THE FLO!

Bag. 10

I lifted my head when I heard the door open. Davin came in and said the school system was back to how it was. He said it was just a prank job. I looked at him suspiciously.

I stood up straight from my stool after my excursion hour was over. After a quick glance at Davin, I ran to the yard trying to call Braxton. He said he'd pick me up in an hour, but I didn't see a car in the school yard. My attention was shifted when I heard the sound of the horn and I raised my head.

"I'm here, you don't need a phone" Braxton said as he picked up his phone. I walked to the passenger seat and opened the door.

"You said an hour and it's been over an hour" I muttered after I got in the car.

"I didn't know that the streets of Jakarta would be that tight!" answer him more annoyed.

I rolled my eyeballs. "Where's my package?"

Braxton pointed at the back bench and I grabbed it. I tore off the plastic that wrapped it and pulled my new laptop out of the box. No different than my old laptop, even the color is the same. I opened my new laptop and turned it on. I love you so much, Scottie. As soon as I get to work, I'll work hard to pay for all your kindness. How can I not be grateful that all my programs are input into this laptop to be the same as my broken laptop?

"We can go to the coffee shop because there's no way you can get that laptop in here" Braxton suggested. I nodded in agreement while looking for all my programs that were inside that laptop. Well, my boss has even replaced his IP address with my old IP address so I can tinker.

Braxton and I chose a coffee shop a little further from our apartment because we didn't want to cross paths with the minister. And while I was waiting for Braxton to buy me coffee, I started connecting my old laptop motherboard to my new laptop. Not too hard because I'm used to doing this. My head was raised when Braxton came over and brought me some coffee.

"Can?" he asked while looking at my old broken laptop.

"It's not Flo if you can't do this" I replied.

Braxton snaps and looks at me. "This is what I always ask. Why aren't you a teacher? Why be a student?"

I grinned wide. "Faster to be a student than a teacher."

"meaning?"

"If I were a teacher, I would have to apply for a job and wait for a call, different from being a student. I just had to fake the best grades to get in as fast as I could. Is there a school that rejects the best students?" I asked while lifting both my shoulders. "Another reason that is much more logical, is there a teacher who bullied his students? I just need to be a student and find out as much info as I can."

Braxton shook his head when he heard my answer. He couldn't argue because my answer was logical. He grimaced when he saw me break my old laptop in two pieces and put it out of my sight.

"I'll throw it away. I don't want my identity to be discovered if anyone takes this laptop," I replied when Braxton asked me why I broke my laptop.

I typed as fast as I could to put all the data on my old laptop into my new laptop. Braxton who saw the speed of my hand could only shake. He turned his body around and came back busy calling with his friend. My attention was shifted when Braxton returned with a confused face.

"Why?" ask me while leaning my body into the back of the chair. I was waiting for my data to come in and I smiled faintly as I watched my work finish.

"Squeaky. I saw two of your suspects break into the mall" Braxton replied.

"Aren't you wrong?"

Braxton. "I always look at their photos every time I talk to my colleagues so I can't possibly forget. Collin and Caesar."

I scrunched my forehead in confusion. "When I was at school, I never saw them talk. Caesar never came to the BP room. I didn't know they were that close."

"You think this is weird?"

I'm nodding.

"That means you need to find out more."

"I'm alone? You're not coming?"

Braxton pushed my forehead slowly using his index finger. "Next week I have to report for duty, Sis." He straightened his body. "Don't stay here too long, Flo. The longer you're here, the more I'm afraid something will happen to you."

I smiled because I understood his anxiety. "I can take care of myself, Brother."

Braxton. "You can take care of yourself from others, but can you keep yourself from yourself?

I frowned at me confused.

"I'm afraid you refuse to go back" he whispered softly. "Are you ready to let go if the truth isn't as good as you think it is?"

I was speechless, unable to answer Brexton's question. He was right and that's what I'm afraid of. It scares me that Freya killed herself out of her own will.

Braxton. He pulled my hand. "You still want to be here or go home? Brenda just called and she said we can go home now."

