I'm Not a High School Boy
CHAPTER 39: The Wounds of the Past

For a while, Gisel and Rey both fell silent on their seats. They both looked at the empty field without a single word coming out of their mouths. In silence, the two of them both returned in those days. The time when they were still dressed in white gray.

"So ..."

Rey finally opened the word for the first time to break their silence. However, Gisel remained in his position who was just sitting looking at the scenery in front of the current detention room.

"... That's why you got hurt that time?"

Without any hesitation, Gisel replied, "Hmm ..."

#

(flashback on)

THE PLAQUE! THE PLAQUE!

A slap landed hard on Gisel's cheek. His anger is growing and continuing to rise.

"WICKHEAD! DON'T TELL ME IT'S JUST A SHAKE!," cried Gisel. Not even his screams will be heard by anyone at his school. Because they are currently at the end of a school that people rarely pass through.

But there's nothing he can do. Both hands were held tightly by two other girls who kept laughing whenever Gisel was slapped by their other friend.

"Don't lie anymore, you and Reynard, you guys are dating, right?," asked the student who just slapped Gisel.

"I've said many times, I'm the same he's just a friend! You're not deaf, are you?"

"Why did Reynard reject me? He said he had people he liked."

"YES HOW DO I KNOW!"

BUGS!

This time a punch landed on Gisel's face. Blood started to come out from the tip of his lips.

"Aw .. pain ..."

"Yes, he was beaten. Sick, right?"

"Eventually, I'm getting pissed every time he says no."

Gisel no longer knew which hurt his heart or the pain on his lips. This kind of treatment was not the first time he had received it. But, this is the worst.

"HEY, GUYS! RELEASE HER!"

If it wasn't for the security guards' shouts maybe they'd still be beating up Gisel a little longer. As soon as the security guards shouted at them, Gisel was released, and they ran away without apologizing.

"You're all right? Come on, I'll take the report to the teacher."

"No need, sir. I'm fine," Gisel refused.

Gisel continued to pick up his belongings that were thrown here and there by the children without caring about the ravings of the security guard. He also did not answer any questions from the security guard.

For him at that time, reporting to the teacher would only add to his torment. Their hatred for him would not diminish if Gisel reported them. They will only have more and more reasons to torture Gisel.

"Gi! What happened?" cried Rey as Gisel reached the school gate. Gisel looked at his best friend. He thought Rey had come home.

"Who hit you? Let's say! Who?," urged Rey continuously.

But Gisel asked back. "You were here from now? I thought you were home."

"I've been waiting for you." A second later, Rey recalled her initial question. "Who, Gi? By the way!"

"It's nothing. I'm okay" said Gisel.

Rey obviously couldn't believe it. A scuff and bruise wound on his face, it was clearly done violently by someone. Rey tightened her grip on both sides of Gisel's shoulder.

"Don't lie, Gi!"

Gisel releases himself from Rey's grasp. He walked past Rey who was still standing staring at his best friend. "I told you, I'm fine, Rey. Bye yeah. I'm going home. Tired."

For the time being, Rey lets Gisel cover up her problems. But the next day, Rey started trying to get back.

Quickly, Rey snatched the school bag that was being tote on one of her shoulders. It was too soon for Gisel to recapture him.

"Rey! Restore, Rey!"

"No way!"

"Rey!"

Gisel stomped his feet as he called out Rey's name. Indicates that he is really upset. Rey stopped running. He went back to Gisel, and stood some distance away from him.

"I'm not going to mean you to the story. But ..."

"But what?"

"Today you're gonna have to come with me."

Gisel. What does Rey mean?

"Where are you going? I don't have any interest in guessing."

"training ground. I'll teach you martial arts. I will not force you to tell a story. But you also have to protect yourself. Don't let them hurt you. If you're called a teacher, I'll defend you."

"If I refuse?"

"If you refuse, every day I will bother you like this. Se-ti-ap-ha-ri."

Gisel immediately shuddered in horror. She had already imagined the nightmare that Rey would give her. Want to not want to, like it or not, it's the only option that Gisel has to choose. Since then, Rey has trained Gisel in various ways to protect herself.

#

"But, thanks to you I was finally able to beat them up. It felt really satisfying at that time," exclaimed Gisel excitedly as he recalled. He laughed quite loudly when he told it.

