SOLAR & The Specialists
Adaptations

Solar sighed in relief as soon as the door of his room closed. After Ivanka died, she crawled straight to the bathroom. His body was very weak because of the long journey. Occasionally he turns into his original form unintentionally. In the bathroom, Solar enters the bath tub and turns on the shower at full speed in cold temperatures. The water tap is also open. Solar drinks voraciously once the first drops of water come out.

The bath tub hasn't been fully loaded since Solar opened the faucet for the first time. He drowned his Grenoiaven body at the bottom of the bathtub while resting. During his recovery time, Solar thought of a way to arrange an accident so that everyone would consider him dead. That way, he could return to the colony quietly. If he were to suddenly disappear in the form of Selena, everyone he knew would definitely be in an uproar. Moreover, Selena is not from a careless family. Plus the problem Theo and his research team have discovered Jazho. Solar won't take any chances if they start connecting to each other.

It took an hour for him to recover as he was. Finished getting dressed and tying his hair, Solar went straight down to meet Selena's parents. They were sitting relaxed while watching TV as he arrived. Selena's parents who Solar knows are taking care of their official breakup, but what Solar is seeing right now is enough to make her wonder about human relationships.

Was there anything he missed while he was away?, he thought.

Solar took his place in a chair near them, watching Selena's parents quietly. But before long, the two of them instantly realized his presence.

"You want to eat first?" Ask Ivanka.

Solar shook his head, "Did anything happen?" Ask curiously.

Edgar turned off the TV and set the seat to make it more comfortable. Her hand held Ivanka's hand. They both wear their wedding rings again. Solar guessed they'd been re-referenced.

"We want to talk to you." Edgar began. He looked at his wife, asking for support. Ivanka nodded to allow Edgar to continue. "Papa and Mama wanted to apologize for acting selfish. We don't know where to start." Ivanka stroked the back of her husband's hand, silently giving support through touch.

"You're getting divorced. Right, right?" Solar helps them get started.

"We've decided to re-refer. Divorce is not the best way to solve problems. Papa and Mama were very surprised when they found out that you've been aware of it all along. If only Opa hadn't told us that you wanted this house instead of custody of one of us. we might never have known, baby. Papa and Mama are so ashamed of you."

"You should not worry about anything other than your education. We feel so sorry for making you worried and sad. If there's anything that makes you feel better right now, we're ready to do it for you, son." Connect Ivanka. Both eyes glazed. "Mama plans to spend more time at home." Further.

"What's? What about your clinic?" Edgar was surprised. They haven't talked about this.

"I hire a lot of competent employees. I'll try to get home on time and not work by the end of the week. Instead, you should also sleep at home more often. No more hospital stays! Whatever reason! We have to work together to fix all this." Ivanka looked at her husband with a big smile on her lips, though tears kept flowing down her cheeks.

Edgar was at a loss for words. Ivanka's idea was all she wanted. Of course he was happy with the decision.

Solar was silent for quite a while, giving Selena's parents time to exchange meaningful views. In the end Solar drew a faint smile on his lips.

"Thank you for making up." Solar's mind was instantly filled with Selena. If Selena had seen this, she might have been happy.

Of course he'll be happy. There's no doubt about that.

***

THE PERTIWI HOPE HIGH SCHOOL

This is Selena's third day not going to school. The classroom guardian recorded it as alpha. Even Mindy, Selena's only friend in this class, doesn't know why she didn't show up at school for three days straight. Reagan felt silly noticing that he was worried. He always found himself staring at the door during lesson time. Reagan couldn't concentrate all day.

"Reagan! Comehere!" The coach called him from the sidelines.

"Yes, coach?" Reagan wiped the sweat off his face using the bottom of his shirt.

"What's wrong with you? Any problems at home? Your game's a mess!" Tegur his trainer with a frown.

Reagan looked at his team who continued to compete without him. This time it was Christian who was holding the ball. After tricking several opposing players, he made a three-point throw, the ball entered the ring without a hitch. The whistle from the referee indicates that Christian managed to score.

"I'm not focused, coach." Reagan replied later.

"If that I already knew. What I want to ask, what's the reason?"

Reagan raised his shoulders, making his trainer sigh.

"Less than a week we have a match. You gotta focus, dong! Get rid of the irrelevant issues of the game until we win the championship! If we go to the finals, your chances of getting a sponsor will be even greater."

It was Reagan's turn to sigh. Being a professional athlete is not a dream. He pursued basketball because he needed achievements in non-academic fields in addition to his portfolio in order to be accepted at a leading University. He cannot rely on Olympic charters alone. It doesn't feel right. Unlike Christian who made basketball as a hobby and interest. Reagan's motivation to get sponsorship was unlikely to be as great as Christian's motivation.

