Sebuah Cerpen: Terlalu

Bali, 25 May 2012.

Angin pantai yang bertiup cukup kencang dan desiran ombak yang begitu menenangkan menemani Melisa yang duduk termenung di ayunan kayu tepat di halaman belakang beach house yang ia tempati bersama teman-teman kuliah dan beberapa sepupunya. Waktu sudah menunjukkan pukul 10 malam tetapi Melisa sama sekali belum mengantuk. Well, mungkin ia sudah cukup mengantuk tapi beberapa hal yang tidak berhenti menghantui pikirannya membuat Melisa tidak bisa tidur sama sekali. Ira, sahabatnya sejak SMA, akan sedikit kesal jika ia tahu bahwa Melisa lagi-lagi terbangun oleh hal yang sama sejak beberapa minggu yang lalu.

“Mel,” Oh there she comes… “Lo belom tidur?” Tak lama kemudian, Ira duduk di sebelah Melisa dan menghela napas keras.

“Ngga bisa tidur, Ra.” Lagi-lagi Ira menghela napas begitu mendengar jawaban Melisa.

“Hmm let me guess… Pasti Aryo lagi, ya?” Pertanyaan Ira langsung membuat Melisa tertunduk. Ia menghela napas dan menganggukkan kepalanya. Tentu saja Ira tahu bahwa Aryo dalang dari semuanya. Aryo lah penyebab Melisa kurang tidur dan mimpi buruk yang terus menerus mendatangi Melisa selama beberapa minggu ke belakang. Bukan hanya itu, Aryo juga yang menyebabkan Melisa lebih pemurung dan pendiam.

Sejak Aryo ‘menghilang’, hari-hari Melisa terasa lebih mendung. Yang ia lakukan setelah pulang kuliah hanyalah diam di kamar sambil memainkan blackberry-nya atau diam di depan TV sambil makan ice cream dan tissue bertebaran di sekelilingnya.

“Udahlah, Mel. Jangan dipikirin lagi. Orang kayak gitu sama sekali ngga pantes buat lo pikirin. Move on lah, Mel,” ucap Ira dengan pelan sambil memperhatikan figure Melisa yang masih menunduk.

“Ah, andaikan move on segampang itu, Ra…” Melisa mendongak dan hanya bisa tertawa hambar begitu mendengar perkataan sahabatnya itu. Entah sudah berapa kali Ira mengatakan hal yang sama pada Melisa tapi tetap saja Melisa belum ingin berubah. Ia masih stuck di tempat yang sama, stuck di tempat yang gelap dan penuh oleh kenangan-kenangan yang tidak ada henti menghantui dirinya.

Bandung, 18 Maret 2012.

“Mel!! Awas!!!” Begitu mendengar namanya dipanggil, Melisa langsung membalikkan badannya dan BUK! Sebuah bola mendarat tepat di wajahnya. Seketika itu juga wajahnya langsung terasa sakit dan kepalanya pusing, “Mel? Lo gapapa, kan?” terdengar suara Ira yang semakin mendekat.

“Hm, lumayan, Ra. Langsung puyeng gini kepala gue.” Sebelum bisa berkata apa-apa lagi, Melisa merasa ada seseorang selain Ira yang membantunya berjalan menuju bangku terdekat dan membantunya duduk, seakan-akan jika mereka melepaskan Melisa, ia akan langsung jatuh dan pingsan.

Melisa masih belum bisa menyadari apa yang terjadi saat itu. Ia sedang mengecek binder tebalnya untuk memastikan bahwa ia tidak meninggalkan apapun di ruang workshop tapi begitu sedang berjalan di sekitar lapangan bola, tiba-tiba ada seseorang yang memanggil namanya dan sedetik kemudian sebuah bola langsung mendarat di wajahnya.

“Tadi siapa sih yang nendang bola sekencang itu sampe bisa kena muka gue?!” tanya Melisa dengan sewot sambil mengusap-ngusap wajahnya yang terasa panas dan sedikit perih.

“Itu si Aryo, Mel,” jawab Rendra, pacar Ira. Melisa langsung mengkerutkan dahinya begitu mendengar nama Aryo. Oh… ternyata si Aryo, toh. Pantesan kencang banget, batin Melisa dalam hati, “Tau Aryo, kan?” tanya Rendra.

“Ya, taulah, Ren. Dulu kan si Melisa pernah suka.” Refleks, Melisa langsung menginjak kaki Ira dengan kencang, “Aw! Sakit, dodol!”

“Hah? Apa? Pernah suka? Cieeee,” sambar Rendra sambil tertawa yang langsung membuat Melisa kesal seketika.

“Duh, udah deh, ya, yang lalu ngga usah dibahas. Emang sih dulu pernah suka, tapi udahlah, itu kan dulu. Ngga usah dibahas lagi lah…” Melisa menghela napas keras dan menggelengkan kepalanya tidak percaya. Ia memang dulu pernah suka dengan Aryo, tapi itu dulu. Semua itu terjadi sebelum Melisa mengetahui bahwa Aryo sudah punya pacar dan sebelum Mario hadir.

“Speaking of the devil… Itu orangnya nyamperin,” bisik Ira dengan cukup keras yang tidak bisa langsung dicerna dengan Melisa. Melisa hanya mengerutkan dahinya dan menoleh ke belakang.

Benar saja apa yang dikatakan Ira beberapa detik yang lalu. Aryo berjalan dengan cukup cepat ke arahnya sambil membawa tas ransel abu-abunya dan kacamata yang biasa ia kenakan sehari-hari. Tanpa disadari, Melisa mulai merasa aneh. Jantungnya berdegup beberapa kali lebih cepat, tenggorokannya seketika kering, pipinya terasa panas, dan kepalanya terasa sedikit pusing. Ya Tuhan… Melisa, tenangin diri lo! Tarik napas dalem-dalem, Mel, batin Melisa sambil menarik napas perlahan dan menghembuskannya lewat mulut.

“Uhhh, hi. Gue Aryo,” ucap Aryo dengan perlahan sambil menggaruk belakang lehernya dan tersenyum kecil.

“Melisa,” ucap Melisa dengan suara yang sedikit serak dan buru-buru ia berdeham.

“Gue tau kok,” Melisa langsung mengkerutkan dahinya lagi. Sejak kapan Aryo tahu namanya? Melisa tahu pasti bahwa selama ini Aryo tidak pernah mengenal dirinya. Meliriknya sedikit saja tidak pernah, apalagi tahu namanya?, “Eh itu… Tadi… Maaf ya. Gue sama sekali ngga nyangka tendangannya bakal sekencang itu sampe bisa kena muka lo segala.” Aryo menjelaskan dengan raut wajah yang cukup serius, seakan-akan ia benar-benar merasa bersalah karena telah menendang bola itu terlalu kencang.

