::CLAC:: Doubtable Luck.

I thought it's going to be one of my luckiest days.

Was I wrong?

---

It was the first Monday of September. I woke up quite late due the sound of the drizzling rain during that morning. I had to jump out from the bed and rushed towards the bathroom.

I shouldn't have read that novel and sacrificed my sleeping hour! I thought to myself as I changed my outfit to the uniform and grabbed my green umbrella. Why must I get late during a rainy day??

"I'm leaving!" I hurriedly wore my shoes. It had become a habit of mine to greet the house even though there's no one living in the house other than me. I opened my green umbrella and started to run. Though I slipped near the gate, I managed not to fall down.

7.20AM displayed on my watch when I turned around the crossroad, and that's where I saw my childhood friend's house, Erza.

Since my parents' often left me alone in that big house, Erza, who happened to be my classmate and my neighbor often asked me out to play together. Sometimes he invites me to have dinner together with his family. I really enjoyed the time I spent with him and his family. I honestly didn't like it to be in that big house alone. Every single sound will echoed and it'll give me this weird terrified and alone feeling. Erza and his family were the only reason why I can feel safe during those lonely days.

"Erza!!" I shouted from the gate, making sure if he had already left the house. I take a look at the window that leads to his room on the second level; it was still being lit with the light. "Erza??"

Usually whenever I called him, he'll open his room's window and popped out telling me to wait for him. After calling him for the second time, it seems like he really had left earlier. Didn't want to be late for the first lesson, I quickly dashed towards the school. In a second, I took the last glance towards Erza house's door. There were some piles of boxes neatly arranged near the garage.

Probably they were cleaning up the garage or storage room. I easily put up a conclusion; though this had become something I regret the most in my life.

The bell rang exactly by the time I reached the class. My socks were wet and I really hate it! I had to walk, more like tiptoed, to my desk and sat. "Morning, Erza—' I smiled as I turned my head towards the desk where he usually sat, but he wasn't there.

That was weird. We've been in the same class since we're in elementary school and I never saw him getting late to school, except when he got sick. I blinked as I wondered what's wrong with him. I have to pay him a visit after school! I planned as I opened the class's notebooks.

---

"Ivy! Let's eat lunch together!" A boy from the class, Ferry, approached me right away when the bell for the break rang. "Since Erza is not here, you can eat together with me!"

I have no idea why he lately tried to stick with me. I have no intention to hate him as well but I don't like it whenever he talked as if Erza was a burden.

"I'm sorry, I have to study for the next lesson. I heard there'd be a quiz." I took out a small notebook I made last night to recap all of the lessons.

"Oh come on!" He dragged Erza's chair and sat besides me. "I wanted to talk to you for so long!" He giggles.

"What do you want to talk about?" I smiled a bit towards him.

"Anything! Like, ah! Do you have time this weekend?? Let's hang out!" He leaned forward, and I found it a bit disturbing.

"I'm sorry. I have an appointment this weekend." I bowed a bit as I leaned backwards slowly. I really had a plan for that weekend. I was planning to bake a cake for Erza and his family as a quick thank you gift I usually did in every month.

Ferry suddenly looked very pissed. "Whaaat? Are you going to spend your time with that boring, four-eyes guy? Erza, huh? Quit hanging out with him. Who is he to you anyway?" He giggled as if he was the coolest guy from the earth while his behavior shows him the exact opposite of it.

I closed my book, and stood up. "I don't mind if you keep bothering me but you have NO RIGHT to badmouth Erza." I snapped as I looked down on him. "Erza is my BEST FRIEND and once more you tried to badmouth him, I will never EVER forgive you." I pointed at his face with my book and walked out from the class, leaving him all speechless. I sighed in annoyance as I tried to think where should I study.

Who Erza is to me, huh? He really had no idea. Not even a single idea.

---

The gloomy clouds had disappeared from the sky and the air has the scent of wet soil, which I loved the most. I walked out from the music room, which was located out of the main building. Looking at my watch, it displayed 3.00PM. The last class was finally over. I stretched as I enjoyed the refreshing air.

