Monday. Mica was still in the shower but told me I can go ahead. I quickly put on my uniform, brushed my still wet hair, put on powder, and grabbed my bag. I do not want to be tardy and the jeepney rides usually get full before 6:30 a.m. I asked Nanay for my weekly allowance then said goodbye.
I walked quickly to the jeepney stop and lined up. I was daydreaming and yawning when someone tapped me lightly on the shoulder. It was Lance. He was so cute and as usual, impeccably dressed in spotless polo and well-ironed pants. He had his blue backpack with him. I gaped and said “Hey, you’re here. Shouldn’t you be at Kamias St.?”
“I told you we are going to school together, right? So it means I have to be here instead.”
“Why? You walked blocks away from your house to line up here?”
“The jeepneys are usually full by the time they get to our house. It’s better to ride here.”
“Oh, OK. By the way, Good morning.”I smiled. I was glad to hear this. It means he is one trustworthy guy who knows when to keep his promise.
As the jeepney came, Lance lightly put his hand on my back as I went in. He sat beside me, then proceeded to pay for our fare. I was surprised and said, “I’ll pay you back later.” He shrugged and said “No need.”
We chatted about our school homework and Finals coming in. My sister Mica should be busy with her graduation needs and college entrance examinations. We also needed to submit all our group projects in order to be graded early and get the ranking for our Junior Year.
Soon, the jeepney came in front of our school and we got off. Students were piling by the entrance, showing their IDs to the guards. Some were running, as the flag ceremony was about to start. Lance and I hurriedly walked towards our section. I saw some girls looking at us. Must be some of his fans, I thought. I saw Val and Charm at the end of our section’s line so I joined them. Lance went to the bubbly boys. Val pinched me, saying “How come you’re with one of the cutest boys in school, eh?”
“He lives near me, so we saw each other at the jeepney stop and rode the jeep together here. It’s just coincidental.” I said. I do not want to build up any talk about us riding together, so I decided to tone it down. People tend to assume the worst. Charm snickered.
“Really, he was glued to you last Saturday. Ever wondered if he’s into you, Nia?”
“Of course not. Why would one of the cutest boys in school be interested in someone so ordinary like me?” I mimicked Val.
Val Said “Boys have different likes and interests. Not because they’re good-looking it means they fall for good-looking girls, too. They must have their own separate criteria.”
“So, are you saying I’m ugly?”
“Of course not. I’m just saying we really don’t know what they like. Hey girl, stop thinking that you’re ugly. You are charming in your own way.”
“Thanks.” I scowled at Val then turned away. The flag ceremony started. Afterward, the principal rattled about the Finals and the Graduation timelines. He threatened summer classes to senior students who will not be able to complete their requirements. Most of the senior students paled at this reminder, that they all rushed to their classrooms to study more.
I was studying and preparing my own reviewer when Ayene came and told me someone was looking for me. It was a girl from Section 4. Or was it 5? I went to the door and faced her. She was really pretty: with long hair tied in a very nice red ribbon, very fair-skinned and taller than me. She was a bit chubby, though it suited her. I forgot who she was but I usually see her near the benches during breaks and after-school. She looked at me then said “Hi, Nia. I’m not sure if you know me, but I’m Belinda.” I thought, ‘Oh yes. That Belinda.’ Belinda was one of the prettiest girls in school, on the same level as my friends Charm and Izzie, and our class President Dahlia. I thought she was the class muse of her section.
“Hi, Belinda.”
“Can I ask you something?”
“Shoot. What is it?”
“Are you going out with Lance?”
I sputtered. Me, go out with Lance? Just where do these people get their information?
“No, he’s my classmate. And a friend. But why do you ask?”
Belinda’s expression softened, then smiled brightly. “Oh, nothing, we all saw you with him earlier and he was really close to you so we thought...Forget it. I was thinking of going out with him. My friends and I got to know about him a few weeks ago”, she blurted out.
