Chapter 5 Disappointed

Monday morning, after the flag ceremony, Reni and I stopped by the canteen to get a drink. But out of nowhere, Sissi and her two sidekicks snatched my drink. I turned to look at the three of them.

"Ugh, Sissi! What the hell? Give it back!" I snapped. She leaned casually against the wall and sipped from the straw like it was hers.

The other two girls were fiddling with their phones.

"Hey, Tipa... mind explaining this?" said Cika, shoving her phone in front of me. "I saw this on the street-someone caught you riding on Hadi's bike!"

"So what?" I shrugged. "Why does that matter?"

"You said you didn't want to join the bet, right? But clearly, you're trying to win Hadi over. Yesterday you were with Dirga, and today you're with Hadi. You're insane!" Sissi glared at me.

Reni widened her eyes in shock, just as confused as I was. Where did these girls get all their information? Was her dad the city's CCTV boss?

"For real? I must've crawled out of another planet. How do I not know about this?" Reni chimed in.

"It's not like that," I defended myself. "He just gave me a ride, that's all. And Dirga? We've known each other for a while. He's my ex's older brother!"

"Oh my God, Tipa! You're so lucky. Getting close to all these dreamy boys!" Reni gushed.

The four girls stared at me for a beat before Sissi declared, "So that's it! You're in the bet. You have to win Hadi's heart!"

"Just go along with it. Hadi's already close to you anyway. He took you home, remember?" one of them added.

"I–It's not like that-" I tried to explain.

"Nope, that settles it! The bet is officially on!" Sissi insisted.

I was completely speechless as the four of them kept rambling.

"How much do you want to bet? If you ask me, I think they'll last. Hadi clearly likes her," they discussed amongst themselves.

"But I'm not so sure," Sissi argued. "We all know Hadi. He's always in his own world. Just look at how busy he is. No time for anything. Though, I admit, watching him play basketball is such a treat. If only I were his type... but nah, I'd give up before I even start."

While they kept talking, I slowly stepped back and distanced myself from them.

"I'm not doing this. I may like Hadi, but I'm not getting involved in some stupid bet," I told myself, walking away from them.

"Hey, where are you going? Wait for us!" Reni shouted, but I didn't care. I just headed into class.

Later, in class...

"Today, please submit your Physics homework. Class president, collect the notebooks," the Physics teacher announced.

Reni eagerly dug into her bag while everyone else followed suit. I looked around in confusion-I didn't know anything about this assignment.

"Uh... I don't have it. What should I do, Ren?" I whispered.

"What? How can you not have it?"

"Well, I am the new student..."

"No, this was assigned last Saturday night. Ms. Intan sent it through the group chat. You didn't check your messages?"

My eyes widened as I opened the unread messages on my phone.

"Oh crap... I'm dead," I muttered under my breath. Everyone was submitting their homework, including Hadi.

Once the class president finished collecting the books, Ms. Intan started counting them.

"Who hasn't submitted theirs?" she asked loudly. I looked around nervously. Thankfully, Adriansyah, the flamboyant class clown, raised his hand too.

"Me, ma'am. Sorry."

"Come to the front," she ordered. I swallowed hard.

"Who else besides Adriansyah?"

Trying to calm my nerves, I raised my hand. Hadi, who sat on the right side near the wall, glanced back at me as I said, "Me, ma'am."

"Come to the front!" she barked. I immediately stood and walked forward.

"Adriansyah, what's your excuse?" she questioned him.

"Sorry ma'am... I wasn't feeling well last night, so I went to bed early," he replied dramatically, bending his waist and playing with the corner of the teacher's desk.

"Probably out loitering," Hadi commented, making the whole class laugh.

"Ha! You little alley queen," another student teased.

"Hmph, as if I'd entertain customers like you, Hadi. Even if you paid me a fortune!" Adriansyah snapped with exaggerated gestures.

"Enough! You're already in trouble for not doing your homework. Don't stir things up even more!" Ms. Intan scolded.

She turned to me next. "Why didn't you do your homework?"

"I... I didn't see the message," I admitted quietly.

"And why didn't you check your messages?"

I stayed silent. I couldn't exactly tell her I was too busy binge-watching dramas on my laptop.

"Fine! Both of you, run 100 laps around the field. No stopping!"

My mouth dropped open. "A hundred?! Are you serious?"

"Do it, or I'll add another hundred."

"Come on, babe. Let's get it over with," Adriansyah said, pulling me out of class. With his signature headband, he began warming up.

"I'm going to pass out... I'm just a couch potato at home. All this running under the sun-I'm not built for it," I groaned, shielding my eyes from the glare.

Adriansyah's warm-up was as dramatic as his personality. That boy must've been made from rubber and compost-his limbs bent like overcooked noodles. It was honestly disturbing to watch.

I glanced back through the classroom window and saw Hadi paying attention to the lesson. He occasionally glanced my way, though. Embarrassed, I turned away.

"How did I end up being punished just for missing an assignment?" I grumbled, wiping the sweat from my face. I followed Adriansyah as we started running laps.

But watching him run was almost comedic-he was so flamboyant that I swore his tail got left behind.

"Come on, Tipa! Before it gets even hotter!" he waved at me dramatically. I laughed while running to catch up.

"You're so weak. Girls should be strong like me," he panted, trying to keep pace.

"Yeah, sure. You're the strongest woman in the world, Icah," I teased.

Time passed, and we reached 50 laps. I felt like my body had been overworked to death. I wasn't used to this. At home, I only moved if I needed to eat or pee.

"This is the worst day of my life."

"You okay, babe? Let's finish strong," Icah encouraged. I staggered to the side of the field to grab a drink.

"Just a bit more," I told myself, trying to stay motivated. But my heart started pounding hard, and my vision went blurry.

"I can't do it... I need to rest," I whispered, staggering toward the edge of the field.

Suddenly, everything went black, and I felt myself falling-

-into someone's arms.

Barely conscious, I heard Hadi's voice calling out to me.

"Tipa... Are you okay? Tipa!"

"Am I dreaming? Why does this feel like the perfect afternoon nap with Hadi's voice echoing in my ears?" I thought, before losing consciousness completely.

I woke up in the school clinic (UKS). The first thing I heard was Reni being her usual dramatic self.

"Tipa! You're not dead, right? It wouldn't be funny if you died!" she cried, shaking me.

I slowly opened my eyes, still dazed.

"What the heck, Ren? Don't curse me like that," I groaned.

"Ah, thank God. Here, drink this," she said, handing me a bottle with a straw.

"My body's not built for this... Good thing I didn't die," I muttered, and she just listened quietly.

"Here's a supplement and your meds. Hope you feel better soon," the nurse said, handing me some pills.

I forced myself up and took the medicine.

"Hurry up and get well. I don't wanna keep babysitting you," Reni quipped.

"I didn't ask you to take care of me," I pouted. I scanned the room, looking for the boy whose voice I'd heard before passing out.

"Who are you looking for?"

"N–No one. I just..."

"Hadi, right? He was super sweet today," she said with a grin.

"What do you mean?" I asked, confused.

"If only I had recorded it-his heroic act, carrying you all the way to the clinic!"

"Are you serious?!"

"Would I lie? What would I gain from making that up?"

"Where is he now?"

"Dunno. He disappeared after we got here."

"Probably went back to class," she shrugged. I stayed silent for a moment. Just hearing what Hadi did made me feel better instantly.

"Ugh... that guy. He really knows how to mess with my heart," I whispered to myself, warmth blooming in my chest.