"We're going home" I whispered, closing my laptop. Braxton let go of my hand because I had to put my laptop in my bag. I let him take my old laptop that had been split into two and clasped my hand.

"Think of my words, Flo. Take advice from your sister" Braxton added. I nodded slowly and returned Braxton's grasp.

...***...

The more I think, the more true Braxton is and the more frustrating it is to think about all that. I couldn't focus on my pursuit and I couldn't do anything. I, Florentia Abdi Kusuma, the most serious person in doing one thing, am not even able to complete the formula given by Davin for my homework! Before, I could do the same thing while closing my eyes. I was frustrated to the point of slamming the computer keyboard in front of me because I was upset.

"You want to destroy school property?" asked Davin who was standing next to me while looking at me.

I'm staring. "I can't finish this, sir!" hisisku pointed at my computer screen.

She's staring. "Usually you can even if you try a few times," he asked as he raised his eyebrows. I'm shaking.

"This time is too hard, sir."

"Difficult? That means it's weird. Let me see." He shifted my chair and stared at my computer screen. Not long after, he turned his eyes to me. "Are you sure you can't do this?"

I nodded weakly. "I told you I can't, sir."

Davin frowned and looked at me confusedly. "Squeaky. This is a first class assignment I've repeated. Why can't you do it?"

"If I knew, sir," I murmured quietly.

She's speechless. "Rest in the UKS" he ordered.

"What?" I asked because I couldn't hear her words.

"I can leave before the turn of the hour bell, sir?" my many. He nodded which touched me. Turns out he's good too.

"You better take a break than you are a bully here" replied Davin who made my praise earlier I pulled!

I looked at him with annoyance and got up from my seat. He pulled his body back so I could get through it. I thanked him before leaving. I also nodded at Daisy as she looked at me. I walked to the UKS room which was only two rooms away from the computer lab room. I knocked on the door of the UKS room and when I heard the answer from inside, I opened it immediately.

"Lho's? Florence? Why are you here? You sick?" ask Miss Rose.

"Sir Davin told me to come here, ma'am," I replied in a hoarse voice. He came up to me and put his hand on my forehead.

"Well, you seem to have a fever. You rest there." The rose pointed to a small bed beside his stool. "I'll take the medicine for you first."

I coughed softly. My throat was bad and my tongue was bitter. I sat on the bed and Rose gave me a white tablet and a glass of mineral water. I immediately downed the medicine and water and lay down on the bed. I just realized how good he was to me because he was enveloping my body.

"Are you all right? Need Mom to call your parents?" ask her gently. I'm shaking.

"My mom works, Mom," I replied slowly.

"Papa?"

"Udah is dead."

"Oh, sorry. I thought the stranger yesterday was your papa."

I'm shaking. "He's my mother's sister, Mom."

The rose looked at me pitying. He held my hand. "I also lost my father when I was young" he said regretfully. I stared at him and briefly saw a circular ring on his ring finger as it grasped my hand.

"Mom's married?" my many. His face changed upon hearing the question and I apologized immediately. "Sorry, Mom, if I'm presumptuous."

She shook her head. "It's okay, Flo. Can I call Flo?" I'm nodding. "My husband left me while carrying my young son. Finding a good man in this world is hard."

I'm staring. Despite laughing, I could see there was sorrow on his face. He smiled when he saw my face. His hand outstretched to massage my forehead which was indeed shriveling.

"Not to look at me like that. I'm fine," said the Rose softly.

"Where have you been looking for your husband and children?"

He's nodding. "He disappeared without a trace. I have reported to the police and from them I know that my husband became a police DPO due to fraud. He ran away, not only leaving me but also taking my son with him."

I looked at him for pity. Pity a woman as beautiful and as good as she gets such an irresponsible husband. Seeing my forehead shriveling back, she gently massaged it again.

"You don't get used to frowning you or you can have wrinkles at a young age. After all you are beautiful, do not let the wrinkles on your face interfere with your beauty," he praised that made me smile.

"Mother is beautiful too. Don't let because men are as jerks as your husband make your beauty and kindness decrease. Spirit, Mom."

