A girl ran as fast as she could, as if something were chasing her. She stopped in front of a store and tried to catch her breath. She looked over her shoulder to make sure no one was following her. She was still struggling to steady her breathing when a group of men came running toward her.
"Stela!!"
The girl took off running again with all her strength. She cursed the bar owner's goons, who refused to stop tormenting her. Her legs practically screamed for a break. Sweat poured down her face, and her makeup was a mess. It was almost midnight, and she still had to deal with those useless people.
Stela ducked into a narrow alley and hid there. She clamped a hand over her mouth to keep herself from making a sound. The group of men continued straight ahead, passing right by her hiding place. After making sure no one was left behind, Stela quickly took off her clothes and changed in the alley. She didn't care if someone happened to pass by and see her. As soon as she had changed, the girl hurried away. She also switched hats and rushed out of the complex.
Stela pulled out her phone and played some music. She put on her headset and sat quietly at a bus stop. It was nearly midnight, so there was no way she could get public transportation. Reluctantly, Stela used an online motorcycle taxi service.
"Ms. Stela?" Stela immediately turned when she heard her name.
The girl quickly approached the motorcycle taxi driver and put on the helmet he handed her. The man's eyes traveled up and down Stela's body. She had changed clothes, so there shouldn't have been anything unusual about her now.
"Is there a problem, sir?" Stela asked, uncomfortable with his lustful stare.
"No, miss. Is the address the one in the app?"
Stela simply nodded and climbed onto the motorcycle. She sat all the way at the back, keeping her distance from the driver. The still-breathless girl sensed something unpleasant about the situation.
"Why are you sitting so far back, miss? It's hard to drive like this. Move up a little," the driver said. Stela obediently scooted closer.
"I've seen pictures of you on a Facebook forum, Ms. Stela. If you're not in a hurry to get home, would you like to stop somewhere first?"
Stela was shocked by the driver's bluntness. She immediately slapped his back and told him to stop.
"I'll get off here. I've already paid through OVO. Thank you."
The girl had no choice but to walk to the shabby boardinghouse where she lived. However, when she arrived home, she was stunned to see one of the people she had been avoiding waiting there so sweetly. Without bothering with small talk, Stela pulled the folding knife from her pants pocket and pointed it at the unwelcome guest.
"What are you doing here? I already told you I'm out. Don't bother me."
Stela kept backing away as the woman approached her with her hands raised. Her face showed both irritation and fear.
"I came here with good intentions, Stel. Just listen to me first," she said.
"No, no way. You're going to take me back, aren't you? I already told you I don't know anything, and I'm out," Stela said, her voice trembling. Her eyes began to redden.
"I already told my superior that you have nothing to do with Ramon. I came here to offer you a new life, Stel."
Stela tried to listen and lowered her hand. She began to calm down, her breathing evening out instead of coming in ragged gasps. The woman in front of her immediately took the knife from Stela and placed it on the table.
The woman stepped closer, intending to hug Stela. Stela welcomed her embrace and burst into tears. For days, Stela's life had felt like being trapped in a labyrinth whose exit was nearly impossible to find.
"Shh, you're safe, Stel. I know you're innocent. You're one of their victims."
"I've told you and the other officers so many times, Sis. But no one believes me. There are still so many people out there being hunted by Ramon's men. I saw them myself last night. They were roaming around Kompleks Telaga Indah, near the terminal. I almost got caught, Sis," Stela explained through her continued sobs.
After hearing Stela's confession, the woman sent a message to her colleague. She now understood why Stela's boardinghouse room always looked dark and deserted, as if no one lived there. Stela often hid inside the closet, consumed by fear. The woman gently rubbed Stela's back, trying to calm her until she was steady, then released the hug.
"Sanas, what are you doing here?"
The woman named Sanas smiled and pulled out the documents she had brought. She immediately handed them to Stela and waited for the girl's reaction. Stela looked confused after reading the first page.
"What does this mean?" Stela asked again.
"The prison authorities and I agreed to transfer you to this high school. My fiancé happens to work there, so you don't have to worry if anything happens. You don't need to worry about tuition or any other expenses. Start a new life, Stel. Live right."
"Why are you doing all this for me?"
"That's enough, Stel. Do what you can. You're still young. You shouldn't be caught up in a circle like this."
"What are you trying to get from me? Be honest, Sis. This can't be free, can it?"
On the exact day she transferred, Stela introduced herself. "Call me Stela."
"Whoa, a new angel! Sign me up," one of the students blurted out.
"Shut up, Badrul. Look in a mirror before you say something like that," Pak Samsul said.
The teacher immediately invited Stela to sit in the empty seat in the back row. Stela nodded. Once she got there, she took out her books and put her bag beneath the desk. She was grateful to be sitting alone.
"Hi, my name's Mia."
Stela quickly turned when Mia reached out to shake her hand. She looked at Mia and the girl beside her, then turned back toward the front. Vera, seeing that, grew annoyed and wanted to tear into Stela. But Mia held her friend back and looked at Stela again.
"I'm not looking to make friends here," Stela said.
"Maybe you don't want any right now, but you need them."
Stela merely let out a harsh breath and refocused on the whiteboard. Mia and Vera exchanged looks and giggled, as if they knew exactly what the other was thinking. Vera quickly wrote something on a piece of paper and handed it to Mia.
'If you want to gossip, just write it down. If you say it out loud, it'll be awkward for the neighbors.'
Mia immediately pinched Vera and tore up the paper. Things could get ugly if Vera's mischief was discovered by too many people. Mia quickly whispered something in her friend's ear.
'I'm going to chase her down and make her my friend. Just watch me.'
After sitting through several classes, Stela began to feel sleepy. She excused herself to go to the bathroom, then wandered toward the cafeteria. The girl soon sat down at an empty table with her favorite watermelon juice. The cafeteria wasn't crowded with students yet; lunchtime break was still five minutes away.
Stela wanted to finish her lunch and return to class to sleep. With her classmates gone to the cafeteria, the empty classroom would be the perfect place for her to rest.
[Photo] 167,990 likes @stelenastar bare-faced with me
The girl opened her phone and checked her social media account. She turned off comments on all her posts so the curses from those crazy people wouldn't interfere with her life. Stela blocked everyone who had sent her messages and put her phone away again.
Stela sipped her juice slowly. She still wasn't used to the atmosphere at her new school. This school was certainly much better than her old one. It made her wonder how much it cost to get an education here.
The girl's daydream was interrupted when she saw Mia and Vera walking toward her table with a plate of rice and some drinking water. Apparently, the two friends had followed her. Stela sighed in annoyance because Mia still hadn't stopped approaching her. The girl casually sat down across from Stela and started eating.
"I already told you that I—"
"Why aren't you eating? Are you on a diet?" Mia cut her off before she could finish.
"Whatever." Stela didn't want to waste too much thought on something this trivial.
Mia looked at Vera and smiled broadly. The girl had gotten exactly what she wanted. They soon continued eating lunch.
"Well, it's understandable if you watch what you eat. Your body is totally body goals," Vera said.
"It's nothing special."
"Come hang out with us after school! We're going to watch the guys from our class play basketball against the class next door," Mia invited Stela enthusiastically.
"Just because I let you sit here doesn't mean I've agreed to be your friend."
"Come on, you don't have anything else going on, do you?" Vera pressed.
"Come on, Stel. It'll be a school tour too, and I'll give you a ride home afterward. How about it?"
"Fine. Whatever."
Mia smiled victoriously and celebrated with Vera. Stela only shook her head and went back to drinking her juice. At least with Mia driving her home later, she could save on transportation costs.