Now I have to rush back home and visit Erza on my way home! Ah! Maybe I can drop by at the café near the school and bring him a cup of coffee. I grinned and hummed a simple song, it was the song Raindrop Keep Falling on My Head. A classy song, but it kept echoing in my mind in every rainy day.

When I walked down the path that leads to the main gate, I barely noticed some clover leafs. I giggled silently since it reminds me of those days when Erza and I tried to find clover leafs and ended up going home quite late with our dirty attire. But that was fun! I feel sorry that Erza got scolded at because of me though.

I squatted near the clover leafs and wondering if I'm lucky enough to find a four-leaf-clover. It was surprisingly easy, that I found TWO four-leaf-clover! I blinked and rubbed my eyes to make sure that I saw it right. Two lucky clovers leaf in a day! "This will be my lucky day!" I giggled myself as I picked those clovers and pressed it between the pages of my book. "I will give one to Erza soon!"

"Eeeh? You're giving one to him??" Someone suddenly spoke on my ear. I dodged back due to surprised. It was Ferry. I gave him an annoyed look. He raised his eyebrows and blinked. "Why are you giving me that look? Alright, I'm sorry for what I said this afternoon, okay? Now let's hang out together!"

"I'm sorry I have something to do after this. I need to head back home." I quickly answered without looking at him and slowly stood back up and patted my knee.

"Hey, Ivy!" Someone else suddenly approached me. It was my class teacher.

"Good evening, Sir!" I smiled and bowed a bit.

"Ivy, you're Erza's neighbor, right?" I nodded as I smiled, but his eyes seemed to be giving me a sad look. "It must be really sad for you. But can you please pass my regard to him? He's one of the best students. Lots of teachers are going to miss him."

I blinked in confusion. "What do you mean, Sir?" I smiled, more like, I'm not even sure what expression should I use. "Why must I be sad? What's wrong with Erza?"

He looked at me in another confusion stare. I suddenly had a bad feeling.

"You didn't know?" —My heartbeat skipped a beat as I feel like I'm going to hear something I didn't like— "This morning he came to the teacher room and resigned from the school. It was so sudden. He told me he had to move away today because of his family matter. Aah, it gave me a shock." He sighed.

I had no idea how my expression looked like that time. I didn't believe what I just heard but everything seemed to make sense. Those boxes I saw on the door in front of Erza's house, was it because he was moving away?

"Today? Are you sure he said that, Sir?" My voice trembled a bit without realizing it.

"I'm really sure he confirmed it today. Today evening, to be exact." He nodded. "If you happened to see him before he leaves, please pass the teacher's regards, alright?" He smiled before he then left.

"He's moving away. That's a good thing then." Ferry giggled.

What's good about it if he really is leaving? Does that means I have to experience how lonely it is to be in that house all the time? But then what about the cake I haven't bake for him? And the clover I just found? Was I too late?

No. It can't be too late.

I dashed towards the gate with my upmost speed. However, suddenly a hand caught my wrist that it caused me to get pulled back.

"Where are you going? It can't be helped, right? He's leaving!" Ferry shrugs.

"Get away from me!" I pushed him away with all my might "Leave me alone!"

"Erza is just a useless—"

"WITHOUT HIM I WON'T BE WHO I AM NOW!! STOP BADMOUTHING HIM!!" I didn't realize I shouted that loud before I turned around and ran to head towards Erza's house.

My throat felt like being choked and my lungs seemed to get burned in every footstep I stepped. I skipped every lying rain puddles on the ground and panted heavily.

Faster! I yelled at myself. Run faster!!

I tried to cope with all of my feelings as I ran. My mind feels like a battleground. I couldn't help it but kept expecting to see Erza opening the door for me when I arrived at his house. And he would laugh, "What's with your appearance? What makes you in hurry?" And he would tell me that about his transfer, it was all a misunderstanding. Then all of the people in the house would laugh at me as I then handed him the clover I just found.

Or even if he was really leaving, please let me…

Let me properly gave him a farewell.

I turned at the end of the road and quickly stopped by the gate of Erza's house. "Erza!! Erza!! Answer me, you're there, right??" I yelled, something I could rarely do to be honest.

