Chapter 5 - My Room

========== Nabila ==========

I see Fira taking Loki somewhere after the last session ended. I don't really know what is actually happening between them. Are they going back home together? I just think that the gossip might be true…

Today is my turn to clean the classroom… After I finish cleaning it, I go home. I wonder if Loki will be staying at my room again tonight. Actually, I really want to have a roommate… Like Loki. But I am scared if they know that Loki stayed at my room, my classmates will gossip about me just like how they did to Fira. Hmm…? Speaking of them… I see them walking together to the dormitory.

"Um… Hi…" I greet them.

"Oh, Nabila? You just came back?" Loki asks.

"Yes… I just finished cleaning the classroom… Umm… How about you two? I thought you two were already going back just now," I am curious.

"No… Nothing! Right, Loki?" Fira asks Loki.

"Umm… Fira took me somewhere just now to talk about something important," Loki answers.

"Important?" I am curious.

"No… It's nothing… Not important! It's really nothing!" Fira panics.

I think she is hiding something from me… But seems like Loki answered me straightforwardly.

"Can I go home together with you two?" I ask.

"Sure, why do you need to ask?" Loki is curious.

"Maybe… I am disturbing your date…" I reply.

"No! It's not a date!" Fira looks mad.

Maybe I said something wrong… I should not disturb them in the first place…

"Hahaha! She is easy to tease!" Loki laughs loudly.

"Lo… Loki…?" I am confused.

"See, Nabila! This is his true form. He likes to tease people, don't get fooled by how he looks!" Fira exclaims.

"Is it?" I still don't believe.

"Yes! Trust me!" she tries to make me believe.

"Oh… Well… No point hiding this from you. But yeah, Fira is very easy to be triggered, Hahah!" Loki laughs.

"Damn you Loki! Just see later!" Fira is mad.

I just know that Loki likes to tease Fira. Maybe they have some special relationship, and it seems like it is not what people say. He always looks so calm… However, he just wants to have a real friend who accepts his personality, just like me.

"Khu…" I chuckle.

"Na… Nabila? What are you laughing at?" Fira asks.

"I just know the other side of Loki… I thought he is a very calm boy," I reply.

"Re… Really?" Loki asks shyly.

"True! Nabila, be careful!" Fira adds.

"But… I also think that you are a very diligent and calm girl… Quite surprised after I stayed with you for a night," Loki says.

"Yea… I am also surprised," Fira adds.

"That… Please keep it a secret…" I am shy.

"Speaking of staying… Headmaster told me that I need to stay at your place for a while," Loki says.

"Re… Really?" I am surprised.

Hearing that makes me feel a little happy. I don't know why but I really want Loki to stay in my room…

"But we have a big problem now… How to hide myself in your room?" Loki asks.

That is right… How am I supposed to hide Loki? It will be so difficult for Loki to stay there. And also, it is very dangerous if someone like Hilda finds out. She will spread the gossip everywhere…

"I think I should enter the room and go out stealthily…" he says.

"How about sleeping outside?" Fira suggests.

"No! I mean… Later he will be sick…" I reject.

"Do you think I am a stray cat?" he looks mad.

"I thought a guy like you can stay anywhere…" Fira says.

If Loki stays elsewhere, it is okay… As long as he can get proper place to sleep. But… I can't eat yummy food anymore…

Finally, we arrive at the dormitory. We sneak in and make sure no one sees us coming.

"Kleepp," I close my room door slowly.

"Huuuhh… Luckily no one sees us," I am relieved.

"Look at that… Your room is so different from yesterday," Fira says while looking at my room.

"Tha… That's because Loki helped me to clean up," I reply.

"It's nothing…" he is shy.

If Loki did not help me yesterday, I will not clean my room and will still be eating instant noodles. He has helped me a lot…

"You really like books, don't you?" Fira asks while looking at the books around my room.

"Different from you who never reads any book," Loki mocks.

"I… It's not like I never read… I just don't have the time!" Fira gives an excuse.

Looks like Loki really likes to tease Fira.

"Tok! Tok! Tok!" someone is knocking the door.

"Loki, hide quickly!" Fira instructs.

Loki hides under my blanket and Fira hides Loki's bag and his shoes. I feel so embarrassed to know that he is hiding there. He is hiding in my bed.

"Tok! Tok! Tok!"

"Okay, wait!" Fira opens the door.

"Sa… Sakura?" Fira greets.

"Oh… Fira? What are you doing in Nabila's room?" Sakura asks.

"I just play… Chit chat with her a little," Fira answers.

"Can I come in?" Sakura asks.

"Err… Okay…" Fira replies.

Sakura looks around my room. She checks my books on the bookshelf.

"Your room is so clean… I think the last time I came here it was a little bit messed up," Sakura praises.

"Yes… I clean it with Lo… I mean Fira," I reply.

"Ohh… Is that so? By the way, are you still living here alone?" Sakura asks.

"Yes…" I answer.

"Maybe Loki can stay here with you," Sakura says.

"No… He can't… This is the girls' dormitory… Loki can't stay here…" I replied shyly.

