THE OLD ME BACK

Chapter 40

"I saw you last night," that's the first thing he says after I get out from our room. He is standing already from the bench he sat on a while ago while he's waiting for me until we're done from sweeping. "Why were you there?"

I'm fixing my things in my bag when I got to look at him seriously. "Do I need to answer that? To tell you frankly, it's none of your business." Then I walk again and zip off my bag.

"I forgot. I should rather mind my own business." He corrects himself and he sighs which makes me laugh in my mind.

"Good." I shortly reply since I don't want to talk more. I must show on him that I'm not interested to talk with.

By hearing him sighing again, I notice that he still follows after me despite my ignoring effect upon him. I could not stand on his power. He really must be an insistent. There's no way I could escape from him at this moment because I am already cornered before our class dismissal. Yes, he has been already on the bench in front of the door just to wait. I couldn't imagine how this guy earns so much guts in himself when he is obviously avoided by me.

"By the way, I need to go somewhere. I need to be alone," all of a sudden I demand which makes him stopped from stepping ahead. But I still continue walking as if I did not notice him that he got stopped.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. A hundred one percent sure," I answer confidently without turning behind. Then I plug my earphones on and play random songs. I don't care what he feels right now as long as my mood would not get ruined just because of him. I'm still looking at the screen of my phone when someone holds my shoulder to let me stop my walk.

"Hey. Where are you going?"

When I lower down my phone and lift my eyes on him, I heave a sigh for it is the guy again, claiming himself to be a master.

"I'm going home. Why?" I answer straightforward.

"Do you think I will let you get to your home without daring you a challenge?"

"Why not?" I courageously ask back. "If you would challenge me again because the last time you did it for me didn't happen, now give it to me."

This so-called master got shocked, his eyes literally got widened.

"I said give it to me now. Hurry up! My time counts!"

He abruptly gives signal to the students standing by and so they approach me afterwards. Someone gives me a long neck bottle of liquor which contains 70% alcohol when I check it out. Then, a cigarette that's already being lit.

"I want you to drink that in just one shot. Come on, let me believe that a nerd like you can do this thing."

"Don't bother me anymore after this. For Pete's sake, I want a peaceful life."

"Sure," he utters, so I start drinking the liquor in a bottle. It is such a bitter taste that makes my throat gets hot right away. I continuously drink it without a pause. While drinking it, my mind suddenly plays thoughts of how I care so much not to taste it again. I'm actually avoiding liquors because it became my addiction. But now, it's full empty when Denzel passes me by without his intervention.

"Wow, you really impressed me," commented by this guy 'master' but I never appreciate it for good reason. I throw the bottle away from where we are both standing and smoke the cigarette away. When it's already little, I throw the cigarette on the floor and step it on using my shoes.

I deeply sigh, shake my head afterwards and walk out abruptly. I step ahead quickly to get home early, even if I will have the hard time due to drunkenness. Yes, I got drunk because of drinking straight of 70% alcoholic drink. And I feel like I'm going to have a hard time to breathe because of the smoke.

So when I got out from the school gate, I decided to commute in a pedicab. Due to drunkenness, I can't walk straight to my way home. There's a guy ahead that I notice and he glimpses on us when we're already near to him. As much as I want to see his face, unfortunately I can't because I feel drunk and dizzy. The pedicab stop then because this guy will ride in too.

"Hey, why did you do that?" He asks upon sitting beside me. I got curious by what he asks so I turn my eyes to him and there I see him, a familiar face I never want to see the rest of the day.

Gosh, up to this instance he would be here where I am too?

"I don't know what you are talking about." I utter, showing no interest in the tone of my voice. "Besides, don't ask like you have an authority to ask me like that."

"I just want to know. I can't get your point why you're avoiding me, from people around you. What's the matter huh?"

"It's none of your business."

"I'm here to help," right away he says.

"What you can only help is to keep your mouth shut and make a distance from me."

"I can do more than that," he insists. "Don't you know that I'm actually trying to understand every move you do?"

"Who told you to do that?" I ask in a serious tone. I'm already triggered that any moment from now, I would demand the driver to stop and pay him and let myself walk.

"I'm the one who decided to. And based on my observations from you, you're already tired of dealing people that's why you used to keep distance from them. You wanted to have time for yourself that's why you would rather choose to be alone. Am I right? Tell m---"

"Exactly!" I exclaim. "You said things right. And so I can't understand why you're still insisting yourself to me. Can you explain that to me?"

"And why are you doing that?"

"Answer first my question and I will answer then yours," I dare him.

"Okay. I still insist myself because...because I want to help you. You were then such a famous in St. Jude that you were used to talk with others having too much exposure, which I couldn't believe you would transfer to a public school and act like that."

"I said, it's none of your business already."

"Hey, you two. Is there something wrong?" The driver suddenly intervenes, so I take a deep breath to keep myself still calm on this getting hotter conversation. Geez, isn't he aware that he's already intruding me and that he is already beyond his limits?

"Don't mind us, just continue driving," he says that goes me to shock. I feel like to be ashamed at this very moment for what he frankly said. "Now, answer my question. Why are you doing that?"

"You already said a while ago, have you forgotten it already?" I answer out of patience. "I'm already tired of dealing with them. I wanted to fix myself. I wanted to find my worth within me and not on them. Are these already enough?"