With quick and hurried steps, Inez climbed the stairs to reach her room, located on the second floor. Opening the door, Inez threw her schoolbag onto the bed.
She hurriedly took off her shoes that were still attached to her feet, then continued to take off her school uniform. Inez went to the bathroom after that to clean herself up.
After struggling under the shower, Inez came out with a small, light blue towel wrapped around her head. It didn't take more than ten minutes to cover her body with a white sleeveless t-shirt and shorts of the same color.
Inez then sat on the edge of her bed while drying her hair using a hair dryer, and when she was done, the girl walked slowly to her dressing table.
Inez really likes things related to makeup. She loves to apply her face with her make up, which is a lot and a lot. No doubt, at home or at school, Inez would look very beautiful. It's not a new thing if Inez always gets compliments from boys—not even a few who ask Inez to be their girlfriend openly. Even though they knew they would be rejected, they still tried.
Inez was not interested in any of them, except for one boy, Cakra. For some reason, the first time she saw him, Inez felt that he was different from other boys. He seemed to have his own charm. It wasn't just his looks, but Inez was already attracted to Cakra and wanted to get to know him better.
However, Inez will continue to pursue the boy until he falls into her hands.
Speaking of Cakra, Inez was reminded of what the boy had said earlier this afternoon before school about shoes and shirts. Hearing Cakra's explanation, Inez now understood and breathed a sigh of relief. She had been thinking about it.
Because of that, Cakra looked far from attractive to Inez. He didn't react immediately when a drunk Inez asked him to do something crazy. Even now, Inez doesn't remember what happened that night.
Inez then gasped a little when she remembered Cakra's Converse shoes and flannel shirt. The boy himself said, Inez brought them home. Therefore, Inez immediately stood up from her soft bed, then began to circle corner by corner of her room to look for the shoes.
"It's not there," she muttered under her breath. Inez let out a long sigh, she had been looking for more than fifteen minutes, but still nothing. There were no Converse shoes belonging to Cakra at all. Inez didn't know the shape and color alone.
Inez checked once again, starting from her special shoe rack, under the study table, under the bed, even in the closet. Inez hadn't found it yet. And that made Inez tire herself.
Tired of herself, Inez decided to leave the room, go down the stairs, then turn towards the kitchen. She opened the fridge and took a soft drink from there.
Inez saw her mommy sitting on the kitchen chair, cutting carrots. On a whim, Inez sat down in front of her mom.
"Mom." Inez called.
Without turning her gaze, her mom answered in a casual manner, "Yes, I'm here."
Inez took another swig from the canned drink in her hand. "I want to ask you."
Only then did the middle-aged woman in front of Inez stop her activism for a moment, squinting her eyes while looking at her only daughter with an appraising look.
"What do you want to ask?" she asked.
"Did you see my Converse shoes?"
"Those shoes have the color black, right?"
Even though Inez didn't expect more from her mom's response, her mom gave an answer that made Inez widen her eyes. In fact, the girl even stood up from her seat.
With her eyes shining brightly, Inez looked at her mom with focus. "Did you really see?"
"Since when did you have those ugly shoes?" she asked as she continued slicing the remaining carrot pieces.
"Where are the shoes?" Instead of answering her mom's question, Inez asked another question. "I didn't find them in the room earlier. Where do you keep them?"
"Save what? I've already donated it to people, this afternoon there were people here asking for things that are no longer used for the orphanage children. Instead of not using it because it's ugly, I'd rather donate it, you'll get your reward."
"WHAT?!" Inez screamed as she pounded the table quite hard. Her mom was also surprised by Inez's excessive response.
"You don't have to make me nervous."
"You're the one who made my heart fall out!" said Inez with a red face. The girl gathered her breath again, trying to calm herself down.
Closing her eyes, Inez sat back on the chair. "Mom, why didn't you tell me first? Those aren't my shoes, they're a friend's."
Inez didn't see mom's surprised face at all, and it succeeded in making her a little annoyed. The girl turned her face away while snorting harshly.
"I don't know."
"Mommy should have confirmed with me before giving things to other people," Inez said warningly. She paused to take a deep breath. "Where did you find those shoes anyway?"
"Bring your mattress."
For the umpteenth time, Inez snorted harshly. She ruffled her hair in frustration after that. "What should I do then? Those shoes are a friend's."
Her mother was now seen chopping tomatoes. Without giving a pause to her activities, the woman wearing a negligee in front of Inez answered quietly, sounding so calm, as if there were no problems whatsoever.
"Just buy a new one, what's the trouble? It's just a hassle. Your friend will also be happy to get a new one."
Inez nodded slowly. It wasn't a bad idea to take her mom's advice. Inez could try it. Cakra will definitely be happy to get new things.
"Alright, I will think about it later."
"Hmm."
"Did you see the red plaid flannel shirt?"
Her mom looked up, giving Inez a confused look. "Since when did you have a shirt?"
It was a friend's. Inez was about to say that. But she quickly corrected herself. "I just want one, young people nowadays have many styles," she lied.
Her mom only showed a disinterested response. Good, Inez didn't have to think about it anymore.
If Inez had said that the flannel shirt belonged to a friend, her mom would have thought otherwise because there were shoes and shirts stored in her daughter's room. Fortunately, Inez was perceptive and smart, so she could lie. There's nothing wrong with lying once for your own sake, right?
"How is it, mom? You See?"
"In your closet, I already washed it. For your information, I don't like you wearing clothes like that. It doesn't suit you," she criticized.
Inez sneered. "Have you ever seen I wearing that shirt?"
"No, that's why I'm asking, since when do you have a shirt like that."
"Alright, I go back to the room first, okay? Bye mommy!"
Inez rushed to her room with long strides. After arriving in her room, Inez immediately moved to the wardrobe and opened it. She just wanted to make sure what her mom said was true. And Inez breathed a sigh of relief when her net caught a shirt. Inez's smile grew wide, then she closed the wardrobe and walked to her bed.
Inez positioned herself on her back on the wide bed. With her gaze directed at the ceiling, Inez muttered softly. "I just need to change Cakra's Converse shoes."