“Uh, iya, ngga apa-apa kok. Santai aja,” Melisa tersenyum miris lalu tertawa hambar. Duh, Mel, jelas-jelas lo itu jelas ngga gapapa. Muka perih gini masih bisa bilang gapapa. Ya ampun, batin Melisa lagi dalam hati dan seketika ingin rasanya ia menghilang dari permukaan bumi ini karena malu.

“Makanya, bro, lain kali kalo nendang bola jangan pake emosi. Santai aja lah,” sambar Rendra sambil tertawa kecil dan Melisa melihat seulas senyum kecil mengembang di wajah Aryo.

“Iya, iya. Kejadian kayak tadi jelas-jelas ngga akan kejadian lagi, lah. Tenang aja.” Aryo tertawa kecil dan melirik Melisa yang sedang mengusap-usap dahinya yang terus berkeringat, “Hm, gue duluan ya. Harus ke toko buku dulu sebentar, ngambil titipan kakak. Dah…” Aryo tersenyum lagi dan melambai pada Melisa, Rendra, dan Ira sebelum akhirnya berjalan menjauh ke tempat parkir.

Setelah Aryo menjauh, Melisa menghela napas keras dan menggaruk lengannya yang sama sekali tidak terasa gatal, “Mel, lo harus tau kalo tadi muka lo sempat merah dan pucat.” Melisa langsung kaget begitu mendengar perkataan Ira.

“Seriusan, Ra?” Ira hanya mengangguk dan Rendra malah tertawa, “Eh, malah ketawa lagi! Udah sana! Hus hus hus! Bukannya jam 11 ada kelas, ya? Sekarang udah jam 11 kurang 10 menit juga.”

“Oh iya! Ya ampun! Dah, Ira!” Rendra mengacak-acak rambut Ira terlebih dahulu sebelum akhirnya berlari masuk ke dalam gedung.

Melisa terdiam lagi begitu Rendra sudah pergi. Ia langsung terjebak dalam pikirannya yang sudah semrawut. Dan kehadiran Aryo selama beberapa menit itu juga membuat pikirannya tambah semrawut. Sudah 3 bulan lebih ia tidak memikirkan Aryo lagi, bahkan melihatnya di daerah kampus pun jarang, tapi kali ini tiba-tiba Aryo memasuki pikirannya lagi, membuat hatinya berdegup lebih kencang hanya dengan memikirkannya saja, membuat pipinya bersemu merah hanya dengan mengingat senyum kecil yang tadi diberikan Aryo kepadanya.

“Mel, inget Mario,” ucap Ira dan langsung membuat Melisa untuk menunduk dan malu pada dirinya sendiri. Mario. Tentu saja Melisa mengingat Mario. Laki-laki yang ia temui di awal semester ini, laki-laki yang bisa membuat perasaannya tidak karuan, laki-laki yang bisa membuatnya semangat dan tersenyum lagi di tengah-tengah harinya yang kacau, laki-laki yang bisa mengubur perasaannya untuk Aryo jauh dalam-dalam di tempat paling bawah di hatinya selama beberapa bulan sampai hari ini.

Tapi kali ini, untuk beberapa saat saja, Melisa tidak ingat Mario sama sekali. Nama ‘Mario’ pun tidak terbesit sama sekali di hati dan pikirannya begitu ia melihat wajah Aryo dan senyum yang mengembang di wajahnya.  Bahkan untuk pertama kalinya setelah sekian lama, nama ‘Aryo’ lah yang membuatnya tersenyum, bukan Mario.

Bali, 29 May 2012.

“But you didn’t have to cut me off. Make out like it never happened and that we were nothing. And I don’t even need your love. But you treat me like a stranger and that feels so rough…” Melisa mematikan iPodnya dan menghela napas keras-keras. Ia sudah tidak kuat mendengarkan lagu itu lagi. Liriknya terlalu menyakitkan bagi dirinya. Dulu ia hanya tertawa begitu kakaknya, Miko, mendengarkan lagu tersebut dengan raut wajah yang cukup menyedihkan. Tapi sekarang, hal itu yang justru terjadi pada Melisa sendiri.

Melisa bangun dari tempat tidurnya dan berjalan menuju jendela besar yang langsung menghadap ke pantai. Terlihat Ira, Rendra, Miko, dan 2 sepupunya sedang bermain voli pasir dan tertawa-tawa riang… dan hanya Melisa yang tidak ada disana. Ia tahu mengapa tidak ada yang membangunkannya sama sekali dan mengajaknya untuk bergabung. Mereka semua tahu bahwa Melisa merasa tidak enak badan dari kemarin siang dan hanya diam dan istirahat di rumah.

“Melisaaaa!!! Bangun!!!” Terdengar teriakan Miko dari luar. Melisa membuka jendela besar yang sekaligus berfungsi sebagai pintu itu—dan berjalan menghampiri Miko yang menunggunya di pantai, “Tumben banget jam segini baru bangun. Biasanya lo suka bangun paling pagi,” ucap Miko begitu Melisa datang menghampirinya dan duduk bersama Ira di atas pasir.

“Semalem tidur sekitar jam 11an dan itu pun masih kebangun sampe tengah malem. Belum lagi hidung yang ngga berenti meler. Yaaa harap maklum lah.” Melisa tertawa kecil dan Miko hanya menghela napas.

“Eh, hari ini kita mau ke Waterbom, loh. Mau ikut ga?” tanya Ira sambil menguncir rambut panjangnya yang sudah mulai lepek.

“Ikut!!! Kalian gila, ya, mau ninggalin gue ke Waterbom gitu aja?!” sambar Melisa sambil sewot.

“Kan kemaren bilang lagi ngga enak badan, ya udah, mending istirahat aja di rumah,” timpal Rendra sambil mengambil bola voli yang terjatuh tidak jauh dari tempatnya duduk.

“Udah, udah. Sana, gih, maen voli lagi!” ucap Melisa sambil setengah mengusir Miko dan Rendra yang tidak ada henti menganggunya. Miko dan Rendra hanya tertawa dan melanjutkan permainan voli mereka yang sempat tertunda.

“Gue semalem mimpiin Aryo lagi, Ra,” Melisa mengambil segenggam pasir dan memperhatikannya jatuh melalui sela-sela jarinya, “Di mimpi itu, gue, lo, Rendra, sama Aryo lagi nonton pertandingan basket antar-fakultas, trus tiba-tiba gue sakit perut gitu. Ternyata pas di cek, bekas jahitan operasi usus buntu gue kebuka lagi dan banyak darah gitu, trus tiba-tiba kita semua udah ada di rumah sakit gitu dan tiba-tiba Aryo ngilang gitu aja. Hm, pertanda apa, ya, Ra?”

“Penyebab lo mimpi kayak gitu adalah karena kemaren siang kita lagi ngomongin pertandingan basket Miko bulan lalu dan pas malemnya lo ngomongin Aryo. Makanya dia mampir ke mimpi lo tadi malem.” Jawaban Ira memang benar. Kemarin siang, kedua sahabat itu dan 1 sepupu Melisa menghabiskan waktu di rumah dan mengobrol tentang beberapa hal, termasuk tentang pertandingan basket Miko, “Eh, Mario apa kabar, Mel?”

