It has been three days Aom didn’t come to school because her ankle worsen. Because of that too, Tina must came to Aom’s house to studies, like that day. Tina scratched her head that wasn’t itchy. Aom knew that Tina still didn’t get how to solve the math question about Sin, Cos, Tan and that made her frustrated because she already explained it couple of times.

            “Mid exam is next month and you’re still no clue at all about math, how can you win over me, Tina? How can you be so stupid like this? If you really wanna win over me, study well. How many times I need to tell you to study well? Gosh! You’re really makes me frustrating, Tina.” Tina raised her head and gazed to Aom.”What? Wanna shut me? Wanna calls me a grandma? I’m noisy? Whatever, I don’t care. If you keep acts like this, you’ll never beat me. Ever!”

            “You’re still teaching Mike?”

            Aom widen her eyes, didn’t believe Tina would asking like that after what she said. “That’s your respond to my long talk? Unbelievable.”

            “Just answer.”

            Aom tried to guess the meaning of her question, but she can’t because Tina put a poker face. “Yeah, sometimes he wanna me to teach him.”

            Tina snorted. “You must be happy, huh, get attention from the guy that most wanted in school?”

            “Nope. I told you I dislike stupid peoples, like you and him. So, study seriously, please.”

            In the end, Aom explained it again to Tina and finally she can solve one question. It was just the two of them at Aom’s house, until Mrs. Mannaying came. Mr. Mannaying didn’t come home yet. Mrs. Mannaying took a glass of juice then sat beside Aom.

            “I heard you two kissed.”

            That one sentence from Mrs. Mannaying made Aom and Tina frozen for seconds. Tina cleared then raised her head, looked at Mrs. Mannaying that looked at her too. She tried to act as calm as she can.

            “We’re not kissed, Mam, but I kissed her. It’s different meaning, Mam.”

            Aom disbelieved with what was Tina say. How can she talk so casually like that? Because of Tina answer, Mrs. Mannaying paid her attention more to Tina.

            “Why you kissed her, Tina? Why you kissed my daughter? Don’t tell me that you two are dating now.”

            “We’re not—” Aom panicked.

            “We’re not, Mam. I kissed her because she’s so annoying, keep nagging at me, I told her to stop, but she was keep talking. So, I shut with my lips.” Tina explained in detail. “Sorry, Mam, but your daughter is really annoying.”

            “And you’re not, huh?” said Aom while glanced at Tina.

            Tina shook her head. “Nope.”

            “Don’t try to flirting or seduce my daughter, Tina.”

            “I won’t, Mam, I won’t.”

            “Like I want with her,” said Aom in low tone.

            Mrs. Mannaying smirked and changed her stares to Aom. “Careful with your words, Aom. Tina is surely charming.”

            Tina smiled immediately heard words from Mrs. Mannaying. “I knew, Mam, I knew.”

            Aom made an expression like she vomit. Tina pretended not to see that. Mrs. Mannaying looked seriously at Tina again.

            “And tell your friend, Mike, not to flirting with her too.”

            Oh yeah! “Yes, Mam.” Tina nodded.

            “Anyway, who’s your girlfriend now, Tina? I heard you already broke up with Newclear,” asked Mrs. Mannaying.

            Tina rolled her eyes. “Baifern, Mam.” Before Mrs. Mannaying replied, she added more. “I know about karma, Mam. It just Newclear not someone that can make me really fall in love with her.”

            “And Baifern can do it?”

            “Well, not really,” shrugged Tina, not sure. “It just she’s pretty and smart enough.”

            “Smart enough to do your homework?” Mrs. Mannaying smirked.

            Tina grinned. “Not like that, Mam—”

            “Yeah, right, Mom. She always makes her girlfriend to do her homework. What a shame!” Aom cut Tina.

            Tina glared at Aom, dislike Aom opened her secret. Aom who knew Tina a bit angry, just ignored her. She pretended that she didn’t do something wrong. Mrs. Mannaying stared at Tina’s brown eyes.

