Aom couldn’t believe her eyes when saw that girl in her house, in the dining room, had breakfast while chatted with her parents. She looked had no pressure in there. Aom thought that she won’t see her face until she arrived at the school, but that girl suprisingly appeared in her house, again.

            “Why you’re here?” asked Aom while sat beside that girl.

            That girl, Tina, smiled so widely. “Pick you up of course.”

            “Why? I’m not asking you and I’m totally fine now. You no need to pick me up.”

            “Really? I thought yesterday you wanted me to pick you up today. So, here I am.” She made an innocent face. Aom knows she just making story, but whatever, deep inside her, there’s a spot that happy to see Tina this morning.

            “Whatever.” Aom sat beside Tina and took 2 loaves of bread and spread the strawberry jam on one of them.

            “Don’t fight again, Tina,” Mrs. Mannaying warned Tina with serious look.

            Tina nodded. “Get it, Mam.”

            “I’m serious, Tina. If you fight again, your dad will really kick you out from school—”     “I’m serious too, Mam.” Tina cut Mrs. Mannaying words. “I’ll be careful.”

            “You need to control your anger, Tina,” said Mr. Mannaying while enjoy his morning coffee. “And also stop dating girl if you don’t really love her.”

            “What if,” said Tina with serious face then look at Mr. Mannaying’s face. “the one that makes me really fall in love is a girl? Is it crime? Am I allowing to loves her? Can I love her?”    

            Her question makes the three Mannaying surprise. Aom can’t believe that Tina asked like that. Aom didn’t understand why Tina suddenly became serious. Mr. Mannaying stared her back.

            “What is love? Do you even really know the meaning of it?” Mr. Mannaying asked Tina.

            “Love is when I’m happy being nears her and feeling thankfully she’s beside me,” answered Tina.

            “Not just that, love also means you can let her go when the time is come. Can you do that?” Mr. Mannaying sounded challenge Tina.

            Everyone in that room knew what Tina and Mr. Mannaying means, except Aom. She has no clue at all. She just ate her breakfast. Because Tina not answered, Mr. Mannaying continued.

            “Of course you can’t. Then, your love isn’t love, Tina. It’s just you feel she care to you and you misunderstood it to something that you called ‘love’. You’ll be bored with her then you realize it’s just a usual feeling, nothing special like love. You’re still far from understanding the true meaning of love. You’re just kid, Tina.”

            Tina’s jaw hardens. She looked annoy. “It’s love.”

            “Then prove it.” Mr. Mannaying really challenged Tina.

            “Get it.” Tina accepted it without thinking again. Her brain was already full of anger. “I’ll go now. Thank you, Mam.” She nodded her head toward Mrs. Mannaying.

            “Okay, be careful, Tina,” said Mrs. Mannaying.

            “C’mon, Aom.” Tina said as she passed Aom. Her face showed that she angry, but Aom didn’t realize it.

            Aom just walked beside her with her innocent look. Saw that made Tina angrier than before. Tina angry because Aom’s father said what she feels toward Aom wasn’t love and angrier because Aom didn’t realize about Tina’s feeling to her.

            “Ergh! I hate you, Aom!”

            “And I hate you for more, Tina,” replied Aom calmly.

            Tina bulged her eyes, didn’t expect Aom would reply like that. The rest of that day, Tina didn’t talk to Aom, like Aom didn’t exist. Tina tried to forget Aom with spent her day with Fern.

            “Hey, Bro. I think I really like Aom. Should I try to ask her for a date later?” asked Mike while locked his eyes to Aom that read a book in her desk.

            “Don’t. She has someone that she likes,” replied Tina.

            “Aww… really?” Mike looked disappointed a bit, but then his smiles back. “I don’t care. I’ll just make her love me.” Then he laughed and Tina glared at him, feeling fed up.

            Tina didn’t know when Mike asked Aom to go out with her, but when the school ends, Mike and Aom went together. Tina followed them with her motorcycle. Tina didn’t care that she like a stalker. Mike and Aom just went to the bookstore, then to a coffee shop, and went home. Even though nothing happen, Tina still felt a bit jealous.

            ###

            For 2 weeks, Mike always succeed make Aom go with him and in that time too, Tina still won’t talking to Aom, even though Aom tried to talk to her. Tina didn’t understand why Aom always accepted Mike’s offer to go out.

            “Seems like you’re so happy lately. What’s happening?” asked Tina to Mike in the middle of the math lesson.

            Mike smirked. “You know me so well, Bro. I went on date with Aom,” he giggled. “I think she doesn’t have crush.”

            “Wow, it’s so surprising Aom want go out with you. She has, but she didn’t tell you maybe,” said Tina, flat. She tried to hold his jealousy.

            “I think she already fall for me. So, I’ll ask her to go to my apartment and I’ll… you know right?” Mike giggled again.

            Tina that holding her pencil, squeeze it without realizing. “Don’t do that to her.” Tina knew it really well the meaning of Mike said. She didn’t care if Mike did that with other girl, but if Aom, she will against it.

            “Don’t worry, bro. I’ll enjoy her.” But that just made Tina can’t hold her anger for more. She broke her pencil and it became two pieces.

            “Don’t touch her, Mike. I’m serious.” Tina stared Mike with serious look.

            Mike was startled because Tina’s pencil broke, but then he didn’t care to it. “Oh, come one, Tina, why you like this? Don’t tell me that you like her.”

            “What if I like her?” challenged Tina.

            Mike’s eyes widen, surprised. “Well, that does explain everything, but you know, Tina, give me this day and I won’t bother her anymore.”

            “I repeat, don’t ever dare to touch her.” Tina’s give Mike a death glared.

            “Yeah, yeah, whatever.” Mike didn’t give a darn to Tina’s warning.