" Yet, you came a long time ago. Though... I was afraid...." I said half drowsy. 

There was no response from Juan. And I fell asleep in silence.

***

I woke up and stretched myself on the bed. The flu medicine I was taking was really powerful, so powerful I went to sleep like a fainting person.

I saw my phone, it was 7 in the morning, As I remembered the last time I slept on the living room couch, but now I woke up on my bed. 

" Would I get up to move into my room? but I don't remember. Oh maybe the aunt who took the trouble to move me", I muttered to myself. Look for slippers under the bed and walk out of the room. I want to drink water. 

I saw my aunt cooking in the kitchen. Aunty who devoted herself to taking care of me from childhood moved in with me all the way here.

He said pity Dew if no one takes care of me, because the aunt knows all my needs since I was born and before my mother died, mama left me to aunt.

" What's cooking?", I asked as I hugged my aunt's stocky arm.

" Are you awake? This auntie makes red glutinous porridge. Make neng, it was delicious yesterday to ask to be madein".

" Rather? When do I ask? ", i try to remember.

" Loh yesterday the same as Juan, eneng asked to buy red glutinous porridge" explained aunt.

" ha? Really bi? Any timing? Is Juan here until what time?", I was a little surprised to take off my arms.

" Till night. That Juan wants to go home cool forbid, finally son Juan accompany deh, pity to sleep on the carpet. This is rice that Juan wants to buy in the market. He said there was nothing selling glutinous bean porridge eh in his methane buyin. Tuh in the refrigerator snacks a lot to neng Dewun from nak Juan", Aunt explained at length as if Juan was her son. 

I bengong. " Who brought me to my room ? Auntie right? Really right?", I asked curiously and expectantly that it was aunt who moved me.

Aunt smirked "Mas Juan or neng. Aunt mana is strong". 

My body feels weak to want to faint again "Tidaaaaaakkk...why bi? Why not aunty?", I asked to hold the end of the aunt's negligee.  

" Oh neng sorry. Aunty is old, if aunty has meaty fattening aunty can gout. If you want to sleep in the living room pity, enjoy your sleep like a horse. Almost fell mutely off the sofa" said the aunt. 

I stood up and held the shoulder of aunt "thank you bi", I passed leaving aunt in the kitchen, forgetting that my goal to the kitchen was to drink water.

" Neng don't forget to say thank you to Juan later huh", aunt yelled at me. 

***