Pertanyaan Ira langsung membuat Melisa tertegun. Apa kabar Mario? Sudah lama ia tidak menghubungi laki-laki itu… atau lebih tepatnya, sudah lama laki-laki itu tidak menghubungi Melisa. Terakhir kali Melisa melihat Mario adalah hari terakhir kuliah dan terakhir kali ia dihubungi Mario adalah 1 minggu yang lalu. Ya, benar, 1 minggu yang lalu.

“Ngga tau, Ra,” jawab Melisa dengan pelan, “Terakhir kali dia nge-contact gue itu 1 minggu yang lalu, pas dia ‘tanya’ pertanyaan itu, Ra. Setelah itu, gue ngga pernah denger apapun dari dia lagi. Terakhir kali itu, ada yang bilang ke gue kalo dia galau, Ra. Ya ampun, gue jahat, ya? Udah ngebuat anak orang jadi galau gitu.”

“Bukan salah lo juga, Mel. Kalo waktu itu lo jawab ‘iya’, lo bakal lebih ngerasa bersalah lagi, Mel. Mending ngerasa bersalah sekarang daripada lo jawab ‘iya’ dan ngga sepenuhnya bahagia dan mikirin dia. Bayangin apa yang bakal dia rasain kalo dia tau ternyata lo masih mikirin Aryo pas kalian pacaran. Nah itu bakal ngebuat dia lebih sakit lagi, Mel. Mending dia sakitnya sekarang daripada nanti di akhir dan ada kemungkinan dia bakal benci sama lo,” ucap Ira panjang lebar dan langsung membuat Melisa merasa semakin tidak enak. Andai saja Aryo tidak pernah masuk ke dalam hidupnya, pasti ia tidak akan menyakiti perasaan Mario.

Bandung, 25 Maret 2012.

Melisa duduk bersila di tempat tidurnya sambil menonton DVD Revenge season 1 yang ia beli satu minggu lalu. Bungkus corn chips, botol minum, binder, dan kertas tugas berceceran berantakan di tempat tidurnya. Jika Mama berada disini, pasti Mama akan marah besar melihat kamar anak perempuannya itu berantakan. Tapi Melisa tidak sedang mengkhawatirkan hal itu. Melisa sedang mengkhawatirkan blackberry-nya yang belum berbunyi sama sekali sejak siang tadi. Bahkan sampai ia selesai mengerjakan tugasnya pun, smart phone itu masih juga belum berbunyi. Walaupun ia sudah mengalihkan perhatiannya dengan menonton DVD, tetap saja perhatiannya terpusat pada smart phone yang masih bergeming itu.

Lo kemana sih? Kok sampe jam segini masih belum ngabarin juga?, batin Melisa sambil memeluk boneka Tazmania-nya yang besar itu. Entah takdir atau kebetulan, tapi beberapa menit setelah itu, ponselnya bergetar dan lagu Big Time Rush, Worlwide, melantun dengan cukup kencang. Melisa langsung menyambar ponselnya dan melihat layar, Aryo is calling. Tanpa basa-basi, Melisa langsung mengangkat telponnya, “Halo?”

“Hai, Mel. Maaf aku baru ngabarin lagi, dari tadi siang sibuk banget. Harus nyelesaiin tugas Pa Yono yang deadline-nya malam ini. Tapi sekarang semuanya udah beres kok,” ucap Aryo langsung membuat Melisa merasa tenang seketika. Mendengar Aryo berbicara panjang lebar sudah merupakan salah satu hobi nya yang baru. Ia bisa tahan mendengarkan Aryo berbicara panjang lebar tanpa merasa bosan sedikitpun. Justru, hal itu malah membuatnya merasa sedikit tenang.

“Iya, ngga apa-apa, kok. Santai aja lah, aku juga daritadi ngerjain tugas kok. Ini sekarang baru beres dan lagi santai.” Agak lucu bagaimana bahasa yang mereka gunakan terhadap satu sama lain sangat berbeda dari bahasa yang biasa mereka gunakan sehari-hari. Ketika mereka berbicara, bahasa yang digunakan lebih halus, nada yang digunakan lebih lembut, kata-kata yang dikeluarkan dari mulut masing-masing juga lebih dijaga. Melisa selalu berhati-hati agar tidak mengucapkan kata-kata yang seharusnya tidak ia ucapkan, takut akan merusak semua hal yang telah ia miliki selama ini.

“Oh, bagus lah. Kamu lagi apa, Mel? Udah makan? Aku tadi baru makan jam 8-an, loh, padahal tadi pagi ngga sarapan sama sekali dan tadi siang juga makannya telat.” tanya Aryo yang langsung membuat hati Melisa berdegup 2 kali lebih cepat dari biasanya dan pipinya merah seketika. Pertanyaan yang dikeluarkan dari mulut Aryo memang sangat sederhana. Tapi hal-hal sederhana seperti itulah yang membuat Melisa merasa bahagia.

“Ini lagi nonton TV aja di kamar. Tadi udah makan kok, sekitar jam 8-an,” jawab Melisa, “Kok bisa sampe ngga sarapan gitu? Emangnya ngapain aja? Males-malesan terus sih, ya, dikasur sampe lupa sarapan gitu. Padahal biasanya kalo urusan makan kamu suka langsung jalan…”

“Kan tadi pagi pas bangun langsung sms-an sama kamu. Udah gitu kamu juga ngga ngingetin aku buat sarapan lagi, jadinya diem terus, deh, di kamar,” jawab Aryo sambil tertawa dan Melisa pun langsung ikut tertawa juga.

“Hiiiii malah nyalahin lagi. Dasar, aneh-aneh aja sih. Yang penting lain kali jangan sampe lupa sarapan lagi. Nanti kondisi nge-drop trus sakit trus bolos kuliah. Jangan sampe lah, ya. Trus minum vitamin juga, ya. Sekarang lagi musim penyakit gini… Oh iya! Istirahat juga yang cukup,” jelas Melisa panjang lebar sambil memainkan boneka Tazmania-nya.

“Iya, Mba… Mulai, deh, bawelnya keluar lagi,” timpal Aryo yang langsung membuat pipi Melisa bersemu merah, “Kalo bawel itu, tandanya perhatian. Berarti kamu perhatian sama aku…”

“Ah, kata siapa? Kakak aku malah suka marah kalo aku bawel ngga jelas,”

“Justru bawel itu tanda orang perhatian…” tambah Aryo dengan santai, “Makasih, ya, kamu udah perhatian sama aku.” Pipi Melisa langsung memerah lagi, “Pasti pipinya langsung merah deh.”

