OUR YOUTH

Bad Prejudice

The sky suddenly darkened with a distant roar. The gust of wind felt stronger, exhaling every strand of Karina's hair.

But why be quiet? The student who told her to shut up had no more voices from there. If maybe he's gone, thought Karina who hesitated to look back, she wanted to make sure. With one long breath, Karina ventured to turn her head, but she saw only the figure of the student walking out — vanished behind closed doors. "Who was that?" thought Karina.

***

TENG TENG TENG!! TENG TENG TENG TENG!!

The sound of the bell went home. Say thank you to the teacher before the end of the lesson. When the last teacher came out, they immediately scattered out of the class to make the classroom very crowded and full. Some students still have to be in class because of picket schedules.

Karina put her chair on the table. Until suddenly Clara just crawled up from behind.

"Please, today I have lessons, so please take my place. Okay, bye, Karina !!!" Clara said in her sweet voice but not Karina. That sound sounds disgusting and very cruel.

It's become commonplace for him. Because Clara and her friends were sneaky. Karina had to replace their picket duty. It's the same for six whole days Karina cleaned up the class before school. Can only accept fate, herself without the power to fight Clara. She doesn't know how long this pain will end.

"Karina, I'm so sorry. Today I have to hurry home because my mother entered the hospital. Today I'm allowed to remove the blackboard and make the table. Please help! Thank you." Nada said her classmate who seemed so hasty left Karina who had not said anything because he was still busy climbing the side of the bench in the back row.

Soon, a student entered the class with an empty trash can. "I'm also sorry, I have an extra lesson today. I've already thrown away the trash. Sorry... and bye!" said Siska who also left after Nada.

Karina can only breathe because, in the end, she's the only one who cleans the class.  Usually, in one day there are three to four people in charge of cleaning the classroom. However, it seems that today both of his classmates have a busy schedule to relinquish their responsibilities to people.

"I have to go to work," said Karina resignedly while raising the chair on the table. It's ironic.

Karina's step was silent when she realized that there was still one student sleeping at the table, even though the clock came back a few minutes ago. How could he sleep during school hours? He's just a freshman. Karina is afraid to wake the new student, what if she suddenly gets angry? But she had to finish this picket duty immediately so he wouldn't be late for work.

With a little shaky hands. Karina's index finger began to touch the student's arm. "Hey hey!" whispered Karina in a slow voice. It moved her — instantly Karina away.

The new student woke up with his eyes still closed — even wriggling like a newborn. Karina's still waiting.

"What is this? Why is it an empty class?" asked Lino, confused when he looked in front of his eyes.

"The school hours are over," Karina whispered.

Suddenly, Lucas, who was still half-conscious, was shocked to hear the sound when there was no one. Lucas looked at the sound it was coming from. Turns out she's just a student.

"Ah …, It's done," said Lucas while taking his bag — walking past Karina who immediately avoided it with fear.

Finally, Karina could breathe a sigh of relief after seeing the new student leave the class. But he was still surprised by the new student, he didn't even care about his whereabouts. He thought that the student was the same as Clara and her gang because the attitude and aura shown by the student felt not much different from Clara's. Karina started sweeping the classroom.

"Wait! His face looks like someone I've seen before, doesn't it?" asked Karina.

But on second thought, Karina recalled that the student's voice she heard on the school rooftop with the new student sounded similar. Karina suspected that the student who told her to shut up while crying on the rooftop with the new student's voice was the same person.

It confuses Karina with the riddle she created in her mind. But a new student named Lucas looks very mysterious. Her eyes were full of emptiness, and she didn't even care about the lesson and just slept until the lesson hours were up. Strangely no teacher reprimanded him when he was a freshman. It made Karina ask who the new student was.

*** 

Walked through a vast school field. There are still many students there. He doesn't care what's around him. The students who saw Lucas's face were fascinated by his good looks, even though the face was so flat and expressive. It's full of grief and despair. Even Lucas intentionally uses earphones so that no one approaches him.

He had just crossed the school fence, suddenly his step stopped when he saw a man wearing sunglasses waving at him. Lucas can recognize him as a strange old man and always annoys him.

"Lucas!!" he whispered.

Not wanting to deal with that annoying uncle, Lucas again continues his steps towards his right — ignoring  Frank who keeps calling his name. 

Didn't want to be in the limelight because of that guy's big mouth. Lucas eventually repented — he stopped his footsteps roughly. It's disturbing. If it weren't for indebtedness, he'd have hit the old uncle in the face even if he was still his uncle.

"Why are you leaving anyway?!" he said, looking breathless.

"Why did you come here?" Lucas asked in such a flat voice that there was no color.

"Yeah, of course, I want to pick up my favorite nephew. Today, I heard that today you first entered school again, so as an uncle, I want to show you affection, my beloved nephew by picking him up like a prince.