Florianas
Chapter 8: Scarf

It's been a week since Flo ate chicken noodles with Farrell. Now he is sitting behind Genta, driving on a motorcycle to the north end of Jakarta. Follow Farrell's blue scooter ahead, which he rides with Arina.

Flo bit her lips. It's a wonder I'm thinking about this now. And it really made him anxious. He doesn't want to deal with the police.

"Genta," call Flo, overcome the roar of the wind.

"Yes?" sahut Genta hard. The man's head looked at it for a while before it reverted back to the street in front.

"How much money are you with Farrell?"

"Gue sixteen, Farrell nearly sixteen. Why?"

Flo did not answer. He weighed whether the question sounded strange, whether the right decision he was asking this.

"So you don't have a SIM yet?" Flo decided it was better to ask.

"Not yet" replied Genta casually.

"Aren't you afraid of being ticketed?"

The sound of Genta laughing crisply. "Udah often. Especially Farrell."

It was a wonder Flo had Genta's reaction. This is indeed he who is too afraid of the police or Genta who is too brave actually?

"Lo doesn't like it, does he?" genta asked, awakening Flo from her daydream.

"Mm.." murmured Flo. He was confused as to what to answer. Honestly, he doesn't like it.

"You don't like pa-pa anymore either."

"And it's better if you wait old enough to be able to get a SIM and legally ride a motorcycle."

"Yes." Yeah."

Obviously Genta's answer was an attempt to stop Flo from preaching. So Flo immediately finished off the topic. He just stayed, enjoying the lively panorama of the streets smoothly, wondering if he had become such a bitch by displaying the rules.

After a long while, they stopped in front of a crowded fish market. Flo came down ahead of Genta. The fishy smell that was really stinging made him scrunch his nose involuntarily.

"Why did we come here?" flo asked, giving the helmet to Genta who was at his side.

"You want to buy fish, squid, shrimp to burn later," explained Genta.

Flo nodded, understanding.

"Yuk there," Genta invited, pointing with his chin towards Farrell and the newly arrived Arina.

Following behind Genta, Flo began to feel her stomach churning. Naturally Arina saw him hurriedly wearing the mask that Farrell gave her. Even his best friend sprayed perfume to improve the aroma. It made him want to laugh.

"Later I smelled fish" Flo heard Arina reasoned. "I wear a lot of perfume."

"It won't work." Farrell yells at Arina's forehead.

"Hurry in" Genta said, telling Farrell, Arina also flo to follow him to the building which was becoming a scourge for Flo.

Flo had no problem with the smell of one-two kilos of fish or squid, but the abundant amount turned out to react badly to her stomach.

Ogah-ogahan he stepped foot into the building of the source of the unfriendly aroma. He even lagged far behind Genta, and the still cool Arina occasionally sprayed perfume.

"Flo," the familiar voice in his ear greeted.

"Why?" He looks. His move had stopped, facing Farrell.

"You want to wear this?" Farrell raised the blue scarf in his hand.

"Make?"

"The smell makes you less comfortable" Farrell said.

Flo is shocked to learn Farrell is aware of his weakness. He thought he was hiding it well.

"Gue only brought one mask, I gave it to Arina. So, you can pack this if you want."

Flo looked at the white-patterned blue scarf. Convinced that the piece of cloth was encircling Farrell's neck.

"Clear exactly. Seriously."

Although awkward, Flo still grabbed the scarf from Farrell's hands. Don't forget to include a word of thanks.

Actually Flo is not too sure how to make a piece of cloth into a makeshift mask. So he tried to fold it several times, calculating the right size to cover his nose and mouth.

"Do you want me to help you?"

"Eh..." Flo's worried.

Farrell immediately took over his scarf back. Flo just let it go, refused also he did not understand at all. So receiving help is the best option.

Farrell held out a step closer, making his distance and Flo grow closer. The man skillfully wrapped the soft and fresh scented scarf—maskulin— covered part of Flo's face, then knotted it under Flo's hair ties. For a moment the fishy aroma was forgotten. Even Flo's rhythm of breathing was left behind.

The narrow space between the two makes Flo freely pay attention to Farrell's facial features secretly. Remembering where exactly the position of the male dimple was when smiling. Admiring how perfect his jaw line was, the shape of his eyebrows, the curvature of his eyelashes, the curvature of his nose, and the curvature of his lips.

"Lo look at it as soon as I get nervous" Farrell said.

Flo coughed. It's busted. How humiliating.

He could feel a hot hue radiating from his neck to his face. Very grateful there was a scarf hiding half his face.

"Aren't you comfortable?" farrell asked, after moving backwards.

Flo's eyebrows shot up.

"His carf?"

"Comfortable. Thanks." Thanks."

Farrell shrugged. "It's ok," he said with a smile.

Then both are silent. Face to face. Breaking up the hordes of people who were about to enter the market.

"Yuk came in," Flo finally took the initiative to open his voice because Farrell was silent.

He took the first step to enter the market. Trailed by Farrell who cursively said slowly, "Gue thought you weren't satisfied with me."

Up ahead, Flo closed his eyes in a flash, cursing his carelessness.

***

In contrast to the agonizing fishy aroma in the previous place, the place Flo and her three friends were now in was exhaling a sweet aroma. His stomach that was nauseous now even rumbling.

