The Life of an Eagle Boy

Making Friends

That afternoon, the locker room was filled with laughter and casual chatter. The sound of their conversations echoed, accompanied by the noise of lockers slamming. Two of the many white-and-gray uniforms were left scattered on the bench. All the students seemed busy getting ready for gym class. But Ray sat in the corner, undisturbed by the commotion.

“Ray, you were awesome during the presentation yesterday! Everyone just went silent,” Nasrul said, patting him on the shoulder. “Yeah, Ray! You totally crushed them! Seriously, I got chills,” Eriko added, suddenly popping up from behind Nasrul.

Nasrul and Eriko were Rayendra’s classmates. They had been trying to get closer to him for a while, hoping to be more than just classmates. But Ray never really let anyone into his world because, for him, the quiet world he created was a safe and peaceful place.

Nasrul approached Ray with a serious look. “Ray, are you sure you don’t want to join the basketball club? I’ve been asking you since last semester. It’s a shame to have talent and not use it.”

Eriko nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah, that’s true.”

Rayendra just stayed silent, trying to ignore their invitation while continuing to stare at his phone, which was playing a video about the anomalies of the conscious world.

“If I were you, I’d join every club. Plus, you could hit on some of the girls, haha!” Nasrul tried to lighten the mood with a joke.

But Ray still didn’t react. Deep inside, he knew why he always turned down invitations. How could he be comfortable around others when he couldn’t even find peace with himself?

“I’ll think about it,” he muttered.

“Okay, boss! But don’t take too long thinking about it!” Nasrul said.

Ray stood up, took out his earphones. “You guys want to watch me change, or should I head out?”

“Rul, let’s go! His face is getting scarier!”

“We’ll wait for the good news, Ray!”

On the field, gym class started with a Physical Fitness Test (TKJ). All the students were struggling to finish the series of tests, even though most of them had already run out of energy.

“Sir, why do we have to do the TKJ at the start of every semester? It’s so exhausting!” Zahra complained in a whiny tone, making her friends laugh.

“If you guys don’t exercise, when will you get healthy? Let’s continue! Starting with warm-ups again!” shouted Mr. Rahmat as he blew his whistle.

Rayendra finished his test quickly. Even though his body seemed tired, his expression remained neutral, as usual.

When the class ended, most of the students walked off, complaining of sore muscles. But not Nasrul. He was still as energetic as ever, even mocking his friends.

“What’s wrong with you guys? You’re healthy, but look at you, all stiff!” he laughed.

After a short break, religion class began. The atmosphere in the classroom changed drastically—from the noisy field to a quiet classroom full of sleepy students. And the smell of stuffiness. Ray swapped his earphones for earbuds, played soft music, and tried to sleep.

Mr. Agus, the religion teacher, seemed to notice the students starting to lose focus. Suddenly, he slammed his desk.

BANG!

All the students jumped in surprise, waking them from their daydreams.

“Sorry, there was a cockroach,” Mr. Agus said casually.

A small laugh echoed from a few corners of the classroom, but the effect was enough to bring their focus back.

After school, Ray decided to eat out. The small restaurant he chose was quiet, giving him a comfortable atmosphere to enjoy some alone time. But that comfort vanished when Rayina, his sister, showed up with two of her friends.

They were busy live-streaming on I*******m, reviewing the restaurant. Ray could only sigh. He couldn’t leave yet—his order hadn’t arrived. Rolling his eyes, he tried to avoid drawing attention from Rayina.

“Hey, isn’t that Ray?” one of Rayina’s friends whispered.

“Yeah, that’s the handsome sociopath, right?”

Rayina turned around. “Huh? What are you saying?”

“Everyone at school calls him that. How could they not? He’s handsome, but his vibe is so intimidating,” her friend replied.

Rayina glanced back at him. “Is that true?”

Rayendra pretended to be busy with his phone until his food arrived. Without waiting, he paid the bill and left. Back home, Ray felt relieved to return to his comfort zone. He immediately headed for the bathroom. The water from the shower washed over his body, easing the exhaustion of the day. But his mind remained restless. Nasrul’s face and the basketball question kept haunting him.

“Are you going to join?” Andrean’s voice suddenly echoed in his head.

Ray stared at the bathroom mirror. Andrean’s figure appeared behind his reflection, cold-faced and sharp-eyed. “You know I’m not interested.”

Andrean challenged him. “Or are you scared? Don’t tell me you’re still comfortable being a loser.” Ray sighed, trying to ignore the voice. He didn’t want to argue with his own thoughts.

That night, Aunt Witri called them to gather for dinner.

The dinner atmosphere was calm, though Ray kept his distance. His aunt, who had just returned, brought them a large pizza to share between the three of them.

“Aunt won’t ask why you guys are quiet tonight. I’m tired, I have so much work to do at the office,” Aunt Witri said as she went upstairs to her room, leaving them in silence.

Rayina, who had been playing with her iPad Pro, suddenly stood up. “I’m sleepy.”

“Go ahead and sleep.”

Ray sat at the dinner table, his left hand playing with his phone. Only the ticking of the clock was heard in the big room, with no other breaths except the carbon dioxide he exhaled. As the night grew darker and only he remained at the table, Ray went back to his room. He sat at his desk, trying to read a book, but his mind kept wandering.

“Ray, how long are you going to keep fighting with yourself?” Andrean’s voice echoed again.

Rayendra froze, not answering, trying to close his eyes, which led to a long night of deep sleep.