"Hmm… You have a point… I'm hoping for Loki to stay here. Oh well I will go back to my room first to take shower," Sakura says.

As Sakura is walking out from my room, she stops in front of the door for a while.

"Well… Nabila, you should take care of Loki from now… Or Loki will take care of you… I will keep it a secret. Bye," she says as she goes out.

"Heeehh?!" we are surprised.

How can she know that Loki is staying at my room? That is strange…

"I bet Awanemp told her that I'm staying here," Loki says.

"Yeah… Probably," Fira adds.

Maybe he's right… Mr. Awanemp must have told Sakura that Loki is staying with me. But luckily, she is not telling anyone about this.

"Tok! Tok! Tok!" someone is knocking the door again.

"Is it Sakura again?" Fira wonders.

"I better hide again just in case…" Loki hides again in his own bed now.

"Okay… We are ready…" I whisper.

"Cleeek," Fira opens the door.

"Hello!!"

Some of my classmates who live in this apartment come to my room, including the most dangerous one, Hilda. What are they doing here?

"Nice timing! Fira and Nabila are here!" Hilda exclaims.

"What are you guys doing here?" Fira asks.

"I want to interview you guys about Loki since both of you are close to him. I told the others how close you all are, and they want to see it for themselves," Hilda explains.

"Yea! I'm so excited to hear it!" Xiao exclaims happily.

"Me too," Emmy adds.

This is bad… I really want to run away now… But if I do that, it will just make me look suspicious and false gossip will be spread.

"Okay… Let's start from Fira! How far is your relationship with Loki?" Hilda asks.

"That has nothing to do with me! I don't have any relationship with Loki!" she rejects angrily.

"Hmm? But I saw you grab Loki's hand and take him somewhere privately," she intimidates.

"Err… That…" Fira is cornered.

"See guys! She can't answer it. Means that she really has special relationship with Loki!"

"Noo!!" Fira yells loudly.

Fira looks so angry because they keep cornering her. Too bad for her…

"Okay now it's your turn, Nabila… How do you feel about Loki?" Hilda asks.

"Just like… A normal friend..." I try to answer.

"Any special relationship? He sits beside you in class," Hilda teases me.

"No… Nothing…" I reply.

"Maybe Loki tries to get closer to you?" Xiao asks.

Does Loki like me? That is impossible, we are just friends.

"Love triangle? Interesting!" Hilda adds.

"No… It's not like that!" I try to explain.

"Is it? But your face looks so red…" Emmy says.

"Hehehe… That is a sign that maybe you like him," Hilda teases.

"No!! All of you get out!" I throw my books at them madly.

"Kyaa!!" all of them run away.

"Hik… Hik… Why are they so mean…"? I cry.

"Are you okay Nabila? Don't listen to what they said just now," Fira worries.

"Nabila! Are you okay?" Loki gets out from my bed.

"I'm scared… They are so scary…" I tremble.

Maybe this is what makes me scared to get closer with a stranger. Especially my past that makes me really scared of a guy…

"Don't mind them… It's all my fault," he says.

"Lo… Loki?" I am confused.

"If I did not join your class, all of this will not happen. I am causing both of you trouble. Maybe I should stay outside," he explains.

"No… It's not your fault… Please stay with me here…" I reply.

"Are you sure?" Loki asks.

"Ye… Yes…" I answer shyly.

I don't know why I said that… Suddenly I feel like I want Loki to stay with me together here.

"Okay then! Let's clean this mess. I will cook for both of you after that!" Loki cheers us up.

"Really?" I am excited.

I am glad that I have friends like them. Same as Sakura, they are different from my other classmates. My heart feels lighter now.

"Hmm? A paper?" Fira finds something nearby the door.

"Let me see… It's written on the paper 'Sorry for the trouble, Elie'… Did Elie write this?" Loki picks it up and reads the message on it.

Elie? Maybe she feels sorry for the trouble that they caused just now. Maybe not all of them are bad…

After dinner, Fira goes back to her room. Loki and I lie on our bed. As I lie on my bed, I am thinking about Loki when he was hiding here just now.

"Nabila… I'm sorry for hiding in your bed just now," Loki apologizes.

"Ah… It's okay…" I reply shyly.

When I am thinking about that, it really makes me embarrassed. Oh… I really need to think something else… Ah… I remember that I want to ask Loki about that…

"Lo… Loki… Can I ask something?" I ask him.

"Yes, what is it?" he replies.

"This afternoon, I saw Mr. Awanemp and Sakura talk about you at the corner of the school building… I am quite curious what they are talking about?" I speak.

"Hmm… Maybe they are talking about that thing…" Loki answers.

"Umm… What do you mean?" I am curious.

"No… Nothing… Maybe I will tell you some other day. Goodnight, Nabila," he replies.

Actually, I am really curious about it, but it seems like Loki doesn't want to talk about it yet. I can't force him to talk about it. Maybe later he will tell me about that.

***

========== Loki ==========

Today is quite shocking for me… Everyone is thinking that I have a special relationship either with Fira or Nabila. I don't know what those two thinks about me… Hopefully it is not like my past. Thinking about my past… I really missed her right now… Ah… I should sleep. I need to move forward and forget about it.