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I gave Gee Kay the form yesterday at the church before the service started, but he seemed so busy that he didn't say anything but 'thank you' before running off elsewhere. Seeing him running here and there taking care of a lot of things, I jumped to the conclusion that he was someone important at the church. Maybe he was the youth leader or something.1110Please respect copyright.PENANA7ErCnFAl6b
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I stopped my daydreaming. I came back to the reality that I was already at the campus of my dreams, the University of Nevada. I was so grateful. Well, actually I wanted to be at the one which was located in Las Vegas, but I believed that God had a plan for me when he put me here and not in Vegas.1110Please respect copyright.PENANApW6UyWz7u7
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With the schedule stored in my stationary case as a compass, I joined the first two classes of Theater that day. They were only introductory classes so that I didn't have full time in the class. I spent my time in the park, writing stories.1110Please respect copyright.PENANAMCMroEk7Ok
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I had been writing stories since I was in junior high. It became my habit whenever I had free time. I already had three novels and many short stories. Only the novels hadn't been published and the short stories were published on some online platforms for writers. I wished I could have my stories published in reality and everybody knew my works, not only online. I hoped that through the subject I was taking at the University of Nevada, I could reach my dream to be an author and director of movies.
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"Aaaaawww!" Somebody screamed right behind me. It was obviously a girl's scream. She had just distracted my mind from the perfect idea that just came and went because of her. "Oh my goodness." I turned my body toward her. "I don't mean to destroy your happiness, but could you next time scream far away from my ears?"1110Please respect copyright.PENANAgtCg5Ipehs
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"Hey I'm so sorry," She said without feeling offended. "I am just too glad!"
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"Yeah?" I frowned but then congratulated her for something I didn't know.
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"Her picture just appeared on Genesis' Instagram!" Her friend told me. That made me want to take back my 'congratulations' I gave to the girl who screamed. That guy again? "Bye!" She left with the 'happily screaming girl'. That was the name I gave her because of her distracting scream.
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I looked at my watch and saw that it was time for my last class of the day. I shut down my laptop and put everything else into my bag. Then I came to my last class which was Writing Skill class. It turned out to be the class I really liked because writing is my thing.1110Please respect copyright.PENANABzGMAV1Ulq
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I was about to take a bus to go back to my residence when suddenly a Chevrolet car, which looked just like Gina's, appeared in front of me. The driver's window rolled down. I saw a girl in the driver's seat and a guy in the passenger seat. I didn't know who the girl was but I knew the guy. It was Gee Kay.
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"You're the Indonesian girl, right?" She asked.1110Please respect copyright.PENANAPHUAmDOF3y
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"Her name is Cynthia," Gee Kay told her.
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"Okay, Cynthia," She said. She looked out the window to me with her hand rested on the window sill. "I need your help."
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I frowned. "What kind of help do you need?" I asked.1110Please respect copyright.PENANAdqFMYCDxQe
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"Get in." She commanded. "I'll tell you while driving you to Argenta Hall. That's where you're going, right?"
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I nodded. I got into her car's back passenger seat and closed the door. Then she hit the gas and drove the car slowly.1110Please respect copyright.PENANAl1WxpVAPj2
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"I had a movie project about Indonesia. It's about the language." She gave me the first brief explanation, which was the reason why she drove me home.
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I moved a little bit forward so that I didn't lean on the seat and got closer to the front seats. "Okay. Let me know more." I asked her to explain further.1110Please respect copyright.PENANAmODevVziih
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"I don't understand the language though I have been learning it since a year ago, so when I tried to communicate with some Indonesians via Facebook, I brought myself to miscommunication which caused them to leave me." She said desperately.1110Please respect copyright.PENANA4QwsRSm6qp
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"Are you trying to say that you need me to teach you the Indonesian language?" I asked straight to the point.1110Please respect copyright.PENANAkHykYZRyZS
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"Yes but no." She answered.
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"How could it be yes but no? Now you're making me confused." I said, demanding for further explanation.
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"Yes, because I want to learn it so much, but no, because I can't finish my thesis if I take time to learn the Indonesian language." Her voice sounded like she was losing hope.1110Please respect copyright.PENANAIABclDlf8D
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"Hey, chill out, Brenda," Gee Kay finally spoke up; all this time he hadn't said anything, almost as if he wasn't there. "I believe Cynthia can help you."1110Please respect copyright.PENANAo5nyJkdym4
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I sighed. "Okay, just make it clear now. What do you need from me?" I asked, not wanting her to beat around the bush.
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"Oh, you're not like what the articles said about how Indonesians are like." She chuckled. She turned the wheel to the right. We were getting closer to Argenta Hall.1110Please respect copyright.PENANAa8KbftI7SC
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"Not all Indonesians are like that, let me tell you. The articles that say about the friendliness of Indonesians are not fully true. There are so many rude people there too." I told her. She seemed to love Indonesia but she only knew a little about it. "We have the same situation here. At first I thought I would meet so many rude people here since this is a free country and everyone likes their privacy be kept safe. But since I came here, almost everyone I met was so nice and friendly to me. Including Gee Kay."