"If there's no change either, your only option is to sit on the bench!" Threat coach. Then he blew his whistle. "Ten minute break!!" The urge to disperse the exercise.

Reagan sat on the sidelines. He poured a bottle of cold water on his head. But suddenly he remembered Selena who was obsessed with water. Realizing his own ridiculousness, Reagan threw the bottle to the ground furiously. Christian approaches. He picked up the bottle and finished the rest.

"Don't be too hard on yourself! Your abilities aren't as good as mine." Christian's words sounded very annoying in Reagan's ears, but he chose to ignore them.

"Your friend has been absent for two days. Where's she?" Reagan decided to end his curiosity.

Christian smiled cynically, "If I don't want to answer, what will you do?"

"Suell up." Reagan snorted in annoyance. "I'm not that curious."

"Because we're talking about it, I have something to say." Christian looked at Reagan as he stood up. "Sway. Selena!"

"You don't think I want to?"

Christian frowned, "You don't seem to want to stay away from him." The objection.

Reagan turned the eyeball. "After all, since when is my relationship your business?"

Christian's turn to grunt, "I don't care about your company."

Reagan clicked his tongue. Talking to Christian feels like talking to a wall. Reagan did not understand what makes the figure of Christian so idolized by girls in school, even though he was just a showman. Empty brain.

"I'm watching you." Christian was half-threatening. He ended the conversation by throwing an empty bottle at Reagan. Reagan managed to catch it before the bottle hit his face. He squeezed the empty bottle to channel his heightened emotions.

***

Adam threw his body on the dining table chair. He is exhausted after rummaging through Theo's house in search of a small jar containing the core of an alien creature Theo found in the sea. The jar disappeared. He felt somewhat guilty because according to Theo, he left the jar to him last time. Before long, Professor and Theo followed up to the dining table. Both are also lethargic for not getting results.

The housekeeper puts the last dish on the dining table. Now their noses are filled with the smell of food. Their sluggishness is replaced by hunger. Uncommanded, they began to fill their respective plates.

"Chicken butter! My favorite!" Adam was happy. He took two spoons on his plate.

"If we don't get the core, will they not help us?" Ask Professor.

"They'll help anyway. The core is like additional information for us. If we had it, then the research would be more complete." Theo feeds rice into the mouth.

Christian's arrival distracted them for a moment. He walked past the dining table. His uniform button was left open because he was wearing a white shirt behind it. His bag was hanging on his shoulder, while his hand was holding a basketball.

"Sit, Christian!" Adam patted the chair next to him. "We ate together."

Christian grunting. "So now I'm his guest?" His grunt.

Adam looked at the professor. They should have known that Christian's character might be worse than Theo's.

His brother rose to approach Christian.

"Call Selena! Bring him to dinner here." Theo does need to see Selena again. I don't know what he'll do if he meets, he just wants to make sure Selena doesn't have anything to do with the body in Billie's stomach.

"Selena's not home. He's not going to school."

"Why? She sick?" The reason for the holidays until skipping school is very incompatible with the ambitious nature of Selena. Even Theo knows it.

Then he went to his room, slammed the door, startling everyone. Theo could only scratch his head.

"Are they dating?" Adam could not help his curiosity. "Your sister and Selena, I mean."

"I don't know. But both our parents hope to match them."

"A good idea. I see Christian likes it too."

"Don't tell him anything! He's a dissident's son. If he finds out that he's being betrothed that way, he'll act until the match is void, no matter how much he likes Selena."

"The match is not yet official?"

Theo. "New plan. My mom was planning their match with Mama Selena when Selena was born. It may be void before it starts."

Theo returned to his chair to continue eating. Now her head was filled with Selena who suddenly disappeared. According to him, the moment of Selena's disappearance is too coincidental if it occurs simultaneously with the disappearance of the core of an alien creature that he found.

"I'm curious about your age when you gave birth to Christian. How old is he now?" Adam continues.

"This year's sixty, I guess. My parents did a baby tube program to get Christian. They want a girl. After Christian was born, they gave up."

"Why not just adopt?" The professor chimed in.

"If they can't have their own daughter, the only daughter they want to adopt in the world is Selena. We can't do it. Selena's grandparents are all creepy."

"Shary how?"

"Kakek Selena is the owner of the foundation that houses many groups of Special Needs Children's Hospitals and Schools. Grandma's a dentist. Both are equally disciplined. They often punish Selena if the child makes a mistake. For example, when Selena was in Primary School. The boy wants to play all day with Christian and doesn't want to go home. He cried and kept whining. Selena was locked up in a room for three days without dinner."

"Gee!" Both of Adam's eyes widened when he heard Theo's story. "What about his paternal grandparents?"

"They're more creepy. Selena's grandfather owned the largest law firm in Indonesia. Clients of officials and businessmen. The current Minister of Defense is his golfing partner. He and his wife are the best Professor in the field of law. Selena's grandmother was one of the people who brought the Revised Human Rights Act to legalization."

