All Which Remains

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Arron

I managed to convince Ramelan to eat lunch with us. Yay, this is so exciting! The wait isn't that long, so I get back to the table within ten minutes. When I reach the table, the atmosphere between Fadhlan and Ramelan is tense. I sit down beside Ramelan.

"Hey, guys. I'm back! What's up? Did something happen?" I pick up my fork. Neither Ramelan nor Fadhlan say anything. They barely even react to me being there.

I tap Ramelan on the shoulder.

"You okay?" I ask. He jumps, which startles me. Ramelan looks at me and gives me a curt nod. "Okay..." I reply, looking down at my food.

It feels like something major happened while I was gone. I've lost my appetite, but I have to eat the food that I paid for.

So, I start to eat. Everything is tasteless. Our table is quiet; the sound of the people around us becoming muted. We're each stuck in our own worlds.

I'm quickly thrust out of it when the bell rings for us to go back to class. The other two look disoriented, too. We all stare at each for a second before Ramelan stands up and whispers, "I should go". Watching him leave, I feel like I've lost him forever. Why do we all make everything unnecessarily complicated?

I stand up, not bothering to say goodbye to Fadhlan, and leave the Cafeteria. I feel like a zombie, sluggish and slow.

I collapse before I reach the classroom.

What the–

I try to move my body, but none of my limbs will move. I can't even lift my head.

Help.

I move my lips slightly, trying to get my voice to work.

Please.

Anyone.

Why doesn't anyone help? What's wrong?

There are people all around me. They just step over me or walk around. No one stops to help or give me a passing glance. I attempt to lift my arm to try to catch someone's attention. Suddenly, the wave of people part, and a hand reaches out to me. I take it.

How?

My brain can't register the fact that I moved.

A snap.

I lift my head up and rub the sleep out of my eyes.

Huh?

"Who? What?" I say, removing my hands. Someone had snapped at me.

"Wake up. You really need to stop sleeping in class." It's Fadhlan. Sleeping? When did I fall asleep? The last thing I remember is being in the cafeteria.

I get a sudden sense of deja-vu.

"I wasn't sleeping, you were," I retort back at him. Fadhlan doesn't say anything.Where am I again? Who am I? Oh, right. Arron. How could I have forgotten?

"Hey, Fadhlan? How long was I asleep?"

"About 5 minutes or so. You fell asleep right after you got to class. Thankfully, Mrs. Hadi isn't here yet. I'm glad that you woke up. Even if it's the third time that I've tried to wake you." He rolls his eyes.

"Sorry," I say, with a sheepish grin. Are not, his eyes say, but nothing comes out of his mouth.

Mrs. Hadi walks into the room.

"Sorry for the delay, everyone. Now, shall we get back to learning?" Everyone groans. She smiles at us. I don't notice Fadhlan sneak back to his desk. I've already forgotten about the dream that I had.

Ramelan joins me at my desk after class is over, and points at the door.

"Sorry, I've got detention." I could've thrown everything away to walk home with him, but I know that Mom and Dad will kick my ass for not going to detention. Especially, Mom. Ramelan sighs. He walks over to the teacher and starts "talking" to her. I can't tell what they're saying at all. When Ramelan comes back, he grabs my hand and starts pulling.

"Use your words. I know you can."

"Fine." He rolls his eyes again. "Mrs. Hadi said that since I'm teaching you sign language today you don't have to have detention. Think of it as your detention." He says, a little sad. He's dragging me towards the door.

"Okay, okay. I know how to walk," I say, but I'm secretly glad to be able to hold his hand. I just don't want to seem like a pushover.

Which I'm not, by the way.

Why would you think that?

Ramelan lets go of my hand, and yet, I can still feel the phantom of his hand in mine. I resist the urge to ask him to hold me.

I'm going crazy.

We walk out of school and down the street together. Nothing is said between us.

Sometimes silence is just as scary as talking.

"So, are we going to yours or mine?" I ask, trying to clear the air. He doesn't say anything for a bit.

"Yours," He says, his voice quiet and trembling.

"Say that again?" I'm teasing him, but I don't think he knows that.

"I said, we should go to your house," He says through gritted teeth.

I laugh, "Alright, thanks for telling me." I speed up a little to walk beside him. He's taller than me, but I'm older. I bet we look weird together. Maybe even mismatched.

I can't wait to introduce him to my parents, assuming that they don't already know him. I mean, he does live next door. I open the front door. Like always, Mom is standing by the door. She's like a wraith. It's like every time she hears the door click, she runs to greet whoever's there.

She wraps her arms around me in a tight grip. "You're home!" There's a long pause as she realizes that I'm supposed to be at detention right now. "Why are you home?" She lets go.

"The teacher said that I could come home since I was learning sign language, from..." I push Ramelan in front of me. "This guy, Ramelan. He's my friend, and he offered to teach me." Ramelan blushes and waves at my mom.

"Hi, Ramelan. You live next door right?" She ruffles his hair.

"Yes, ma'am," He says, quietly. My mom laughs, and grabs me again. Kissing me all over the face.

"Mooommm, stop it. I have a friend over." I try to push her face away, but she just kisses my hand. "Mom, please stop." I can't help but laugh when she makes a pouty face.

"My beautiful son doesn't want me. Oh, how the heavens have disgraced me. Giving me a disobedient son, woe is me." She puts her arm over her forehead and bends back, acting melodramatic. "Just kidding, I have to make dinner." She leaves us for the kitchen.

"Sorry about that," I say at the same time that Ramelan says: "Your mother seems interesting."

"Oh, I didn't mean to interrupt you," I say as he says: "You can speak first." We both laugh.

"Whatever, where do you want to start? My room or the living room?" I ask.

"How about you show me around first?" Ramelan says.

"If that's what you want."