From my seat I could see Gee Kay smiling.
"Okay, my point is that I need you to be a translator." She had finally told me what she wanted from me.1110Please respect copyright.PENANAxpedCQD7Io
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"Hmm, that's my thing. Go ahead."
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"Great," She sounded happy. "I have a script for my short film and I need you to translate it into Indonesian."1110Please respect copyright.PENANAuLTLLVSTup
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"Bahasa Indonesia, that's how you should say it. The Indonesian language." I corrected her.1110Please respect copyright.PENANA5W2trV3CvI
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"Okay, Bahasa Indonesia," She repeated with an English accent that made it sound funny to me. I silently laughed. "Bahasa means language?"
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"Yes," I confirmed. "So, when do you need my help?"
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"As soon as possible," She answered. "Gee Kay will deliver the script to your residence this evening." The moment she said it, we arrived at the front door of Argenta Hall.
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"Okay. I'll be waiting," I said. "Just text me when you are here, Gee Kay. You've got my number, right?"1110Please respect copyright.PENANAh5gqRM2v4m
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"Yeah, I've copied your number to my phone." He said.
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"Thanks for the ride, um, Brenda, and bye," I got out of the car and waved to them until the car disappeared from my sight.
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I entered the building and walked upstairs to the second floor. I saw Julie sitting in the TV room alone. She wasn't holding anything in her hand. She also wasn't watching TV. I was so curious what was happening with her. I approached her and touched her by the shoulder.1110Please respect copyright.PENANAoyQm8wBejK
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"Hey, what are you doing here, Julie?" I asked as I sat down next to her on the couch.
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"Meditating." she answered briefly and then chuckled.
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"Hey," I elbowed her. "I see you're doing nothing here, so what's up?"
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She shook her head.
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"You have something you don't want to tell me? Okay, that's fine. I won't force you to tell me," I told her. I patted her on the shoulder. "But if you need a listening ear, tell me. I'll be there for you."1110Please respect copyright.PENANAh791ed2s6Q
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"Thank you," She smiled. "How was your first day?" She said changing the topic.
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I told her everything that happened today on campus. She was glad to hear about it. I asked her the same thing and she answered that she would have some classes in the evening because she worked as a babysitter in the morning up until midday. We then talked more about anything else until the needle of the clock was pointing at four.
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We entered our room. I took a rest for a moment while Julie was taking a bath. She was getting prepared for her first day on campus. Meanwhile, Cassie had not been here since this morning. I guessed she had a long day during her first day on campus.1110Please respect copyright.PENANACDyvrCrgEb
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I opened my eyes and found I had been asleep for nearly an hour. However, the bathroom was still closed just like it had been when I first lay down. I got up from the bed and knocked on the bathroom door. I asked who was inside. It wasn't Julie but Cassie. I was skipped!
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I received a text message from Gee Kay, stating that he was already in front of the building. I told Cassie that I needed to go out for a while and then I left her alone in the room.
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Gee Kay was standing in front of the same car which had brought me to Argenta. I came out of the building and met him.
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"Why don't you come in?" I asked.
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"Have you had dinner?" He didn't answer my question. His question was not at all related to mine.
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I shook my head.
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"Neither did I," he said. "I'm hungry but Brenda told me to deliver the script to you. So I decided to take you out to dinner first."
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"Okay, but let me get my purse." I said.
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"It's fine, I'll treat you." He said.
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"Okay."
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Gee Kay and I got into the car. He drove the car in the same direction as the campus. We arrived at a white building which looked so elegant. I thought I'd seen this building before, so I searched for the image in my mind just like searching on Google. I remembered that it was Sierra Hall, one of the residences of the University of Nevada. As far I could remember, it was considered the best one because the hall was single-sex by room and each had its own bathroom and shower. It was the only residence hall to feature single rooms with private bathrooms. It also had the most complete facilities.
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He took me to the Hall Café. We sat at the table near the window. He ordered Italian Pan to Plate. He asked me what to order and I said I wanted the same as his. I wanted to try a new food again this time.
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"Why did you take me here?" I asked as the waitress left us.
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"Brenda gave me a printed out script. I think it will make you inconvenient," He explained. "I decided to give you the soft copy which I have on my laptop. I'll give it to you after we eat dinner, okay?"
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"Okay," I nodded. "So you live here? I thought you lived with your family."
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"I am originally from California." He responded.
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I nodded again.
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"So, Cynthia, tell me about Indonesia," He asked; maintaining the conversation. "I want to know what makes my sister really love Indonesia and why she wants to go there so badly."
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"Wait a minute," I didn't answer his question right away because the 'sister' word caught my attention. "You mean, Brenda is your sister?"
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"Yeah, older than me," he answered. "She's now in her senior year, as you already know, and I'm in my junior year. It's only a year and three months that distinguishes our birthdays."
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"Cool, that's exactly the same as me and my sister." I told him.
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He nodded. Then he looked at me deeply. I was so confused but then I realized he was waiting for my explanation about Indonesia.
