Take My Heart's

FIRST DAY BACK TO SCHOOL

The long holiday is over. Today is the first day the school residents return to their activities at school. Khalisha sat quietly in her chair. Both of his eyes were staring at the sheet by sheet of books on his desk. Unfortunately, he could not focus on reading it.

It doesn't feel like two hours have passed. The atmosphere created in the classroom is very crowded like a market. All of the class residents seemed engrossed in their respective affairs. Some are busy chatting, singing, and some even hit the table to produce music. Not only that, some of them went out of class when the lesson should have been. The absence of teachers in the classroom certainly makes happiness plastered clearly on their faces. Surprisingly, the same thing does not only apply to one class. Other classes are just as tough. It is possible that for today teachers give a little leeway to their students, giving them freedom before returning to teaching and learning activities.

"Eh, look at that nerd!" whispered the girl sitting in the back row, "the nerd is learning. Severe child. If there is no teacher, we can relax. Wonderful deh. He felt right in front of the book. I don't think there's any boredom."

"Yes, yeah. I was surprised by Lisha too. There are so many things to do besides study. Chat, cake. Eating in the canteen can also. Crazy boy. If I don't read a book, just a sheet feels like I'm going to sleep" said another girl sitting next to him.

The other girl sitting in front of them seemed to notice Khalisha. He muttered, agreeing with the opinions of his two friends. Khalisha does look different to her classmates. Unlike other students who choose to spend their free time at school by gathering together in the cafeteria or in comfortable places to chat, Khalisha instead prefers to be alone and study. Not once did he see Khalisha twice like that, but since he was in class with her—exactly from class X. He never saw Khalisha with anyone else, even once. To be honest, he had long wanted to get acquainted with Khalisha. He wanted to know what Khalisha really was like. Only, he felt confused how to be the friend of a quiet person like Khalisha. Moreover, his two friends did not seem to like Khalisha very much.

The girl suddenly got up from her chair. The two girls who had been talking about Khalisha were staring in shock at her.

"Where are you going, May?"

"I want a samperin Khalisha, Sis," replied the girl named Mayang.

"Well, why are you going there? Like there is no work." The girl named Siska did not seem to like when Mayang approached Khalisha.

Mayang breathed heavily. He could have guessed that approaching Khalisha would not be as easy as he thought. How strange. Never once did he see Siska greeting Khalisha, but Siska did not seem to like him. I don't know what grudges there are between them. Every time he asked that, in the end, what he got was not the answer, but the scolding of his two friends.

For the first time he wanted to get to know someone other than his two close friends. Siska and the girl next to her named Dita are close friends of Mayang since X class. Wherever they are always together. The amount of time he spent with them, no wonder if he knew a little about the nature of Siska and Dita. However, there is one nature of them that is the same and certainly makes him not like. They both like to look down on others. Maybe because they are the children of the rich, so they look at others only from their wealth.

"You better sit down again. It's just free for you to go there. You're just going to talk about the statue" said Siska cynically.

Mayang's ears are hot to hear. They started insulting others again. He no longer said anything—more precisely lazy to listen to the spicy speech that will come out of Siska's mouth next. He then walked to Khalisha's table.

Just like Siska, Dita who was silent watching felt astonished by Mayang's attitude today. It was strange to see Mayang who was suddenly interested in Khalisha. All this time, he had never seen Mayang leave Siska just like before, especially just because of a bookworm. This is definitely not Mayang style.

Everyone in the class already knew what Khalisha was. He was always alone and rarely talked to anyone else. His closed nature is what makes his classmates feel reluctant to be friends with him. They would rather stay away from him than approach and try to befriend Khalisha. But strangely, he was mediocre, as if he did not care about it. He even seemed relaxed doing his routine activities that seemed boring.

Khalisha's eyes were now no longer on the book she was holding, but on a girl standing before her. The girl smiled sweetly at him, as if she had known him for a long time.

"Hi!" awkward sweep.

Khalisha silently looked at him, as if she could not believe that someone had come to greet her. It feels a little weird. From class X, there has never been anyone who would like to greet him because of his loner self.

Mayang was a bit irisful getting a strange look. About a minute passed quickly, but Khalisha still did not respond to his greeting. Don't talk to him, just a smile he won't do it. Confused about facing a quiet person. This was the first time he had tried to befriend a person like Khalisha.