            “Tina, if you’re not really love her, don’t have any relationship with her. If she brake up with you, she’ll be sad, like Newclear. Try to understand people’s feeling, Tina. So—”

            “Will others understand my feeling too if I do that?” suddenly Tina’s expression changed. She looked hurt. “You can’t guarantee that, right, Mam? Call me selfish or whatever, I don’t care. At least, with being like that I can’t be hurt.”

            That was the first time Aom looked Tina so serious with her words. Aom can felt the pain that Tina tried to hide. She had something that really hurt her and Aom just realized that.

            “Stop staring at me like that or you’ll fall to me.”

            Those words from Tina made Aom rolled her eyes. “Yeah, right.” She said sarcastic.

            “Study well, Tina,” said Mrs. Mannaying before left Aom and Tina.

            Tina nodded while still locked her eyes to her math books. “Yes, Mam.”

            This girl. Why she looks hurt? What had happened to her? Aom still can’t take her eyes off Tina that disturbed her mind. Tina is too mysterious to her.

            ###

            After two weeks, Aom’s ankle got better, but sometimes it’s still hurt. Pei looked at her ankle since a while ago while munched his lunch. They’re in the canteen and had lunch break.

            “You sure that your ankle is alright?” asked Pei.

            Aom nodded. “It’s fine.”

            “I think you need rest more, Aom.”

            Aom rolled her eyes. “Oh, please, Pei. It’s not good if I’m too much absent from school. Just a week and it’s already killing me.”

            “But sometimes you still feel the pain.”

            “It’s okay, Pei.” Aom grabbed her drink and just realized that her glass had empty. She stood up and headed to the drink machine.

            “I don’t know that you like tom.”

            Aom startled when heard a guy’s voice behind her back. She turned her body and found Beam that looked so arrogant. Aom folded her arms and glared at Beam.

            “What do you mean?”

            Beam snorted. “You’re that brat, Tina’s girlfriend, right?”

            Aom raised her eyebrows. “I’m not. Baifern is her girlfriend.”

            “Oh, please, stop lying. If you’re not her girlfriend, why she need to mad at me?”

            Aom bend her brows. She didn’t understand with Beam talked about. “Tina mad at you?”

            “Yeah, even she punched me.” Beam looked through Aom and his eyes found Tina that walking in to the canteen. “There she go, your beloved boyfriend.”

            Aom turned her head, looked at Beam’s eyes direction. She also found Tina that walked toward her and Beam. With her coolly walk, Tina passed them, even she didn’t glance to Aom and Beam. Beam grabbed her hand and that made Tina stopped her steps. She looked at Beam with her cold eyes.

            “What?”

            “Why you wanna with this need girl, huh? What she give to you? Did you already sleep with her?” asked Beam that made Aom angry when heard it.

            Tina clenched her fist tightly. “You must be happy, huh, kissed this girl? Even when she with me, she didn’t give permission to me to kiss her.” Beam looked at Aom again. “But I know now why you won’t kiss me because you love tom, not—”

            And Beam fell because Tina punched his face so hard. From Beam’s nose blood was out. Tina didn’t stop punched Beam, she grabbed Beam’s collar and punched him over and over. That made Aom shocked. When Aom back to her sense, she quickly tried to stop Tina. She grabbed Tina’s arm.

            “Stop it, Tina! Stop it! Tina!” Aom yelled.

            Mike suddenly showed up and grabbed Tina’s body. He pulled Tina to stay far from Beam who bleeding so much. Tina tried to break from Mike’s hugged and wanted to attack Beam again. Seemed like she really hate that guy. The fight between Tina and Beam became an interesting show for others. Friends of Beam help him to stand.

            “Yeah, control your boyfriend, Aom,” said Beam.

            In a flash, Aom closer to Beam and gave him a punch on his stomach. “And you, control your mouth,” said Aom with her murderous glared.

