7

JUNE 8, 2017 / NASVERSIX

Fara, the new SL, had started showing her iron-fisted ruling. The first sign: she and her board members made a request for the current guard company to be changed to another one. This meant that all guards who had been working at the school for a long time would be changed to new ones – ones with brimming spirits… and don’t take bribery.

When the request was made, CGTSS students had long known about it – as she and her board members had promised that everything would be done cleanly. When it was announced during the assembly, nobody dared to even squeak. No one person protested – logically, what’s there to protest about changing guards?

Those who knew, knew.

Guards who don’t take bribes would follow the rules to the letter. Who had always ‘gifted’ the guards something to go out during prep and doing other rule-breaking activities, would no longer be able to do so. And of course, Gibbs, Ray, Troll and KJ were among those who did.

“Your sweetheart’s showing her claws now,” said Troll to Gibbs at Bintang Coffee Shop. KJ was there too. Ray had to manage something related to the performance that would be held in a short while – his staging would usually be the ending act before the end of the year.

Gibbs smiled.

“Smile la, smile! Next year is our final year, you know?! It won’t be fun under the rule of this girl of yours before we graduate,” KJ was becoming emotional.

“Relax. The new guards haven’t even started yet. Who knows whether they’d accept bribes or not?” Gibbs tried calming things down.

“Yeah right. First she meddles with the guards. What’s next?” questioned Troll.

Gibbs just shrugged his shoulders.

Suddenly, KJ elbowed Gibbs’ hand. “Ish, what’s wrong?”

KJ pointed to a direction.

Deepa was standing out Bintang Coffee Shop… and was peering inside, directly at Gibbs. She wasn’t doing anything in particular. Just standing there. Alone. Staring at Gibbs.

“Shit, she’s stalking you, Gibbs! That’s creepy as fuck,” Troll exclaimed.

Deepa realized that Gibbs and his friends had noticed her, but she still stood there, staring directly at Gibbs. Then, she closed her eyes, her mouth wording something, as if…

“Are you seeing this?! What kind of bullshit spell is she chanting?” KJ started panicking.

“Chill, chill,” said Gibbs while standing up.

“Woi, where are you going?” Troll asked.

“Meeting her obviously.”

“You mad bro? Don’t bother!” KJ advised.

“No worries. She’s alone. What can she do? Besides, you guys are here, right? If it looks like I need backup, just come,” Gibbs said and the immediately leave before his two friends could say anything else.

Gibbs went closer to Deepa. Her eyes were still closed, mouth muttering something. Nothing could be heard, giving Gibbs the chills.

“Hey…”

Deepa suddenly opened her eyes. Her earlier serious face became cheerful. There was no feeling of guilt or anything. Weirdo. This girl is really weird, Gibbs thought.

“You… what are you doing here?”

Deepa suddenly grabbed Gibbs’ hand, making him freeze.

“Seeing you of course! Can I go back with you?” Deepa asked, still happy.

“You… outing? How did you know I was here?” Gibbs asked while slowly trying to detach himself from her. He saw KJ and Troll standing up. Stand down, guys. I can handle this, Gibbs acted as if he’s giving ESP signals to his friends.

“Not really. I asked to go to the clinic. I knew that you always hang out here,” she answered simply.

“You’re sick? What kind of sickness?” Oh how nice my mouth is to ask her but in fact, what do I even care!

Deepa laughed. He got goose bumps hearing her suddenly laugh like that. “I’m not really sick! It’s just an excuse so that I could meet you.”

“How did you come here? Shouldn’t the school van send and take you back from the clinic?”

“I did come with the van. But… I want to go back with you.”

Gulp!

“That can’t do. The driver would be searching for you and if he doesn’t find you, he’d report it to the teachers. What’d you do then?” Gibbs persuaded, trying to throw the image of Deepa hugging him on his bike.

“I’ll just say that I came back by myself,” she replied.

“Deepa, I… came out by myself. If you say that you came back with me…”

“Don’t worry. I’ll just lie and say that I rode a taxi when coming back.”

Shit shit shit…

“Hmm… I can’t, Deepa. I’m with my friends…”

“Gibbs, listen,” she said. Soft but stern. “Do you want me to report to Fara that you’re hanging out here during prep time?”