"Hi! I don't know if you know me or not, but we're already in class X. I'm Mayang. I see you always sit alone. Can I sit here?" tanyanya doubt. He doesn't know how to start a conversation with Khalisha.

Both of Khalisha's eyes only glanced at him at a glance. He then looked back at the lines of sentences in the book he held.

"As far as you are," he answered flatly.

Mayang was surprised to hear that. Khalisha finally responded. Instead of changing his mind, Khalisha sat down next to him. Rarely could he see Khalisha speaking. It's a rare moment that's a pity to miss.

"Thank you for letting me sit here" he said happily.

"No need to thank you. And that's not my chair. I have no right to forbid anyone to sit there" Khalisha said indifferently.

The atmosphere between them felt awkward. Two words no longer came out of the mouths of the two girls. Mayang himself confused what else to talk to Khalisha, while Khalisha seemed busy with his book.

"What book did you read?" mayang asked, but actually did not really ask. Perhaps you could say as a fill in the emptiness between them.

Mayang smiled wryly looking at Khalisha. It's completely ignored. All his life, this was the first time he had gotten such treatment from his classmates. As he suspected, Khalisha was indeed difficult to approach.

"Hmm... have you always been like this with other people, Lis?"

Mayang's question made Khalisha's focus again disturbed. He then closed the book. His eyes were now staring at Mayang beside him.

"What do you mean?"

"It seems you're used to it yourself. I've never seen you make friends or talk to anyone else. Don't you keep getting bored of yourself?"

"No."

"Why? Everyone needs a friend" asked Mayang surprised and curious.

"I'd rather be alone."

Seeing Khalisha's expression, Mayang did not know what to say. His efforts to make friends with Khalisha in the future will definitely be difficult. Surprisingly, instead of going away from Khalisha, he was curious about Khalisha. He wanted to know if he could make Khalisha cold and self-loving to open up and make friends with others.

"Is that how you like yourself? Do you really want to try to be friends with others? We are social creatures. We live we need someone else. You can't keep living alone like this. Someday, whether that's when, you'll definitely need someone else" he asked seriously.

Khalisha seemed to think. It took him a minute to answer Mayang's question.

"You're right. As human beings, we cannot live alone. Now or someday, we will definitely need help from others. It's just that not everyone can fit in with each other. This also happens in friendship. If anyone wants to be friends with me, then that person should be able to accept me for who I am. If he can accept me for who I am, then I will also accept it for what it is."

Mayang was stunned to hear it. Since he spoke, Khalisha did not look at him at all and only answered him briefly. Although this conversation sounded like an exchange of opinions, he did not expect to make Khalisha who rarely spoke could seriously respond to his words. He feels very happy. It's really progress.

"Why bengong? Is there something wrong with what I said?" khalisha asked confused.

Mayang jolted from his daydream. He smiled slightly at Khalisha.

"No. There is nothing wrong with what you said. I'm just glad you're talking to me."

How strange. This was the first time that someone had felt happy just by hearing him speak at length. He himself realized that his closed nature made his classmates stay away from him. However, just this time there was someone who would come up to him and talk to him.

"If you think friends should be like that, can I be your friend? I wonder if I can be your friend or not" Mayang asked a little excitedly.

This time Khalisha was shocked. Both of his eyes stared fixedly at Mayang, as if he could not believe what he had just heard. He hastily changed his facial expression as usual.

"As far as you are. I never forbid anyone to be friends with me. But I hope you don't regret this decision. I'm not like your other friends."

"Why would I regret it?" Mayang did not understand what Khalisha had just said.

"You see for yourself I'm like this. Instead of regretting it, you better go back to your friends."

Mayang gave a small smile hearing it, leaving Khalisha confused. "Alright, alright. I-i understand. Thanks, you've accepted me as your friend."

Khalisha no longer responded to Mayang's words. No matter the class atmosphere that is still in the crowd. He then turned his eyes to the book he was holding, refocused on the book he had read.

Instead of returning to his stool, Mayang stepped out of class. For some reason, today he was satisfied. It was great to make new friends. To him, having many friends was more fun than being alone. Although he knew it would be difficult to be friends with Khalisha, at least he wanted to know Khalisha further. Maybe someday, the friendship he offered could make Khalisha have many friends.

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