RUN WITH ME
CHAPTER 23: FRUSTRATION

Four days have passed since Harris provided two solutions to the child's confusion over the selection of a piece for a live music event on the day of love, meaning four days Gavin's mind was full of his father's words. The man already knows what feelings he wants to convey, especially if not affection, but what confuses him is to whom they feel.

Gavin is very sure not to be in the condition of liking anyone, he is only three weeks in this new place and he is still trying to get to know the people there—including his four new friends. The man himself also has no intention of experiencing the affection story with his opposite sex.

As Gavin continues to wrestle with the question, he becomes frequently daydreaming and neglecting his surroundings. This is certainly realized by Maverick and Floyd, while making them confused.

"Why have you been daydreaming so much lately?" ask Floyd with a hand that keeps writing the notes on the board, while Maverick is copying Floyd's math assignment answers. Now it was a break, but the three men chose to stay in class because they did not want to go anywhere.

Gavin, who was hiding his face between his hands, turned to the right, "you know the Valentine's Day live music, right?" ask her in a soft voice. He was frustrated at not finding the answer.

"Know, OSIS announced it yesterday on their social media, has anything to do with it?" Although Gavin asked Floyd the question, Maverick answered it first while turning over Floyd's exercise book paper.

Gavin straightened his back and leaned his back on the head of the chair, "I'll play the piano there." Floyd and Maverick immediately turned their eyes from their book towards Gavin who crossed his arms while closing his eyes.

"Good for you, then. What's wrong with that?" floyd's comments, overwritten by a nod of the head by Maverick, agreed with what his friend had said. Gavin breathed his tired breath.

"That's not the problem. Since four days ago, I still have not found the piece I want to play, but usually it is not like this" argued Gavin who made his two friends frown.

"How can you?" ask Floyd.

"Four days ago?" Unlike Floyd who questions the core issues of Gavin's story, Maverick mis-focuses on something else. Floyd immediately gave a confused look to his friend, but then he realized the purpose of the question.

"Right, four days ago? OSIS just announced it yesterday" Floyd said. Maverick and Floyd immediately gave a suspicious look at Gavin who had played his lips awkwardly.

Unable to withstand the demanding gaze of explanation, Gavin exhaled heavily, cursing himself. "I don't know if I can say this or not, but actually Arunika got this live music idea after." There was a pause in his sentence and Gavin was embarrassed to say that. There was still no reaction from the two so Gavin again explained.

"He .. was worried about my feelings after losing to Archie, because Archie was basically challenging me to show himself better than me. So, Arunika wants .. remind me, I also have specialties and are as good as Archie." Gavin several times paused his sentence because shame spread to him because it was indirectly he who inspired Arunika, or even had more meaning than that.

As if not trusting their sense of hearing, it took Maverick and Floyd to digest the explanation. Soon engraved ignorant smiles on their faces, making Gavin cleared his throat even though it was not itchy. Maverick quickly closed his notebook and piled his hands on the table, then placed his chin there. That smiling face looked so annoying in both of Gavin's eyes that he originally took his stationery and threw it slowly at Maverick. Unfortunately Maverick managed to dodge and somehow floated where the stationery was.

"Stop before I throw these books in your face" Gavin threatened with annoyance, making the two laugh out loud. Eventually they stopped the prankster's attitude and refocused on the problem that Gavin was having.

"All right, all right, back to the laptop. Why haven't you found her yet? Already asked people who might understand this issue better?" ask Floyd with a laugh that has subsided, although he sometimes still feels funny with a shy face—who tried to be covered—by Gavin.

Gavin nodded in response, "i've already asked my father and he said there might be feelings I want to convey to someone. I wanted to convey a feeling of affection, according to the theme of the show, just that I didn't know who I was feeling it to." After saying that Gavin exhaled a heavy breath. It was the first time he had experienced something like this and this gave him a headache. Maverick and Floyd understood.

"I used to like girls from other classes in third grade Junior High" Maverick picked up the instrument that Gavin had thrown. The other two men immediately felt attracted so that they were stared at by Maverick who returned the stationery to the table.

"I started to like her after seeing her ballet performance at an art show. In fact, he has been famous since the first grade for his excellent ballet achievements, he even won the national championship. But because I have never seen it directly, I do not care much," continued Maverick casually.

"I tried to get close to him and he gave a positive response, making me think I had a chance. But when I wanted to express my feelings, I even prepared myself, the news spread that he was dating a school basketball boy. After experiencing that, I also assume, love is about giving and expecting the best for loved ones. And after graduating from Junior High, she entered a ballet school to learn about her talents." Maverick ended his story with a faint smile. He recalled his previous efforts in approaching the woman.

"If it were me, love wasn't always about the opposite sex" said Floyd, who seemed to have a different notion to Maverick. Now Maverick and Gavin are switching to listening to Floyd.

"Love can also be felt for family, friends, pets, even on favorite objects. So valentine's day is not just a day of affection for the opposite sex, but for everyone we care about." Maverick nodded in agreement, as did Gavin.

Gavin reflected on the opinions of his two friends, which feelings of affection he felt. Is it like Maverick or Floyd? After a moment of silence, Gavin begins to remember the one person who still gets his affection despite not being by his side for many years, the mother. Instantly a happy smile appeared mixed with relief, it seemed as if he had found the answer. Maverick and Floyd, who saw a big smile on Gavin's lips, smiled and patted him on the shoulder. Gavin thanked me for helping.

After Gavin returned from school, the man immediately languished in his private studio after cleaning himself up. He played a piece that he thought fit his feelings for his mother. This piece is different from the one he played at the Rosverd family event because the piece is now a piece that Gavin considers very suitable with his mother's temperament, while the piece played the other day is his mother's favorite.

His ten fingers stopped when no more notes were written. Gavin smiled, feeling quite relieved. However, there is a part of him that feels still lacking and feels inappropriate. Gavin again exhaled a rough breath and placed his head on the keys, causing a very loud and messy sound.

"May I go crazy for a long time."

...⁕⁕⁕...