Chapter 21

Arron

I haven't seen or heard anything in a long time. What happened to the second heartbeat?

It's gone.

I'm all alone.

I slowly regain my senses. How long has it been? Months, weeks, years, even? I open my eyes.

Ow.

Everything hurts.

I see a blurry figure in the corner of my eye.

Ramelan?

I hear loud beeping.

Talking. Yelling, even.

What's happening?

Ramelan

I'm so embarrassed. I didn't want anyone to know that I've been studying Suroboyoan. Oh, well. As long as Fadhlan is the only one to know, I guess it'll be okay? Probably. I set my backpack down in my bedroom. Mom said that she wanted to talk to me, so I walk down the hall to the living room.

I sit on the couch beside her and wait for her to say something. I don't notice that she is saying something until I turn to her.

"... so you'll be able to concentrate," She's saying.

"Sorry, what did you say?"

"I was saying that your father and I have decided to send you to a cram school for the rest of the semester."

My heart falls. I have so little free time already. Why should I have to give up all of it to studying?

"Please don't send me to cram school. I'm sorry if my grades aren't good enough. I'll work on them! Please. Just don't send me to cram school," I sign furiously.

"Ramelan. This is for your own benefit. Don't fight me on this."

"But—"

"No buts. Go to your room and study."

"Fine," I hiss at her and storm away.

I slam my bedroom door for extra measure. I'm acting like a kid, but I don't care. I know they're just looking out for me, but I really enjoy sitting on my bed and reading. Or sleeping. Sleeping is good, too.

I yawn.

Thinking about sleeping is making me sleepy.

I fall asleep with my face in my history textbook.

I wake up suddenly. There's a pit of anxiousness sitting in my stomach. There's a spot of drool in my textbook.

Eww.

I wipe it off with the edge of my shirt.

I close the textbook and place it in my backpack. I didn't study or eat dinner, so I guess I might as well go to sleep. I walk over to my window and start to close the blinds. I look up slightly and see a figure walking in the middle of the street.

Curious, I lean in closer.

The person is dragging their feet. It reminds me of a zombie. I can't make out who it is because of how dark tonight is. The moon is barely shining, and it's so late that the streetlamps have turned off.

No one should be walking in the middle of the street, let alone in the middle of the night. Should I do something?

I open my window and lean out a bit. I still can't decide if I should tell them to get out of the street. Would that make me look like an asshole, leaning out of a window and yelling at someone? I shake my head.

Of course I would come off as an asshole.

I start closing my window when I see a car coming up behind the person.

Oh, no.

What should I do? Yell?

I run down the hall, slam open the front door and scream at the person.

"Watch out, there's a car behind you!"

The person looks at me.

"Get out of the way!" I yell again.

The person stops walking and stares at me.

What the hell?

The truck is fast approaching.

I run out towards the person.

Why hasn't the driver noticed yet? Why aren't their headlights on?

Right as I'm about to reach the person, the car hits them.

They fly six feet up in the air and then drop onto the cement with a bone crunching thud!

Blood splatters onto me.

I'm at a loss for words.

The driver doesn't stop. They drive away.

A hit and run?

I fall to my knees.

What do I do?

"Someone, help! A person was just hit by a car! Help!" I crawl over to the body. Do I check for a pulse first? Probably. I don't think they're breathing. Their chest isn't moving. Two fingers to the wrist, right?

I'm panicking.

Calm down, it's okay.

With shaky hands, I put two fingers on their wrist.

No pulse.

Neck.

Have to double-check with the neck.

Why isn't anyone helping?

Where is everyone?

I pull the body closer to me and lift up their head. They look familiar.

I don't— I don't think they're alive. Their neck is hanging at a weird angle.

Blood is leaking from somewhere, but I'm not curious enough to find out.

If I carry a dead body into my house, would Mom and Dad mind?

Most likely. What a stupid thought.

I start to laugh uncontrollably. The shock is getting to me. I pick up the body and princess carry it to the sidewalk. I pull out my phone and shine the flashlight on them. They're wearing a hospital gown.

Crap. Someone that was in the hospital just got hit by a car? Somehow, it feels worse than if it was a civilian being stupid. I wipe their hair from their face and my heart stops.

I recognize those freckles. I've spent hours staring at them. I thought it couldn't get any worse.

Arron.

Why is he here? Why is he awake?

A tear trails down my face. I send a text telling Fadhlan to come to my house with my address attached.

Fadhlan

I get a text from Ramelan at the same time as someone who calls himself "The director" knocks on my door. Now, we're sitting in my room. Him in my chair, and I on my bed. I want to check my phone, but I feel like it'd be rude to do that with company.

"Go ahead," The director says to me, gesturing to my phone.

I don't respond, but instead click on the message and read it.

"I need ur help," Ramelan's text reads.

"What do u need help w/?" I text back.

"Just come to my address. Hurry." I don't know what to say to that.

I look up at The director, he's humming and looking around my room.

"Um, sir. Someone needs my help, is there any way to talk about what you want to talk about quickly?" Why did I let a stranger in my house, anyway?

"I'll wait here for you. Go help your friend. One quick thing, though. Bring your friend back here, please?" The director says, his eyes burning into mine. I nod.

I grab my jacket and say, "I'll be back soon." Before running out of my bedroom, and house. I take my bike because his house is incredibly far away.

Why are there so many hills? I feel like it's taking forever to reach Ramelan's house. My back hurts, my feet hurt, and I'm tired.

I'm sweating so much that I could fill a bucket.

Finally, I go over the last hill. I come up on a small neighborhood. I check my phone again, looking at the address he sent me. Yup, should be right around the corner. I speed up a bit, rounding the corner.

Up ahead, I see a figure sitting on the sidewalk. I slow down and stop in front of them. It's Ramelan.

"Hi, I got here as fast as I could," I pant.

"Thanks." He doesn't look at me. His voice is cold.

"What is it?" I ask.

"Someone got hit by a car," Ramelan says.

My eyes widen. "Did you get them to a hospital?"

"No, they're dead."

"Is— is it someone we know?" I'm scared to know the answer, but I don't get one. That's an answer all in itself.

"Damn it. It's Arron isn't it?"

Ramelan starts crying. I've never seen him like this. His breath comes out in large, gut-wrenching sobs. I lean in and hug him.

"I'm so sorry." That's all I can think to say. What else do I say? I'm sad, sure, but I only knew Arron for a few months.

His smiles. The way that his face twisted when something had to do with Ramelan. The way that he hated keeping his hair in a bun, but he had to at school.

I start crying, too.

I miss him.