Rivalry Against Us (UNDER REVISION)

01

Started: January 27, 2024
Ended: June 7, 2024

Revision: November 9, 2024

Disclaimer
This story is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and events are either products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Notice!
Please don't expect too much po. This story is kinda boring and chaotic. Things happen really fast and I apologize for that. If I'm done with my works, I will revise this nalang po. Thank you!

Rivalry against Us

⎯⎯  ୨ ୧ ⎯⎯

Chapter 01

Sabi ng iba, "Grades doesn't matter" at "Grades is just a number". Ang dali lang sakanilang isipin 'yon... Ang dali lang sakanila na sabihin 'yon sa tuwing nakikita nila yung grades nila — it looks like they weren't disappointed at all. Looks like they didn't care about grades at all... Buti pa sila, 'no? Because for me, grades is everything, grades define your intelligence.

Or was it?

Or... People around me made me think that way?

I just saw the grade of my project earlier. Funny because I only got 96. Why is it ONLY 96? Aren't my efforts enough? I gave my best! Sleepless nights, skipping meals and focusing on brainstorming for that project fucking drained the hell out of me! Why is it only 96?! Why can't I have a perfect score? Is it hard to put number 1 and two 0 in my work? Tangina!

I even skipped my work for that!

Why do I have to be like this? Paano ko ba babaguhin ang sarili ko? Hindi ba p'wedeng maging simpleng estudyante nalang ako? Yung walang... Walang pakialam kung sakaling mababa yung grades, yung hindi inuubos ang sarili para sa grades, yung hindi takot na madismaya yung mga tao sa paligid nila sa tuwing mababa ang grades nila.

I wasn't born like this but I am raised like this.

Lumaki akong ayaw magpa-lamang sa iba. Lumaki akong takot sa mababang marka. Lumaki akong takot madismaya ang ibang tao...

Pero ako?

Nadidismaya ba ako?

O iniisip ko lang talaga ang sasabihin ng iba?

***

[Nasaan ka, girl?]

Napa-irap ako sa tanong ni Yve, kailangan pa ba talagang itanong 'yan? Para naman siyang hindi nag grade 2 n'yan! Alam naman niya ang tambayan ko tuwing weekends at tuwing pagka-tapos ng klase diba? Siguro pine-peke lang ako ng babaeng 'to kaya hindi niya alam! Pag kami nag friendship over, hindi na siya makaka-hanap ng napaka-bait at magandang kaibigan na tulad ko kaya kabahan na siya.

"Library, bakit?" walang gana kong tanong pabalik bago nilipat ang pahina ng librong binabasa ko. Nakaka-hilo ang mga numerong naka-imprinta rito, sobrang dami, nakakabaliw!

[Tara, sindi tayo]

Napa-halakhak ako — ngunit napansin ko na tumingin ang iba saakin kaya naman inayos ko ang upo ko at nagkunwaring nagbabasa ng maayos sa libro. Lintek ka talaga, Yve! Kasalanan mo 'to! Si gaga, kung maka-sabi na mag sindi kami ay kala mo hindi siya takot sa droga at sa iba pang nakaka-lulong na bagay na 'yan.