My 8F Memories

SEPTEMBER ; Our Crushes

Tuesday, September 24

Tuesday was a whirlwind of chaos and fun. We have two breaks: one at 10:50 AM and another at 12 PM. The second one is usually for a quick prayer, but before that... karaoke time! The teacher had just finished her lesson, so she was long gone, and it was time for the girls and me to take over the class. Sindi was leading the charge as we banged on the tables and sang random songs at the top of our lungs. You know, the usual.

When the call to prayer sounded, everyone went to the prayer room, but I stayed behind in class, still belting out my best solo performances. A few minutes later, Rani popped back in and told me the teacher for the last lesson wasn't coming—talk about luck! She invited me to join her outside instead of sitting alone in the classroom. Who could resist? We snuck down to Mr. Sahrum's Canteen (the one behind the eighth-grade class) for some snacks, then found a quieter spot in the back of 8D to escape from the teachers' prying eyes.

While we enjoyed the breeze, Rani spilled the tea about her crush in 9th grade. Like me with DIA, she was a secret fan, unable to get close to her crush. Classic.

When we went back to class, of course, the kids were already in full chaotic mode. One girl was chasing a boy around while everyone else was making noise. I could already hear the madness from the hallway. I grabbed the cleaning supplies and started gathering the chairs to prep for picketing duty (today's my turn, yay). Maryam and Asiah jumped in to help, and I made my rounds to the boys. Rijal, Rudi, and Wahyu gave me the "Yeah, whatever" nod. It's like they thought I wouldn't notice them trying to sneak away. Rijal didn't even listen to me.

As I started cleaning up, I got to Wahab's seat and told him to move. He gave me a bit of teasing but complied. Then came the dynamic duo: Agus and Fahmi. They weren't too thrilled with the idea of moving, but when Fahmi got up, he decided to tap me on the head and poke my leg... On purpose. Ouch, seriously?

I just froze. I don't even know why, but today it hit different. Even though Fahmi's been a class clown for ages, his teasing felt a little too harsh this time. I sat down, buried my face in my hands, and... well, tears happened. He's such a jerk! Why does he have to be so confusing?

After a little while, everyone had left for the day. I wiped away my tears, gave Rudi and Wahyu their last-minute tasks (throw trash, get me water), and the day ended in its usual mayhem.

***

Wednesday, September 25

So, after the whole drama with Fahmi yesterday, I thought I'd stay mad. But... nope. The second I saw him in class today, all that annoyance just vanished into thin air. Why is he like this? One minute he's the worst, and the next he's just... there.

During break, a bunch of students from 9F came to visit Rani. Apparently, the rumor mill was working overtime and they thought she liked AKJ (who, by the way, is not even her type). Rani's really crushing on Shrimp (yes, Shrimp), but somehow, class 9F got the wrong idea. Classic mix-up.

As usual, the teasing got too much for Rani, and she ended up crying. It made me feel really bad, but what can you do? I'm not exactly a professional comforter. The rest of the day was normal enough, with the usual studying and chaos.

***

By the end of the month, the Fahmi drama was in full swing. The pattern? We argue, he goes cold, and then suddenly, he's back with his usual antics the next day. He's like a walking mood swing.

He even hit me on the head with my own bag once. Like, what is that? Just when I thought it couldn't get worse, he poked my leg too. It was the full experience. And then, as if nothing happened, he went back to his "I don't care about you" mode. Why do I even like him?

Then came the classic Monday move. Fahmi grabbed a dirty mop and wiped it all over my head, face, and uniform. Nice, right? Stupid is the word. And guess what? The next day, he called me "Nonim." Not even mad, actually. It was kinda funny hearing him say it. Still annoyed though.

I don't get it. Why do I still like this kid who's never been nice to me? Should I stop? Okay, fine. I'll try. But let's see if I can really pull it off. Stay tuned, because this ride isn't over yet![]