“Oh really. Well, you should have talked to him, not me. I must go back now. I need to study.”
I turned my back and went to my seat. I was thinking. ‘Lance must be so lucky: one of the prettiest girls in our year was seeking him out. Good for him.’ I never saw Lance flirting with anyone. He would always be with the bubbly boys hanging out. Or he would be with me. I forgot the times he would stop by and chat with us. Even during my volleyball games, he would be there to watch. But I never really thought much about it.
I went back to studying. I need to maintain or increase my test scores in order to cement my section ranking. I do not want to transfer to another section and make new friends again. I am happy now with this star section I am into. I looked around and did not see Charm or Val. I forgot that it was already recess. I shrugged and just ate my candy. It’s a hassle going down to the cafeteria. Time passed, and I noticed my classmates coming in. Izzie came to me and handed me a cheese roll. “That’s for you.” I realized I was hungry so I took it and ate it. “Thanks, Izzie. You’re my lifesaver.” Izzie sat down and said, “Lance bought it and told me to give it to you. You didn’t go down for recess so he thought you must be hungry.” I stopped munching. “Well, thank you, too. And I’ll say thanks to him when he comes back.”
“He was called to the office. I think they need to prepare for the Music Club Program for the graduation ceremony. He might be delayed in coming back.” Izzie then opened her notes and we both studied. It was already the next lesson when Lance came back. I thought I can thank him later before going home.
I was tucking in my notebooks in my bag and quickly combed my hair. Val and Charm went out again, as they needed to talk to some people from other sections. ‘I hope Charm is not quarreling with anyone.’ I got an old, clean rug from the cabinet and wiped my seat. Most of my classmates were leaving, as we still have Home Economics (HE) class in the afternoon. I stepped out and went to the stairs. I saw Lance coming up.
“Hey. Thanks for the cheese roll. You saved me. Again.”
“Welcome. Don’t ever forget to eat. You need food especially when studying.”
He stopped me then said, “Are you going home?”
“No, we still have HE class at 1:00 pm, remember?”
“Oh, yes. Are you getting lunch, then?”
“Yes. But I can’t find the two. I might just buy bread and coke and eat in our HE Room.”
He grabbed my hand and said “Wait up. I’ll go with you to the cafeteria.”
He ran to our room and seconds later, he had his backpack. We went down the stairs and proceeded to the cafeteria. Very few students were there, as some already went home. Only a handful of students were taking their lunch. I looked around and said “So where are Charm and Val? They didn't tell me where they were going earlier.”
Lance paid for our lunch and we brought our tray to the empty table. “Let them be. They’ll show up at our HE class later.” We had our lunch, then I took out my wallet and gave him Php 50. “Here’s for my lunch.” Lance looked at me, then said “Keep it.”
“Should be KKB (Dutch Treat). I might get used to you treating me.”
“Maybe. But that’s fine with me. So just keep it.”
I shrugged then said, “OK. will pay for our rides later.”
Lance did not say anything. I noticed he was looking behind me, so I turned around. Belinda was staring at us from across the cafeteria with her gang.
I whispered to him “Oh, Lance. I think that girl wants to talk to you. I’m going to the HE Room so you can talk.” Lance was about to say something, then stopped. He nodded at the girl. I waved at him, then left. Belinda immediately went to the table to talk to Lance. I stole a glance at them. They looked good together. ‘Oh, well. Belinda might just be the right girl for him.’ I went inside the HE room. Some of the girls were there. Val and Charm were still missing. I sat down and took out our HE notebook. There might be a quiz later and I need to prepare.
The afternoon class went by so slowly. We studied crocheting and I was nowhere as efficient as Izzie and the rest. I almost threw my colored yarn in frustration. Charm was seated in another row and chatting with some girls. Before we knew it, the school bell rang to signal the end of the class. I hastily put all my crochet stuff in a small bag. I called out to Charm. “Let’s go.” Charm replied, “You go ahead. I need to meet with someone. Look for Val, if you like.”