“Ah, engga, biasa aja kok. Sok tau banget deh,” sergah Melisa, pipinya masih memerah. Lalu mereka berdua berhenti berbicara selama beberapa saat. Mereka hanya mendengarkan suara bernafas masing-masing. Bahkan kesunyian seperti itu membuat mereka nyaman terhadap diri masing-masing. Sebenarnya, Melisa tidak pernah menyukai ‘kesunyian’ saat berbicara dengan seseorang dalam telpon, tapi kali ini, entah kenapa hanya dengan mendengarkan suara napas Aryo, dirinya sudah merasa senang dan nyaman.

“Mel, aku boleh jujur sama kamu?” tanya Aryo secara tiba-tiba dan Melisa hanya terdiam. Diam tersebut diartikan Aryo sebagai ‘iya’, “Aku kangen sama kamu.” Kata-kata tersebut meluncur dengan mudahnya dari mulut Aryo dan hanya dengan 3 kata yang sederhana itu, jantung Melisa langsung berdegup sangat cepat dan ia merasa kebas. Jemarinya langsung bergetar dan napasnya tercekat. Tidak pernah ia mendengarkan seseorang mengatakan kata-kata itu kepadanya secara langsung.  Aryo lah yang pertama kali mengatakannya dan Melisa merasa sangat senang, seakan-akan ia langsung terbang ke langit ke-7.

“Aku kangen denger suara kamu, Mel.” Lagi-lagi, Melisa seakan terbang tinggi jauh ke angkasa. Dan Aryo lah yang membawanya terbang tinggi. Melisa tau akan resiko dari melakukan hal ini bersama Aryo. Ia tahu bahwa ada resiko hatinya akan hancur remuk oleh Aryo, tapi hal itu tidak mengapa baginya.

“Kok bisa, Yo?” tanya Melisa dengan suara yang pelan dan tercekat.

Bukannya menjawab pertanyaan Melisa, Aryo justru berkata, “Jauh lebih tepatnya, tapi kalo kangen berarti sayang juga… Aku kangen sekaligus sayang juga sama kamu.” Kalimat yang diucapkan Aryo itu langsung membuat Melisa lemas seketika. Melisa tahu tidak pernah ada orang yang mengatakan ‘sayang’ padanya sebelum Aryo. Dan dengan kalimat itu, Melisa merasa seakan-akan terbang, pipinya memerah lagi, jantung berdegup kencang tidak karuan, dan air mata mulai memenuhi matanya. Dengan itu, Melisa baru menyadari bahwa ia sedang merasakan satu hal yang belum pernah ia rasakan sebelumnya.

Ia sedang jatuh cinta. Ia jatuh cinta pada Aryo. Aryo Permana. Dan jauh di dalam lubuk hatinya, ia juga menyadari bahwa ia jatuh cinta pada orang yang salah. Ia tidak seharusnya jatuh cinta pada Aryo, karena hal ini sangat salah. Sangat salah sampai Melisa pun tidak bisa melakukan apa-apa dan membiarkan dirinya sendiri berjalan di jalan yang salah.

Bandung, 5 Juni 2012.

Sinar matahari yang begitu terang menyorot menembus tirai kamar Melisa yang sedikit terbuka. Waktu sudah menunjukkan pukul 9 pagi tetapi belum ada tanda-tanda kehidupan yang menonjol di rumah Melisa. Kedua orang tua Melisa sedang pergi ke Jakarta dan baru akan kembali 2 hari yang akan datang. Dan hal itu membuat Melisa dan Miko yang baru sampai dari Bali malam sebelumnya semakin malas untuk bangun.

Dering ponsel Ira yang berbunyi cukup kencang membuat Melisa terbangun dari tidurnya yang lelap. Ia membuka matanya perlahan dan melirik Ira yang tertidur dengan sangat pulas di sebelahnya. Sahabatnya yang satu ini memang ‘kebo’. Walaupun ponselnya berbunyi, Ira tetap saja tidak bangun dan tetap tertidur lelap.

Begitu dering ponsel berhenti, Melisa menghela napas keras dan bangun dari tempat tidurnya. Tanpa membereskan tempat tidurnya, Melisa berjalan keluar dari kamar menuju dapur. Ia membuka salah satu rak dan mengambil sebotol susu coklat yang selalu tersedia di rak tersebut. Setelah itu, ia berjalan ke halaman belakang dan duduk bersandar di tembok, menutup matanya perlahan dan menikmati angin sejuk yang berhembus di sekelilingnya.

Berbagai macam hal yang telah ia simpan dengan begitu rapi di dalam hatinya yang paling dalam dan belum pernah ia pikirkan kembali selama beberapa hari terakhir ini perlahan-lahan mulai bermunculan di otak Melisa. Ia memikirkan tentang Mario dan Aryo.

Tentang Mario… sepertinya semua sudah terlambat. Melisa tidak pernah mendapat kabar tentang lelaki itu setelah pertemuan terakhir mereka beberapa minggu lagi dan dengan itu, Melisa mulai berhenti memikirkan lelaki itu secara perlahan-lahan walaupun nampaknya ia belum sepenuhnya berhasil karena Mario kerap melintasi otak Melisa secara tiba-tiba dalam beberapa waktu terakhir ini.

Tentang Aryo… Ia masih tidak mengerti dan bingung. Aryo bisa dengan begitu mudahnya menarik simpati dan perhatian Melisa. Dengan Aryo, terkadang semuanya bisa begitu mudah dan sulit secara bersamaan. Perasaan tidak enak selalu saja muncul dibenak Melisa setiap kali ia sedang mengobrol dengan Aryo. Melisa tahu betul ia melakukan hal yang salah dengan membiarkan Aryo masuk ke hidupnya, memenuhi pikirannya, membuatnya khawatir begitu ia tiba-tiba tidak membalas pesan singkatnya, membuatnya tertawa begitu lepas setiap kali mereka membicarakan tentang hal konyol yang terjadi di masa lalu, membuatnya menceritakan setiap hal yang tidak berani ia ceritakan pada Miko, membuat dirinya merasa begitu diperhatikan, dan Aryo bisa membuatnya merasakan hal yang belum pernah Melisa rasakan begitu kuat sebelumnya. Ia membuat Melisa jatuh cinta. Semua lagu cinta kacangan yang selama ini selalu Melisa anggap aneh terasa begitu nyata.

Tapi setelah tiba-tiba ‘menghilang’ tanpa mengucapkan satu katapun yang berujung ke perpisahan, Melisa mulai merasakan semua ini hanya kebohongan belaka. Setelah dibuat terbang begitu tinggi oleh Aryo, ia langsung terjatuh. Dan rasanya begitu sakit. Sangat sakit malah. Dan semua lagu tentang patah hati yang selama ini selalu Melisa abaikan terasa begitu nyata. Ingin rasanya Melisa menangis ketika mendengar lagu-lagu patah hati melantun secara tidak sengaja dari iPodnya. Tapi ia tidak bisa membuat dirinya men­-skip lagu itu. Ia membiarkan lagu itu melantun dengan pelan dan meresap jauh ke dalam hatinya yang sedang begitu sakit dan hancur. Lirik-lirik yang selama ini tidak pernah Melisa mengerti, tiba-tiba langsung dimengerti. Kini ia tahu seperti apa rasanya patah hati itu.

