13. Don't Cry, Angkasa!

"You hate me? Come on, throw your hateful words at me because I will gladly accept it! Isn't being a hypocrite more tiring than hating someone openly? If your cover is exposed, won't you be the ones at a loss?"

- Laura Chintya Bella

***

"Laura, wake up… Aren't we going to school today?" Angkasa gently shook Laura's body, who was still lying on the bed. The sun was already hot, they could be late for school if Laura didn't get ready soon.

Laura didn't wake up even though Angkasa shook her body several times. The girl struggled even more with the blanket, hiding under the blanket that covered her entire body.

"Hng… Later…" Laura muttered under the covers with her eyes still tightly closed.

Yesterday, Laura actually brought Angkasa to live in her house. Fortunately, the day Angkasa was brought home, Landi was in the office and probably overtime as usual. Automatically, there is no meaningless commotion arising from the arrival of Angkasa.

Angkasa also slept with Laura in the same bed. The man slept in a position to hug Laura tightly, as if Laura could leave him at any moment if Angkasa let go of his embrace. Laura didn't mind the intimacy because she liked it.

"Laura, wake up! It's Angkasa's first day of school! Why are you even sleeping without knowing the time?!" The booming voice sounded in Laura's ears.

Laura, who closed her eyes, suddenly frowned in surprise. It was clearly not the voice of Angkasa previously filled with tenderness. The voice that seemed to want to damage his eardrums was Vikram's.

"Okay, okay, I'm awake! Stop screaming in my house!" Laura pushed aside the blanket roughly. She reached out to ask Angkasa to pull her to sit on the bed.

Angkasa pulled Laura's hand until the girl sat down. "Laura, you're finally awake."

"Hm, I woke up because Vikram's voice made my ears hurt." Laura gave a response while stretching her sore body. Laura's hand was even numb from being used as Angkasa's pillow last night.

Angkasa's lips curved downwards in sorrow. "But, why when I woke you up, you didn't wake up, Laura?"

Vikram snorts, seeing the lovers wake up in the same bed. He immediately gave a sarcastic answer to the question Angkasa asked Laura. "That's because your voice is too soft! What happens is Laura sleeps even more because your voice makes her sleepy!"

Angkasa lowered his head with drooping shoulders. His hands intertwined and squeezed each other tightly. "Sin-since I was able to speak, my voice has turned hoarse like this. D-does Laura prefer me to be quiet because I have a bad voice?"

Angkasa looked at Laura, his eyes looked sad, and his lips trembled faintly. For Angkasa, to be able to speak after so many years he had spent screaming like a madman in the room that confined him, was a miracle. No wonder his voice has changed, unlike 10 years ago when Angkasa was first taken to the Mental Hospital.

In the past, talking was very easy for Angkasa. However, now it was difficult because it felt like something was stuck in his throat so that only a hoarse voice could be emitted. This made Angkasa's sound as if it could run out at any moment if he spoke too much.

Laura cast a piercing gaze at Vikram who was stuttering to see Angkasa who could shed tears at any moment. "Vikram… My hands are itching to hit something."

Vikram put his hands together, making a gesture begging Laura for forgiveness. "Geez, Laura… I was just kidding."

Laura snorted sarcastically. "Tsk, your joke isn't funny! Look, my boyfriend, you made him cry!"

"Angkasa, don't cry! Laura doesn't like whiny boys!" Vikram gave a warning to Angkasa whose eyes were already teary.

Angkasa, who heard Vikram's statement, immediately wiped the tears that welled up in his eyes. He didn't want Laura to dislike him. After all, Angkasa had also promised to be Laura's protector and didn't want to take refuge in that girl.

"I'm not crying!" Angkasa denied Vikram's words, even though it was clear before that he was wiping his teary eyes.

Laura snorted coldly. Vikram's words are true, she doesn't like whiny men. Therefore, Laura wants to change Angkasa's identity into the man she wants.

"That's enough. I would like to get ready." Laura got out of bed and walked to the bathroom with a towel. She saw that the two men were already wearing school uniforms, except for her.

***

Vikram's car enters the parking lot at his school. In the car, there was Angkasa with Laura who looked like her usual. Laura is wearing a skirt above her thighs in a uniform with the top two buttons open, revealing her neck and chest.

"Angsa, from now on, don't use formal language. You have to talk to other people in casual language. As for me, it's up to you." Laura warned Angkasa about Angkasa's speech style, which sounded stiff. She wanted to change Angkasa's way of speaking.

Angkasa nodded his head obediently. "Okay, Laura. I'll change the way I talk when I'm with other people."

Laura patted the top of Angkasa's head. A crooked smile formed on her lips. "Angsa, from now on, you are not allowed to smile or even talk to anyone except me. If someone asks, answer it in the shortest possible words!"

Angkasa frowned for a moment, thinking about what Laura meant by asking Angkasa to be cold to everyone. "I have no problem with your request, Laura. But, what if people judge me badly, and you're the one who will receive ridicule for having a boyfriend with a bad personality like me?"

Laura chuckled with a wide grin. "It doesn't matter. Besides, if they openly mock me, it's actually good because the population of hypocrites will decrease."

"Now that's not the case, Laura. What would you tell the teachers if they asked about the tattoo on Angkasa's neck? That tattoo can't be covered even with a uniform collar." Vikram looked back, looking at Laura and the tattoo on Angkasa's neck in turn.

Laura stretched out her hand, touching the tattoo on Angkasa's neck with a feather-light motion. "This tattoo? I will explain it to the teacher. For sure, don't expect me to allow other people to remove the tattoo on Angsa's neck!"

Vikram took a deep breath. It seems life at school is about to become even more horrendous because Laura brings a man like Angkasa. From Laura's request that Angkasa not smile a lot and answer questions from others as briefly as possible, he suddenly felt a resemblance between the current figure of Angkasa and the future figure of Angkasa that he saw through his dreams.

"Okay, if you already have a solution." Vikram opened the car door and got out of the car ahead of the two people who were still in his car.