“Val skipped his HE Class, I think. I did not see him in their room earlier.”
“Bye then. See you tomorrow.”
I went out. I saw Charm talking to a boy from Junior Year. I did not want to bother them so I went straight outside. I looked at my watch. It’s almost 4:05 pm. Guess I better head home. I was walking towards the jeepney stop. I thought of Lance. ‘Hmmph, he told me we can go home together from now on. He must be distracted by Belinda.’ I rode the next jeepney that stopped by and checked out my notes. So many things to review.
At home, I was about to eat when the phone rang. I answered “Hello?”
“Hello, Nia?”
“Who is this, please?” I was raring to eat as I was starving.
“Lance.” I almost dropped the phone. How did he get my number?
“How did you know my number? I did not give it to you, right?”
“I asked Charm. Why did you leave without waiting for me?”
“What? Did we agree on the time? I did not see you after HE class.”
“You promised. Well, I thought we agreed that we would always go to school and home together, remember? Your room is next to ours. Our class was delayed by a few minutes. When I went to your room Charm told me you already left. So I asked for your number. I even tried to run and see if I could catch up. You walked too fast.”
I giggled. “Yes, I usually move like doing a walkathon. I did not know you wanted to go home with me.”
“We agreed on that, remember?”
“So, what do you want? I thought you’re busy so I did not wait for you.”
“Nothing really. Just would like to know if you got home alright.”
“I’m OK. I’m about to have dinner. Then I will study. So please don’t bother me. I’ll just see you tomorrow, then.” I said goodbye and put down the phone. ‘So what’s that about. He must want to talk about Belinda.’ I gulped down my food and went to my room to study. I smiled at the way he said I promised to go home with him. He was the one who made it. I mulled for a bit and thought, 'Maybe he will not be able to do so for long. He just might start going out with that girl. Good for him. Belinda is really pretty, although not so bright. Too lightweight. She's lucky to have someone like him.
Val approached me at the cafeteria and pulled me out of line. “Hey! I was almost near the food display!”I nearly screamed at him. Val ignored my protestations and whispered, “Have you seen our dear old friend Charm?”“Not really, she bolted out of the room as soon as the bell rang.”“And you did not bother following her?”“Why should I? Maybe she’s going to meet someone. And I need to buy snacks. I’m starving.”Val rolled his eyes and said, “That intense girl whats-her-name from Section 3 and her gang followed her to the restroom and I heard a screaming match!”I gaped at him, “Really? I didn’t know. Let’s go find
Browsing through the book rack, I was engrossed in the books of Stephen King. He was really a prolific writer and his stories contain both horror and humor of sorts. I really like him, and he belonged to my favorite circle of writers and novelists. Roald Dahl, C.S. Lewis, the list goes on. It was a quiet Saturday, and I decided to go to the National Bookstore in Quad, Makati. I was just alone, and I told Nanay I will be back a little after lunch. I only intended to buy some school supplies and t-shirts. I looked around the store and felt inundated with books. As there were new books displayed, I got so immersed in browsing through the synopsis and the first few chapters that I forgot the time. It was already past 1:00 pm when I finally left the store with my purchases. I felt the pangs of hunger. I was thinking of whether to buy something to eat or just go home when I heard my name called.