“Mel, udah bangun?” suara Ira membuat Melisa cukup terkejut. Ia menoleh dan melihat Miko berjalan menghampirinya lalu duduk di sebelahnya, “Lagi mikirin apa, sih? Kok muka lo serius banget?”

“Lagi mikirin banyak hal, Ra,” jawab Melisa dengan singkat dan Ira hanya menghela napas. Ira tahu bahwa cepat atau lambat Melisa pasti akan menceritakan apa yang ada di otaknya pada Ira.

“Aryo?” tebak Ira dan Melisa hanya tersenyum miris.

“I’ve decided to just move on, Ra. Yah tentu aja gue tau pasti ngga akan gampang buat move on dari Aryo, tapi yang penting gue nyoba, kan? Lagipula gue juga sadar kalo gue ngga bisa terus-terusan nunggu hal yang sama sekali ngga pasti,” Melisa menarik napas dalam sebelum melanjutkan perkataannya, “Selain itu, gue juga tahu kalo Aryo udah bahagia sama… Yah, lo tau lah siapa. Dan gue ngga akan ngerusak kebahagian dia, Ra. Gue ngga mau ngusik dia lagi. Mungkin dia juga udah lupa, kali, sama gue. Buktinya dia udah bahagia gitu—“

“Tapi, kan, dia duluan yang ngusik lo, Mel,” potong Ira.

“Iya, gue tau, Ra. Lagipula, gue juga salah, kok. Gue yang ngebiarin dia ngusik gue. Tapi biarin aja lah… Gue tau move on itu ngga segampang yang dikira orang, tapi gue juga ngga bisa lah terus-terusan kayak gini…” sambung Melisa sambil menatap ikan-ikan yang berenang di kolam.

Melisa menghela napas keras dan membiarkan kesunyian mengelilingi kedua sahabat itu. Ia tahu kalau Ira pasti sudah bosan mendengar Melisa berbicara terus-menerus tentang Aryo, tapi ia tidak tahu harus bicara pada siapa lagi tentang laki-laki itu. Ia tahu Ira bisa memberinya banyak nasihat tentang urusan laki-laki seperti ini.

“Sometimes the person behind your smile is also the person behind your sadness.” Ucap Melisa secara tiba-tiba sambil tersenyum kecil.

“Ah, udah lah, jangan dipikirin lagi. Katanya tadi mau move on,” balas Ira sambil tertawa yang langsung membuat Melisa tersenyum lebar, “Mending kita sarapan dulu aja, yuk. Abis itu DVD marathon!”

“Sip!” Kedua sahabat itu bangun dari tempatnya dan berjalan masuk kembali ke dalam rumah.

Bye-bye, Aryo. I promise I’ll try my best to not think about you anymore. I know you’re happy with somebody else and I’m not gonna ruin your happiness. Thank you for making my days so colorful and I’m glad I gotta know you even though I ended up getting hurt, batin Melisa sambil tersenyum kecil.

Yap, ia tidak menyesal pernah mengenal Aryo dan sempat dekat dengannya selama beberapa minggu. Aryo memang telah membuat hatinya sakit, tapi hal tersebut sama sekali tidak membuat Melisa menyesal. Mungkin hal ini harus dijadikan pelajaran agar nantinya tidak terjadi hal yang sama untuk kedua kalinya.

(THE END)

Related Quote: “The person behind your unexplained happiness is also the person behind your sadness.”

Everybody Got Issues

Hey. I don't exactly remember when the last time posted here, but whatever. So I have a week off of school and after having second thoughts for a few times, I finally decided to write here again. Anyway, a lot of unexpected things have happened to me this week, and to be honest, I feel sad and scared for no apparent reason. I don't really know how to say it, besides putting it into a story. From this short, 1-shot fiction story, I also want to say sorry to all people who might think that I hate them, especially this girl I knew ever since the first year of high school started. I know you guys might think that I'm a coward for not saying it in person, but I have my reasons to not do that. I don't wanna make things worse, and this is the only thing that came up to my mind.


"Dear I, 
I want you to know that all the things I posted on my Twitter a few days ago weren't about you. You have nothing to do with it. It's about somebody else that clearly isn't you. Don't worry, because I have no reason to do that to you and I wouldn't do that to you. You've been such a great friend for me you know that."

Anyway, here's the story.

I sat by the window in my room as I watched the kids playing tag on the street. They were chasing each other, laughing, and having fun. While I, on the other hand, watched them from my window with a painful look on my face. I pulled up my knees to my chest and hugged it tightly. 'Cover Girl' by Big Time Rush blasted loudly from the speaker of my laptop. For the first time, I felt worse by hearing this song. I know this song should actually make the listeners feel good, but it didn't happen to me today. I felt like wanna cry. Tears were already in the corner of my eyes when the door of my room slammed open. I turned and saw Matt, my big brother, standing there in the doorway with a small smile on his face.

"You look sad." He said as he walked into my room and sat on the space next to me. I shrugged my shoulders and looked out at the street again, "You know, I'm here if you wanna talk."

A loud sigh escaped from my mouth as I turned to face him, "Actually I wanna talk to you about something. Well, not 'talk' actually, I just want you to hear me and say a few words if it's needed." I spoke and he shrugged his shoulders casually, "I've been in a crappy mood this weekend."

"I can see that." He replied shortly as he pulled out his phone and locked his gaze at the screen.

"Well, you know how I hate being called fat, right? No. Not only me, but every girl hates that. And for the thousandth time in my life, I hate being called that. Yes, I know I look fat, my cheeks are chubby, and I gain some weight. But, really? You can't keep telling me that every time, right? I know that I'm fat, okay? You don't have to tell me that." I took a sharp, short breath before continuing my words, "I'm sick of people telling me that. What's their point of telling me that? To make me diet so I can lose some weight? If that is their reason, well it's not working. It's only making me feel worse than I already was. Seriously, I just want everybody to shut up about it. I'm sick of people telling me that."

He was about to open his mouth and say something but I cut him, "What happens to 'don't call every girl fat even if you're joking'? I think people should really remember that next time."

"You're not done, are you?" He asked, turning his head to see me, and I shook my head at him, "Well then, go on."

"And I wrote on my Twitter about how I hate people who keep telling me what to do and such, and one of my best friends thought that it was about her just because we were texting about her trying to get me a boyfriend a few minutes before I wrote that on Twitter. She replied me and I replied her back that it wasn't her but until now, I still have this feeling that she may still think that it's about her. And now, I'm afraid that she will hate me and leave me alone." I rambled as tears started to well up in my eyes again. I couldn't think about it without tears in my eyes. The thought of her leaving me was... painful and scaring the hell out of me. I don't wanna be ignored and left out again in my life.

