Alona's Party

Alona's birthday party was truly amazing. This wasn't a party for a 14-year-old; it felt more like a party for a 17-year-old girl. All the girls wore sexy dresses with pointed high heels, while the boys were in slick shirts and neat pants, matching their shoes.

There was dancing at the event. Soft music played as a warm-up, and then the passionate dancing began. After that, the music played by the DJ was so extraordinary that it turned the event into a lively celebration.

Damar pulled Citra away from the suddenly energetic dance floor, saying, "This isn't our world." He chuckled.

Citra pouted because she really wanted to experience the nightlife like the teens who were 17 and older. At 14, she was still too young to get into clubs, which made her a bit annoyed with Damar's taste in music.

"You're acting like an old man, you know? You only like slow music," Citra grumbled.

"What's so great about dancing wildly like a monkey? Just dance, it's more classy," Damar retorted, raising a can of soda.

Citra sighed, taking a sip while watching the party's excitement. Everyone was free to dance except for her, as Damar had forbidden her. For the first time, she found Damar a bit annoying.

"You shouldn't be like that. Why are you forcing your taste on me?" Citra complained.

Damar laughed, "OMG, are you still on this? What's the problem? I'm just guiding you toward what's good."

"Good for you doesn’t necessarily mean good for me!"

"Why are you being so sensitive?"

"This isn't sensitivity; it's about your attitude of trying to control me. It's not cool, you know!"

"Who’s being funny?"

"That’s why it’s not funny! Lame, ugh!"

Damar looked at Citra in confusion, "Why are you acting so weird? Being rude like this. I'm just giving good advice, and you won’t accept it. Now, who’s the problem?"

"Ugh," Citra scoffed. "You’re the one trying to control people, then you play the victim?"

"Oh come on, who’s playing the victim? Citra, you're the one making this a problem!"

"You are!"

"You are!"

"You’re the one acting like you’re in charge!"

"Who’s in charge? If you want to dance until you drop, go ahead! Dance as much as you want like a monkey. I'm not stopping you. Go ahead!"

Damar sarcastically gestured for her to go, prompting Citra to slam her soda can down on the thick carpet of Alona's house before standing up and dancing wildly. She moved as much as she wanted, especially when Alona and Vincent pulled her to the center, allowing her to enjoy herself.

She lost track of time dancing with all her energy and didn't notice how many applause she received until she felt thirsty and tried to return to the sofa where she had been sitting with Damar. But there, she saw Damar chatting surrounded by beautiful girls she didn’t know. Alona's friends, who clearly weren’t from Sampurna, as they looked so alluring.

"My brother's friends," Alona whispered when Citra asked about them. "They're high school kids. They’re quite flirty, and they must be fans of Damar. Everyone came here because they heard Damar was here. I swear, I didn’t invite them!"

Citra bit her lip, feeling a surge of jealousy. Especially since Damar looked so comfortable chatting and laughing with them. Two of the girls even seemed to be clinging tightly to him.

"What a flirt!" Citra muttered before turning to walk away.

Far away, as far as she could, Citra thought. Maybe even go home!

But suddenly, she felt the urge to pee and hurried to find the bathroom in Alona’s incredibly spacious house. Alona's dad was a coal mining businessman, and even though her mom was the second wife, Alona lived a very luxurious life. Citra thought Vincent was incredibly lucky to have such a beautiful and wealthy girlfriend.

"The bathroom is even gold-colored, unbelievable!" Citra whispered as she entered one of the stalls and sat on the toilet.

However, she didn't take long in there because her stomach started to hurt. Maybe it was from too many sodas, which made her feel bloated and gassy. The cramping was hard to bear, and she just surrendered while sitting on the toilet. Checking her phone, there were no messages or calls from Damar, as if he no longer cared about her.

It was already 9 PM, and Citra began to think about calling a taxi to go home when she heard the chatter of girls entering the bathroom.

"Wow, Damar is really handsome, right? He’s only fourteen!" a high-pitched voice said.

"Yeah, but he's only three years younger than us. He could be kept, just needs to grow up a bit," another voice replied.

"He’s already grown; he just went with it when I kissed him!"

"Yeah, I could feel his chest, and he just smiled. That middle school kid seems experienced with girls."

"Of course; he’s basically a celebrity. His environment is probably wilder than ours."

"Yeah, I can't believe Alona said he has a girlfriend!"

"Which one?"

"That girl... the one who danced like she was possessed. She’s pretty, but so tacky. Totally not a match for calm Damar."

"Exactly, that girl looks like a market girl, you know?"

"The one chatting?"

"Yeah, haha..."

"No wonder Damar was quiet when asked if he had a girlfriend."

"Probably shy."

"Maybe..."

"So, does that mean one of us has a chance?"

"Of course, he shared his WhatsApp number and invited us to hang out."

"Wow, that’s a hint..."

"Hey, let’s not fight over him, okay?"

"Of course, let’s share him, how about that?"

"Haha..."

The lively chatter suddenly stopped when the bathroom door slammed shut. Citra stayed silent for a while, tears streaming down her face without a sound. She felt heartbroken after hearing those girls. Were they the high school kids who had been sitting around Damar earlier? They were so aggressive, and Damar was such a jerk!

How could he just give in to those flirty girls? Citra felt disgusted just thinking about it. After crying for a while, she finished her business on the toilet. She threw the tissues soaked in her tears into the trash. She didn't want to look in the mirror, busy washing her hands at the sink. Her head hung low, and it hung even lower when she heard someone walk in.

She was too busy reaching for tissues to wipe her tears when a hand reached out to offer her a tissue.

"Thank you," Citra replied without looking up. She was still bent over, wiping her tears. But when she lifted her head to look in the mirror, her heart skipped a beat. Quickly, she turned to her side. "Ken?"

Ken didn’t reply; instead, he took a tissue and wiped Citra’s tears that were flowing even more. It reminded her of the past when they used to be so close, as if there was no distance between them. Now they were so close, even closer as Citra suddenly hugged Ken tightly. Her sobs grew louder as she cried on Ken’s shoulder.

"Let’s go home," Ken whispered softly, kissing Citra's hair.