The High School Bad Boy
Chapter 60. A Doubtful Heart (A Doubtful Heart).

Wulan took off her blanket and sat down on the edge of the bed. He wiped away the cold sweat on his forehead with the back of his hand.

He glanced at the clock on the wall of his room. Two o'clock in the morning. The nightmare woke him from his sleep.

He grabbed the phone and checked the screen. I wish there was a message from Max. Nil. Then he stepped out of his room into the kitchen to get a glass of water.

He sipped his glass of water. Moisturizing his throat that felt dry. His chest was still pounding, thinking of his dream just a moment ago that felt so real.

Is he so afraid of losing that child? Then what should he do now?

Wulan sat on the sofa with the glass she still held tightly. His eyes stared blankly ahead. His mind was completely confused. One side he wants to continue with Max, but on the other hand he is not ready with the mental burden and all the complexity that will be faced if he forced himself to continue with the child. His life has begun to settle in this foreign land. He has a pretty good job and can support himself and his family in Indonesia. Finding a job in France for immigrants is not easy. Wulan was lucky Jean Baptiste Say received her job application. After several times before he tried to apply for jobs in various places and the results were nil.

He went back to sipping his glass of water. Sighing deeply and leaning his back against the back of the sofa.

A silent night, like his heart being engulfed in loneliness was extraordinary.

***

JEAN-BAPTISTE SAY, SURESNES.

"You didn't have lunch?" adrienne asked as she pulled the chair in front of Wulan and placed it on the table a plate of cassoulet, a soft bean soup mixed with duck meat and sausage. Both are in quite crowded cafeteria.

Wulan took a sip of her hot chocolate, then shook her head slowly. He turned his gaze across the cafe room. His heart thumped as his eyes caught the figure of Max emerging from behind the door, along with Etienne, Frederick, Chen, and one female student from the 12th economy class, whom he knew was named Belle Fortin.

For the first time in a week, Wulan saw the boy at school. Even since her fight with Max that night in her apartment, no communication has been established between them. Silent.

Even now Max never looked at him. He was busy talking to his friends.

"I'm really stressed, Wulan."

Wulan gasped at Adrienne's words. He hurriedly turned his gaze away from Max to his fellow Master.

"Pourquoi (why?)?" ask Wulan.

"You remember I told you about my husband who rarely comes home?"

Wulan nodded. While Adrienne was breathing heavily.

"You remember Marie-Ange, the name of the female contact on my husband's phone, whom I told you about? I checked it a few times. He calls her often. When I asked him who he was, my husband answered that he was just an ordinary co-worker. But my gut tells me that woman's not just an ordinary co-worker."

"You can't conclude it like that if there's not enough evidence, Adrienne."

"Yes, I know. It's just that my feelings don't calm down every time I remember them."

Wulan patted the back of Adrienne's hand gently. "Hopefully your hunch is wrong" he comforted.

Comforting others? While his own heart is in chaos.

Wulan steals a glance at Max who is now sitting in the corner of the room with his friends enjoying lunch. He noticed the sweet smile of the boy, who kept on leaning, while occasionally hitting each other's shoulders softly with Etienne.

How much he misses that smile, misses his ignorance, misses his face, misses his touch.

His chest thumped when he saw Max and Belle Fortin look familiar. At first glance he saw the brown haired girl's hand touching Max's soft arm.

"... yes like that, how should I, Wulan?" ask Adrienne. "Wulans?" Adrienne shook her palms in front of Wulan's face. "Are you listening to me or not?"

"Ah, sorry, Adrienne, what did you say?"

"What are you looking at?" adrienne asked, looking back and forth. Looking for something that makes Wulan not concentrate on listening to his words.

"It's nothing, Adrienne." Wulan nosedived her neck. "I'm just not feeling well."

Adrienne. Then finish the last few mouthfuls of his cassoulet. While Wulan finished her hot chocolate and invited her partner to leave the cafe.

He walked past Max and his friends without daring to turn his head in the slightest.

In the corner of the room, the pair of blue eyes looked at the tiny back of Wulan who started to move away and disappeared behind the cafe door.

.

.

Bugghs.

He hit someone who was about to get out the door. The books he had flanked scattered to the floor.

"Sole (sorry)," he said without seeing who he hit, and immediately picked up his books.

One flickering hand moved to help Wulan take one of her books off the floor.

"Miss Wulan?"

Wulan looked up and found a beautiful blonde face smiling at her.

"Owh, Miss Jolene .. merci," Wulan said, taking one of her books from the hands of Jolene Dupont.

"Hurrying?" ask Jolene.

"Yeah," Wulan replied as she glanced at the clock on her wrist. Just this time he interacted with that beautiful new Instructor Teacher.

Jolene looked at the sticky Wulan. Then back to his smile.

"Please ...." Jolene invited Wulan to continue her steps.

Wulan nodded. He immediately stepped into his class. He glanced back and found Jolene still standing at the door and looking at him. The woman waved at Wulan and she replied with a nod and a smile.

Wulan frowned. The look in the woman's eyes looked strange. Looking at him sharply as if wanting to strip him.

Could Jolene Dupont have sniffed her relationship with Max?

***

STALINGRAD, GERMANY.

"Max, attende (wait)!" exclaim Belle while running after Max who walked quickly to his apartment building.

The cute little-faced girl grabbed Max's arm and held him affectionately. "You want to go to my apartment? It just so happened that my parents were gone. I'm alone."

Max clucking. "What do you want to do to your apartment?" ask the girl who lives a few blocks from her apartment.

"Drink, smoke, watch a movie" Belle replied with sparkling eyes.

"I can't" Max replied as he let go of Belle's arm.

"Come on, Max," persuaded Belle with the pot.

"I said I can't!" exclaim Max upset. "You take Etienne, Chen or Fred."

Belle pinched her lips. Disappointment was clearly on his face. But he won't give up. He followed Max into the building.

"Then I'll go to your apartment" he said.

Max stopped his steps. Then look hard at the girl. "I don't want to be with anyone" he said.

"Why indeed?"

"My mood's not good."

"That's all?" Belle hissing. "Come on, Max ...."

"Hey!" Max pointed right in front of Belle's face. "I said no, yes no!"

Belle raised her hand to surrender. Then let Max pass by leaving him. He nodded out of the building with a grim face.

***

***

***