He smiled at me broadly. "This is why I chose to be a teacher. Even though I lost a son, I can still have another child that I love. I am so sorry to hear Freya died. Like seeing your own son die."

I tried as hard as I could to keep no emotion out of my face.

"Your mother was very close to him. His son was very kind and always excited despite being sick often. She often visits Mom because of her weak body. Especially since Stella often makes trouble with him." His voice sounded angry. "Mom told you she'd rather give up than make Stella angry. But he insisted. He said he had an amazing sister who would come back soon and defend him."

"Mom knows her sister?" I asked with anxious expectation.

He shook his head which made me very relieved. "She only told me a few times about her sister. His name is Florentia Abdi Kusuma, almost the same as yours. She always told me that her sister was amazing. Graduated M.I.T and worked at Pioneer Technosoft."

"The part that's a great programmer?" I try as much as possible.

He's nodding. "I didn't believe it at first. How could Freya's sister be able to work in such a great company given how clumsy Freya is? But when our school system goes down and Freya asks for her sister's help, I believe."

At first I was offended to hear the Rose. He seemed to demean me by likening me to Freya. Freya is clumsy and gets sick easily and that's because she's premature! But that doesn't mean my brother is stupid! I'm sorry I helped build this school system. Even though it makes people believe that I work at Pioneer Technosoft, it doesn't mean that I'm happy that they made fun of my sister.

"Okay, the story's over. You just rest here because soon I have biology lessons. If you want, you can go home. Can I get you a letter home?" ask the rose that my daydream is scattering.

I'm shaking. I can't go home, either to my house or to my apartment. When I go to my house, my mother will be worried and that is what I avoid the most. If I go to the apartment, I'll meet Braxton and his words to me will be repeated in my brain. I'd better be here and keep a close eye on the state of this school. I took my cell phone to look at every CCTV as the Rose left the UKS room. I couldn't use my laptop because I left it in my apartment this morning. Besides, how could I possibly use a laptop if they thought I was sick?

My attention was shifted as I looked through the CCTV cameras, Caesar and Collin passing by the school hallway. Their attitude is normal even though Braxton said when he saw them in the mall, they look so close because they embrace each other and even laugh. They can't be brothers. Not only because it is not similar but also because there is no data that Collin has a brother.

I coughed again and my throat felt dry. Maybe it's time for me to take a break. I put my phone in my skirt pocket and looked for the best position to sleep in. I closed my eyes after I imagined the face of Freya smiling at me.

...***...

Bizarrely. I think I'm dreaming. Maybe because of the medicine I was taking. I saw a man coming to me. I couldn't see his face because the light behind him was disturbing my view. He clasped my hand tightly and stroked my face. This is really weird. I opened my eyes weakly but still I could not see his face. My eyes are getting heavy. I felt something touch my forehead gently. I couldn't see because my eyes were getting heavy. Strangely, I felt that something was pressing down on my lips gently, much softer than the one on my forehead. I couldn't do anything because my eyes were heavy and I succumbed to my drowsiness.

...***...

I opened my eyes. The light in the ceiling of the room pierced my eyes. I looked around me and realized that I was not alone in the room. The rose came and brought me a glass of tea.

"You're awake? Gosh, you sleep so well like a man who only sleeps four hours a day" she said, which made me smile.

I slept for two hours, Mom. Answer in my heart. I looked at the clock on the wall of the room and looked up. Oh my God! Now it's four o'clock and I'm asleep for five hours without anyone waking me up? I got out of bed in panic.

"I'm sorry I slept here unconsciously," I said in a regretful tone.

The rose looked at me with a smile. "Steach, Flo, you're sick. Now drink this tea." He held out the cup he had in his hand to me. I chugged it to the ground because it wasn't too hot and returned the cup to the Rose.

"Was I been here anyone visited this room?" ask me while folding the blanket I use.

Roses shake. "As long as I'm here, nothing. Maybe only a few students came to ask me for medicine. Why?"

I nodded slowly while smiling. Is that really a dream? But why does it feel so real? I reach my lips. Maybe it was just a dream. I say goodbye to Rose and thank her and call Brenda to pick me up. I better forget that. Consider it a dream. But still, who kissed me?