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I told him everything about Indonesia. The beautiful places such as the beaches and mountains, the diversity of cultures, languages, traditional music, dances, and foods which made him amazed. He commented then that it was clear why his sister liked Indonesia so much. He said that he also wanted to visit Indonesia someday. I told him what he must do and that I would be a good company for him.
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As we finished talking, the orders came. We ate our dinner in silence and enjoyed our food. Maybe he had the same habit as I had for not talking while eating. It made me feel comfortable. Well, the first time I ate dinner with Julie and Cassie was a different case. I talked with them while eating because of the girl who was so happy about being on Genesis' Instagram.
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I finished eating all of my food. The food tasted so delicious that I figured I'd have to order it again next time. Actually thinking about what I'd heard about Genesis made we want to bring it up with Gee Kay. However I drew my intention back.
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"Do you want to go up with me to my room to get the script?" He asked.
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"Sure, why not?" I shrugged.
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I followed Gee Kay walking to the elevator. He pushed the up button and we waited for a while until the door slid open. We walked in and we waited until we reached the fourth floor. The elevator dinged and the door slid open. I followed him to a room located near the elevator.
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He was digging for something that I assumed was the door key in his jean pocket. He placed the key in the hole and turned it until it finally unlocked. Before we could walk into his room, a friend of his came and held him from closing the door.
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"Have fun with her." He gave a mischievous smile and then left.
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I furrowed my eyebrows because of his statement. I suddenly felt annoyed and asked Gee Kay about it. I told him I was feeling a bit offended and asked if he felt the same.
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Gee Kay shook his head in response.
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"What do you mean?" I asked. Still confused.
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"Many people want to tarnish my reputation, but I don't care." He explained.
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Why would people want to tarnish his reputation? Is he so bad that people hate him? I couldn't give him any response so all I said was, "Okay."
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He and I didn't say anything more after that. He walked up to his desk where his bag was placed upon it. He took out his laptop and sat there in the chair. I was standing behind him, not looking at his laptop. I thought there might be private things there so I decided to look off somewhere else.
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While Gee Kay was searching the soft file of Brenda's script, I was looking all around his room. It was so tidy and clean. He was one of a kind. All of the books on his desk were also set very neatly.
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"Are you enjoying my room?" He asked. He noticed I was looking around the room.
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I only shrugged.
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"Here," He thrust a flash disk to me and I took it from him. "I named it 'Brenda's Script' so you can find it easily."
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"I'll copy it right away and give it back to you."
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"No need to hurry. I have another flash disk," He convinced me. His hands were in his jean pockets.
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"Okay." I nodded. "Thanks."
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"Now let me drive you back to your residence." He took out his hands and led me to the door. As we walked out of his room, he locked the door.
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"Oh, you didn't find it good enough to be with her longer?" A voice leered.
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Gee Kay didn't react. He took me by the hand and I followed him, striding toward the elevator.
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"Why? Were you afraid to touch her?" He continued, mocking him. "You're such a loser, man."
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This new friend of mine didn't react. He pressed the down button and we both waited for the door to slide open.
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"If you don't want her, let me have her," He said, stirring situation even worse.
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I couldn't stand this. I needed to talk to him, or slap him. I was about to move to do something to this super annoying guy, but Gee Kay held me and he suddenly punched the guy.
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"Arrgh!" He groaned as his nose started to bleed. Gee Kay might have broken it.
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"Do not ever try to touch her!" He shouted at him and turned around. At the same time the elevator door slid open. He took me by the hand and entered the elevator. The door closed and we went down.
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Gee Kay's anger was kindled. I was so afraid. Actually, I was also angry with that guy, but not as much as he seemed to be. I believed that there was something inside of Gee Kay which was burning. I couldn't think of anything to calm him down at the moment. I kept thinking and asking the Lord what to do while we were striding to the parking lot.
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He used his car key to unlock his car door. He jumped into the car and so did I. I buckled my seat belt and he started the car engine.
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However, we didn't move anywhere. Gee Kay was seeing something somewhere in front of him through the glass while I remained silent. There was sadness and anger mixed inside of him. I could see it clearly. Only I didn't dare to do anything at the moment.
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I couldn't tolerate seeing him like this anymore. The pain that he was feeling had affected me too. I felt pain seeing him like this at the moment. I needed to do something, even if it was risky.
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"If you need time to be alone then I'll just go by myself," I broke the silence. "It's still eight P.M so maybe I can catch the bus."
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Gee Kay stopped the engine and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable," he said. Then he looked at me. "I'll drive you back to the residence. I can't just let you go by yourself."
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"Are you sure you're okay?" I asked to make sure.
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"It's better to stay outside rather than inside that building and see that crap." There was sarcasm in his tone. "I'm not even sure I'm staying there tonight. Maybe I can just go to the church to sleep."
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I didn't respond to what he said. I just didn't know what to say. It had always been difficult for me to handle someone having a high temper.
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He started the engine again and drove me back to Argenta Hall.
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