Cewek Sma

"No," Maya lied, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

Arga was the captain of the basketball team, tall, with messy hair and a smile that made girls from three different classes suddenly develop an interest in sports. Maya first noticed him not during a game, but during a rainy afternoon when he offered his umbrella to a stray cat near the school gate. She was watching from the second floor, heart quietly turning somersaults. cewek sma

The school held a poetry competition for Indonesia’s Youth Pledge Day. Maya, against her nature, signed up. Dinda had pushed her, saying, "You write galaxies in your notebook, May. Let people see them." "No," Maya lied, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear

"It's raining."

She recited a poem about stars, about being a small thing in a vast universe, and about the courage it takes to shine anyway. Her voice cracked once, but she kept going. She was watching from the second floor, heart

When she finished, the applause surprised her. But what surprised her more was Arga, waiting by the door afterward.