Last Day of School

It's the last day of school. Our last day of school, I muttered under my breath as I glance towards my classmates who seem to be engaged in the "mini-party" that we are currently holding. Hafiz is doing his infamous magic tricks while the others are giving out the Oohs and the Aahs. I have never seen them so excited before. Probably the whole idea of separation and "this is the last time we're gonna have something like this together" thingy make them feel obliged to absorb in each moment possible.

"Hey," a voice that sends shivers down my spine makes me look sideways, to where it originated from.

"I was thinking of... You know," he starts, a bit shakier that his usual firm-and-strict voice, his left hand rubbing his right forearm the way people used to do when they aren't sure of what they're about to say. Or is it a sign of nervousness?

"What?" I asked casually. "I don't know," I continued when I see that he is confident that I can read his mind.

"The..." and suddenly Husna comes up and talks to him so quickly that it is hardly audible to me. He replies with something that makes her laugh. The lot starts giggling over something I do not understand, or am not even trying to understand. Either way, I suddenly feel the urge to punch him in the face for no solid reason.

It seems like forever but Husna finally leaves and he looks back at me as if he has done nothing wrong. What wrong did he do anyway, I ask myself.

"And you were saying?" I muster all the patience that I still have in me to stop me from giving him a knuckle-sandwich.

"Oh, um.." he jolted as if he has just returned to reality, which further annoys me. "I was just saying that it's the last day of school and the others look like they're having lots of fun and you're just standing here... Doing nothing... So I...."

Doing nothing? He's saying that I am doing nothing? 5 years of us being together - as classmates, I mean - and he doesn't even know that I am actually observing the crowd the way I always do? He is still chanting but I am no longer paying attention to him.

"Guys, let's join in the junk-food-eating-ceremony," Shahin interrupts my monologue and his dialogue.

"Oh sure, I'd love to!" I replied before I start towards the table where the others are gathering at. I stole a glance in his direction and he stands there as if he still has something very important to say.

Serves him right, I whisper. Serves what right? I know not.

I try my best to focus on the food. It is somewhat a tradition in my school to have this ceremony at the very end of our schooling. It marks the fun moments that we had had as classmates for the last five years. Up to this date though, I still haven't figured out how junk-food can be related to cherishing memories, but I celebrate it nevertheless.

I suddenly realise that Wani is staring at me as if a bird just pooped on my head. I stretch out my hand and rub the top of my head, and is relieved to find that no gooey stuff that should be the bird's poop rests there.

"You look troubled," Wani says, eyeing me. She always has this gift of telling when people are acting weird, not like themselves. She calls it her sixth sense.

By now, every member of the class turns toward us, toward me specifically. I breath in deep and let it out slowly before replying as tersely as I can, "I'm moving to Australia."

Elvie drops her bag of Twisties, spilling the snack all over the floor. Shane squeezes his choki-choki stick so hard that it explodes into his face. From the corner of my eye I could see his demeanour changes. The others just stare at me, jaw-dropped. It remains that way until I break off the silence.

"It was so abrupt, even I was surprised. My father just told me last night. Our flight's tomorrow afternoon," I don't know if I was forgiven for not letting them know earlier, but soon the girls surround me and give me a big, warm hug. They embrace for who knows how long, until one of the boys cries out, "Okay, enough with all this affection. We're here too, remember?" Shahin says, gesturing towards the other boys beside him.

We break free and I wipe off the tear that had been welling up in my eyes before anyone could see them. I don't know how I feel right now after disclosing the truth. To not share the same studying environment as them is nowhere near not standing on the same piece of land with them. Flashes of old memories invade my brain as I try to fight off tears unsuccessfully.

These are the people who were there when I need them, These are the people who fought the jihad of acquiring knowledge with me. These are the people whom I spent most of my time with. And today, these are the people who are going to see me cry like a baby just because I am going some place else; some place so out of reach from where we are now. Yes, these are the people.

I don't know if it was dust in their eyes, but the boys seem to be wiping their eyes very determinedly. "You know you can cry if you wanted to. I mean, c'mon... Tears are not a sign of weakness,"

No response, and I just smile as they proceed rubbing the invisible dust off their eyes.

Not knowing what else to do, I start picking up rubbish that is littering the floor. There is nothing more that I hate than litter - they just burn my eyes. I turn around for the dustbin but a person blocks my path. He is standing close - too close - and I take a step back.

"What do you want?" I asked in the most boring tone that I can manage.

"You should've told me earlier," his voice is low so only I can hear.

Told you earlier? What do you mean by that? I told you that I only knew about it last night, and even I was taken aback by the news. I feel like letting out my anger on him, but the only thing I comes out of my mouth is "Sorry".

I walk past him to throw the rubbish, and I could see that the others are doing the same as well.

Everyone groans when the bell finally rings. The last day of school is over. I know that by now my mother has arrived at the school compound to pick me up, and I have to hurry. We all walk together to the main entrance, and I feel as if they are escorting me even though they aren't.

I get into the car and they are still standing just a few feet away, probably trying to capture the last moments in their memory just like what I am doing. I wave at them, and they mirror me. I see him at the far left of my classmates, also doing the goodbye gesture. I find myself beaming at him, and the others too.

Somewhere deep down inside I wish he would spill out the truth that he has been trying to say since earlier this morning. But then I figured, maybe I knew about it all along.

Awkwardness aside. It's nice to be liked

-Veronica Roth, Divergent

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My first attempts of writing a short story. Ah.. tak tau mau buat apa.. Words are just overflowing in my brain. Need a place to pour 'em all out. Lalalalala~

Cerita di atas hanyalah rekaan semata-mata. Tiada kaitan dengan yang hidup mahupun yang telah meninggal dunia. Akan tetapi, nama-nama di atas merupakan nama classmates aku semasa di SMKTTF. Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Taman Tun Fuad. Cheers~