Imperfect Symphony of Hearts

05

𐙚˙✧˖°📷 ༘ ⋆｡ ˚

The library was buzzing with nervous energy, a sea of students hunched over their books, cramming last-minute information. I sat with my friends at our usual table, surrounded by stacks of notes and half-empty coffee cups.

“Grabe, Apple, anong nangyari sa quiz natin sa chemistry?” Maye groaned, running a hand through her hair. “I swear, I think I failed! Di ko na alam kung paano ko siya ipapasa.”

I nodded, feeling the familiar pressure rising in my chest. “I felt the same. Sobrang daming topics. Nakakabaliw!” I glanced around at the other students, their faces a mix of determination and despair.

“Pumasa lang ako, okay na,” Pam added with a dramatic sigh. “I’d be happy just to get a passing grade. Nakakabuwisit! Who even decided that we need to know the periodic table by heart, anyway?”

Ralph, who had been doodling in his notebook, looked up with a smirk. “Para maging scientist tayo, obviously! Pero seriously, I think I’ll just wing it. Kapag nagkamali, ayos lang, sa next subject na lang ulit.”

“Nice plan, genius,” Jade shot back, rolling her eyes. “At least I’m trying to study. This is serious, guys! Finals na ito! Kailangan nating magpakatatag!” She threw her hands up in exasperation, which made the rest of us laugh, even if just for a moment.

“Jade’s right,” I said, trying to keep the mood light, even as my stomach churned with anxiety. “We need to stay focused. One week na lang, and then we can finally relax!”

Maye groaned again. “Relax? With this amount of stress? Para na akong sasabog!”

“Kung gusto mo ng relaxation, why don’t we just take a break for a bit? Mag-meme challenge tayo!” Isaiah suggested, sliding into the seat next to me, a playful glint in his eyes.

“Now you’re talking! Pero let’s make it quick,” I replied, grateful for the distraction. “We need to get back to studying soon.”

As Isaiah started explaining the latest meme trend, I felt a little lighter. Laughter bubbled up as we tried to come up with our own ridiculous versions, joking about our exams and how stressed we were. It was a nice break from the relentless pressure we were all feeling.

“Okay, okay, back to reality,” I finally said, shaking my head. “What’s the plan for tomorrow’s math exam? May idea na ba kayo kung anong lalabas?”

“Dapat mag-focus tayo sa mga topics na laging lumalabas,” Ralph said. “Kaya lang, paano kung may surprise questions? Wala tayong magagawa kung magkamali.”

“True, pero at least we have each other,” Jade chimed in. “Kung may isang mabagsak, damay-damay na tayo.”

“Yeah, we’ll just have to study even harder next time,” I said, forcing a smile despite the weight of my own worries.

“Or we can just blame it all on the teachers!” Pam laughed, and we all joined in, the laughter helping to ease some of the tension.

As we continued to joke and laugh, I felt grateful for my friends. They understood the stress, the pressure, and the expectations, but in moments like this, we could just be ourselves—no judgments, no worries.

“Okay, guys, I think we should start reviewing again,” I said after a while, reluctantly shifting back to seriousness. “We have to make the most of our time.”

“Fine, but I’m getting a snack first,” Maye declared, standing up. “Sino ang gusto sumama?”

“Dito lang ako, masyadong nakaka-stress. I need to focus,” I said, though I couldn’t shake the sense of anxiety creeping back in.