Imperfect Symphony of Hearts

01

𐙚˙✧˖°📷 ༘ ⋆｡ ˚

The hallway was buzzing with that familiar back-to-school energy—students laughing, talking over each other, shoes squeaking against the floor. I walked alongside my friends, the usual squad, as we made our way to our classrooms. Ralph was, as expected, complaining about how short the weekend was.

"Parang ang bilis ng weekend. Sana break ulit," he grumbled, dragging his feet like he was heading to some kind of torture chamber instead of class.

I couldn't help but laugh. "Kaya mo 'yan, Ralph. First day pa lang ulit. Huwag ka magreklamo agad."

Jade, who was always the voice of reason in the group, adjusted her glasses and said, “We need to focus na, guys. Ang daming activities nakaline-up this week.”

Tein groaned dramatically beside me. "Sana walang surprise quiz. I’m not emotionally ready for that.” She clutched her notebook to her chest like it was her last lifeline.

We all laughed at that, but even as I joined in, I could feel this low-level hum of pressure creeping in. STEM wasn’t exactly easy, and everyone knew it. It was just the first day back, but there was always this unspoken understanding that we were going to be pushed hard. I shoved that thought aside, focusing instead on the moment. We’d get through it—like always.

Pam suddenly turned to me, a sly smile on her lips. “Paano si Isaiah? Classmate mo ba ulit?”

I rolled my eyes, already knowing where this was going. "Hindi ah. Malapit lang 'yung classroom namin, pero bakit, interested ka ba?”

Pam let out a laugh, teasing me like she always did. “Uy, defensive!”

Isaiah Aiken Zuñiga. Just hearing his name made something twist inside me—a mix of nerves and excitement that I wasn’t ready to deal with right now. I tried to play it off, but I could feel my cheeks warming a bit. I wasn’t about to give Pam the satisfaction of seeing that though.

Before I could change the subject, Maye—who had been scrolling through her phone the entire time—looked up. “Guys, malapit na tayo. Lunch later, ha?”

“Yeah, same spot,” I nodded, giving them a small smile as we reached the junction where our classrooms split off.

One by one, my friends peeled off—Ralph headed to Physics, Jade to Chemistry, Pam to Calculus. It was just me now, walking alone to my Biology class.

As I slipped into my seat, I tried to focus on the day ahead, but my mind kept wandering back to them. My friends. Isaiah. The weird, anxious feeling that something was changing, and I wasn’t sure I was ready for it.

--

The cafeteria was its usual chaotic self—students scrambling to get seats, trays clattering, and the unmistakable scent of fried food hanging in the air. We managed to snag a table near the windows, sunlight pouring in and making everything feel warmer than it actually was. I dropped my bag onto the floor and sat down, eyeing the mystery meat on my tray.

“Tangina, ano na naman 'to?” Ralph complained, poking at his food like it had personally offended him. “Every year, ganito pa rin 'yung pagkain dito. Ano ba 'to, lasang papel?”