When Love and Hate Collide [Completed]

Chapter 15: The Witness and The Criminal

ARANYA

Three months. Its been three months since Seth and I separated. Its not the type of separation that couples do but I feel like it is. The same longing feeling and regrets somehow. It consumes me. A lot.

I can't focus on another book I have in mind. My quiz scores are starting to drop. I can't focus on studying. All I want is to wait for Seth's call. Para akong praning kakacheck sa cellphone ko even though he always tell me to prioritize my responsibilities.

I don't know what's going on me. Para akong baliw na ewan. Wala akong ibang iniisip kundi siya. And it scares me that maybe I'm too drowned to him that I'm forgetting my priorities.

"Pero sir! H-Hindi naman po pwede yan! Nag-aaral naman po ako nang maayos!" Tory reacted disappointedly when she received her first grading grade. If I'm not mistaken, she received 78. Maybe it was because of her missing assignments, very low quiz scores and her habit of cutting classes.

Lumala na siya ngayon. Dati ay nangangalahati pa ang scores ng quiz niya dahil sinasamahan ko siyang magreview. Dati ay isang beses lang siya magcut every month which makes her sick alibi believable. Ngayon ay dalawang beses na siyang nagkacut every week.

Both of us became worse when we lost our friendship. Well, I did try to talk to her but she is really determined to ignore me. She made her side solid so I have no choice but to stop.

"Pag-aaral ba nang maayos ang pagcutting Ms. Alma?" Ayon sa masungit naming guro na ikinatahimik ni Tory.

This teacher knows how to roast big-time.

"Wag mo akong masabihan na nag-aaral ka nang mabuti dahil baka ibulatlat ko sa harap mo ngayon ang records mo."

We all went silent pero dama ko ang matinding pressure na nararamdaman ni Tory. I may not be looking directly to her but I can sense that her eyes are starting to water. Sinampal sa kanya ng teacher namin gamit ang dila nitong mas matulis pa sa kutsilyo. Even if I were in her situation, I'll feel so bad.

"Sa lahat ng may reklamo, magsalita na kayo ngayon bago ako magdismiss. Ipakita ninyo ngayon ang tapang ninyo." He as he challenge everyone na animo'y lalaking naghahamon ng suntukan.

Walang nagsalita. Walang nagreklamo. Everyone's just sitting silent and some are softly crying maybe because of having a really bad grade in the very first grading of the first sem.

My grade is not that bad but I know I can do better than that. I'm feeling the same disappointment everyone feels right now. Isa ako sa mga nakatingin lang sa mesa ng armchair habang nanghihinayang at nagsisisi. Its not yet the final grading but we already feel like we will not be able to graduate.

"Wala? Sige. I will dismiss you all now. Go ahead cry and think. Baka sakaling maging maayos na grades ninyo next grading."

Dinig kong isa sa mga kaklase ko ay may marahas na nilakumos na papel dahil siguro sa inis. Some are sniffing but they do not want to cry loud. Siguro ay ayaw nilang ibigay ang satispaksyon na gusto ng guro namin. Ayaw nilang ipakitang mahina sila. The natural rebel spirit that teens possess.

"Almost forgot, Ms. Zaragoza, please come with me to my office. We have something to talk about."

Agad na napakunot ang noo ko bago natauhan nang makitang nakatitig sa akin ang lahat na para bang may hinihintay silang himala na mangyari. Nagtataka man ay tumayo ako at humabol sa guro namin na naglalakad na palabas ng classroom.

***

"You can do better than this Ms. Ara. Ikaw lang ang masasabi kong walang problema sa klase ko. I have good expectations to you at first so I wonder what's going on you right now?"