32

“Do you believe what Kj said?”

Fara asked when meeting Gibbs behind Delta block that night.

“Then? Is it wrong?”

Fara was silent. “If so, how does that make you feel?”

My girlfriend has started sounding like a psychologist. “How does that make me feel? Like shit!”

Gibbs immediately regretted raising his voice at Fara. He had never done that to her, but for some reason, he felt a burning rage within him that he was unable to control.

It’s a good thing that Fara wasn’t affected by it. It’s a good thing that my girlfriend is cool.

“You can’t be like this. Don’t just follow your feelings,” reminded Fara.

If the reminder was followed by a soft caress or a womanly touch… Gibbs’ heart might’ve cooled down slightly. But Gibbs realised that lately, Fara rarely interacted physically with him.

Maybe because Gibbs was sexually frustrated? Perhaps that’s why he felt like blowing up every time?

How come I’m thinking like that?

But Gibbs still wanted to test this theory. Maybe by having sexual intercourse with Fara would help solving his, as said by KJ, uncool attitude lately.

“Dear…” Gibbs started being coy.

“Hmm…?”

“Let’s sleep in, my room tonight?”

Fara smile. A smile that gave a false hope. “I can’t, dear…”

“Why? Tomorrow is a Saturday. There are no classes.”

“I need to go to a field trip tomorrow.”

The old Gibbs would shrug indifferently after being rejected (wrong. The old Gibbs wouldn’t ever be rejected!). So Gibbs felt that he had the qualification to pull his face when Fara didn’t accept his invitation. So what if KJ says that I’m emo? It’s not like he’s here!

“Dear, don’t sulk…” Fara tried coaxing.

“No. Who said that I’m sulking? I’m just trying to help you. Your roommate is gone. She committed suicide. I just don’t want you to stay there alone. That’s why I ask you to sleep in my room.” My cover story is quite good if I do say so myself. I’m proud of myself.

Fara smiled. “That’s sweet, dear. But really, I’m fine…”

“Or maybe, I’ll accompany you in your room…”

“Eh, it’s fine! No need!”

Fara rejected the second invitation immediately. Too quick, in fact.

“Why? It’s not like you have a roommate now?”

“Oh, you. I told you that I have a field trip tomorrow. If you sleep there, there’s no way I can sleep,” said  Fara.

“Doesn’t my girlfriend has a high stamina?” Gibbs teased while playing to jump on Fara.

But Fara immediately dodged. “Gibran, you can’t.”

“Period?”

“Gibran!”

“What?”

Fara snorted. “Please don’t be so childish!”

Another one that says I’m like a kid! What’s with everyone!?

“Fine. I’ll go back first if it’s like that.”

“Dear…”

But Gibbs was already on the way back to his room.

Even if I’m acting childishly, so what! Why is everyone telling me to grow up? This is my senior year in high school! Let me be a kid one last time, goddammit!

And Gibbs anger started overflowing.

“I have a theory and you may not like it.”

Those were KJ’s words immediately after Gibbs told him what happened with Fara. He really didn’t want to tell it, but KJ was the only one he had now to consult things like this. It sounded like a Malay drama but that’s just how it was.

“Since you’ve said it already, I can’t just ignore it,” muttered Gibbs.

“Don’t you feel that something fishy is going on?”

“What’s fishy?”

“Yeah. Ever since Deepa hanged herself, don’t you feel that your girlfriend started acting weird?”

Gibbs felt like answering, “My girlfriend really is weird,” but he knew that wasn’t what KJ was getting at. So he let KJ explain his theory.

“You girlfriend seems like she’s trying to avoid you. If we say that she’s trying to busy herself to forget her roommate, then that’s logical. But why must it be to the point that she can’t let you sleep in her room?”

“Her room. Her rules,” Gibbs wasn’t sure whether he was able to sound casual when saying that. He didn’t want to be called uncool by KJ again.

KJ was silent.

“That’s it? Your theory?”

“Of course not!”

“Then? Get to the end already.”

“What if… Fara and Deepa had planned all of this? To get to us?”

Gibbs laughed boisterously. He’s started monkeying now.

“Weyh. I’m being serious here!”

“What are you bullshitting now you idiot?”

“Just think about it. Fara originally wasn’t interested in you and Deepa kept being rejected by you. Maybe they planned all this to get you – to get us!”

“To the point that Deepa hanged herself? That’s ridiculous!”

“You went with Deepa for a date that night, right?”

“Yeah.”

“What if that’s the real Deepa and the one being hanged was just a dummy? We were all too traumatized to properly check that night, right?” guessed KJ.

“Impossible. There’s someone else witnessing it at that time…”

“Who? Try thinking properly. Who were there that night, Gibbs? Us four, Fara, Old Lan… that’s it, right? That Old Lan never liked us! If he’s in it with Fara, with Deepa… it’s logical, right?”

Gibbs was silent this time. Shit, the more I think… the more plausible this theory is.

“But… but… the whole school knows about Deepa’s case.” Gibbs was still trying to deny KJ’s theory.

“Have you talked with anyone about Deepa’s case? Or perhaps you’ve heard anyone talk about it?”

KJ’s question was supposed to be answered with a confident “Yes!” like someone who’s answering a question in Wheel of Fortune.

Supposed to.

It’s unfortunate that after Gibbs thought of it properly again… he really had b=never talked to anyone about it, and had never heard people talk about it. Even though the incident was quite huge, and should be a hot topic between CGTSS students and staff.

“Maybe everyone is traumatic like us…” Gibbs argument sounded weak.

“Come on, Gibbs! It can’t be everyone! At the very least, there should be 1-2 jackasses talking about it! The problem now is that it felt like the incident simply vanished like that. Like…”

Gibbs was already shivering even before KJ finished his sentence.

“Like it had never happened in the first place.”