The Note in Her Locker

Jonah and Piper have been best friends since sixth grade, but lately something has felt different. Jonah first noticed it in October, when Piper laughed at something he said. He suddenly couldn't stop thinking about it for the rest of the day.

Jonah dan Piper bersahabat sejak kelas enam, tetapi belakangan ini ada sesuatu yang terasa berbeda. Jonah pertama kali menyadarinya pada bulan Oktober, ketika Piper tertawa mendengar ucapannya. Mendadak ia tak bisa berhenti memikirkannya sepanjang sisa hari itu.

He hasn't told anyone, not even his older brother, because saying it out loud would make it real. And if it's real, he might ruin the one friendship that has mattered most to him for years.

Ia belum memberi tahu siapa pun, bahkan tidak kakak laki-lakinya, karena mengucapkannya keras-keras akan membuatnya jadi nyata. Dan kalau itu nyata, ia mungkin merusak satu-satunya persahabatan yang paling berarti baginya selama bertahun-tahun.

Everything gets harder in March, when Piper mentions that her family is moving to another state this summer. She says it quickly, almost like she's trying to get the sentence over with.

Semuanya makin sulit pada bulan Maret, ketika Piper bercerita bahwa keluarganya akan pindah ke negara bagian lain musim panas ini. Ia mengatakannya dengan cepat, seolah ingin segera menyelesaikan kalimat itu.

"That's, like, three months away," Jonah says, trying to sound calm.

"Itu kan, sekitar tiga bulan lagi," kata Jonah, berusaha terdengar tenang.

"I know," Piper says. "I keep forgetting it's actually happening."

"Aku tahu," kata Piper. "Aku terus lupa bahwa ini benar-benar akan terjadi."

That night, Jonah can't stop thinking about all the things he has never said to her. If he says nothing, she'll leave without ever knowing how he feels. He isn't sure he can live with that kind of regret. But if he tells her and she doesn't feel the same way, it could get awkward fast.

Malam itu, Jonah tak bisa berhenti memikirkan semua hal yang tak pernah ia katakan kepadanya. Kalau ia tidak mengatakan apa-apa, Piper akan pergi tanpa pernah tahu perasaannya. Ia tak yakin bisa hidup dengan penyesalan seperti itu. Namun, kalau ia mengatakannya dan Piper tidak merasakan hal yang sama, keadaan bisa cepat jadi canggung.

He goes back and forth for almost a week. He writes and rewrites the same short note in his notebook. Finally, on a Thursday afternoon, he decides that saying something honest matters more than staying comfortable.

Ia ragu-ragu selama hampir seminggu. Ia menulis dan menulis ulang catatan pendek yang sama di bukunya. Akhirnya, pada suatu Kamis sore, ia memutuskan bahwa mengatakan sesuatu yang jujur lebih penting daripada tetap nyaman.

He doesn't say it out loud, not yet. Instead, he folds the note carefully and slides it through the vents of Piper's locker. He does it just before the last bell rings. It just says: "You've mattered more to me than any other friend I've ever had. I don't want you to leave without knowing that. Can we talk after school?"

Ia belum mengatakannya langsung, belum. Sebaliknya, ia melipat catatan itu dengan hati-hati dan menyelipkannya lewat ventilasi loker Piper. Ia melakukannya tepat sebelum bel terakhir berbunyi. Isinya hanya: "Kamu lebih berarti bagiku daripada sahabat mana pun yang pernah kupunya. Aku tidak ingin kamu pergi tanpa tahu itu. Bisakah kita bicara sepulang sekolah?"

He spends the rest of the day barely listening in class. He watches the clock and rehearses what he might say, if she actually shows up.

Sisa hari itu ia nyaris tak mendengarkan pelajaran. Ia memandangi jam dan melatih apa yang mungkin akan ia katakan, kalau Piper benar-benar datang.

At three o'clock, he waits by the bike racks, his hands shoved deep in his pockets. A few minutes later, he sees Piper walking toward him, the folded note held carefully in one hand.

Pukul tiga, ia menunggu di dekat tempat parkir sepeda, kedua tangannya terbenam dalam saku. Beberapa menit kemudian, ia melihat Piper berjalan ke arahnya, catatan terlipat itu dipegang hati-hati di satu tangan.