C6

Alex doesn't know why, but he can't forget Ruby's face, even though he tries to brush Ruby's image and forget it but it still comes back to fill his mind until he is lost in his thoughts.

***

Time passed and several days passed. After he had completely recovered, Alex returned to school. Coming back to school after not being in school for a long time made everything feel great. Wearing a school uniform felt so amazing even though it was just the uniform he usually wore. Even just standing in front of the school gate made him pleased.

Perhaps it was because he missed school so much after several days of not being able to attend a school that the air he breathed at school also felt completely different as if there was a sweet scent when he inhaled it.

For the first time, Alex smiled and was excited to attend school, even though before he was always not excited and always felt bored for everything because for him the days he lived at school were normal days like any other. Not wanting to mingle, smiling rarely and very difficult to approach.

Seeing Alex smiling from a distance made Drake run towards his best buddy. Drake, who felt guilty and was also anxious about him, who had to be hospitalized for several days, hugged his friend with tears dripping from his eyes.

Drake is pleased to see his best friend back at school doing well. To be honest, when he saw Alex who was unconscious with blood that day, he felt so anxious that guilt filled his heart that he didn't dare to visit Alex while he was being treated.

"I'm sorry, I've made you wretched," Drake replied with tears dripping from his eyes.

"Hey that's enough, let me go! People see us. " Replied Alex as he patted Drake's back so that Drake let go.

Drake released his embrace and wiped the tears that rolled down his cheeks and pooled on his eyelids. Alex also smiled because he did not expect to get a welcome like this from his best friend on the first day he returned to school.

"Why are you overreacting like this? I only had minor wounds and didn't die. You're acting too much. " Replied Alex with a chuckle

"What a minor wound ?! I saw with my eyes that you were bleeding a lot and needed surgery. Do you know I was terrified back then?!" replied Drake, raising his voice while wiping his tears that kept flowing from remembering the accident.

"I just had a minor wound, it's just that I have haemophilia which causes everything looks bad." Replied Alex casually.

"That's what drives me even more terrified, you fool," replied Drake

"Yes, let's go to our class. People see us, you embarrass us. " Suggested Alex while glancing around him.

The crowds kept watching them because Drake kept crying. They looked at Alex and Drake with strange looks before Drake hugged Alex in front of anybody. It was like he was giving Bromance spectacle for free to anybody who was there. Alex who felt embarrassed walked to his class rushing and was followed by Drake.

The classroom atmosphere was the same as regular, noisy because the teenagers were full of energy and playful. The men were playing, and the girls gathered to gossip. Sometimes they talk about makeup, people they don't like, even about their boyfriends.

Everything went as normal until the voice of ringing bells rung throughout the school and signalled the first class was about to start. Alex sits at his desk while waiting for his teacher to come to his class and his classmates. The voice of footsteps resounded as if we could hear the sound of those footsteps right beside them.

"Good morning all." Said Mrs Lauren with a big smile as she entered the classroom.

"Alex, welcome back to my boring class. I hope it heals you to join my class. "Said Mrs Lauren greeted Alex who had not attended class for several days because he was treated at the hospital.

And with a faint grin on his face, Alex replied that he was fine so Mrs Lauren did not have to worry about his life anymore because he was living a great life.

 "Alright, today you got new friends so like play well with her. Please come in … " said Mrs Lauren while giving a sign for someone who was waiting outside the classroom to enter.

The sound of footsteps echoed and made all minds fixed on Ruby, who walked into the classroom. Ruby was so beautiful, her face was so radiant that no one could take their views off her. At first, Alex didn't realize it until Mrs Lauren told Ruby to introduce herself.

Ruby started introducing herself in front of the class, and everyone seemed very excited to greet her. When Ruby introduced herself, her eyes never looked away from Alex, who was sitting on the chair near the window. Ruby recognized Alex as quickly as she walked into the classroom, but Alex didn't seem to recognize her.

As quickly as Mrs Lauren told her to sit on the empty chair, Ruby ran to the unoccupied table beside Alex. Ruby became so excited that she couldn't quit smiling as she looked at Alex's face. Several times Ruby called Alex to ask for his attention, but Alex ignored Ruby as if he didn't hear him.

"Alex, Alex, you still remember me, right? I'm delighted because I can be in the same class as you. " Replied Ruby who didn't stop speaking to Alex.

"Please stop saying, I want to focus on learning." Said Alex admonished Ruby without turning to Ruby at all.

Ruby also tries to stay quiet, so she doesn't disturb Alex, who is focused on learning. Then the first class ended, 15 minutes of rest before the second class became Ruby's opportunity to invite Alex to talk. Ruby also pulled her chair closer to Alex so that Alex couldn't avoid her anymore.

With enthusiasm and a cheerful and warm smile, Ruby pointed to the back yard which was visible from the window. Ruby was extremely curious about the large wood in the middle of the back yard and asked Alex.

"What enormous tree is that?" asked Ruby with an extremely curious face, pointing at the tree

Alex wants to scold Ruby because he doesn't like Ruby, who keeps trying to talk to him as if disturbing the peace of his life. But when Ruby grabbed his shoulder, the irritation Alex felt vanished. Alex didn't feel annoyed anymore and just turned his head in the direction Ruby pointed.

"It is a sacred wood in this school, some say if a couple binds a promise on that wood or makes a hope there, the hope will come true." Said Alex explained calmly.

"Wow, amazing!" replied Ruby who looked at the wood with sparkling eyes full of admiration

"Isn't that nonsense? I don't trust anyone believes in that superstition. " Replied Alex who did not trust in that strange superstition.

"This is great! Why didn't you tell me earlier? Alex, come on over to the park! I need to make a wish. " Replied Ruby while holding Alex's arm with both hands while asking and forcing Alex.

At first, Alex didn't like and didn't need to have a closer relationship with Ruby. But Ruby kept asking him with shining eyes that Alex could never reject. And Alex could not refuse Ruby's invitation and was driven to follow whatever Ruby wanted, even though it was clear on his face he was not happy and forces.