            Beam didn’t expect that Nan will punch him. It made him shocked. Tina and Mike also shocked. Tina stop tried to break Mike’s hugged when saw Aom punched Beam.

            “Wow!” said Mike, amazed with Aom.

            “Awww! It must be hurt,” said Pei that in the crowd, teased Beam and it made others laughed at Beam.

            “C’mon.” Aom grabbed Tina’s hand and left the canteen. Mike and Pei followed them.

            On Aom’s mind, too many questions that she wanted ask to Tina, but she didn’t know which one the question that must she asked first.

            “Why you did that?” finally that her first question. She still grabbed Tina’s hand while headed to the backside of school.

            “Don’t know. I just hate his words.” Tina shrugged.

            “But I’m the one who must angry, not you. It doesn’t make sense, Tina. He said those harsh words to me, not you. Why you need to angry and punched him like crazy?”

            Aom stopped her step when they were in the backside of the school. Aom stared Tina sharply. Tina avoided Aom’s stare. Mike and Pei just watched them.

            “I just want it,” answered Tina.

            Aom not satisfied with Tina’s answer. “Tell me honestly, why you did that? Because school maybe kicks you out and I’ll be the number one guilty person. Listen, Tina, if you punched him just for fun then stop did that.”

            Tina snorted. She let her hand go from Aom’s grabbing. “Whatever.” Then she left Aom.

            Mike walked through Aom. “She’ll be okay, Aom.” He gave Aom an encourage smile then followed Tina.

            Pei came closer to Aom that watched Tina and Mike’s back. “I think I know why Tina did that.”

            Aom turned her head to Pei quickly. She stared Pei with full of curiosity. “Why?”

            Pei shook his head. “Never mind. Let’s go back to the class.”

            ###

            Mrs. Mannaying glared at Beam, Tina, and Aom one by one. Tina’s right hand got bandaged and Beam’s face got plasters on his left eyebrow, his side of lips, and his nose. Aom got called to the consultation room too because she became witness of Beam and Tina fight.

            “I thought you were already promise me not to fight again, Tina,” said Mrs. Mannaying.

            “I’m sorry, Mam. He was too annoying. So, I can’t stand it,” replied Tina without fear that she maybe will get kick out from school.

            “You punched him, is it right?” asked Mrs. Mannaying.

            Tina nodded. “Yes, I punched him over and over again. His face got better after I punched him, right, Mam?” Even in that situation, she still managed to joke.

            Mrs. Mannaying stared her sharply. “I’m not in the mood to joking now, Tina. Let me hear the true problems that you two had.”

            “Mam, that was—”

            “I punched him, Mam. Just kick me out if you want.” Tina cut Aom’s words. Again, without fear, she stared Mrs. Mannaying’s eyes.

            Mrs. Mannaying knew that no matter how much she forced Tina to tell her reasons, she won’t tell it. “For now, Tina and Beam get detention. You two are prohibited to school for 3 days and you two will get many homework to do. Get it?”

            “But, Mam—”

            Aom tried to interrupt, but Tina cut her again. “Get it, Mam. Are we done?”

            Mrs. Mannaying nodded. “Yeah, we’re done. You can leave.”

            After gave slightly bow to Mrs. Mannaying, Tina left the consultation room, so do Beam. Aom was just the one who hasn’t left yet. Mrs. Mannaying looked at her daughter with curious look.

            “What is it?”   

            “Tina didn’t do anything wrong, Mam. She punched Beam because of me,” explained Aom.

            “What do you mean?” brows of Mrs. Mannaying bend.

            Aom bitten her lips, hesitated for a while to tell the truth that was happened or not.

            “I can’t tell you the full story, but Beam was provoking her then she was mad and punched him. She didn’t do anything wrong. Please forgive her, Mam.” Aom begged to her mom.

            “I knew her well that she won’t punch someone without reason, but I still need to give her detention. Sorry, Aom.”

