HEARTBEATS
07. I Need You

"How's your job?" Vienna, Grandma Leo asked a middle-aged man wearing a suit.

The man was sitting at the dining table, pensive as he looked at the reflection of his reflection from the glass in front of him.

"Andhara."

Andahara, the man gasped in shock. He looked up and threw a faint smile at his mother.

"Good, Ma. What about Leo's school? where's the kid now?"

Vienna smiled, he was still standing near the dining table wiping the washed dishes.

"So, sometimes the kid always makes trouble. But luckily there's Velyn, the kid knows the limits."

Andhara raised next to her eyebrows, looking at Vienna in wonder.

"Velyn?"

Vienna nodded, "Revelyn, next door neighbor. The two have been friends since childhood. And because of that child, Leo became more cheerful." Vienna made Andhara smile.

"Thank God."

A little while later, the one in waiting finally came as well. Leo came in his well-groomed school uniform, running small down the stairs. But his steps instantly came to a halt when he saw a middle-aged man sitting at the dining table, the man looked at him then got up from his seat.

Leo did not believe that his Papa would come today, making his heart beat even more.

A flash of the past memory is simply imagined when he sees the papa, Andhara, the man smiled as he walked up to Leo.

"Papa lied! Papa said the doctor was a hero, but what? Papa can't even save Mama! Bad papa! Papa's not a hero, it's all a lie!"

Leo clasped his collar, his breathing began to disorganize, his eyes even began to heat up.

"Leo, papa knows you still can't get out of that past. But, can you stop like this?"

"What-like?!"

It feels like breathing is hard, the flash of past memories that still haunt Leo. Now he could not even think clearly, and considered that the father was only a murderer.

"As of now, papa knows you can't escape the incident."

"Forget it? it's not that easy! Leo is not Papa who can escape everything easily, after all this is also because of Papa!"

"Sorry."

"I-if I--" Leo paused his sentence, he bit his inner lip. His voice began to tremble, even his eyes began to glaze over. "if only then did Papa come sooner, maybe Mama could survive. And maybe, until now Leo can still feel the affection of a mother!" Leo raised his voice, after saying that he started to just leave.

"Leo!"

Andhara called her son's name repeatedly, but he ran away. Leaving her guilt-ridden self behind, Andhara has no idea how to make amends for Leo other than by sending money to the boy every month.

"That's it, leave Leo alone first." Vienna stared at her only son's smell, he patted his son's shoulder gently.

Andhara sighed, still looking at Leo's departure in silence.

"I just want him to understand."

...🍕...

Sanjaya High School.

The arrival of Leo who walked along the corridor made silence, because the man walked with his jaw hardened and both hands clenched.

It was very obvious that something made the boy very angry, so many students and students were whispering.

"Where's papa?! Where's papa?! Mama needs help!!!"

"Leo, come on, Mama's still strong, maybe Papa you're busy at another hospital."

"Can't do that! Mama needs help! Mama can't keep pretending to be strong, when in fact Mama just doesn't want Leo to worry, right?"

**brukk

"Ouch!"

Leo gasped in shock when he accidentally collided with someone, who was hit was no less shocked. Especially when he found out that the one hit was, Revelyn.

The girl grimaced, looked up then looked at Leo's face without blinking.

Revelyn stared fixedly at Leo, her expression wondering as she looked at Leo's reddened eyes like she wanted to cry.

"Leo lo-"

Deg

Leo immediately hugged Revelyn's body, very attached. As if to say that he desperately needed a place to express his feelings, all his sadness.

Revelyn did not make a sound, she was still in shock. Moreover, the students and schoolgirls started to stare at them with expressions of disbelief, what's with them? that is the thought of the students who saw it.

"Leo?"

The girl returned Leo's embrace, calling the boy's name gently. Revelyn rubbed Leo's back as if to say, relax there I am here everything will be fine.

"Vely."

"Gw needs lo."

"Just like this."

"Just a minute."

...🍕...

"Who is your boyfriend? know dong, I'm very curious to swear."

Mycelia still continued to walk in front of Una, ignoring the thousand questions from the girl. The two of them were walking in the eleventh grade corridor, and were planning to head to the cafeteria. Understandably, the canteen was in the tenth grade corridor so they had to go down the stairs twice.

"Missles! you never told me that you were dating, I kind of know cockroaches! I swear Sel, I'm really curious, really kepo! answer the question first: rice fleas!"

Mycelia turned her head, looking at Una who was walking parallel to her. The girl looked at Mycelia with a pouting expression, whereas Mycelia simply rolled her lazy eyeballs.

"Lo so people do not care the same about people's affairs, about death curious lho~"

The girl tried to hold back her laughter when she saw Una's frightened expression, Una then turned her head and immediately pinched Mycelia's arm.

"Don't try begoin!"

"Well, who told you to bego!"

Mycelia's laughter exploded, mocking Una made her satisfied especially when she saw the girl believed in her bragging.

They finally turned, wanting to go down the stairs. But their footsteps stopped before stepping on the stairs, they were both shocked as their feet blocked their path.

Mycelia looked up, looking at the perpetrator who was leaning against the wall but whose foot was blocking the way through the stairs.

The culprit was none other than Geral, the guy folded his arms in front of his chest while staring at Mycelia flat.

"Well, is that a sick girl? nakutin' njir." Axele whispered to Geral, then looked annoyed as Axele tugged at her uniform.

