03

"Resa, get the ball!" Juna shouted from the back of the class.

Resa glanced at the basketball hiding behind the classroom door, and he only watched for a few seconds before continuing him way to the end table near the window. He sat down ignoring Juna's screams because he was disappointed in Resa.

Juna exhaled deeply as soon as he stood near his friend's table with a basketball. "It's really growing like someone who has no intention to live. What's wrong with you? Do you have a problem?"

Resa didn't answer, he just stared at Juna without taking off hisnbag which was quite heavy because today there were many additional tasks.

"Resa, just tell me if you have a problem, I will help you because we are close friends," Juna said again, but this time he touched Resa's right shoulder. Of course the owner of the shoulder screamed in pain while hitting Juna's arm which was still perched on his shoulder.

Juna was shocked, she apologized to Resa several times because he didn't know it would make Resa angry and in pain. "What's with your shoulder? I really don't know anything about that, please forgive me for my ignorance, just once!"

"Hey, what's wrong with you guys?" Luna - the most popular girl in class approached with a frown. She saw Resa who was still in pain. "Resa, what's wrong with you?"

Resa didn't answer, he kept touching him right shoulder which felt pain. Knowing something odd made Luna look forcefully at her classmate's right shoulder, and blood seeped through Resa's white shirt slowly.

Juna panicked right then and there, and he quickly helped Luna to take Resa to the UKS which was downstairs. They went down the stairs slowly, and occasionally saw Resa who was still in pain. Resa had never thought about this before because he thought the bandage was strong enough to cover the stab wound and help heal the wound that was still open.

"Doctor, help Resa has a wound on her shoulder!" shouted Luna without thinking about the other patients in their respective cubicles.

She took a seat so Resa could sit quickly in front of Tarisa's table. The beautiful doctor immediately examined Resa's right shoulder carefully, her eyebrows knit together as she unwrapped the blood-filled bandage.

"What happened to your shoulder, Resa?" asked Tarisa surprised. "How did it come to this?"

"I got a stab wound suddenly, Doctor. I only realized when I got home, and I immediately covered it with a bandage after giving the ointment," lied Resa.

The lie surprised Tarisa, Juna and Luna. They stared at each other for a few seconds then focused again. Tarisa took injections, other equipment to stitch up the wound, and put on sterile gloves. After she cleaned Resa's shoulder which was dirty with blood, Tarisa started giving medicine so that Resa wouldn't feel pain when she started sewing up the open wound.

"The wound is quite deep, what did that person stab you with?"

"Shattered glass, and I thought it wasn't deep. So I didn't go to the hospital, but the bleeding just wouldn't stop."

"He needs stitches so the blood stops quickly," said Tarisa, annoyed. She was annoyed with Resa who gave a casual answer even though she and Resa's two friends were worried. "I've stitched up the wound you have, but please come back when I tell you!"

"What else is there, Doctor?" this time it was Resa who frowned because he really didn't know.

"The sewing thread should be removed immediately so that your wound heals properly. I also prescribed medicine for you, my assistant will give it later at lunch time," explained Tarisa after sitting in her place. She started writing the medicine prescription without even looking at the three students in front of her. "Please rest for today, you need energy to recover quickly."

"Thank you for your help, Doctor. I will take Resa to rest," Juna said quickly. He told Resa to move immediately, and took the boy to an empty bed.

They found an empty spot at the far end of the room, close to a window that could never be opened like it was in class X. Resa slept like a patient, while Juna and Luna sat on chairs near the bed with panicked and worried faces.

"What happened exactly?" asked Juna, this time he was serious because he was tired of seeing Resa's very flat face.

"I already told you that I got a stab wound last night. I have to go in the middle of the night to get packaged rice that my mother sells at the end of the main road," explained Resa lazily.

"Why not report this case to the police?" Luna is now annoyed with Resa. "You look so calm, as if nothing happened last night. Why are you going to school anyway? You should be at home or in the hospital so you can heal perfectly."

"You guys are very talkative, don't you get tired of scolding me all the time? I'm just tired of listening to that lecture every time I have a problem."

"That's because you can't take care of yourself!" Juna snapped. He folded his hands in front of his chest with a face that was more irritated than Luna's.

Resa could only laugh while shaking his head because he found his two friends very funny. He is grateful to have friends who really care about him, and can joke around even when the situation really isn't right.

Resa started to give a thin smile, he touched Luna's right hand, and Juna's right hand alternately. "You guys should be siblings because you have the same traits, but sadly no."

"I will never find your jokes funny, Resa," said Luna, still annoyed.

"Hahaha, you're right, Luna. Jokes like this don't deserve to be present when things are heating up, and you guys are worried about how I'm doing today." Resa changed him sleeping position to sitting leaning back, and now his two friends' expressions started to turn sad. "I'm fine with all of this because I feel like I've solved the problem. I'm grateful that you guys have been worried, but please don't get mad at me!"

"How can we not be annoyed if you are like that? You take things too lightly for wounds that look small when they are not, Resa."

Luna took a deep breath as she looked up. He couldn't hold back the worry, and the tears that had been wanting to spill. "You should know about us being very worried about your condition."

