She’s not A Rotten Apple

It was my first day in this school. Yeah, this was not my first new school actually. Since I sat in my second year of elementary school, I had moved so many times. My father’s job forced us to move one city to another. But this time, he was appointed to be the manager in a new branch of the plantation company in a small village. It had so many differences compares to my last place. Also my new school, it looked different too. It seemed to me like a fine school with a green surrounding. The schoolyard was full of short-cared Japanese grass. Some plants waved their flower buds, danced with colorful butterflies, which created natural beauties. Big trees grew in some corners next to the building. For me who used to live in a big city, this place sounded to give me a promise to have a new experience.

I stepped in the classroom, wondering how my classmates would be this time. Mrs. Nurhayati, teacher who accompanied me entering this class, spoke a while with a young teacher who had just explaining the lessons. The class became a bit noise when they saw me next to the whiteboard.

“Okay class, you got a new friend now. She comes from Surabaya” Ms. Nurhayati said which put the class got in silence immediately. “Please, let your friends know you” she said to me.

I threw my sight to the entire class; made sure that they pleased to see me here or not. “Hello. I’m Drusilla Khadijah, you can call me Dru”

The class buzzed like thousand bees. Perhaps they liked the other new friends before, surprise hearing my strange name. I understand that, I myself also wondered how my parents could give me that uncommon name for Indonesian people.

“Quite please, let Dru tell you about her first” a soft-kind voice from a teacher who was sitting in teacher desk in front of the class. Everyone stopped speaking. I wondered how that lower tone voice could make the riot suddenly freeze.

“Well, I moved from Surabaya. Nice to see you” I said at last.

“Okay Dru, please sit down there beside Kinanti” the teacher who has a friendly smile said to me. Then I sat on the empty chair that the teacher had just appointed. I smiled at Kinanti who was sitting next to me. What a surprise, she’s not even smile back at me nor said anything. She stared at me for a second and quickly threw her looking to other place. It was a freeze look.

“It’s okay, maybe she’s shy” I whispered myself, and focused on the teacher who had just explaining the lesson again.

***

(be continued)