I take a look in front of his door, the boxes were gone, and the lights weren't on. It's as if, the house was empty already. I shook my head before I can really confirm it myself. "Erza!!"

"Ah, Ivy?" There's a voice from behind me and I quickly turned around. It happened to be Erza's neighbor as well. "Are you looking for Erza? But he just moved out...!"

I felt like my eyes went dark for a second. "W-when did he left, Mam?" I asked, still with my uncontrollable breath.

"Hmm… it was about 5 minutes ago. Did you miss the farewell, Ivy?"  She patted my shoulder and smiled sadly. "I'm really sorry. He seemed to be hesitant in getting into the car, and I was pretty sure that he was waiting for someone. That might be you, Ivy. Ah, I'm sure it was you he was looking for."

"Ah…" I spaced out but tried to get myself back to smile at her. "Is that so? Thank you, Mam! Have a nice day!"

She nodded and left back into her house. I leaned myself towards Erza house's gate.

I was too late. I buried myself on my hands. I was 5 minutes late.

My hands trembled a bit and I bit my lower lip to keep myself away from crying.

But, why?

Why must it be today? Why does he have to move away?
Why didn't he tell me beforehand? Was it that sudden?
Why did I think that today it'd be a great day?
Why didn't I really call after him this morning, though I might get late?

I felt something warm dripping on my cheeks, and I quickly rubbed it before anybody sees me.

Out of anybody else, why him?

---

I put back my clover bookmark between the pages of the book I'm reading at the moment. None of the lines in the book really went into my mind. How nostalgic, I looked at two of the clovers that I found on day he left. I dried and laminate them as a bookmark and tied them together by a green ribbon attached from a hole from each bookmark.

Was it 5 years ago? How fast time flees. Right after that day, I decided to live alone in an apartment after asking permission from my parents. I forced myself to become more independent. I really had a hard time dealing with it but I managed to survive anyway.

It's really sad that Erza and I really lost contact with each other. I didn't manage to get any information about him. Sometimes I walked passed by his house, where he used to live in. Hoping that he might've returned, but that house was then sold to another family. It seems like he doesn't plan to return to that house.

"Hey!" A girl flicked her fingers in front of my face. "You're spacing out!" She giggled. She's my friend since I was in senior high school, Vattena.

"Hehe, I was having a good nostalgic time!" I grinned and took a sip of my coffee.

"Eeeh~ what is it? About your first love?" She winked at me in a suspicious stare.

"That's not it!" I laughed. "It's about my childhood friend that I haven't seen for years."

"Hmm~ Is that so?" She nodded and suddenly pointed at my bag. "Hey, isn't that a four-leaf clover?"

I quickly take a look at my bag and she was right, a clover got stuck on the edge of my bag, near the end of the zipper. "Eh?? You're right! I didn't notice this!" I took it slowly as if it was the most fragile thing ever. "Whoa! I think it got stuck when I was watering my plant earlier before I left the campus." I giggled. "I feel like today it's going to be a great day!"

Vattena smiled at me and nodded. "I hope so too!"

I smiled as I looked at the ribbon from the bookmark on my book. "You know, in total I'm having 3 clovers now!" I took out the bookmark excitedly that it slipped out from my hand. It got threw quite far from my seat. "Uwah—!" I quickly stood up to chase after it.

When I was still on my way to get that bookmark, someone happened to walk near it and almost stepped on it. "WAIT!! STOP! Don't step on it! Wait!!" I raised my voice without realizing it, and quickly gasped as I closed my mouth.

Gladly, I managed to shout on time. The person stopped one step before the bookmark. He bended down and took the bookmark for me. I bowed with my red face due to my embarrassment and took the bookmark from the person.

"S-Sorry! Thank you for stopping your step before you stepped on it! I—"

"Ivy?"

I stunned. I knew this voice, thought it was sort of different from the one I know. It was… familiar.

I slowly raised my eyes to see those two pairs of eyes that looked back at me.

"…Erza?"

It seems like, today is my lucky day after all.

---

FIN