Page 17 - B. Ing_Antologi Cerpen Xl-6
P. 17

Bloom After Rain



                            By: Aisha Nameera Rianti



                       Back  in  middle  school,  Nadine was just a quiet
               girl trying to adjust to her new life. Her father had been

               transferred to a small village, far from the city where she

               had grown up. Everything was different, the people, the
               culture, the way students talked and acted. Nadine tried

               her best to fit in, even though deep inside, she felt like a
               stranger.


                       At  first,  her  classmates  seemed  friendly.  They

               would  talk  to  her,  ask  questions,  and  sometimes  even

               invite her to study together. But over time, Nadine started
               to  feel  like  something  was  off.  Many  of  her  “friends”

               only  came  to  her  when  they  needed  help,  with
               homework,  borrowing  things, or asking for favors. She

               felt used and unappreciated.


                       One day, she told one of her classmates how she

               felt. She didn’t mean to hurt anyone; she just needed to


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