Second Change
Chapter 35's

"Lia, so my girlfriend won't?"

"No." I grimaced.

"I'm less handsome?" Brother Zio fixed his sitting position.

"I already have a boyfriend. I think the whole campus knows that, too." I sat down a little sideways towards the window.

"But you're LDR."

"That's not my reason for cheating." I said offended.

I glared angrily at Brother Zio. I don't care if he's my senior. All I know is that he's too presumptuous to think I'm a prankster. There are still four hours to go to the destination, I am tired of Brother Zio. Free college seems easier to deal with than this.

"We can hide. If you fall in love with me, you just broke up with her" she said.

This second I also want to slap her face in the face. At least a few minutes ago I still thought of him as handsome. Now I judge her face as disgusting.

"My answer is no!" firmly strong.

"Hey what's going on here? Tense the atmosphere." Mr. Gil's voice was heard and I turned.

For the first time I was relieved of Mr. Gil's presence.

"Everything's fine, sir." Elak Kak Zio's.

"Sir, I want to discuss something with you. Do you have time?" my reason.

Even though I don't really want to sit down with Mr. Gil. But it seems easier to ignore Mr. Gil than it is for the sickly Brother Zio.

"of course. I have four hours. Is enough?" Gil Sir looked at his watch.

"Enough." I answered and got up.

I flapped Kak Zio's thigh rough for him to give way.

"What's going on?" asked Mr. Gil as we sat in the empty back seat. Zio looked at me from the front.

"He asked me to go out with him." Honestly answered.

Mr. Gil laughed and I replied with a sharp look. I don't think this is funny.

"Sorry, sorry." Mr. Gil realized I wasn't happy with his response. "So what's your answer?"

"Of course I refuse. I already have a boyfriend. Then he asked me to cheat on him."

"Interesting" he said briefly. It was clearly holding back laughter.

"Not funny and not interesting, sir. I don't understand which part is funny."

That moment I want to go back to the dorm. If only I had obeyed David not to participate in this activity. I turned my face to the window while regretting my decision.

"Sorry, Lia. I don't think this is funny either. Just wanted to melt the atmosphere. During this activity, you will feel uncomfortable. I'll always be around you so you don't get distracted by Zio anymore."

"Hmm.." I muttered.

Being constantly approached by Mr. Gil was also not part of my plan. Maybe I should immediately find and join the group of girls who are willing to accept me.

The rest of the four-hour journey I sat with Mr. Gil walking quietly. I kept staring out the window and daydreaming sometimes sleepy and closed my eyes for a moment. Gil sir didn't invite me to chat either. On this side I feel Mr. Gil is a little understanding and humane. It wasn't Mr. Gil who gave a free lecture to someone he just met on a cloud. But an older brother who was giving distance between the outside world from his sister.

Long story short, the slow time finally arrived at the destination as well. We arrived at the camp on the mountain. The place is spacious and surrounded by rivers and waterfalls that are not far from here. This place is one of the famous campsites and is loved by tourists. But at this time, no tourists visit because it is fully reserved for campus events. The total tent we had to build was eleven. Each tent can be filled with four people. Luckily, the placement of the tent is determined randomly.

I was placed with three girls in a different faculty than mine. We met each other kindly and worked together to build a tent for the first time. Brother Zio volunteered to help us. The other three girls were very enthusiastic because of Kak Zio's good looks. Hera blushed when Kak Zio asked her to help hold the pole. Kak Zio's sweet smile made the three of them not stop talking about it when our tents were the first to stand firm compared to ten other tents. Can I still get along with them if I tell you that Brother Zio just asked me to cheat with him six hours ago? This stupid idea is sure to be buried deep on the slopes of this mountain. Brother Zio could have just wanted to play tricks on me or just make sure my loyalty because rumors about me is that sugar baby has been circulating in my faculty, even to the ears of lecturers. The proof is now Kak Zio is spreading the charm again in another tent. The girls of one tent I was still at home monitoring Kak Zio rather than putting things into the tent. I'm willing to do it myself.

First night in the tent.

After finishing the instant noodle dinner from the portable stove provided by the campsite, we were asked to immediately enter the tent. Hera, Jenny, Vivi and I though each at different faculties but miraculously we quickly got along. We huddled under thick blankets while telling stories and joking about the funny happenings of our lecturers. The first night passed so quickly that I forgot to tell David about charging his phone out.

The morning is awakened by the chirping of a group of birds and the swirling of trees. Vivi who first woke up, she unzipped the tent and the sunlight went straight into the blinding of our eyes. I squirm in the blanket and so does Hera.

"Again." he said in a hoarse voice

"Again." I said.

Me and Hera instantly got up and squatted behind Vivi to look towards her staring eyes. Of course I'm not as enthusiastic as Hera and Vivi. Jenny who just opened her eyes also did not want to lose. Follow up his head. Hera picked up her phone and recorded Kak Zio bare-chested, swinging an axe into the wood that was instantly split in two. The three girls who were peeking at him suddenly suffocated in excitement when Kak Zio noticed that he was getting the audience and waved his hand at them.

Even more excited, Brother Zio threw his axe to the side and then approached our tent. These three girls were between happy and panicked. Happy to be approached by Zio and panicked because of the appearance in the morning that is quite privacy for a girl. If only they knew that men actually like to see the face of the pillow of women. It is more beautiful and feels more intimate. At least I know this from Tony and David.