Gibbs was dumbfounded. Is this bitch… threatening me?

“All this while, Fara only heard rumours of you skipping prep session. But now,” Deepa showed a picture on her phone: it was a picture of Gibbs and the others chilling at Bintang Coffee Shop, perhaps only a few minutes ago. “She’ll get proof. Then she’ll become more annoyed with you. Do you want that to happen?”

Gibbs smiled a forced smile – because his heart was really burning. She actually dared blackmail me like this? Who does she think she is?!

“You want to show Fara? Then do it. Why should I care? I told you that I’m not interested in her. Even if she’s annoyed, so what?” Gibbs said. In his heart, he was already cursing this bitch. He really cared if his image in Fara’s eyes worsened. He had long planned to make Fara fall for him and yet this bitch spoiled it!

Deepa clammed up. Gibbs took this chance to play his strategy…

“I didn’t expect you to do something like this. I thought you were a nice girl. I… I was just starting to like you. But…”

“You like me?” Deepa’s eyes shone, asking for confirmation.

Gibbs made a downcast face, sad, disappointed… I really have a potential in performing in one of Ray’s production, I just can’t be bothered with auditioning. “I thought you were different. I thought, finally, I could open up to somebody. Someone who doesn’t consider me evil.”

“No! I really don’t think that you’re evil,” Deepa quickly replied.

“Just send that picture to whoever you want. Maybe post it on Facebook, or Twitter… up to you. But it won’t change anything. Everybody knows that I’m bad. What’s the difference whether you spread that picture or not? Just…” Gibbs paused – wanting to increase the impact, then continued.

“I feel that it’s hilarious. Just the other day, I talked with my friends. I, I said…”

Gibbs sighed. Just because. Now that’s a drama.

“You… you said?”

“I said I might have found someone who doesn’t look at me negatively. Someone who could listen to all my problems. At the time, I thought that the person was you. But today…”

Gibbs saw pools of tears in Deepa’s eyes. Relax. This is only a little bit.

“Gibbs, I…”

Gibbs sighed and then pretended to pretend a smile. Like he’s barely holding himself in one piece, even though his heart was shattered. Yeah right. Shattered.

“Okay then, Deepa. I need to get back to my friends. Don’t worry, I won’t tell them about your plan to blackmail us. I don’t want them to have a negative opinion of you.”

“Gibbs, I would never. I promise! I… I was wrong. I thought that you lied that day. I though you really liked Fara, but I like you. That’s why I wanted to make you like me back…”

“Like this?” Gibbs asked.

Deepa fell silent, guilt filling her heart. Gibbs, on the other hand, laughed in his heart.

“It’s fine. Go ahead and return first. Earlier, it’s not that I didn’t want to send you back. I can, but one of my friends wanted to go with me since the other one needed to go to his relative’s house. There’s someone sick. I wasn’t able to finish my sentence earlier but you…” Gibbs purposely left his sentence hanging.

“Gibbs, I’m really, really sorry. I didn’t know. Please, please forgive me. Please?”

Coincidentally, Gibbs saw the school van stop in front of the clinic. I love you, uncle! Perfect timing!

“The van is here,” Gibbs said, and then dramatically escaped the scene.

“Gibbs! I’m sorry!”

“You think Deepa will forget about you after this?” Ray asked Gibbs when he exited the court to have a drink. KJ and Troll continued their game. Ray wasn’t one to be involved in this kind of sports activity.

“At the very least, I have a solid reason to distance myself from her. With me being heartbroken and all, right?” Gibbs replied in panting breaths. The extra water inside were poured onto his head.

Ray was silent, thinking while observing. He liked seeing Gibbs’ hair when it’s wet.

“What’s on your mind?” asked Gibbs.

Ray shrugged. “She’s psychotic. I don’t think you’ll be able to guess her movements like how you read other girls. Just… be careful.”

Gibbs smiled naughtily. “So you actually do care for me, huh Ray?”

Before Ray even answered, KJ shouted from the middle of the court, “Woi, Gibbs! I’m dying here!”

Troll laughed sinisterly. Gibbs re-entered the court and Ray continued watching them.