Farrell comes handing out drinks to everyone at their table before sitting down by Flo's side.

Just as Flo was about to grab his drink, two other hands came closer. It stopped Flo's movement. He raised his face to see whose hands were floating around his drinking bottle.

Genta and Farrell.

The small incident caused awkwardness until Flo took the bottle in front of her and opened it herself. While Genta pulled his hand back, and Farrell grabbed Arina's bottle to open the lid, the two men relaxed as if nothing ridiculous had happened.

"Oh, my head is so dizzy" lamented Arina, who since arriving here immediately put her head on the table.

"Lo's perfume shop" said Genta. "Little spray, little spray." He mimicked the way Arina sprayed perfume onto the mask as well as the surroundings.

It made Flo smile at how similar Genta imitated Arina. He also agreed with the man's opinion: Arina was drunk with perfume. It would be strange if Arina did not feel any effect after repeatedly spraying perfume on her mask.

"Drink first" Farrell advised. He pushed a bottle of cold drink to stick it on Arina's forehead.

"Cold, Rell," complained Arina.

"Do you want me to buy medicine?" tawar Farrell's.

"Not to." Arina wakes up, holding Farrell's hand on the table, preventing him from leaving. He grabbed his drink, downing it until half was left.

Farrell pulled his hand from under Arina's. Then he took a tissue and used it to wipe the girl's forehead in front of him. "Jidat lo wet," he said

Flo notices Farrell and Arina's sweet interaction. Realizing how good they both fit. Both have good visuals, as well as a good popularity in school and the surrounding environment.

This awareness gives an uncomfortable effect on the bottom of Flo's stomach. Not as he felt in front of the auction building, this was another one. Instead of wanting to vomit, this made her feel sad. Weird, right?

"Mr terooos!" genta Syndir.

Farrell turned his head, saying, "What the hell lo!" he threw a lump of tissue in his hand towards Genta.

"Strim lo!" Arina commented, playfully menoyor Genta temple. "Prints."

"Yes right, right?" Genta laughed, reacting to his friends.

During the attacks on Genta, Flo pretends to be cool with his cell phone. Suddenly feeling alien within the familiar Farrell-Arina-Genta friendship circle. As if it shouldn't be among them.

Flo was so grateful that their food chose that moment to come. No need to be busy anymore. They are all cool eating and chatting—Flo only said once in a while, he did not really understand because there is no circle with them.

While Genta and Arina are arguing about who is the smartest student in their class, Flo was busy choosing what to eat after spending two grilled squid and a piece of fish that he did not know what his name was.

"Si Markonah is better," Arina Keukeuh. "Lo don't see that behavior?"

"The Jepri shucks are even more pretentious, Rin. Very cheated pengelit, but not necessarily the answer," Genta did not want to lose.

He was somewhat surprised when the plate was pulled away, then another plate filled with various types of fish, squid, and fish, and the shrimp that has been separated from the bone and skin and has been cut into pieces the size of a mouthful replaces it. The culprit was Farrell.

Confused, Flo looked at Farrell with a pair of raised eyebrows. The man replied with a smile and a silent command to eat the contents of the plate.

Drrr....

The sound of the phone shakes shifted Flo's focus as well as Farrell's, stopping Arina and Genta's debate. The four of them stared at the pink gloved cell phone lying on the side of Arina's elbow.

"Hello," Arina said, her phone lying on her face. "Why, Ma?... Must be now?... Yes-yes," his grunts with a frowning face.

"Gue told Mama to go home now" Arina said after ending the call. His eyes turned to look at his friends.

"Why?" ask Flo.

"Don't know. But I was told to go home quickly."

"Yes, let's go home" Flo decided.

"Lo Anterin Arina came home, Ta," said Farrell, ignoring Flo's remarks.

"Well, he's leaving just like you, why go home with me?" genta protests.

"My bike was deflated, leaking like it was. How'd you like?"

"Who do I go home with? I'm in a hurry, right..." Arina whining. "My mom can be angry later."

"We'll just take a taxi back online" Flo said. "Yuk," he asked, already standing up from sitting down.

"Crack the clock in the car" Farrell immediately dismissed Flo's idea.

Arina Sigh. Wry face. He looked annoyed as he pulled his bag out of the chair.

"Udah, I'm riding an online motorcycle!" darn it, melengos just leave.

Flo grabbed her bag, about to catch up with Arina. But his movements instantly came to a halt as a hand wrapped around his wrist under the table. He knew who it was, but the owner acted as if nothing had happened.

"Susulin there Genta" said Farrell. "How come you let him go home alone."

"Lo wasn't pa-pa, was he, Flo?" Genta ignored Farrell.

Flo turned to Genta, nodding. The man's face was doubtful. It might not be nice to leave them when they left together.

"Yes, I'm first yes, nganterin Arina."

"Yes" Flo replied.

"Anterin Flo is coming home later," Genta tells her before leaving Flo with Farrell.

After Genta's departure, Farrell cleared his throat, letting go of his grasp. Looking up he looked at Flo who was still standing glued.

"Lo didn't intend to leave me alone, did he?"

The way Farrell looked, made Flo weak. He also sat back. Once again nervous when alone with Farrell. Let out a desperate hope he tried to drive out lately.

***

Do you think it's natural not to Flo Baper the same as this person?