"I understand if they're legal experts. What makes them so scary?"

"I met the two of them once at dinner when I was Junior High. Just sitting in the same room with them, I wet my pants. My heart kept beating until dinner was over. I'm really afraid they'll talk to me."

"Frightened that?"

Theo nodded. "They love Selena. The child could have stolen and persecuted people, but his paternal grandparents would still think of him as a crystal that easily cracked. Their aura alone is too strong for a weakling like me."

***

Solar felt used to living alone in this house. He hardly realized that there was actually a longing for Selena embedded in his memory. The longing for the affection of his parents that he had not felt for several months. Selena always imagined herself as a sandwich in her parents' lives. As a complement and the only reason why they are still together. Although not much to say, actually Selena can feel empathy. It's just that he never showed it. He kept it without ever knowing how to get it out.

So as soon as Selena's parents put her to bed tonight, Solar could feel a gaping hole in her heart. He could not find the proper expression to describe his present state. Selena's parents seem a little awkward because they're not used to doing this. Eventually Solar decided to lighten their load by pretending to fall asleep fast. When they left, he slipped out the window.

"Thank God you're finally home!" Christian's head suddenly emerged from behind a tree branch. He seemed somewhat exhausted as he tried to climb up the roof of the room from a tree branch while carrying a plastic bag filled with drinks. Solar helped him so that they could immediately sit comfortably.

"Do you know I'm here?"

"I ride here every night, waiting for you to come home. I saw your room lights on, so I came."

Christian takes out a bottle of mineral water, then gives it to Solar. Two cans of cold beer were also taken out for himself. Solar kept looking at him strangely, as he tried to open a beer can to drink.

"I stole it from Theo's room. It's only five percent. I'm not gonna get drunk. So just take it easy, okay?" Christian said when he realized the meaning of the Solar view. He swallowed almost half the can. "You disappeared a few days." Christian looked up at the empty sky with no stars.

"There's something I have to do." Answer Solar accordingly.

"Why not tell us?" Christian looked at him now. A strand of hair covered his right eyebrow that was cut off as a result of having been injured as a child. The late Selena always knew when Christian was upset with her. The look in his eyes would be as sharp as a knife as it was at this moment. His face was red. Solar doesn't know if it's alcohol or emotional overload. "You disappeared as if you didn't care about our feelings. Just so you know, Mindy's been so nervous since you left all of a sudden."

"That's why I came back." Sahut Solar half muttered.

"What did you say?"

Solar hurriedly shook his head, "What happened at school?"

"Hmm.. In addition to your homeroom teacher who always asks you, you don't miss much. They'll call your parents tomorrow if you don't show up again at school. So, do something about it!"

Solar replied with a nod.

"Did something happen to you, Cell?" Christian intends to ask in passing. Nothing would surprise him, even if Solar confessed to killing people during his disappearance. In fact, he was busy anticipating what Solar was going to say. That fake relaxed expression he showed by opening the lid of the water bottle.

"My parents are not getting divorced." That was all Solar could tell him. "They told me this afternoon." Word continues.

"You happy?" Christian feels no empathy at all when it comes to relationships with parents. She did not feel as much affection as Selena who was loved by her family. Her parents prefer cruises. His brothers are also busy with their respective careers. For him, the word divorce does not mean much.

"Eitherway. I don't know how to react." Solar took a breath. "I should be happy. Aye, right?"

Instead of answering, Christian gulped down the rest of his beer. Then he opened the second can. "You haven't answered my question." Christian looked into both eyes. Solar couldn't help but smile. Christian is very strong if he is curious about something. "Where are you going, Cell?"

"I went to the resort where we had our first tour." Solar is not lying. He did transit there before going diving to cross the warm Indian Ocean towards the coldest poles on earth.

"What are you doing there?"

"Not much. Wander and wander around."

Christian took a breath. "really. That sounds more like you. I think I should stop worrying." Christian muttered to himself.

"Christian" said Solar. "What would you do if the current me wasn't the Selena you've known all along?"

"People change. That's natural, I guess."

"That change will probably require me to leave one day."

Christian smiles. He held Solar's left hand.

"Although you didn't say it, I already knew. Take it easy, Mindy and I will follow you everywhere." The reply.

"Your lives are here."

"It wouldn't be the same if there wasn't you."

Solar looked at their hands. He felt a new emotion that felt new to him. If Christian and Mindy knew that the real Selena was dead, how would she face them? How will he explain the situation to Selena's two best friends? How do they express themselves after knowing that he stole Selena's identity all along?

"By the way, you're gonna come watch my game, right?" Christian's question unravels the Solar Daydream.

Solar raised his head and found Christian looking at him expectantly.

"Of course I have to come." Answer then.

***