15 Minutes

Friend

My name is Perawat. And I don't really like my name, honestly. What can I do? It was my parent's authority back then. But hey, I love the nickname they gave me instead, 'Kit'. I'm A blooded and my zodiac is Libra.

Now let me tell you a story about me and my lifetime friend. I was fifteen when I was first met him.

I was waiting for regular bus to go to school but damn, the bus wasn't showed up that day and I knew, I had to find other way or I'm going to be late. Taxi was okay even if I have to pay extra. I looked at my watch once a while. School time was getting near and I was still standing at the bus stop. I thought here it was, the end of my flawless school report. I'm not even once getting late to school. Not even when I was sick.

Clock was ticking away, I only stood there in the verge of crying. I knew I was not going to make it in time. But suddenly a motorbike stopped infront of me. Yeah, infront of me, because there was no one else there at the bus stop but me. The boy on the motorbike slide-open his full face helmet.

"Oi, you didn't catch the bus?" he asked me all of sudden. I took a look at his uniform, definitely the same as mine. I just nodded to answer.

"Hurry up, school will start in 15 minutes." He moved his head, signing me to take leave. But I was afraid of riding motorbike, never in my life using that kind of vehicle. It is two tired only, what if I lose balance? Then I'll fall and I might die!

"But..." how to say no in polite way? "but I don't have helmet." I said stuttered.

"It's not like we're gonna race." He replied. "Its up to you, ride with me or be late." He pulled the gas, making a loud annoying sound. His words made me think twice. I took once more glance to my watch. Damn, I have to do this for the sake of my report.

"Okay." I said agree, and quickly suit myself behind him.

"Hang on." The last word he said before we speeding on the road. Tell you the truth, I was so scared that I was holding onto him so tight. I was afraid that I'll fall down somewhere on the road before I could reach school. And his speed was no joke. Damn it. It was like riding a roller coaster which all I could think is die.

But after my endless fear, I sensed him slowing down his motorbike and I dared myself to opened my eyes. Call me chicken I don't care, but yes, I closed my eyes all the way.

Seconds later we entered the gate. Right at the moment before the bell rang. He slow down to the parking lot and parked his bike on an empty slot.

I loosened my arms, we had stopped but my heart was still racing in there, my body was shaking. But I managed to get off and fix my uniform. He pulled off his helmet and hung it. Then I recognized him. He was that boy!

His name is Sing. Our school most famous genius. He always get the first rank while I only got the second place or third. I personally had this jealousy over him. But since he had helped me, I thought I will no longer keep that bad feeling for him. My mom said I must appreciate good people and be a grateful man.

"Khob khun na kab." I bowed a little, being polite to him, but he was not showing any response. Then I decided to turned around and just walked away, class must had been started by now.

"Rior, Kit!" I flinched to his calling. I stopped and turned back to him. Had I done anything wrong? He stepped closer and stood infront of me. I caught he was bit taller than me.

With that he raised his right hand and start fixing my hair. Damn, it must be the wind. Shame on me I didn't even realize my messy hair.

But wait! He knows my name? He knows me? I thought nobody knows me except my class mate. I was not anti-social though, just hard for me to make friend. People tend to called me bookworm, nerd, chubby... spill all that mocking words. I had heard it all.

"Narak na." He smiled, and walked pass through me. Leaving me there dumbfounded. Did he just say 'narak'?

That was the most awkward 15 minutes I ever had.

Few days later, I spotted him with his friends playing basketball at the school yard. He was sweating all over his body and I could hear the sound of his rubber soled shoes screeching on the glass-like floor. And some girls were cheering him up by the fence. He was so lucky, born genius and handsome all in a pack, not like me.

"Kit!" I was afraid if I misheard. I turned around and searched who was calling me. There he was running closer while waving to me. I was like 'what the...?' when I saw some girls were also running after him. Then he just pulled my arm, drag me along running to the canteen which is at the other side of the school. I didn't even have a chance to ask why due my hard breathing. Me and sport had a bad relationship however.

"Catch!" he bought two bottle of cold water and thrown one to me. I took it and gulped half the bottle. I supposed to have my PE class the next day, not wishing it to come earlier.

"Why...hah..." I was still trying to catch my breath "why did you drag me?" I swept my sweat trailing down my face.

"No particular reason." He gulped some more "just fun to have someone to run with." I swear I nearly fainted by his blunt answer.

That was how I lost my precious 15 minutes break.

"Kit, honey!" my mom's voice calling me from downstair. "Your friend is here." She added.

Friend? I hadn't made any appointment with any friend. It was holiday and I always spent my holiday doing homework or reading some new manga. If my mom means my cousin, then he is definitely not my friend because he just bugging the hell out of me every time he pay a visit. He screwed my bed, scattered my books, touching my stuffs that I don't like it very much.

"Honey, he's going upstairs!" she added. Oh, whatever. I lazily closed my book and jumped off my bed, stepping to my door and opened it to find out who was that friend of mine could be.

And it was Sing, standing there with a smile on his face. The only question in my head was 'why?"

"Hi Kit." I couldn't say anything as he just walked in like he own this very square room. I did remember him asking my house. I thought it was just a casual question like you ask your friends name. Never thought he will actually coming over.

"Hey, you like them to? Woah, cool." He waved something he had found on my shelf. It was One Ok Rock's CD I just bought the day before.

Like them to? Did he even know them?

"Their songs awesome and their lyric is inspiring."

"You...like them? Do you... understand Japanese?"

"I'm half Japanese."

Later did I know, he lived only six doors away together with his aunt, and he lost his mother at ten. Made me thinking again about how distant I had been with my neighborhood and my friends all this time.

We found out so many similarities between us. Me and Sing bonded by this one same hobby. He does like Japan as freak as me that he hard to find any friend to talk about it. And I was feeling the same. For much surprising, he know Japanese way better than I did -of course, his father is Japanese- that I felt all I know was nothing near him.

That day was the only beginning of his continuous visit. We would go to school and home together. Sometimes he would stay afterschool to night or might sleepover depend on his liking. He told me about Japan, listening to music we like, hunting manga, buy ice cream together. He started to be a part of my life, my best friend for life.