Chapter 2 - Locked in the Bathroom

Who would have thought the bathroom queue would be snaking long. What happened during the ceremony actualy? Did people refrain from going to the toilet until the ceremony was over. Debbie didn't have much time so she decided to look for the bathroom in various available places. That's when she found the queue of people less than anywhere else. Coincidentally again, some of the people standing in line at the door were her group mates. Debbie thought that if they were with them when returned to the group, the come back would not be too obvious by the seniors.

"Since we all don't have much time  and  afraid it's going to be too long, how about we use the bathroom together?" One of them suggested.

"It's good idea, so the senior don't look after us because takes too long." Another person support the idea.

"Yes, I agree, after all who here now are girls. So, It's okay right?" Ask a friend who is in the same group as Debbie.

Debbie who joined last in the queue did not intend to express an opinion, she thought the idea could be a solution for them who was pressed for time. Because if you have to use each one then Debbie will be the last person to use the toilet. So she agrees with the majority opinion. Then the chronology of next incident happened so fast, everyone panicked and hysterical.

In that place there were two rooms, but one room could not be used. There was a 'broken toilet' warning on the door. Then only one room left can be used.

"Why is it so dark here?" 

When they were all inside and closed the door. They just realized that the bathroom light was not on. As soon as the door closed, it was completely dark inside.

"Oh, I can't resist the smell!" The tightly closed room makes the air suffocate and the smell of toilet urine is so stinging.

"Don't take too long, let's finish each other's business." 

They had almost forgotten the main objective and mission to quickly return to the group force.

The situation began to turn panic and hysterical as they intended to leave but the door was difficult to open.

"Huh! why is the door jammed?" Debbie, whose position was closest to the door, tried to exert effort but to no avail.

They took turns changing formations trying to open the door but the door still didn't budge. 

"Why is this? the door won't open!"

"Shall we scream for help?" The idea came without a thought process.

"Huh? It's a shame if people find out we're locked in the bathroom." Another reaction seem disagree.

"Then what? do you want to try to break it? Break the door?" 

But thinking again about the consequences after doing the idea, they weren't brave enough to do it.

"There is no other choice, let's just scream! I can't last long here. Ugh! Because the smell―How long do you all want to stay?” 

Let the shame they bear together later after coming out from there. So without waste more time they shouted together hoping that someone out there would hear their plea for help.

That day they survived thanks to a kind-hearted, very caring upperclassman who looked for the group member  who missing one by one after said need to go to the toilet but didn't come back. And he found that the 3 kid of his group were locked together in the bathroom, one of them was Debbie.

***

This morning Debbie was late for school. The reason is because she got lost looking for the address of the school location. The black round watch that Mama gave her that was wrapped around right wrist seen it was 6:59 AM. Maybe now the first lesson has started.

"This is because the school location uses  in two places, after all!" she said annoyed.

The father who accompanied his daughter to school was also restless to hear the child continue to grumble about being late. Meanwhile, the public transportation that had been waiting for so long was nowhere to be seen. Even if it came, the transport was full, there was no more empty space for two people to ride.

"Occasionally late is not a problem, don't keep frowning." The father said calming his daughter.

"Dad, the teacher said yesterday, the first day can't be late!" Unexpectedly, Debbie was even more annoyed. 

Dad kept his mouth shut, not wanting to say the wrong thing again. His daughter's temperament when she is upset is not joke, maybe it's inherited from the mother.

This area was new and foreign to Debbie, and it seemed for father as well. Apart from public transport, there is no other alternative transport to ride to school. So based on the information they got after asking people around. After a long wait, they were finally able to board an empty one.

Before boarding, father asked the for direction to make sure they were going to the right place. 

"Cirmai, sir?" 

The driver nodded, seemed to have used by question.

It was only recently discovered that Debbie's new school has two locations. The distance between the two locations is quite far apart and the only public transportation available just one, which is limited to certain hours. The first location is in Malabar as the main building, where the orientation took place last week. Second grade and third grade students were there. Meanwhile, the location of the second building is in Ciremai, the first graders are separated there. That's where Debbie to get to now.

Arriving at the school, the field was quiet and lessons had started. Accompanied by Father, Debbie reported her lateness to the teacher's room. After handing his daughter over to the duty teacher, father said goodbye. 

"Daddy go back now, okay?" only until here he can escort Debbie and he left.

Now only Debbie alone who has to face the first day of school full of chaos. Without wasting time, the duty teacher took Debbie to her class which was at the end of the hall. Meanwhile Debbie never stopped blaming everything that happened today in her heart. 

“This is because the location of schools using two places. Then the transportation is just a  few which operated! Just if some friends go to the same school as me, can't this kind of problem happen because we can make an appointment to go together." and so on she mumbling inside.

Debbie walked down the deserted hallway, class had started at least half an hour ago. Therefore the atmosphere of the school seemed peaceful. The feet step stopped in front of class marked with the bar for grades 10-5, the class where Debbie was placed. A little worried because of her delay, Debbie tried to think of an acceptable reason in  mind for self-defense. 

"Knock! knock!"

Debbie knocked gently on the classroom door.

"Yes, please." The homeroom teacher from inside invited when heard a knock.

Slowly the door gap opened wider. Half of Debbie's body pick a look from behind the door. 

"Sorry ma'am... I was late." Debbie tried to give the impression of being as polite as possible and the lines of regret on her facial expressions.

"Hurry up and sit down." The teacher's orders and no other words, looked at Debbie with a minimal expression on his face.

Debbie rushed inside in  a panic. Her homeroom teacher's response to being late was cold enough to make  uncomfortable. Upon entering, she immediately looked for an empty seat. One empty spot was randomly available, without hesitation Debbie sat there. Still doesn't really know all the faces of her classmates, only a few people because during the week of orientation, they were together in one group. The problem is that one group is not necessarily one class. Because of that Debbie was still wrong about remembering their names.

"You're..." Debbie tried to remember the face of her seatmate who was very familiar but forgot the name, even though it felt on the tip of her tongue. They were in the same group at the orientation periode.

"Amy." she said.

"Oh yes, Amy." Debbie smiled, the memory of the incident when school orientation replayed in her mind... No―no flashback needed. If possible, Debbie wants to erase the memory of the dark incident in the closed room. Until now she feels grateful and indebted to upperclassmen who managed to save them.