The Jerk Named Rhafael

Chapter 01 - The Jerk

Noah

Time is something that could play us. Sometimes, times could be so slow or fast. It’s only depend on the situation we were holding and how we hold it. But sometimes, times may driven us in such different emotions. Happy, sad, angry, or fear.

On the other hand, time is the most precious things in the world. We may could do what we wanted to do. YOLO or you only live once in a millennials term. Makes everyone’s time be valuable with you, because at the end of day, we will not regret. Because we could only understood the important of time when someone started to lose… Maybe me, maybe it’s you…

…

I am so bored to this last subject in our morning session. I just really hate math, okay. I hate numbers, I hate sequence, I hate polynomials, binomials, trinomials, finding x, y, and z. They are all sucks. But honestly, most of them got me in a perfect scores. There was a time when they choose me to represent our school in a math contest and puts me in a champion. Yeah, I hate math.

Everyone is smart, and I believed with it. It just depending to a person on how he or she holds the talent. Maybe most of them are hiding it because of the fear of judgement. They were coward to take the risks. And that’s what I want to change in everyone’s mentality.

“Psstt… nakatulala ka na naman. Kanina ka pa napapansin ni Miss Calderon,” a girl on my side murmur next to my ear. She’s not even looking at me.

“Hindi ah, nagso-solve kaya ako rito oh,” sambit ko sabay nguso sa pisara kung saan may mga nakasulat na math problems. “Ang dali-dali lang n’yan eh.”

Bahagya siyang lumingon sa akin. ” Nagso-solve pero nakatitig ka sa bintana?”

“Oo nga kasi, ang kulit mo naman, Jiana!” Bahagya akong natigil nang ma-realized kong napalakas na pala ang boses ko, kung kaya’t naging dahilan ng agaw-eksena naming dalawa ni Jiana. Maging si Ma’am Calderon ay napahinto rin sa pagdi-discuss niya sa board.

She walks slowly toward to me and Jiana. Every step of her is creating an echoed coming from her heels. The tension from Jiana’s face can be seen.

“Anong gulo ‘to?” direkta niyang tanong sa aming dalawa ni Jiana. Jiana can’t even tell a word at the moment while me, chilling like nothing happened. “Jiana?” she added.

“We’re sorry Miss for doing a commotion. Me and Noah are fighting on a right answer in your given question at the board…” she pauses for a seconds before she look at me, directly to my eyes and continue to her words, “and if you don’t mind Miss, Noah will answer the questions on the board.”

Wait a minute, tama ba ang narinig ko? Ni hindi man lang ako nakarinig ng garalgal sa boses ng kaibigan ko na ‘tong nanlaglag pa sa’kin ha?

Miss Calderon’s eyes shine a bit upon hearing of Jiana’s great answer. And without any hesitation, I stand up straight, walked in the front, grabbed the marker, and face the board. The moment I will start computing on the board, someone from the outside with a great deep voice calls Miss Calderon’s by her name. Everyone’s attention landed to the person outside.

Dahil may pagka-chismoso rin ako, dahan-dahan kong sino-solve ang problem sa board ngunit ang aking matalas na tainga ay nakikinig sa bulong-bulungan nang dalawang gurong nag-uusap sa labas.

It took me a minutes to finish a single question. Paano ba naman kasi, ang tagal nilang matapos sa usapan, kulang pa nga ang nasagap ko eh.

When I reached my seat, Jiana lean her body next to me. My forehead creased while looking on her slowly.

“Alam kong chismoso ka, halatang-halata na nakikinig ka sa usapan nila,” aniya. Sa tono ng pananalita niya ay akala mo isang bata na magsusumbong anumang oras.

Binawi ko ang pagkakatingin ko sa kaniya at humarap sa pisara.

“Ano naman?” saad ko na tila ba nang-iinis pa.

“Pasagap naman oh! Hindi kasi rinig dito sa gawi natin. Akala mo lang silang mga langaw na puro bzzz lang!” reklamo niya.

Kung sabagay, nasa likurang parte na kami nakaupo. Mas kitang-kita kasi rito ang buong klase, at hindi rin madaling mahuli kapag nakatunganga ka lang o hindi kaya’y natutulog.

“Just wait, Jiana,” I said calmly, looking on her with a huge smile on my lips.

Their conversation took more minutes. They look arguing for something… or someone… I guess? It almost they eaten the time period on discussing  with their businesses at the middle of the class.

Ilang minuto pa ang lumipas at sa wakas, pumasok na rin ang aming guro. She looks unhappy.

“Class, I have an announcement for all of you,” she says, standing at the center of the class. Her hands rest at the table in front of her. “You’ll have a temporary classmate for today, or even a weeks or months,” she added.

Umingay na ang bulong-bulungan sa paligid. Kung sino-sino nang mga pangalan ang kanilang binabanggit. May ilang natutuwa, may ilang ding nababahala. Dahil nasa star section kami, may isang kakumpetensya na naman ang madadagdag sa amin.

“Shhhh, class, quite!” suway ni Miss Calderon’s sa amin. Agad namang natahimik ang ilan naming kaklase habang ‘yung iba naman ay hininaan lang ngunit rinig na rinig pa rin ang usapan nila.

Jiana, the chismosa, looks excited for our new classmate. Her eyes start to twinkle like a stars when she hear the pronoun “him” as our new temporary classmate.

I have nothing to do with that guy. At kung sino man siya, good luck na lang at dahil nandito ako. Kayang-kaya ko siyang durugin. Matatalo niya ako sa lahat ng online games pero sa academic, never! Char, mabait talaga ako.

 

Napadukdok na lang ako sa aking mesa. Biglang bumalik ang antok kong kanina ko pa pinipigilan. Wala nang limang minuto at tutunog na ang bell, hudyat na tapos na ang klase. Konting oras na lang ang aking hihintayin.

They start discussing that “guy” and Jiana can’t stop from giggling at her seat. She could almost pull my uniform because of that guy. Tsk, mas guwapo pa rin ako ‘no?

“Rhafael, doon ka na lang tumabi sa silya ni Noah. At ikaw naman Jiana, humanap ka muna ng ibang upuan mo, ha,” Miss Calderon commanded.

Napaangat ako ng mukha sa narinig, at doon ko nakita si Jiana na akmang lilipat na sa kalapit na upuan.

“Miss?!” hiyaw ko! “Bakit kailangan pang si Jiana ang mag-adjust?”

“Hindi ba’t kakausap pa lang natin ngayon? He have a problem with his class. Masyadong napa-barkada. You are the only one who’ll help him, anak. Kaya help him with his academic, ha. Makakaasa ba ako?”

All I could do is to take a deep sigh, put a fake smile, and nod my head. I really hate it.

Miss Calderon mouthed a “thank you,” with a smiles on her lips.

Here’s tall, with a caramel skin, and a thick dark-black hair is standing in front of me, leaving a smirk at the corner of his lips. I already known this guy, he’s a certified f*ckboy, a womanizer, and a badass spoil kid. Yes, THAT JERK NAMED RHAFAEL!