Running Against My Best Friend

Lise had decided to run for class representative on the first day of the school year. She had plenty of ideas: a book swap, a quieter study room, more trips. She was writing her speech at lunch when Cosima sat down beside her. They had been best friends since they were six.

Lise sudah memutuskan untuk mencalonkan diri sebagai ketua kelas sejak hari pertama tahun ajaran. Ia punya banyak ide: tukar-menukar buku, ruang belajar yang lebih tenang, lebih banyak karyawisata. Ia sedang menulis pidatonya saat makan siang ketika Cosima duduk di sebelahnya. Mereka bersahabat sejak berumur enam tahun.

"I have news," Cosima said. "I'm running for class rep. Isn't it funny? We had the same idea."

"Aku punya kabar," kata Cosima. "Aku mencalonkan diri jadi ketua kelas. Lucu, ya? Kita punya ide yang sama."

Lise smiled, but her stomach felt heavy. They would stand in front of the whole class and ask for the same votes. What if one of them got hurt? What if they stopped talking?

Lise tersenyum, tetapi perutnya terasa berat. Mereka akan berdiri di depan seluruh kelas dan meminta suara yang sama. Bagaimana kalau salah satu dari mereka terluka? Bagaimana kalau mereka berhenti bicara?

That night she nearly deleted her speech. She told herself that friends matter more than titles. If she stepped back, Cosima would win easily, and nobody would be upset. But the thought made her feel small, and a little angry at herself. She really wanted this.

Malam itu ia hampir menghapus pidatonya. Ia berkata pada dirinya sendiri bahwa persahabatan lebih penting daripada jabatan. Kalau ia mundur, Cosima akan menang dengan mudah, dan tidak ada yang kecewa. Tetapi pikiran itu membuatnya merasa kecil, dan sedikit marah pada dirinya sendiri. Ia benar-benar menginginkan ini.

The next morning she told Cosima the truth. "I don't want to quit," she said. "I think I should run too. But I'm scared we'll fight."

Keesokan paginya ia berkata jujur kepada Cosima. "Aku tidak mau mundur," katanya. "Menurutku aku juga harus mencalonkan diri. Tapi aku takut kita bertengkar."

Cosima was quiet for a moment. "I was scared of that, too," she said. "Let's make some rules. No unkind words about each other. We share the poster paper, and whoever loses helps the winner."

Cosima terdiam sejenak. "Aku juga takut soal itu," katanya. "Ayo kita buat beberapa aturan. Tidak ada kata-kata jahat tentang satu sama lain. Kita berbagi kertas poster, dan siapa pun yang kalah membantu yang menang."

"Deal," Lise said. They shook hands, a bit too seriously, and then they laughed.

"Sepakat," kata Lise. Mereka berjabat tangan, agak terlalu serius, lalu tertawa.

For two weeks they ran an honest campaign. They practised their speeches on the bus and gave each other advice. Sometimes the advice was almost too good. Lise's book swap was the more exciting idea, but Cosima's study-room plan was clearer.

Selama dua minggu mereka menjalankan kampanye yang jujur. Mereka berlatih pidato di bus dan saling memberi saran. Kadang saran itu hampir terlalu bagus. Ide tukar-menukar buku Lise memang lebih seru, tetapi rencana ruang belajar Cosima lebih jelas.

On the day of the vote, the whole class waited in silence. The teacher read out the numbers. Cosima had eighteen votes, and Lise had fourteen.

Pada hari pemilihan, seluruh kelas menunggu dalam diam. Sang guru membacakan angka-angkanya. Cosima mendapat delapan belas suara, dan Lise empat belas.

Lise felt her face go hot for a second, and then the feeling passed. She walked to the front and hugged her friend. "Congratulations, boss," she said. "Where do you want to start with the book swap?"

Lise merasakan wajahnya panas sesaat, lalu perasaan itu berlalu. Ia berjalan ke depan dan memeluk sahabatnya. "Selamat, Bos," katanya. "Mau mulai dari mana untuk tukar-menukar buku?"

"Be my deputy," Cosima said. "Please. I can't do it without you."

"Jadilah wakilku," kata Cosima. "Tolong. Aku tidak bisa melakukannya tanpamu."

Lise took the marker from the teacher's desk. She wrote her own name at the top of the helpers' list.

Lise mengambil spidol dari meja guru. Ia menulis namanya sendiri di bagian atas daftar para pembantu.