            Aom sighed while her hair. “Okay, Mam, I get it.” She gave slightly bow too then left the room.

            ###

            “Why you’re not allowed me to explain to my Mom?” asked Aom when she just got off from Tina’s motorcycle. They had arrived at Tina’s home.

            Without care to answered, Tina walked in to her home, followed by Aom behind her. Aom kept insisting asked Tina. She really needed to know the reason of Tina’s acted.

            “Tina, answer me!”

            Tina rolled her eyes. “Even if you tell the reason, the one who guilty is me because I punched him.”

            “But peoples will misunderstand you if they don’t know the real reason.”

            Tina stopped her step and turned her body, faced Aom. Her face showed that she annoyed. “Why you need to care about it?”

            “Because you aren’t wrong. This is injustice. How can someone that not wrong get punish?”

            “Can you shut up?”

            “Or what? Wanna kiss me again? Kiss and fight seem likes your specialty,” said Aom sarcastic.

            “Don’t try to pity me.”

            “I should be the one who say that,” replied Aom.

            Tina sighed, calm her down. She looked not to burst her anger. “I’m already on bad mood, don’t you make it worsen.”

            Aom backed down. Tina really looked on bad mood. Tina didn’t speak too much after that, even when she tried to answer the math questions that Aom made. She did the questions silently. Aom can’t stop not to glancing to her. When Tina became silent really mean that she not on good mood. The silent between them broke when someone slammed the front door of Tina’s home and stepped in. Aom watched the front door with curious, but Tina seemed didn’t interest at all. The one who came in was Mr. Jittaleela, head master and Tina’s father.

            He walked toward Tina that still locked her eyes to her books. His face showed that he’s angry. He grabbed Tina’s shirt, made Tina stood then slapped her right cheek. Aom who saw that shocked. Tina’s right cheek was suddenly red.

             “Do you love fight so much, huh?! Useless kid! Just know how to fight. You just make me embarrass! Why you can’t be like your brothers? They always make me proud, not like you! You’re even not a boy, why you love girls and fight?! I’m ashamed on you, Tina. Prepare yourself to get kick out from school!”

            After saying those words, Mr. Jittaleela left Tina’s home. Aom who still shocked, didn’t know that to do. She didn’t know that Mr. Jittaleela would do that. She wondered how hurt Tina felt. She took a glance to her, like nothing happened, she back locked her eyes on her books.

            “See that? Even my Dad doesn’t care with me. He just cares with my brothers. I’m the only daughter that he had, but he never wanted a daughter, he just wanted had son. For him, son is more important than daughter. Whatever I did, it never satisfy or make him happy. Until I decided to act like a boy with hope that he’ll care to me more, but I’m wrong, it just make him hate me more, disgusting, like I’m alien. He didn’t know that I acted like this because of him. He don’t—”

            Aom didn’t know why Tina suddenly told her stories to Aom, but she knew that Tina is really hurt. So, she stood from her seat ad closer to Tina. She hugged Tina from beside, placed Tina’s head on Aom’s chest because Aom kneeled down. Tina startled with the suddenly hug from Aom, but that hug made her tears came out from her eyes. She turned her body, faced Aom, and pulled Aom’s body to hug tightly.

            Even though Aom a bit shocked when Tina hugged her back, but she still hugged her and rubbed Tina’s back. Tina burst her tears on Aom. That was her first time cried so much in front of other. She also didn’t know why she told her stories to Aom and even cried in Aom’s embrace. She can’t stop her tears and Aom with no words, still embraced her.

            “Don’t be hurt, Tina. Prove to your Dad that you’re not nothing, that you’re not just someone who like to fight.” Aom tried to encourage Tina. “Be strong, Tina.”

            Be strong. Tina repeated that words. Yeah, I must be strong.

            “Stronger, Tina. Being a tom or fighter can’t make your Dad look at you. Shows to him that you’re not useless kid. I know you can do it.”