****

"Silva, you are called Mr. Tama."

Silva turned to Rani who was standing right next to her. She gave a slow nod as she said, "In the counseling room?"

Rani nodded before finally going to the table in the corner of the class, while Silva started tidying up her stationery on the table. She quickly left so she wouldn't be left behind for the next class, but she didn't know whether Mr. Tama gave a short lecture or maybe just gave her assignments that she had to do in class this afternoon.

The corridor was so quiet, everyone was busy in their respective classes. Silva walked quickly to the second floor, his room was in the corner of the first corridor after the last step on the left. The silence made the teacher's voice in the classroom sound very clear, even Silva's footsteps sounded quite loud.

Silva knocked on the brown door a few times before she opened it wide enough. "Morning, Mr. Tama," she greeted as she closed the door.

The man in his thirties smiled as he motioned for Silva to sit down. He moved some of the thick files around to make the table look wider. "There was a lesson in class just now?" asked Mr. Tama just small talk.

Silva's attention was focused on the floor tiles, she nodded at Mr. Tama's question earlier. "But there is no teacher, Sir."

"Where's the teacher?"

"Hm..." Silva started to stare at the other person, her eyebrows raised in thought. "There is an important meeting he said on campus, I also don't understand."

Mr. Tama chuckled a little because Silva's expression was so different from the other students. The answer is sober with facial expressions that always change over time. He always felt amazed by Silva who could never melt.

"Sir, why did you call me?" asked Silva after a few moments of silence. She was more curious about Mr. Tama's reasons than the handsome face of her counseling teacher. Even though many girls adore Mr. Tama's good looks, that will never happen to Silva.

"Friends are important, Silva." Mr. Tama gave a serious expression as his hands interlocked. "Don't be an anti-social person because you can't always live alone. Aren't you confused when the teacher gives orders to find your own group?"

Silva confirmed Pak Tama's words just now. She always had trouble finding a group that would accept her, as if she was an outcast when the teacher gave orders like that. She felt so far away, even felt like she was never in class. No one saw her as a human, like a ghost that no one but children with special abilities can see.

Silva's parents always enrolled her in additional classes in order to make friends, but to this day she still doesn't have any friends. Not even one in class, everyone is lazy to talk to her. I don't know why, but so far Silva has never minded. However, now she was starting to feel guilty, she felt worthless, and she felt too stupid for always feeling okay when she wasn't.

"You ever had friends?" The question managed to awaken Silva from a long reverie. "Any close friends before, Silva?" asked Mr. Tama again.

Silva remembers her past self. A cheerful girl so that there are many people who like her, even her closest friends never want to separate. Always wanting to be together while talking about their favorite cartoons, favorite foods, and all kinds of funny and sad stories they have.

However, all that changed when the first female spirit asked her to play. No one wanted to play with Silva anymore, her best friend started to stay away. They started bullying, saying Silva was weird to the point of being stupid for talking to herself.

Silva shook her head with tears in her eyes. She gave a wry smile to Mr. Tama while watching the two hands that were squeezing the school skirt. She was confused now, reluctant to make the same mistake, but she also wanted to be her old self. All of this feels so suffocating.

"Silva, what's wrong?"

"I don't want to have friends, Sir," said Silva finally. She began to dare to look into Mr. Tama's teary eyes even though she couldn't hide the tears. "I don't want to have friends anymore."

"Why? What is the reason that you don't want to have friends?" his voice was getting softer, he was so careful with Silva who looked like glass that broke easily. "Tell me Silva, I will listen to your story carefully until yourself feel relieved."

"Do you believe in ghosts?" Silva gave a serious look, there were no more tears there. That serious expression made Mr. Tama a little confused, but immediately nodded.

"Ghosts or spirit are everywhere, even at home. Every place has a guardian," said Mr. Tama so confidently.

Silva returned to silence, biting her lower lip slightly. The next second she looked back at her interlocutor. "They bullied me because I talked to ghosts. It happened when I was still in elementary school, I was so traumatized that I didn't want to go to school there anymore, sir."

"You finally transferred schools?"

Silva nodded sadly. "But I was still insecure because at that time I couldn't tell which was human and which was spirit. My parents finally found out, and I had to be homeschooled for six years."

Mr. Tama can not say any more. He believed that small children could see spirits, but his mistake was he never believed that small children could bully their peers. Can do anything until the victim suffers trauma. Silva's story almost brought tears to his eyes, he even felt sad and annoyed.

I don't know how the bullies are doing, no one knows but themselves. Maybe there are those who feel guilty, live with regret for not being able to apologize, and surely there are also those who live quietly without ever feeling regret.

"Silva," Mr. Tama called softly. "Are you... all right?"

Silva was smiling broadly now, even his teeth were clearly visible. "I'm fine, living by receiving God's grace is the best. I can live until now because of God's grace."

"About friends, you still do not want?"

Silva realized that Mr. Tama, like her parents, did not give up easily. He wants Silva to have a friend other than a curious spirit who always stops by for a while. "I think carefully, it took me quite a long time to be at this point sir. I don't want to make a hasty decision."

"Yes, I support that part, and I hope you can find the best friends."