THE END OF OUR STORY

Almost Angry

Aurora was still not calm until they finally arrived at their destination. The journey is not long, but Aurora feels time is going very slowly while her heart is beating fast.

Get off the bus, Awan still does not want to let go of his grip. Walking towards the meeting place, Aurora's hand is still controlled by the Cloud.

Aurora was confused in translating the Cloud's words and actions.

“What does Mas Awan mean holding my hand in such a way that he has not intended to release it? What have the touches of Mas Awan meant all this time? What do the words of seduction and attention that I have often received mean? Does that mean Mas Awan likes me? But why is there no expression of anything from Mas Awan? What kind of Cloud Mas would prefer to state through actions, not by words?”

During their walk they were silent, Aurora dissolves in her gut thoughts. “What can you say we are dating? Or not?”

“Yuk, Au.. login.” The sound of the clouds resuscitated Aurora. They stopped at the door of a cafe.

Arriving at the table chosen by the Clouds, then the Clouds release Aurora's hand because she had to shift the chair to provide a seat for Aurora.

“Finally..,” Inner Aurora.

Just when they finished ordering drinks and snacks, James went into the cafe and approached the Awan and Aurora tables. The clouds immediately stood up and they hugged each other while patting their warm backs.

“Finally met also loe!” The first sentence slid from James' lips which were covered with a light laugh of both.

As soon as James sat himself across the Cloud, his gaze immediately turned to Aurora. She smiles.

“Hai...temennya Clouds, yes? I know James.”

His voice was thick but it sounded light. Aurora suspects that James seems to be the type of person who likes to joke.

“Iya, Mas. I'm Aurora,” Aurora replied as she welcomed James' hand.

“Do not call ‘Mas’,” serge Cloud, “if he calls it ‘Bang James’.”

Aurora laughed. ”O-oh... yes, Bang James,” he said while nodding.

James laughed, but as his index finger lifted towards Aurora, he still had a laugh on his face. Without further ado James immediately sounded like finding something that moved his heart.

”Eh, so cute he is, Wan.. There are dimples of his cheeks.”.

James continued to continue his smile while looking intensely at Aurora. The one looked down embarrassedly, while the Clouds of his eyes were already glaring towards James.

“Idiiih, what the hell is James? Basic playboy!” Blood rustling.

The clouds instantly distracted James by asking him how he had been doing all along. Clouds and James have been friends since they were High School. However, after college they split campus despite studying in the same city. And so on until they get to the doctoral program. Always study in the same time frame, with masters and doctorates in the same country even though different cities. Their friendship is like a song, like a cocoon. Although having differences does not prevent them from always supporting each other.

James' attention returned to Aurora because only he and the Clouds were busy talking. He was guessing what kind of connection Aurora and the Clouds had.

“Aurora original from where?”

James opened a conversation with Aurora. Through the tail of his eyes he saw the clouds disturbed.

“Surabaya, Bang.” Aurora tried to answer kindly.

James ignored the cloud's reaction. “Oooh, Surabaya. Where was the S1?”

Aurora answered James back by mentioning the name of one of the campuses in Bandung.

“Oh over there? One campus dong y'all.” This time his gaze was directed at the Clouds.

The clouds just nodded slowly.

Aurora who actually voiced to justify James. “Iya, Bang. I was a junior to Mas Awan. I just entered, Mas Awan already want to pass.”

Aurora's sentence opens James' memory until he realizes something. “Don't these be the girls who used to be called the Clouds? That class sister on the campus? He never wanted to tell me what his name was.”

James looked at the Clouds trying to find an explanation, but the Clouds did not want to look at James because his heart was getting upset. He pretended to be busy stirring coffee in front of him.

“Huuu, that's it! Caves work also nih...,” Inner James saw the attitude of the Clouds.

James continued his question to Aurora. “Trus how, here happy?”

Chat continued between James and Aurora with the Clouds who had been cold, especially seeing Aurora laughing a lot because of the chattering of James who did invite his interlocutors to spontaneously let out a laugh.

If it wasn't with Aurora, the Clouds would have laughed with them. Since long ago James was most able to create a liquid atmosphere with his jokes. It was also one of them that made the Clouds happy to be friends with James, like a stress reliever every time they met. But this time he seemed to see James as an enemy who came crashing suddenly.

