The unknown girl

Chapter 2: Genuine happiness is at grade school, but also genuine sadness?

Part 1:

"So, pretty..." the creepy new classmate of mine whispered as if I can't hear him. He Whaaaaaaaat??

"There's no way you can get me, I run faster than you!" he exclaimed after he ran right after he caressed my cheek!

("Whaaaaaat?") I froze for a minute.

("This idiot... just touched my cheek?!!! Haraaam! Ro!") I told myself glaring to his face.

"I'm gonna get revenge later! You moron!" I shouted, even though I am not sure if hitting him is called revenge in that kind of situation.

Yes, just for information, if I am a NOBODY according to my siblings' dictionary, that contradicts with how my friends at grade school used to see me. Well, believe me I'm grateful for that. The grade-schoolgirl-me doesn't know how to be thankful for the fact that she is acknowledged by these childhood classmates of her, namely:

Lily, my seatmate.

Abad, my first male friend.

Hamdani, the creepy new transferee.

Ryan, my first childhood crush. (Disclaimer: Trust me I was only a kid.)

And (let me insert my name) Romana Rabi, the simple girl who never wears off her small white veil coz she's very comfortable with it.

I sat on my chair with my hands gripped ready to punch that Hamdani. ("Just because he's a handsome little boy doesn't mean he can do whatever he wants with a very normal girl like me! Does it?... Perfect skin, perfect clothes, perfect family, perfect houses, but has the worst GMRC!") my 8-year-old mind thought while glaring at him.

"Hey, Romana!" I turned, it was Abad, going near to my chair and behind him was Ryan tailing him.

"Ryan said you're very rich!" I was shocked. Like what? Out of nowhere? Abad relayed to me what Ryan thinks of me.

"Huh?" I said shyly while taking one pencil from my new pencil case which has a mango printed on it.

"What made you say that?" Still pretended like it wasn't a big deal to me, but the truth is, I was dumbfounded.

"Look! You have many stuffs with you. Every day is a new pencil case." Abad explained innocently.

"Yeah! You're right! Also, a normal first grader is not supposed to wear a princess' gown-like clothes like yours." Lily said, who was sitting beside me, swaying her legs slightly, holding her pencil and stopped her drawing just to say her thoughts which is same as Ryan's.

"Romana Rabi must be from a wealthy family!" Abad added. ("Not you Abad, I know your mom is friends with my mom, so I assume she knows my family very well.")

I stared at Abad and looked down at my big notebook.

"Not really." I said with a lower tone.

"But it's nice that you are kind." My eyes got big. What? I hid my shocked expression and lowered my face a little more but I wanna know whose voice was that.

And the teacher came.

("Really? Rich and kind? That's how they see me?") My little heart was flattered with my innocent classmates' words. Good job, Ro!

I never thought my classmates wouldn't see through me how I really live. That my mom and dad just arrived recently from abroad and they are both jobless now.

Pretty girl said by Hamdani? I guess he was still a kid and doesn't have the expert eyes yet.

Rich and wearing a princess' gown-like? Well, it just happened that my mom has given us some of her items she used to sell coz she used to sell clothes for sideline.

Every day is new pencil case? Uhmmm this... I have a not very valid reason, but it's my cousins' idea that we swap pencil cases every day or two just to impress our classmates... Lol. Sorry for that.

And nice? I admit this is the most satisfying compliment I received in my childhood. And I don't know why...

Yes, at some point I experienced how it feels to be seen as Ro, a girl who is only living her life very simply, not wanting to be the first placer but just want to learn, a girl who wants friends to play with, a girl who wants to be seen by her teacher and her classmates.

A time which I was very thankful for. At the very least, I know how it is to be called beautiful, kind, and rich--- oops... Yeah, these traits can be the exact opposite of the reality.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Part 2:

"Gotcha!" Ryan exclaimed after he hit me slightly at my back. Yes, we're playing tag.

"Now let's go home, it's already late." He smilingly said when he saw his big sister who came to pick him up and carried Ryan's bag.

"Wow! His sister is cool. Same with Hamdani, his sister is also in 6th grade." Abad blurted out.

"How about you? Don't you have a big sister?" He asked not knowing it will remind me of my big sister's nag. ("Be independent, Ro.") Maimai's voice still resonates in my mind.

"Of course, I do. But I know how to go home by myself, and I can carry my bag. Duhh" ("And I am not rich like you guys think you know.")

"I am an independent girl." I added. ("Even though my big sisters believe otherwise."). I thought.

"Bye Ro, we're going home. Dad is here." Lily waved at us while walking towards the gate. I smiled, a signal of my response.

"Let's go, you don't have anyone with you to go home." Abad suggested when we are the only ones left in the playground.

"Ok, let's go home. It's gonna be a heavy rain." I picked up my bag looking at the dark sky with a deep sigh.

Until it really rained.

"Bye Ro!" Abad bid his bye also. His house was just a walking distance from the school, so we separated ways when we reached the intersection.

"Bye Abad! Let's play again tomorrow!" I answered while I started to walk faster towards the waiting shade.

The rain poured heavily, my entire uniform was soaked before I could reach the shade.

"Pls. Rain, not now." I reached the place to wait at until the rain stops.

"Ha! What's the point of getting here when you're already wet?... haha" A high school girl jokingly said at my back, sitting on the waiting shade with her group of friends. I looked down, pretended like I didn't hear them making me their laughingstock. I was embarrassed.

"Woah! It's Danny's school bus!" I exclaimed. I saw my brother's school bus unexpectedly.

Yup, Danny is my big brother who goes to a private school. He is only one year older than me. And it happened that his school bus made the route to my school which made Danny and I cross paths in our school uniforms. I was very happy to see the bus, and my smile was bigger when I saw Danny on it, ("Confirmed! Now I can have a free ride to reach home.") I thought to myself.

"Danny!" I shouted, but I realized he already saw me before I could see him.

I took one step forward, to make sure Danny and his mates see me and tell their driver to stop, which caused the raindrops to wet me more.

("Wait, what?") I said inwardly when I saw him didn't even react. ("Didn't he see me? Didn't he recognize me?") I was dumbfounded.

("I am sure Danny saw me and recognized me coz he even looked back when their school bus passed by me.") The 1st grader girl me secretly cried in disbelief... Good thing it was raining, and no one can see my tears even if I am in a public place. My own brother just passed by me, letting me stand under that rain.