The Second Rani

Early Encounter

Early Encounter

Hiya! My name is Rania Saputri. My friends used to call me Rani.

Fifteen years of my age. The age that is quite appropriate is called a teenager who begins to feel the name of love.

Of the many teenage children in Junior High, I include children who have not known dating. Am I a cupu? No! I just think, it feels quite fun when we play with a boy friend, without having to be bound, PACARAN said. Unlike some of my friends who have repeatedly broken up with their girlfriends. And you know what? I who have never had the experience of dating this is always a place to confide in them while fighting, even until finally they break up, and sometimes back again.

They said I was a sweet boy. Oh, I was moved when they said that.

Pretty, maybe more beautiful than me. I am not so confident as to say that I am beautiful.

That you? What was your impression when you heard the name Rania?

Kind, smart, not arrogant, hihihi...

Hmmmm... May things be good when you think of me.

Today is my first day officially becoming a student of Putra Bangsa High School. This High School is one of my favorite high schools in town. In fact, out of the five hundreds of students who enrolled, only two hundred and ten students were admitted to this school. And I was one of those lucky students. Some of my Junior High friends are also not accepted. Only seven students were accepted here. Stevi, Dila, Novan, Agus, Ridho, Dani, and me.

*****

The morning breeze blew against my face which was partially covered in helmet glass. Sometimes, the sound of the wind felt noisy in the ears, because Stevi who hugged me, drove the motor with a little speeding. Along the highway, on the right and left are decorated with fields that begin to turn yellow, ready to serve the farmers.

"Stevi, slow! Don't speed donk!"

"Relax Ran, relax at the back. Guaranteed safe!"

Yeah, Stevi was my friend from childhood. Maybe since we were babies, we were friends. How not? His house is right in front of my house. We were born in the same month, but in a different year. She's a year older than me. She was in Elementary at seven, and I was six. Kindergarten, Elementary School, we are always one school. And now, in High School we are together.

I'm thankful Stevi wants to take me to school on her bike. If not, I'll go to school on a bike. Seven kilos would probably make me squeamish when I get to school. At home, there is only one motor. The only motor that my father uses every day to teach. Yes, he was the elementary school teacher in my village. Being a PNS does not mean living luxuriously as in the minds of people in general. Every month, my father always set aside a few hundred thousand to save, for the sake of my lecture and my sister Rina later.

I remember that one night my father patted me on the shoulder slowly.

"Sorry yes Nduk (pity call parents to his daughter), father can not buy you a motorbike. Dek Rina also entered SMP. The cost is divided first. I told you the same Mr. Udin, if you go to school to be with Stevi first. No papa, right?"

"Yes dad.." I could only say what Dad said, without daring to refute it.

Suddenly my daydream was blown away by Stevi's scream.

"Huh, you're not coming down?" stevi said while taking off the helmet he was wearing.

"Hehe... No need for nyampe."

I was a little surprised, because the journey that is usually taken 15 minutes, felt just passed. I took off the helmet, and put it on the motorcycle jog. While I looked at my face in the rearview mirror, to fix my hair that might be messy because of the wind that was quite strong on the trip earlier.

"Udah, don't read it. Beautiful beautiful." Stevi spoke while covering the rearview mirror with her hands.

"Beautiful what? If my hair gets messy, I think you're going with Hagrid!" candaku.

"Hahahahaha.." Stevi's laughter sounded so crisp.

We both walked down the street from the parking lot to the school grounds. There are a lot of kids coming. The uniforms we wear are different. Because it is still the orientation period, we still wear SMP uniforms. The fabric shared by SMA has not been sewn.

I looked to my left, almost no face I knew. Only Stevi was walking a little quickly in front of me. I saw for a moment that he was already scattered in the crowd of children. They fought each other to see the paper stuck on the gathering board.

"Roman! Try here. Search yourname. What class are you in?" stevi said as he swung his hand to call me closer.

I tried to break into the crowd, and search my name. One second, two seconds, yeah! Rania Saputri's. My name is on the leftmost page. Class 1 A.

I see Stevi's still trying to find her name.

"Well... I'm at 1 E Ran, far away from our class.. You're good, class-leading. Ac Pake. That me? There's a thank you fan." Stevi grumbled as she walked out of the crowd.

Yes, I know that this 1A class is the flagship class.15 children of the highest DANEM selection, and 15 children of the achievement path. And I am among the children on the path of achievement. Any luck? Yes, maybe I was lucky, thanks to the number 1 that always adorned my report card during Junior High in every semester. Also because of the multiple race charters I have, it is enough to get me through to this High School and into the top class on a scholarship.

"Yuk, to your class. I want to see the faces of children as cool as how" said Stevi excitedly while holding my hand.

Though if you think, Stevi is quite smart when Junior High. He always made the top 10 in his class. However, when UAN (National Final Examination), he gets enough results. A value that is very fixed to the standard given by SMA in order to qualify.

Stevi's a kid who's always excited about anything. At first she felt like she was holding my hand, but over time it felt like pulling my hand. Because our steps are not the same. Her footsteps tend to be quick, while I'm a little slow. So I need to run a little to follow him. Until the moment without a doubt my shoulder nudged the arm of someone in front of me violently.

I turned my face, I saw him picking up something like a pen on the ground. Oh, the pen dropped when I accidentally nudged it. A few seconds later, our eyes looked.

Ah, ja... Both of our eyes clashed

Say hello in the distance

Carve each other smiles on the lips

Two hearts that are equally disturbed

Who's that guy?

*****

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New Writer

Hanny Achmad