“Ehm,” Cloud cleared his throat and tried to divert the conversation, “Loe still ran the newspaper, James?”

“Yes, but winter gini is heavy. Early in the morning very cold...,” James continued again, ”maybe nganter newspaper should be cemented Aurora nih, let add spirit.”

His eyes glanced at Aurora which Aurora greeted with laughter. Aurora knew that James was just joking.

“Eh what is this James? Pake wooing everything! To send her to Antarctica, is she? Aurora laughed again. Glad yes she seduced James.” The clouds tightened his lips and his eyes pointed sharply at James.

James was well aware the Clouds were not happy to see him familiar with Aurora. The attitude of the Clouds actually makes James more curious to disturb the Clouds as well as find the answer to the shape of the relationship between Cloud and Aurora.

His eyes looked at Aurora seductively. The clouds instantly wanted to pry James' eyes with his finger.

Aurora smile. “Usually the heck I called ‘Au’, Bang. But want to call others also gakpapa, please aja.”

The clouds quickly turned towards Aurora.

“Ha?? Pall-please? This is Aurora why the hell?” The clouds grumbled in annoyance in his heart.

Seeing the reaction of the Clouds, James immediately continued with a cry, “Waaah. I'm the only one who calls Rora.”

Aurora only replied with a light laugh.

“Let his girlfriend be angry if anyone has a special call?” James fishing.

Laughing Aurora replied, ”No, Bang... don't have a girlfriend yet.”.

“Ha? Really new?” James pretended surprised, “can dong!”

Buk up! James felt his leg kicked by the Clouds.

James laughed in his heart. “Rasain loe, cave kerjain. This means that there is nothing about the same Cloud Aurora.”

Pretending not to feel the Clouds kick, James continued his tease of Aurora and gave the Clouds no chance to interject between them.

The clouds felt huffed and angry. Today he intends to meet an old friend while being together with Aurora. Intentions want to have fun, but it is not surprising that James even played fire to burn his heart and mind.

“Quiet, Cloud. Can't you go to James in front of Aurora?”

His voice tried to calm him down. The clouds are trying to control themselves. He also did not want to look like an emotionally consumed fool in front of Aurora.

It was dark and they finished their drinks and paid. James stood first, followed by the Clouds, and they embraced again as they had when they first met.

“OK, brother! See you again. Success, loe!” said James who replied to Cloud with almost the same sentence, “OK, thanks. Loe also successful.”

Turning to Aurora, James stretched out his hand which Aurora greeted, but then James closed it with his left hand until it was entirely within James's grasp.

“See you soon Rora. Play around here again, don't take him,” James said as he glanced at Clouds, a mixture of cynicism and joking.

James continued with Aurora's hand that he still held.

“Sometimes I also play to your place. Accompany me later yes..“.

His smile was wide with tempting eyes.

The clouds patted Aurora's arm slowly.

“Udaaah...,” he said hope Aurora's hand is released soon.

James grinned, knowing what the Cloud meant.

Aurora's hands were released, moving to embrace the Clouds on her shoulders as they walked out of the cafe.

“Don't be late, ntar blurred,” whispered softly to the Clouds while patting the back of the Clouds as if giving spirit. The clouds looked puzzled, but James gave no answer.

“Dag...” James's hand separated them in front of the cafe.

Just walking a few steps towards the stop, the Cloud HP trembled. A message from James.

“Heh, why?”

The clouds opened the message in curiosity as they had just split up.

James PS: Aurora is a girl who told you first, right? Who do you like that? Deh loe's hunt! Kalo pake lama ntar tikung cave 😎

The smiling cloud realized his stupidity that had almost evaporated his emotions on James. He quickly replied to James' message.

Cloud: Damn! Loe ngerjain cave just now.

James: 😂😂

Inserting HP back into his pouch, Cloud looked at Aurora standing beside him. “Propay yes, Au. Bentaaaar again. Don't run away.”

“It feels cold again, doesn't it?”

Aurora slightly flinched, confused as to what to answer.

“If you say cold trus Mas Clouds want to do what? But if you say no, why pingiiiinn..”.