I went silent and that's when he started to speak, "First of all, I'm gonna say that you're the most insecure person I've ever known. You need to stop that, you know. Every girl is beautiful in their own way. You're beautiful on your own way. Don't listen to those people who tell you that. Just ignore them, okay?" I looked down at my hands when he said that, "And about that whole Twitter 'drama', I guess the most important is, you already clarified that it wasn't for her. Say sorry that it wasn't for anyone from your Twitter land."

I wasn't really satisfied on what he said. But I was glad that he listened to me when I was talking though he was acting like he wasn't listening. It felt nice to finally let it all out of my chest... without tears falling out of my eyes. I know how these things can make me cry, because I've done it once or twice before. I did that because I kept the things in my chest and didn't talk with anyone. I only wrote it on my journal and hoped that my journal could suddenly come alive and talk to me. So the things I did were put some sad songs on and cry. It's pathetic, I know. I can't talk about it with my Mom because I'm too shy so the only option is my big brother who lives outside the town.

"Anyway, thank you for listening, big brother." I said to him with a small smile.

"Yeah, you're welcome."

-The End-

So, that's it. First of all, I'm sorry for any wrong grammar and spelling mistakes. Second, not all parts in this very short story is real, but some of it are really happening to me. Third, thank you so much for reading this crappy post. Last but not least, see you on the next post and hope you all have a nice day!

#FixYou Part 2

Fix You

Part 2: Meeting

“No, Cody. You don’t have to. We have lived here for two years now. Why are you freaking out about me so much? I’m already 20, Cody.” I said to the phone and rolled my eyes in annoyance. I could hear Cody talking with another person about something, “Cody, are you even listening to me?” I asked tiredly.

“Huh? Yeah. I’m still here.” He’s lying. I knew he didn’t listen to me. He was talking with somebody when I talked to him, “Can you please just get here? The meeting starts in a few minutes.”

“Well, I’m not sure if I can get there on time. I don’t bring my scooter and it looks like it’s gonna rain outside. Maybe I can get there on time if you or Cory or somebody pick me up-“ then I realized that he already hung up the phone. I shoved my phone back into my jeans pocket and got up from my seat. I walked out of Starbuck before it could start to rain.

I kept telling myself that Columbia Records office is like 3 blocks away from here. There’s no way that I can get there on time for the meeting. Well, maybe I can get there on time if I have my scooter with me, but I didn’t! When I was still walking to the office and only 1 block away, the rain started to pour down.

“Great.” I said sarcastically under my breath. I pulled on my hoodie and continued to walk to the office in the middle of the rain. I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t like to have me in the meeting room with them because my clothes were soaking wet, but… I’m so gonna blame Cody for this.

When I walked in to the big, glass building, the security gave me an old look. But when I turned to see him and pulled off my hoodie, he just smiled and let me in. The girl behind the reception desk was giving me the same look but I ignored it and just asked, “I’m here for a meeting with-“

“Kelsey! There you are!” I turned my head and saw my other brother, Cory, walking towards me with his phone glued on his hand, “The others are waiting for you! Geez, the meeting is already started.” The lady rolled her eyes at me and I just shot her a look. She’s so gonna be fired if I told her boss about her behavior.

I followed Cory to the elevator, “Where have you been and why are you soaking wet like this? I thought you’re only going to Starbucks.”

“Apparently, Starbucks is 3 blocks away from here and when I talked with your twin on the phone, he didn’t listen and hang up on me. Tell him to show her little sister some respect. It’s disrespectful to hang up on someone when you know that he or she is still talking to you.” I rambled and rolled my eyes in annoyance again.

“I’ll tell him that. You can count on me, lil’ sis.” Cory said and chuckled, “By the way, are you ready for this?” he turned to see me and smiled.

I only shrugged my shoulders and said, “Let’s rock.” Cory laughed slightly at me and messed with my hair. We got out of the elevator and walked towards the meeting room. Cory took a deep breath before opening the door.

Everybody’s eyes were on us—but mostly on me because I was the one who looked inappropriate—as we stood in the doorway, “Kelsey? What happened to you?” Brad, our manager, was the first one who spoke up. I just realized that they have stopped talking right after Cory opened the door.

“It’s a long story. I’ll tell you later about it.” I answered and my eyes scanned all around the room. There were, like, a dozen of people here! And their eyes were all on me, looking at me from head to toe.

“Um, gentlemen, this is Kelsey Roberts, one of the vocalists of Roberts and Company,” Brad introduced me and I just waved awkwardly, “Kelsey, Cory, have a seat. We have to get this meeting going.” News flash; I didn’t even know what things we’re going to talk in this meeting. Cody just said that I need to get here because we have meeting with the label.

I didn’t really pay attention on what everybody was saying. To be honest, I was completely pissed, tired, and cold. I mean, I just walked in the rain so I could get to this meeting on time, but actually I was late. That was pretty dumb.

After about two hours, the meeting’s over. Everybody left the room, except 4 guys that were sitting across me. I could feel one of them—the tall, blonde guy—still giving me a weird look. I know I looked like a mess, but please, stop making me feel even worse than I already was.

“Incase you didn’t listen, we’re gonna be their opening act on their tour for next 3 months.” Brad spoke up as he stood beside me, “They’re Big Time Rush.” I combed my hair with my fingers and pulled them up in a messy ponytail. I totally didn’t care how I look today in front of them.

“I know who they are. Claire watched their show all the time. She can’t stop laughing and grinning the whole time.” I spoke up as the Big Time Rush guys approached me, “I’m Kelsey, by the way. Sorry for coming late and showing up like this. Who knows it would be raining out there and your brother would hang up on you?” I turned to see Cody and gave him a hard look, making the guys to laugh slightly at my words.

“I don’t know it would be raining! I thought Cory would pick you up…” he defended and I just sighed, before turning to see the BTR guys again.

“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you. Well, you don’t look that bad, though.” The tallest guy—that I knew as James—spoke up and smiled softly.

“By the way, you have a nice shirt. I’m pretty sure my friend will like it.” The Latino said—it’s Carlos—that made me look down at my shirt. Oh of course their friend will like it. I was wearing one of my Giant Creature shirts.

“I like his shirts.” I stated simply, “By the way, I’m looking forward to get on tour with you guys. I’m pretty sure it’s going to be awesome.”

“Well, they’re gonna have one girl that’s going to freak out when she sees them in the bus.” Cory added and I just rolled my eyes playfully, “It’s our litte sister.”

“You?” the brown haired guy with dimples—Logan—asked and gave me a questioning look.

“No! It’s Claire, our youngest sister. Don’t worry, she’s only 10 years old.” I added quickly and grinned at them.

“Who’s up for some lunch? We’re going to In-N-Out.” Cory spoke up and looked at us. He had my blue sports bag over his shoulder and I just gave him a questioning look.

