Chapter 8: Meatballs

Because of the mineral bottle accident today, Zia was not focused to finish her homework tonight, even though she knows that tomorrow's the first schedule ... practicum.

Zia thought that if she entered Mathematics she wouldn't have to bother meeting physics, chemistry and biology. In fact, she met the three creatures at the beginning of the lecture as 'creative creatures' she called it.

It sucks.

But it doesn't feel like it, because Zia is currently busy thinking about other things. Zia can't realized what does happened, and her phone rang loudly.

E Z A: Zi, I think now you do your physical subject homework, am I right?

Zia Anastasya: Yes. What's wrong?

E Z A: It's okay. I want to eat meatballs with you, but I forgot that we have an assignment to finish now.

Zia Anastasya: Tomorrow then, after practicing.

Zia replied without thinking much before typing.

E Z A: Okay, deal. No cancel tomorrow.

Zia laughed reading Eza's reply. What the hell is this guy fixing in on her schedule for tomorrow? But Zia won't refuse either.

Zia Anastasya: Ok, nope. I'm free tomorrow.

Actually, Zia won't be free at all tomorrow because tomorrow is Zia's schedule to shop for kitchen needs. But ... maybe Gwen can be replace her? Gwen wouldn't refuse to shop anyway.

Zia plans to bribe Gwen with pizza tomorrow. She think Gwen can't beg pizza off.

... -toxic- ...

"Gwen!" Zia kept knocking on Gwen's door.

With unsteady steps, Gwen reached for the doorknob of her room. "Gwen ... I asked you to replace me in this shopping time, can you help me?" Zia's eyes lit up at Gwen.

"Hmm ... where are you going?" investigated Gwen.

"I have an appointment with my classmate, and I can't cancel this."

Gwen was seens thinking for a moment before she reply Zia's request. "Alright, I'll replace you for this time," said her, made Zia smiled happily.

"Okay, thaaank you, Gweeen! You are my beeest friend that I've in the world!" Zia immediately handed the pizza box towards Gwen. "Thanks giving!"

Gwen laughed. “Don't bother anymore, I won't refuse either. Now, just go with your friends, don't forget to be careful!" She told to Zia.

"Ok!"

After Zia's shadow completely disappeared from behind the door, Gwen hurriedly took out her cellphone and started typing messages for Naya.

Gwen (chana)*: Nay, I think Zia really fell in love with her white horse prince! She just lil shy to tell the truth! And now ... She's already goin' to date her prince!

Inaya Kusuma: Are you serious, Gwen?!

Gwen (chana): Yes. She just bribed me on pizza. Not bad, made me full <3 <3

Inaya Kusuma: Oh my ... There's why I can't see her at our canteen!

Gwen laughed when she read Naya's reply. She stopped replying to messages from Naya and now her attention turned to the pizza box.

"Hungry on the daylight, uh, I got a pizza! Ah, a good girl must be fortune." Gwen praised herself as she popped the pizza into her mouth.

... -toxic- ...

Actually, Zia didn't go back to campus right away. At least there is still an hour's pause before they start the practicum when Zia decides to go home with an said she want to get her coat.

Actually she borrowed it, because the coat that she was wearing belonged to Naya.

Now Zia is staring at the contents of her wardrobe, confused about which shirt to wear to keep it polite yet elegant to wear later.

"Huh ... it feels like everything is just fine," complained Zia. Her hands still did not stop tracing the hangers one by one.

She landed her buttocks briefly on the bed, while she was still wondering which shirt to wear. Without realizing it, Zia fell asleep.

10 minutes ...

20 minutes ...

29 minutes 59 seconds ...

"Geez! I'm dead right now! What time is it, how come I really overslept?!" Zia woke up when her phone didn't stop ringing. She realized at once that this afternoon there would be a physics practicum.

"Geez! How could you slept, Zia!" Zia still cursed her stupidity.

Zia pulled the origin of the shirt from the wardrobe because the shirt she was currently wearing was crumpled and unfit to wear. She hurriedly changed her clothes and immediately ran outside.

"Uhhhh! Stupid, stupid, stupid!"

With a speed of seventy kilometers per hour, within five minutes Zia arrived at the campus parking area.

Zia was still running until she was out of breath when she arrived at the entrance to the laboratory.

"Zii." Gea called her from inside the room, stole a brief glance toward the outside before finally the laboratory assistant came over to Zia.

“Twenty minutes late. Where have you been?" Asked the man to the woman who was arise in front of him.

"S-sorry, Sir. Earlier I went home because I left my coat behind." Zia answered.

The man rolled his eyes in annoyance. "You just go home. The tolerance for tardiness is only fifteen minutes, ” he said without thinking about Zia's efforts to try to arrive on time when she realized she had overslept.

"S-sorry, Sir." From inside the room, Eza raised his hand, made him the center of attention.

"What's wrong?" asked another original whose was still in the room.

"The college contract was just known and agreed upon today. My friend maybe wrong for being negligent, but there should be tolerance because our regulation was only announced today, as well as a warning for the next meeting."

Eza's words stunned the original. The man who had made room for Eza to speak, finally cleared his throat. "He's right. This is also our negligence. This time, just forgive. "

The man who was in front of Zia did not move even though his annoyed face was unstoppable. "Where's your report? Immediately fill in the pretest questions!" he ordered.

"Thank you, Sir!" Zia lowered her head when she gave her report to the man and immediately joined the group.

...

"Zi ... how come you're late, huh?" whispered Gea softly.

Zia glanced briefly, she then started writing answers on her pretest paper. "As your wish, I took the lab coat earlier."

"Why, didn't you already bring the lab coat that you took in this morning, Zi?"

Gea frowned in surprise at Zia, as she remembered this morning when Zia was in the toilet accidentally showing the paper bag that Zia said contained Naya's lab coat. If caught lying like this, Zia is suddenly confused.

"I ... took the wrong paperbag." She grimaced for a moment.

Gea no longer asked because the reason that stopped Zia was now staring at the two of them intensely.

...

"Ahh ... it's finally over!" Zia spread her hands after exiting the laboratory room.

"Zi ...," called Eza.

Behind Zia, Eza was standing in the wind. Eza's thin bangs shifted slowly, plus the light behind him made Eza seem so superior in Zia's netra. The point now is Zia was fixated at this time.

"Zi?" Eza is getting closer. He waved his hand in front of Zia.

Unfortunately, her beautiful daydream broke. "Eh, uh, what's wrong?" Zia even stuttered and embarrassed him.

"Come on, eat meatballs. I want to take you to a place to eat meatballs that are super awesome and delicious mamma mia!"

"How good is it?" Zia was following the topic Eza had just brought up.

“You will feel it yourself later. I'm free, huh? " Eza volunteered.

"My bike?"

"It's okay, just leave it with Mr. Security."

Not refusing, nor affirming. But Zia knows for sure that Eza understands the decision she is currently making.

Ah ... how can Zia Anastasya refuse Reza Mangkubumi's charm?

-To be Continue-