The closer Kak Zio was to the tent, the three girls were increasingly frantically checking their faces on the cushion mirror while scrambling. I can't laugh at their behavior.

"Morning." Brother Zio crouched down in front of our tent.

"Morning!!" they answered simultaneously.

"Highly awake?" asked Brother Zio with a smile.

His wet chest and a few droplets of sweat dripping from his forehead added to his good looks. The three girls in front of me who were enthusiastic now turned nervous. No one answered Zio's question. Their eyes were fixed on the athletic body of Kak Zio who glittered due to sweat reflected by the sunlight.

"Because it's noisy, so we wake up. It's worth it early in the morning, brother?" My answer was to break the awkwardness in the tent.

"Oh, I'm sorry if I'm noisy." Brother Zio was embarrassed as he scratched his head which I was sure was not itchy.

"No. Not noisy. We're the ones apologizing for bothering Brother." Vivi explained in a trembling voice.

"Don't bother anyway. Any of you want to try?" Brother Zio pointed with his thumb towards the stump of the tree that had been used as a base for splitting wood.

The three girls looked at each other and nodded in unison.

"Lia, coming?" ask jenny.

I shook my head with a feigned expression of fear. Brother Zio looked at me for a while with a difficult look and then walked with the three nervous girls mixed in curiosity. I watched them from inside the tent until finally the people in the other tent came and gathered into a large crowd. I can imagine the proud face of Kak Zio to show off his skills to his juniors.

The next second I gasped at the thought of not having told David since last night. I turned on my phone with my heart pounding. His sharp eyes and face when angry.

David: Is it here?

David: Have you had dinner?

David: Go to bed and keep yourself there.

David: Remember the key to the tent. Watch out for the little snake.

After reading the last message, I jumped out of the tent. It was as if inside the tent there was actually a small snake sneaking in.

I put on my sandals and called David. It's still half seven. Maybe David just woke up.

"Why did you say watch out for the snake, I jumped out of the tent" I protested after hearing David's voice across.

David chuckles. His voice still sounded raucous, a sign he had just woken up.

Early mornings in a strange place with new people made me miss David a lot. I convey my longing to her. He laughed at me.

"I can go there whenever you want. In less than six hours, you've been able to hug me as much."

"May be less than six hours. Getting from the airport to here only takes six hours. Not to mention the distance of the plane here."

"If you ride the heli, maybe you can." "You want to bet?"

"Don't be crazy, Dave. We had a deal."

"If you ask, I don't mind."

Actually I falter. I want him here and take me home to the dorm. I wanted to tell her that I'm not comfortable with Mr. Gil and Brother Zio. I'm angry because Della's not one destination with me. I want to be honest that I actually forced myself to get along with three girls in one tent. I want to get back inside my comfort zone. I don't like traveling with these strangers. I was lonely in the crowd. I just need David.

All these words of my heart I swallowed round. One day I'll tell David. Three more years when we meet. When we finalized our deal. Our conversation ended when Miss Hayati dispersed an increasingly uncontrolled crowd because everyone wanted to try to split the wood, while the wood needed was already excessive. The last person to try was none other than Pak Gil whose body staggered when he raised the ax too high. The people standing near Pak Gil were panicking and screaming. Some people managed to record the ridiculous incident and spread it. Gil managed to add a new fan to himself.

One of the things that most people don't like when camping is not being able to take a shower. We were all directed to a shallow riverbank to wash our faces and brush our teeth. In the campground there are provided toilets but the location is about five hundred meters from the tent plus a long ngantri.

The Lecturers and the committee started to make fire inside the large oil vat with firewood. Smoke began to boil. Not a few people who cough and their eyes water due to the smoke. Me, Jenny, Hera and Vivi chose to hide in the tent while tightly closing the smoke. The four of us took this opportunity to complain about this miserable first day. The four of us agreed that this activity would definitely end up disappointed. But our guess is not entirely true.

Long story short, after the smoke drama ended, we finally managed to have breakfast of tasteless sour vegetable soup and undercooked rice. Vivi was already crying and forced to swallow until it ran out. Usut had a mouthwash turned out Vivi was a relative of the royal family from the land of sakura. It deserves its cute stature, chips, round face, milky white skin. Vivi promised next year she would come up with a thousand reasons not to participate in off-campus activities. I promised him. Happiness is on Hera and Jenny's side. They both found their own hands. Men in other faculties who first approached them. The conversation continued and the two of them broke away leaving me, who had not stopped being Vivi's public entertainer.

In the afternoon Vivi had a fever. I was the first to realize that Vivi was getting pale and weak. I came out of the tent and looked for a committee or lecturer who could be asked for help. But no one was in the tent area because they were all in the field next to playing games. I ran to the field barefooted from being too panicked to the point that I forgot to put on my footwear. I staggered on the path due to the several times stepping on the small rock.

Luckily in the middle of the road, I met Mr. Gil who was walking in the opposite direction. I briefly explained Vivi's condition and then Mr. Gil who followed the panic immediately called someone. I didn't know who he was calling because I ran back to the tent. Vivi's condition grew weaker, her breathing was short and consciousness began to disappear. His body was shaking and felt very hot. I was so scared I cried. Within half an hour, the ambulance stopped in front of the tent. Vivi finally managed to get into the ambulance after the infusion. Mr. Gil and I got into the ambulance as Vivi's guardians. I was still crying and didn't realize that Mr. Gil was holding me.