“You can’t let me have lunch in these clothes, unless you want me to get sick and not go on tour with you.” I told him and gestured to the wet clothes I wore, “and why are you carrying my sports bag?”

“Do you remember that you left your sports bag in my car yesterday? I’m sure you have some clean clothes in it.” Cory said again and gave the sports bag to me.

“Okay, then, I’m in. I guess we’ll meet at the resto, eh? I need to talk with Cory and Cody for a while. You know…” I trailed off and gave Brad a look. He seemed to understand because he only sighed and led the others out of the room.

“We’ll see you there!” The blonde—Kendall—said and gave me a small wave.

I waved back at him before turning to see my brothers, “We have to talk. But before that, let me change my clothes first.” We walked out of the meeting room. Cody and Cory waited in the hallway while I changed my clothes in the toilet. I changed into my grey sweatpants, a white t-shirt, and grey hoodie. I actually wanted to change my wet, grey sneakers into my rainbow flip-flops but… it only made me look more inappropriate. The other guys were something nice and casual but look good… and then there’s me wearing sweatpants and hoodies like I just got out of a gym or woke up.

“Let’s go.”  I got of the toilet and tossed Cory my sports bag, “So, will one of you tell me about the things we talked in the meeting? I didn’t really pay attention.”

“So, Big Time Rush is having their first headlining tour, and we’re gonna be their opening act for a few cities. As we have planned before, we’re thinking to bring Claire with us and they’re okay with it. I have talked with Mom and Dad about it too. They said they wanted the best for Claire, so they allowed us to bring her.” Cory explained.

“What about the treatment? We know that she should be getting checked during the tour.” I spoke up.

“Mom already took care of it. Don’t worry about it, Kelsey. I promise that this would turn out great. We’re gonna make her so happy by bringing her to go on tour with her favorite band.” Cody slung his arm around my shoulder casually and kissed my hair.

“I hope so.” That’s all I could say as we walked out of the building and to the parking lot. I got in to the back seat of Cory’s car and went silent for the rest of car ride to the resto. I was only messing around with my phone and looking through the pictures I have in it. When I was in the middle of messing around, Cody’s phone rang.

“It’s Dad. He probably wants to talk with you.” Cody said and handed his phone to me. I put my phone aside and answered the call.

“Hey, Dad.” I answered casually.

“Oh, hey, kiddo.” I hated it when he called me kiddo, but sometimes it just sounded so right somehow, “How’s your day going? Did the meeting go well?”

“Well, my day went pretty bad because I had to walk in the rain just because I wanted to get to the office on time. And, the meeting went pretty well. I got to meet the guys I’m going tour with for next few months. Now I’m on my way to In-N-Out to have lunch with the crews.” I explained to him.

“Why did you walk in the rain? Didn’t one of the twins pick you up?”

“Unfortunately, they didn’t. But it doesn’t matter, I survived though.” I smiled slightly, “Is Claire there?”

“Yeah, she’s here with me. So, I told her that she’s going to go on tour with you and she sounded so excited. She can’t wait to see you and the twins performing on stage. But mostly, she can’t wait to know who you’re going tour with.” Hm, I guessed he hasn’t told her that we’re going on tour with BTR.

“That’s great. I’m sure she will have a lot of fun.”

“Yeah, I thought so too.” Then there was a silence, “I’ll call you later, okay? See ya, Kelsey. Love you.”

“Love you too, Dad.” We hung up and I handed the phone back to Cody. I leaned on the back of my seat and sighed in relief. The tour starts in a few days and Claire’s coming with us. I thought it was a bad idea at first, but Mom convinced me to bring her. A lot of bad thoughts started to cross my mind but I shook them off and took a deep breath. I wish everything’s gonna be alright.

#FixYou Part 1

Fix You

Part 1: Leaving.

I opened my eyes and sighed loudly, silently glancing at the air that came out from my mouth. The view in front of me is so breath taking for some people, but not for me. I didn't really get it how they like river so much and not beach. But I still go to this place when I need time to think though. This place is the only place I can be calm for a while.

My mind was racing, my heart was beating so fast, but my face was blank. There were a lot of things in my mind that I couldn't say it to anyone, not even my brothers or my best friend. I usually share every thing on my mind to them, but now, I can't.

"Why are you here? You're supposed to be home. Dad will kill us if he knows that we're not home above the curfew." I turned around and saw one of my brothers, Cory, walking towards me.

"I was just from the coffee shop." I answered shortly, "And by the way, Dad won't kill us because he still hasn't home either. He's still at the office, having a farewell party with his co-workers til midnight. So it's only Mom and Claire at home."

"She called me earlier to pick you up from the coffee shop and that Cody is already home. Now let's go because it's cold out here and we have a flight to catch tomorrow." I shrugged my shoulders and followed him to his car.

"Where have you been?" I asked as I slid in to the passenger seat and put my bag on the ground. We buckled up before Cory pulled back from the parking lot and drove to home.

"Ronald's. We hung out for the last time with some of my college friends. By the way, what are you doing at the coffee shop?" He asked back as he focused on the road.

"Just thinking." I answered shortly and tightened my grip on my own coat, "So, we're actually leaving, huh?" I have asked this question so many times to him and Cody, but they still keep answering me.

"Hard to believe it, but, yeah." He said and glanced at me for a split second.

"Why we even moved from the states a few years ago if in the end we're moving back to the states again? I have started to start a new page here but now I have to leave it and start from the start all over again in a new place."

"We do this for Claire this time." Cory stated calmly and I sunk in my seat, "you know we just want to do the best for her. We don't know how-"\

"Don't say that." I cut his words, "There has to be a miracle." I added in a small voice. Cory sighed loudly and reached my right hand with his left one. He squeezed it, mentally telling myself to calm.

"We're gonna make this year unforgettable for all of us. This is gonna be the best year ever. I promise that." Cory said, turning to see me for a split second, and smiled confidently.

"I hope so." That’s all I could say before deciding to just shut my mouth for the rest of the car ride to home.

When I got at home, the lights were still on. I got out of the car and walked in to the house, suddenly feeling weird when I realized that the house was half empty because a lot of stuff has been shipped to America, “Kelsey? Is that you?”

“Yeah. It’s me.” I walked to the family room and saw Mom sitting on the couch with Cody, “Sorry for coming home late. I shouldn’t have too caught up on talking with Elise.”

“Nah, it’s fine. You’re about to turn 18, and I trust you. I know you won’t do something stupid.” Mom said casually and smiled softly at me.

“Um, I think I’m gonna go to bed now. We have a flight to catch tomorrow.” I smiled half-heartedly and stood awkwardly on my spot, “Goodnight, Mom, Cody.” I spun my heels and walked to upstairs, to my room. Again, I was kind of surprised when I realized that my room was almost empty. There were no posters and photos on the wall again, the bookshelf was half empty, my desk was clear, and my dresser was already empty, leaving the clothes I’m going to wear tomorrow on the armchair.