"Get aside, we're going through!" miselia Judes said, she stared lazily at Geral.

"Gw is not scary."

"TORUM!" cerca Mycelia, she folded her hands in front of her chest. Staring at Geral with a defiant expression.

"Lo's time!"

"Surge! I said step aside, I want to go through!" the girl repeated her words, but in a tone that rose by several octaves.

Looking at the girl's expression, Geral smiled obliquely. Removing his foot from the road, Geral walked over to Miselia.

"Yesterday, you still haven't apologized as much" said Geral flat, the distance between them quite close.

Mycelia sighed while folding her hands in front of her chest, she turned her eyes away from the guy before her.

"AXX--EE-LLE!"

Axele took a sip of her saliva, turned to the side and found Una calling her name in a stressed voice.

Una looked at Axele who was in front of him with sparkling gazes, Axele who saw it then goosebumps.

"Lal, Gerard. I'm so afraid of vows with girls, goosebumps I njir. Go to the canteen yak!" Axele walked up to Geral, whispering to the guy. Then immediately ran down the stairs, leaving Una who started to put on a pouting expression.

"Cell! I'm going to the cafeteria first!" pamit Una, he immediately ran down the stairs. Chasing Axele who had run fast because of fear.

"Oi Un -"

Wanting to leave, Geral intercepted the girl's arm. Reversing Mycelia's body to face her, Geral's spontaneous treatment made Micyelia want to scream in annoyance.

"Lo yak-"

Mycelia's words stopped when Geral held up a cellphone in her hand, Mycelia was familiar, it was her phone!

"Gw phone!" pekik Mycelia, he wanted to seize the phone but Geral instead kept it away.

"Can't you have some manners? I'm not going to give you a cell phone if you haven't apologized about yesterday!" threatening Geral, he smiled pettyly.

Mycelia snorted, then sighed. Maybe he should just give up and apologize, let's all hurry up and the guy quickly returned the phone.

"M-ma-sorry." I felt like his tongue was suddenly twisted, saying an apology just couldn't. The prestige is too domineering.

"What did you say? what is clear, do not need prestige!"

The girl clucked in annoyance, looking at Geral as if. "gw apologize, for yesterday for throwing you with a stone!"

Geral nodded, giving the phone to the owner. "nih, tuh mobile phone from yesterday bejibun notification. From a guy, he even called you many times." explained Geral, making Micelia stunned when staring at all the incoming messages and misscall from her boyfriend.

"Still." said Miselia even though her finger was typing agilely on the keyboard, replying to all incoming messages from people who were worried about her news.

Geral nodded again, both of them then jerked when a call came in from Mycelia's phone.

Drrtttt

Smile engraved on the lips of Miselia when staring at the name listed on the screen of her phone, the girl immediately raised the call regardless of the presence of Geral. The guy looked at the clingy Mycelia as the girl answered the phone from someone across there.

"Hallo?"

"Where are you going?"

"Sorry, my phone yesterday was pickled. But now it's back."

"Hm, great. I thought you were okay, I was worried."

"Don't worry, sir."

Mycelia chuckles, and so does the guy across there.

The girl then went down the stairs while joking on the phone, leaving Geral still staring at her disappearance.

"His girlfriend, huh?"

...🍕...

Axele still continued to run along the tenth grade corridor, her breathing hunting. He was quite afraid and uncomfortable with the girl, his behavior made Axele horrified.

"AXELE! WAIT ME!"

Axele flinched, she turned her head and found Una running after her.

Anjir! Serem njir! Oh, girl why gosh.

The guy accelerated his run, occasionally turning back to see Una who was still loyal to chase after him. The girl was not ashamed when people started to notice her, there were even whispering about her.

"AXELE! I DIDN'T BITE! JUST WANT TO INVITE YOU TO EAT TOGETHER IN THE CAFETERIA! DON'T BE AFRAID OF ZEYENK!" yelled Una, he was still trying to catch Axele who ran very fast.

Zeyenk palalu, ogah I eat the same lo! you sick soul!

When there was a turn in the corridor, Axele immediately turned. Then stopping his run, he breathed a sigh of relief as he peered down from the wall. The girl is invisible, may have stopped or tired of chasing after her.

"Huft, congratulations." muttered Axele.

"Congratulations, we'll see you again!"

Axele jumped in shock when she found Una was standing next to her, the guy then frowned, his expression as if saying-isn't this girl was there, why is it here?

"Hi Axele." greeted Una by throwing her sweet smile.

The guy cleared his throat, trying to justify his position. He and Una face each other, the girl looks nervous half to death.

"Lo who the hell?"

"Only a girl who is now, is liking you." Una's blatant answer made Axele gaped.

The guy then put his palm on Una's forehead, "lo hurt yak?"

Una's body suddenly pecked, staring at Axele in disbelief. Second next----

Brucks

The girl just collapsed from nervousness. Axele who saw him instantly shuddered in horror.

"Oi Anjir, why are you lying on the floor?"

"Jeez, I touched Axele." Una seemed to be melting, the proof was that his entire body felt weak.

"God! you must be crazy, right! nakutin' anjir!" said Axele before finally running away leaving the sullen Una, the girl was even still lying on the floor.

"Axele, instead of being helped, is in residence!"

...🍕🍕🍕...