The Life of an Eagle Boy

On a bright Monday morning, the sound of birds chirping filled the air, blending with the cool breeze of Bandung. Sunlight slowly filtered through the window of a luxurious house in a busy part of the city. Inside, there were twin siblings who loved each other, each with their own distinct personalities. Without hugs, without words, without warmth—just distant care from afar.

Ray, full name Rayendra Febian Wardiana, was an eleventh-grade student in the popular public high school in Bandung. Known for his cold and withdrawn personality, he had a hard time socializing and barely had any close friends.

On the other hand, his twin sister, Rayina Ferbrina Wardiana, was a bubbly, cheerful girl who always drew attention wherever she went. Despite being twins, Ray and Rayina were like two opposite poles. Ray, with his cold and calm expression, was busy stuffing books into his bag, accustomed to staying silent and lost in his thoughts.

“I’m going first! Don’t be late!” Rayina called out that morning, holding a handful of bread in her left hand.

Ray only muttered a quick, “Hmm,” without even glancing at her.

Rayina came closer, tilted her head, and pouted. “Come on, give me a smile, make it sweeter,” she teased, laughing softly before running out the door.

As he walked, Ray’s mind wandered. He watched his aunt’s car speed past him, ignoring his presence on the sidewalk.

“Why’s Auntie in such a hurry?” he thought to himself.

The sound of a horn barely reached his thoughts as he saw the angkot driver waving at him, and the passengers inside looking directly at him. Ray quickly ran toward the angkot that was almost full. “Wait, Mang!”

Ray found an empty seat in the front row of the angkot, directly facing all the passengers inside. The situation made his face turn red. Although they weren’t directly staring at him, Ray’s shallow thoughts made him feel like they were watching his every move. In reality, they were too busy with their phones or lost in their own thoughts.

From the corner at the back, he saw a girl waving her small hand at him. Nervously, Ray tried to look up and glance at her. Apparently, she was one of his classmates.

“We’re here. Come on, Ray. You’re safe now, not late anymore,” said the angkot driver, teasing him about last week’s incident.

Ray was still adjusting to his new school environment, a change that took him a while to adapt to. After paying the fare, Ray checked his watch—it was 6:45 AM. The flag ceremony would start in 15 minutes. He turned and quickened his pace toward the school gate, which was barely open.

“Rayendra, wait!”

Ray’s steps froze, along with the music in his ears.

“Eh, did someone call me?”

As he turned around, a girl bumped into him.

“Ouch!”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to,” she quickly apologized.

Ray squinted his eyes, trying to see who the girl standing in front of him was. They stared at each other for a few seconds. The girl had brown eyes, shoulder-length straight hair, and thin lips. Her name tag read: Zahra Otista Putri.

“Hey, you’re not mad, right? I’m really sorry, I didn’t mean it, I swear,” Zahra said.

Ray’s thoughts were interrupted. He was stunned and suddenly turned away without saying a word to the girl who had bumped into him. He quickened his pace, leaving her behind.

“Wow, is this kid deaf or something? I apologized already,” Zahra muttered, baffled by the guy who had been acting distant since the angkot.

Meanwhile, the atmosphere at the ceremony had a completely different vibe. Rayina confidently led the ceremony as the MC. Her long black hair shone in the morning sunlight, making her even more noticeable to the other students. Unlike Rayendra, who stood quietly in the back row, not even the slightest bit affected by his twin sister’s presence.

“The ceremony leader dismisses the lineup.”

After the bell rang, the atmosphere in class XI IPS-1 shifted. Bu Ainun, their homeroom teacher, walked in with a broad smile. “Good morning, everyone! How was your holiday?” she greeted, met with loud cheers from almost all the students.

“Boring, Miss!”

“Well, then, let’s kick off this new school year with… Biology!” Bu Ainun cheerfully announced.

XI IPS-1 was the only class that had chosen Biology as their elective subject, along with two other classes that picked Chemistry and Physics.

The classroom erupted with simultaneous protests, while Rayendra just shook his head and clicked his tongue. “Tch!”

Moments like this always made him feel more alienated. When the teacher asked students to form discussion groups, the room became chaotic. Desks shuffled around, loud voices filled the space. Wood scraping against wood. Even arguments broke out. In the middle of the noise, Ray sat alone, staring down at his phone.

“Ugh, I hate moments like this.”

Ray felt trapped in a maze with no way out. “Looks like it’s just me again,” he sighed in resignation. Then, Zahra, the cheerful girl who had bumped into him earlier, came over.

“Rayendra, did you get a group yet?”

Ray quickly adjusted his sitting position, removing his earphones that were always stuck in his ears. “Uh, can I join your group?” he asked.

Without feeling guilty, Ray didn’t pay any mind to the earlier incident and responded to what the girl in front of him was saying. He nodded, then moved his chair closer to Zahra’s group, which had already started their discussion.

“Ray, come on over, bro.”

Their group chose the topic “Substance Abuse in Teenagers: The Impact on Body Reactions.”

Everyone was busy looking for materials on their phones and books, making Zahra’s group quieter compared to the chaos earlier.

Zahra tried to lighten the mood. “Hey, so what are we doing here? Why are we discussing this? When I stay quiet, you all go quiet too.”

“Be patient, Ray. We’re trying to find journals here. Besides, you’re the one making this more complicated with such a theme.”

Zahra smiled at her group. She loved teasing them. This topic was trending in Bandung Raya. Even though Ray rarely spoke, he came up with brilliant ideas that made their discussion more active and stood out. When it was their turn to present, Ray surprised everyone with his fluent and clear answer. For the first time, he received applause from the whole class.

“Great job! This group looks really solid!”

The class ended with a round of applause.

The cafeteria was as busy as usual.

“Rayina, you look really pretty today!” one of her friends complimented.

“Your voice was so beautiful during the ceremony!” another one added.

Rayendra, used to hearing these comments, just sat in the corner enjoying his favorite noodle soup. He didn’t care about the noise. After eating and paying, the place made him even more uncomfortable. The longer he stayed there, the more suffocating it felt.

On his way back to class, he overheard some students mocking him. They talked about his cold personality. “That’s Rayendra, right? He’s a rich kid but looks like a mess, like he doesn’t take care of himself.”

Rayendra clenched his fists, trying to hold back his anger. Exactly one month after they had arrived at this school, everything seemed to highlight the stark contrast between the two new students. A small voice inside Ray’s head often wanted to respond and deny all the accusations about him. But he chose to stay silent, agreeing, because not everything was within his control.

“Just let it be… It’s not important.”

Those words kept ringing in his head, as if reminding him of all the dissatisfaction he felt.

DING!

The bell rang, signaling the end of school. Ray dragged his feet, with only 20% energy left. What he always saw were the hustle and jokes of the kids around him, things he never cared to hear. In his mind, they were all fake because the world and everything in it were just a competition for survival, a play where everyone had a role.

That night, Ray stood in front of the mirror in his bathroom. His reflection stared back at him with a cynical smile, like two conflicting sides of the same coin.

“I’m so tired of this.”

The voice echoed in his head, stirring up deep frustration.

“But you have to! Because only you can,” the voice seemed to command, stressing how important it was for him to keep fighting, even though he didn’t understand the way forward.

Rayendra felt the weight growing heavier on his shoulders. He began questioning his own identity, struggling to find out who he really was amid the maze of emotions and conflicting hopes.

“Am I going to keep hiding in the shadows like this?”

In the darkness of the night, he promised himself to try harder—finding the light that would guide him out of the maze that had trapped him.