I put my bag on the desk and sat on the edge of my bed, thinking how things could change so fast in my life. 

Scenes of The Past

Look who's back again today :D  I'm tired and bored and it's raining outside so I decided to write something. Well, I haven't written anything these few days sooo today I decided to write something even if it's short. And I decided to write a one-shot original story.

By the way, I'm sorry for all the wrong spellings and grammar because I'm still learning to write properly in English and fyi, I'm learning all of it by myself since I moved out from Jakarta. So yeah *shrug* Please leave some comments and..... just share your thoughts about this, okay? Constructive comments are always welcomed and appreciated :D

Here we go!:

The wind blew pretty heavily as it started to rain outside. The girl who's sitting in front of her laptop turned her head to look out at the street and sighed heavily. She stood up and walked towards the window, breathing heavily as her head and eyes started to feel heavy. She hasn't had enough sleep these last few days. She had a lot of assignments to do and final exams are chasing her. She turned her heels and walked towards her bed so she could lay on it and enjoy the cool air that came out from the air conditioner. The soft and slow music that blasted through the speaker of her laptop made her to feel calm.

"Run!!!" she shouted and ran with her 2 friends as her other friends started to run towards her, trying to catch her. They were laughing and enjoying the summer sun that shined brightly.

"Okay, Chlo, stop it now. I'm tired," the girl with blond hair said as she stopped running and sitting on the pavement. Chloe stopped running as well and gave her friend an odd look.

"You're tired? Oh, come on, Kris! It's nothing like running marathon. Right, Lou?" Chloe said and turned to look at Louise at the end. Louise, the guy with jet black hair, nodded and sat on the pavement, next to Kris.

"By the way, do you have any foods? I'm starving," Louise said with an innocent smile to Chloe. 

"You're always starving," The other guy with short, messy, brown hair said to Louise and smacked the back of Louise's head, "My Mom made some cupcakes. Come with me if you want," Bobby said and crossed the street, walking to his house.

Chloe opened her eyes and stared aimlessly at the ceiling. The color of brown seemed so dull after all this time. The last time she checked, she remembered that everything seemed so perfect. The color of the ceiling never seemed so dull. The painting of her and friends never seemed so fade. But today, it's different. Every time she looked around, she felt like everything has changed. 

"What could change in a matter of a few months?" she asked to herself and shut her eyes again, drowning herself in her own thoughts.

Chloe waved at her family and smiled at them as she walked towards them with a proud smile on her face, "Can you believe it? I just graduated!" She said happily as she reached her family. She hugged each of her parents and her big brother.

"I'm thinking to go out with you today, but-"

"I can't." She cut her brother's words and gave him an apologetic smile, "I have plans with Kris, Louise, and Bobby tonight." 

"I tell you once again to not go to a party and go home before the curfew. Well, you know the rules, right? Tell Louise to drive very carefully. I don't want bad things happen to you and the others," her father rambled and Chloe smiled warmly at him.

"I got it, Dad. Don't worry," she put her hands on her father's shoulder and pulled him in a quick hug, "I'm going to catch up with them. I'll see you later, 'kay?" 

"Okay, hun. Be home before dinner so we can talk," her mother shouted at her as Chloe walked towards the group of her friends that chatted happily near the gym.

She put on her jacket and walked out of her room and to the balcony of her small apartment. Living alone was hard for her. She used to live with her family and had her friends around her. The wind that blew through her as she sat on the wooden chair made her to shiver. She looked at the gray sky as she took a deep breath. Then she darted away her gaze to look at the crowded street of L.A. She wondered why people like to go out on such rainy days. She shut her eyes and took another deep breath before letting her mind to play another scene of her past.

"I can't believe we actually did this. 4 years seemed too short for me," Louise said as he looked straight at the sky that full of stars. The 4 best friends decided to spend their night at the park, just talking and laughing about anything they've been through all this time. 

"Yeah. And now, in a few weeks, we all will go to separate ways. I hate to do this but I have no choice," Bobby spoke up with a loud sigh.

"We all hate to do it, but we all have to," Chloe corrected, "You're going to NYU, Louise's going to Harvard, missy Kristina here is going to Oxford, and I'm going to UCLA. Well, we're so dysfunctional," she added with a slight laugh.

"I don't want you guys forget about me. Please promise me that we will never forget about each other and this friendship will never end just because lack of communications," Kris butted in as she sat up from the blanketed grass with tears welling up in her blue eyes.

"We promise," her other 3 friends said in unison, sitting up, and pulled her in a comforting hug, "We will never forget about each other. Our beautiful friendship will never end. We will be always together, no matter what happen. I can guarantee that," Chloe said in a small voice as a tear fell down to her cheeks. 

She could feel her eyes starting to watered as she let her mind playing some scenes from her past. She blinked her eyes a few times to hold back the tears that were about to fall down. She smiled bravely to herself and took a few deep breaths to calm herself. When she was about to stand up, the bell rang. She frowned at herself and made her way to the front door. Taking a few deep breaths again, she finally opened the door. 

"Happy birthday!" 3 people stood outside the door with a bright smile on their face. The first guy with black hair had a silly grin on his face and a bag on his hands. The other guy with brown hair had a very wide smile and a small cake with a few candles on its top on his hand. The only girl with blond hair stood there with thick photo album on her hand, weighing her messenger bag. Chloe smiled so widely at the scene of this. She blinked her eyes a few times to make sure that this was real. And she was right. This was real.

"Oh my gosh. What the hell are you guys doing here?!" She asked in disbelief tone and pulled her 3 best friends that she hasn’t seen in 4 months in a group hug.

"We're here to give you a surprise. We all planned to not text, call, e-mail you on your birthday. Well, even all of us didn't say happy birthday to you on your birthday. So... here we are." Bobby explained. He was right. None of them said happy birthday to Chloe on her birthday two days ago. Chloe could have sworn that it was her worst birthday.

"We're sorry for that. We didn't say birthday to you by phone because we all wanted to say it in person." Kris added.

"So... happy late birthday, Chloe," Louise said and smiled to her, "Okay, now make a wish and blow the candles." He instructed to Chloe who was still frozen on the doorway. 

With a smile, Chloe closed her eyes and started to make a wish. When she finished, she opened her eyes and blew the candles. Her friends clapped their hands happily and congratulated her a 'happy late birthday' once again. 

"Come on in. We have to catch up!" Chloe said happily and moved aside so her friends could come in. As she shut the door, she led her friends to the small lounge and started to talk and laugh about some things. They ate the cake together, talked about their live ever since they went to college, laughed at some stupid lame jokes, etc. Chloe couldn't wipe the smile off of her face. The only thing she wanted at the moment was being with her best friends after a pretty long time of not seeing each other and lack of communications because all of them were busy with assignments and such. But in that moment, Chloe didn't have to worry anymore because they're all with her. All she could is just enjoy every single moment with them and forget about the others. Nothing even matters to her whenever she's with her friends.