Tales of White and Gray

"Hey, do you really think I'll pass?" I asked Angga, seeking a small sense of relief.

"Of course, you'll pass. You're smart. Just a bit rebellious," Angga replied with a small laugh. He knew the combination of "smart but annoying" that often landed me in situations like this.

"But what if I don't pass, Ngga?" I asked again, this time more seriously.

Angga burst out laughing. "If you don't pass? Well, you'll just marry my sister, like you joked about earlier. Then you won't have to worry about school anymore."

"You're always joking," I said, grinning. Even though it was dry, Angga's joke did ease some of my panic.

Angga kept cheering me on, urging me to think positively. "Come on, relax. If you don't pass, I'll buy you ice cream so you don't cry in the corner," he said. I let out a small laugh, but the worry still lingered.

Finally, after a battle with my own courage, I stood up from my chair, taking a deep breath. "Angga, go with me to the teacher's office. I wanna get my graduation letter," I said with a half-defiant tone. My hands trembled slightly, but I tried to keep my composure. I knew this moment was going to be etched into my memory forever. 

Angga, who had been leaning on the desk, suddenly stood up, giving me a puzzled look. "Hey, why are you asking me to escort you all of a sudden?" he asked, raising an eyebrow suspiciously. 

"Well, why not? You don't want to help me?" I replied, a bit confused by his reaction. Normally, Angga would rush to help without hesitation. 

"Since when do you get all scared and needy? Usually, you act all brave. Now you're acting like a lost chick," Angga teased with a grin, then playfully nudged my side. 

"Jerk, when did you turn gay?" I stepped back, feigning disgust, though I couldn't deny that his poke actually tickled. 

"I'm not gay, idiot!" Angga snapped defensively, raising his voice, which only made me laugh harder. 

"Yeah, yeah, you're not gay. You're just... swing that way," I added, pushing him a little further into his frustration. 

"That's Same, damn it! Stop blabbing!" Angga said, finally giving in, gently shoving my shoulder. His eyes were still squinting, but I could see a hint of amusement. I couldn't help but chuckle. That's one of the things I liked about him: even though his teasing could be sharp, he never refused to help me, and his support always came through—snide remarks and all.

We walked out of the classroom together, heading toward the teacher's office. Along the way, he couldn't resist throwing in more comments. 

"Hey, what if your letter actually invites you to another exam?" 

"Asshole, why would you wish that?" I shot back, feigning offense. 

"I'm not wishing, bro. Just foreshadowing," he replied, still joking. I shook my head with a small smile. At least, even though my emotions were all over the place, Angga managed to keep me a little calmer. 

As we reached the teacher's office, my steps naturally slowed down. The door felt like the gateway to the afterlife at that moment. I paused briefly, feeling my heartbeat quicken. 

"Why are you stopping? Scared?" Angga crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. "Go in, I'll wait out here." 

"You're really gonna wait for me, right?" I asked, making sure, because I knew his tendency to mess with me. 

"Of course. I wouldn't leave you alone. You'd cry in there, and I couldn't handle that," he said, laughing. I took another deep breath, summoning my courage, then gently pushed the door open.

I walked into the teacher's office with heavy steps, feeling like a prisoner being summoned to court. Once inside, I immediately looked around for a teacher who seemed the least busy. 

"Ma'am, I was told my graduation letter is here," I asked politely, though with a hint of hesitation. 

The teacher glanced at me briefly from behind a stack of papers and replied, "Oh, try asking Mr. Bambang; he might know." 

I approached Mr. Bambang, who was busy typing away at his computer. 

"Sir, I was told my graduation letter is here," I repeated quietly. 

Mr. Bambang glanced at me briefly, furrowing his brows. "Your graduation letter? Hmm, try asking Mrs. Susi. She was the last one handling the envelopes," he said, turning back to his monitor. 

I was starting to feel uneasy, but I went along and asked Mrs. Susi, who was sitting in the corner of the room. After I explained, she just shook her head and said, "Oh, I don't know. Try checking with Mr. Herman." 

'Damn, I'm here to pick up my graduation letter, not complete a chain quest!' I was getting more frustrated but tried to stay calm. I went from one teacher to another in the room, but the result was the same. None of them knew where my graduation letter was.

After wandering around the teacher's office like a lost person, I finally walked out with mixed feelings of frustration, confusion, and resignation. 'Maybe this is a sign I didn't pass.' That thought started to haunt me, making every step back to the classroom feel heavier.

On my "walk back" to class, I was lost in thought. 'Did I not try hard enough? Is this karma for all my mischiefs?' All those negative thoughts piled up in my head. My phone buzzed a few times—calls from unknown numbers—but I ignored them. I wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone.

I was almost at the classroom door when suddenly, the loudspeaker blared, startling me so badly I nearly jumped out of my skin.

"ALL THIRD-YEAR STUDENTS ARE REQUESTED TO IMMEDIATELY GATHER AT THE SCHOOL PODIUM," the announcement boomed, so loud it made my heart leap.

"My God, was that a demon's voice or what?" I muttered absentmindedly, still half-dazed from my daydreaming.

"Eh, idiot, never heard a loudspeaker before?" Angga quipped as he walked next to me.

"Wait, that was the loudspeaker?" I asked, still dazed.

"Dude, you're smart but sometimes so dumb. Seriously, how do you even manage to be top of the class? Maybe you actually study in your sleep," Angga said, shaking his head in disbelief. I just ignored him; my mind was already wandering somewhere else.

I was fixated on the school field, where I saw Echa, one of the school's idols, walking towards the podium. 'Damn, she's looking even hotter today,' I thought. Without realizing it, I nudged Angga and said, "Bro, look! Echa, man. She's getting sexier again."

"Where? Where?" Angga instantly perked up, craning his neck in the direction I pointed.

Echa, the hottest girl in our middle school, was a phenomenon that left every guy—whether they admitted it or not—completely mesmerized. She wasn't just popular for her stunningly pretty face and a smile so sweet it made your heart race; her figure was something else entirely. While other girls were still figuring out how to buy their first bra, Echa already had a body that could make race queens insecure. Her long, jet-black hair always flowed neatly, like she'd just stepped out of a salon. Her walk was casual yet radiated an effortless confidence that drew every pair of eyes in her direction. If JKT48 had existed back then, she'd probably be one of its standout trainees.

Echa wasn't one of those girls who acted all high and mighty or pretentious, even though she clearly knew she was the center of attention. She was the kind of girl who was friendly without being overly available. If someone dared to hit on her or mess around, she'd just shoot them a sly, sarcastic smile that could instantly deflate their confidence.

In her class, Echa sat in the middle row—prime territory for any guy looking for an excuse to "find a lost key" or "grab a book" just to pass by her desk. And let's not forget her voice—it was as captivating as the rest of her. Soft, a little husky, and just the right touch of playful charm, like the lead in every teenage drama. Unsurprisingly, her name came up in almost every guy's conversation, whether it was serious admiration or just lighthearted banter. In short, Echa was the perfect mix of natural allure and teenage mystique, turning her into a living legend in our school.

Angga and I stood there like idiots, gawking at Echa as she walked by, chuckling quietly at our shared fascination. We were so focused on her that we didn't realize someone was standing behind us.

"YOU TWO, GET TO THE SCHOOL PODIUM RIGHT NOW!!!"