Teera and Hanirah

4: Ice Blended

4

Teera sat on the cement elevation on the right side of her school gate, squatting in what her Amma would call an unladylike fashion, passing the Grumpy Cat handkerchief that she had washed and even ironed back and forth between her hands. She was lost in thought, beating herself up thinking she had blown her chances of getting Hanirah to talk after what went down in the library.

Alas, Teera decided that she would put her worrying on hold and go get a drink in the stationary shop beside school. The shop was across the road to the school's left, directly in view of the school's canteen. Through a hidden hole in the thin diagonal fencing, students have escaped and gotten snacks or photostated ICs or laminated certificates or binded folios to save their lives, so it stood on high regard among the students even if it was a small run down establishment. Teera loved their ice blended drinks, mainly Honeydew, which was basically green flavoured powder, ice, water and pearls in a cup. Teera was convinced that nobody ordered Honeydew and that the only reason that it was still on the menu was because the aunty kept it there for her.

"Macam biasa?" the aunty called as Teera entered the shop.

"Yaaaa," Teera replied in a sing-song manner.

"Good mood ah you?" the aunty remarked after observing Teera's face.

"Mana adalah aunty, kerja rumah banyak, tuition banyak, tak de masa nak happy"

"Ya kah?" the aunty replied with a I'm-not-buying-it-looks-like-something-good-happened tone.

"Aunty sedih, dah berapa minggu ni, Teera nampak macam nak nangis je, tapi mungkin masalah dah selesai sekarang."

Teera was taken aback and entertained the thought that the conspiracy theory of the aunty actually being a spy was true after all with her killer observation skills.

"Mana adalah aunty, saya okay je," Teera replied, a little embarrassed.

Teera felt a little touched the aunty worried for her. In fact, Teera was worried for the aunty too since a Tealive shop recently opened in town.

Teera pulled out her black wallet to take out the RM 2.50 for the drink and noticed that she had only RM 2 left. She was thinking about what she had spent all her allowance on that week when a voice echoed from behind her.

"How much money do you need?"

It was Hanirah, her tie still in place and not a wrinkle to be seen on her prefect uniform, a complete opposite of Teera who had already loosened the first two buttons of her white shirt and had ink stains at the ends of her pinafore.

The aunty was done making the drink and was looking on amusedly at the two girls stuck in an intense staring contest.

"Oh aunty tau, nak belanja kawan ya, 2.50," the aunty said to Hanirah, completely unfazed by Teera's frowning face.

This made Hanirah break eye contact and obediently hand the aunty RM 2.50.

"New friend, good to have friend, very good to have rich friend," the aunty went on to say to no one in particular as she manned her cash register.

Teera's frown had grown deeper into a more what-in-the-world-just-happened expression, her features all mussed. Teera wasn't a person to get easily surprised or shaken but Hanirah had been throwing her off her game lately and now even the aunty had betrayed her for this tie wearing giraffe.

"You don't have to pay me back-" Hanirah was saying, shaking her head with her hands outstretched when Teera cut in, "I'm not, I never asked for your help anyway, and I don't owe you anything since I washed your ugly handkerchief," while digging into her pocket and shoving the Grumpy Cat handkerchief into Hanirah's hand.

The handkerchief fell and Hanirah bent down to pick it.

Teera took the opportunity to laugh and jab fun at the other girl, "you really are five, what even is that purse, it's rectangular and has VELCRO LOL and a faded, what is it, Doraemon print."

Teera was ready for Hanirah to be caught off guard and stammer an incoherent reply but Hanirah seemed to be unaffected.

Hanirah had a blank expression and then replied under her breath, " You're the one whose five, still saying mean things," and left.

"Adik tak nak beli apa- apa?" the aunty called after Hanirah.

Teera couldn't help but smirk and take a swig of her drink from the counter.

She really didn't need Hanirah's help, she's been in that position before and the aunty had always let her pay the next day.

Teera bid the aunty farewell and left the shop that day thinking that the aunty must have made a mistake in the amount of ingredients because the drink tasted a little too sweet.