Charm was waiting for Val and me so eagerly when I came to school. I noticed she had a new hairstyle, slightly wavy and shorter. She looked so pretty. “Good morning. Why do you look so edgy today?” I sat on the bench beside her. “Let’s wait for Val first,” she breathed. Pretty soon, Val arrived and immediately came to us. “So, what’s up? Charm, I can sense that you are about to burst with some news. If it is good, go ahead and tell us. If not, I am leaving.” Charm frowned at him, then said, “I have a new boyfriend.” I looked at her. “Again?”“What do you mean again? He is my first one here in our school. His name is Gio, our senior from Section 15.” I can see how proud she was. After all, Gio was our senior and may have enough popularity points to gain her attention. “Congratulations! At least you&rs
Friday. Val and Charm were both looking at watching a movie after class. I told them I cannot go. I promised myself to devote my time reviewing for the next two weeks before the Finals.“We still have time to study. You can do that tomorrow, Saturday.” Val said. We were going to the ladies’ room as Charm wanted to change into civilian clothing before leaving for the mall. Val already changed into his plain, black shirt and tucked his polo inside his bag. I was just tagging along, ready to go home. “I know, but every minute counts. Remember we need to get an average of 88% to maintain our class ranking and stay with Section 1.” I sighed. I was getting anxious. Val was thoughtful, then said “I think my average is between 86-87% at this point. I only need to get a 90% on 3 subjects with the quizzes next week and get the same on our Finals.” I grumble
I was late coming in that Monday. Traffic was heavy and I had to wait for Mica so we could go to school together. I sneaked past the guard who was busy accosting some students not wearing IDs. I rushed over to our line and made it just before the flag ceremony. I breathed in a sigh of relief. I looked at Charm and Val, who were chatting in the middle of the line. I squeezed in to join them. “Hi. So, did Lance call you?” Val asked. I was astonished. “Why?” Charm giggled. “I told you last Friday night, right? We saw them with some pretty girls from that exclusive school in Makati.” Val raised his eyebrows at me. “Oh, yes, I talked to him. He came to our house last Saturday. We spent the afternoon studying. One of the girls was a cousin of Jon,” I said casually. I giggled at their expression. They looked so comical. Val’s mouth was agape, while Charm’s eyebrows were furrowed. Lance suddenly came over and sai
Finals Week. The culmination of months of preparation and sacrificing weekend jaunts or gimmicks with friends. The final countdown. I massaged my forehead and stretched my arms after I completed answering my last test paper. I did what I could, and I will just have to wait and pray for positive results. I glanced at Charm and Val. Their heads were still bowed down, furiously answering the questions on their respective papers. I looked around and saw Izzie, Lance, Archer, Jon, Noah, and about half of the class were still not done with their tests. The last subject was Reading and Comprehension, my favorite. Our teacher Ma’am Decena shooed me out as I handed my paper. I grabbed my bag and stepped outside. I saw Dahlia, Len, Julie, and Ayene outside, comparing notes. This was the Honors circle, and I was pondering on why I was in the same group. Len saw me and shrieked, “I knew you would finish up early. Those questions and essays were just a
Friday was the last day of school. I brought an extra set of casual clothing with me just in case the class decides to carry on with the proposed last-day film watching. I rode to school with Mica, as all seniors need to get ready for their graduation exercises. I saw her run over to her section, and the Senior students were occupying a big chunk of the school grounds for their rehearsal. Members of the Music Club were near the platform, testing their musical instruments. I saw Lance carrying a big, black bag. I remember he was a member of the Club and plays the keyboard. I went up to our room and immediately looked for Charm and Val. They were roaming around the hallway that morning, checking in with other section students. Our room was also lively with discussions on how to spend the last day of school. I placed my bag on my seat then ran out to join Val and Charm. We did not have any classes, as the faculty was busy preparing for the graduation eve
It was a sweltering day and I burned my skin several times over from spending too much time outside. Those were the hottest days of summer. I ran around the lot trying to catch that freakishly fast chicken that my Nanay wanted to butcher and cook into tinola. I was crying while doing so, imagining the fate that chicken would have under my Nanay’s experienced hands. I tripped and fell, hurting my knee in the process. An ugly bruise emerged, and I just lost it. I stopped and yelled, “They are selling dressed chickens in the market. Why are you making me go through this? What about Mica?” My Nanay briskly walked towards me and swatted my nape. “You dare shout at your mother?” I ran in the direction of our nipa-styled house to escape from her clutches. “Come back here! Who will capture that chicken?” I ignored her screams and went inside to look for Mica. She was still lying on the bed and snoring. I w