Gisel briefly looked at Rey. He found her smiling. At the very least, Gisel could feel relieved after seeing Rey so guilty that she was discussing the matter.

"So ...," said Gisel again. "Who exactly was your girl that liked that time?"

Rey's smile disappeared. He suddenly became nervous. "W-who?" Rey straightened her sitting position. He looked back at the school field.

"They say you have someone you like. Wh who? You never told me until now" urged Gisel to never give up, which made Rey even more nervous.

"You don't know who?"

"Yes how do I know. I did not dare to ask. But now, you have to tell me, Rey. Wh who? Are you guys still in touch? Who were you close to, huh?"

"May? Lucia? Desi's? Cindy? A wanda? Who else, huh? Which one, Rey?"

Rey was stunned to hear the list of names Gisel spoke. "That much?! I'm not even close to them" he said in disbelief.

"really? They told everyone that you were. I can't even tell which facts and which ones are just jokes. So I presume, you're courting them all" Gisel replied lightly.

"Huh?! What do you think I am?!"

"Don Juan's. Haha ..."

Rey doesn't laugh with Gisel. He only fell silent looking at Gisel who was still laughing. Until a while later, Rey asked back, "What is it because of this reason that you suddenly decided to change schools at that time?"

Then Gisel stopped laughing. He bit his lips. "If it's .. I have my own reasons."

But, then Gisel looked at Rey in annoyance. "But I didn't move. Why remember that? It should have nothing to do."

"Kok you're getting upset? I'm just nanya." Rey is shocked by Gisel's reaction. He also did not expect Gisel to react like that.

#

It's obviously impossible for Gisel to tell me the reason he asked to change schools because he was heartbroken. For the first time after they became friends, Gisel felt so devastated to hear Rey already expressing her feelings for one of her schoolmates. That's what he heard.

Without daring to ask to be sure, every day Gisel went through with his confidence in the news he heard. Although, Rey's attitude towards him was still the same. The difference is, Gisel started to dodge.

Over the years of being friends with Rey, she always felt she was the only female friend who was near Rey. With her arrogance she felt like she was number one in Rey's life. But, when she heard the news, for the first time she felt she was just a friend to Rey. And for the first time, she knew her true feelings.

Moving schools was the only option he had at the time. He could avoid Rey. She doesn't need to see Rey with her boyfriend. And she can also slowly forget her feelings for Rey.

But it's not that easy.

"Wherever you move, I move there. To Switzerland? The germans? The Arctic? Where are you moving to?"

"There is no school at the north pole."

"Do we need to make?"

"Oh, don't discuss. It's also free for me to change schools if you come."

"Why can't I come? Anyway I have to come."

"Do you say you don't need to talk about it?"

"Okay, okay .. I'm quiet."

Since then, Gisel thought of another way. He begins to learn to familiarize himself with the news about Rey. Rey thinks she's just an ordinary friend who's too nice to her girlfriends, and Gisel is in it. There's nothing special about that.

#

......................

In the end Gisel had to keep going back to class. There were still a few hours of lessons he had to pass today.

"Gi, you rest today. Let's take a training break first. There's something I have to do" Rey said before they split. Gisel will return to his classroom, and Rey will return to his teaching activities.

"Where are you going?" asked Gisel in astonishment.

Rey showed her arrogant smile to Gisel. "There's something I want to talk to Adit about."

Gisel became curious. Rey and Adit? What was?

"By what?"

"The secret of men."

Gisel narrowed both his eyes. He was getting curious about what they were going to talk about. But then, he remembered something. He also wants to do something.

"If so, I'd like to do something today too."

"What do you want?" asked Rey. Now it was her turn to be curious.

"I want to do good today" replied Gisel with a very wide smile. He then steps up the stairs to his class, leaving Rey still staring at him.

"Don't come home too late, Gi. Go home when you're done. If not, call me. I'll take you home."

"Yes, yes, bawel! Your voice is too loud. You want the whole school to know?"

Rey whispered quite loudly this time. "Gi, when you get to share loc, yeah."

Gisel kept walking. As soon as Rey was no longer seen, she let go of her laughter. He can't hold it anymore.