Parang walang nangyaring acquaintance party noong nakaraang linggo. Balik ulit sa dati ang lahat. At ang mas malala, mas binaha kami ng school works ngayon.
Quizzes dito, reporting doon. Performance Task dito, presentations doon.
The exciting ambiance from past months have been banished. And the stressful one came.
Isa rin sa mga bumalik sa dati ay si Andrew. Everything that happened to us in the party was just like a blur to me now. Like it never happened at all.
Patuloy pa rin kasi siyang nang-iinis sa akin kahit kailan niya gusto.
Now, I regret everything we did. Tinamin ko sa isipan kong walang nangyaring gano'n sa aming dalawa.
Kung halos lahat bumalik sa dati, sa akin ay mayroong iisang nagbago. Mas marami nang nanliligaw sa akin ngayon. Well, I am not entertaining any of them, though.
Hannie chose not to meddle with what's going on with me and her cousin. It was our own business, as she said.
I am thankful for that because, even me, I don't wanna talk about it, I want to forget it.
Kasalukuyan kaming nakikinig sa diskusyon ng aming guro sa Practical Research. Maya maya rin ay igu-grupo niya ang klase para sa aming research.
"ABM, you must remember that the product that you will be inventing is all made by you and your groupmates' mind. Or if it's from a previous study, make sure that there will be a big difference and improvement. If your study is plagiarized, I will send you back to pre-school immediately."
We were forty in total in class, therefore, we will be having eight groups in this class with five member each.
Nang matapos si Ma'am Gomez sa paghati ng klase, nagkumpulan kami at hinanap ang aming mga kagrupo. When I found all my groupmates, we sat down and formed a circle.
"Ano ba 'yan! Puro tayo babae!" Lea complained.
Napansin ko nga.
"Sino ang gustong lumipat? I'll try to talk to Tita." dagdag niya pa.
"No offense, pero gusto ko. Ako lang kasi nahiwalay sa barkada ko." si Janelle.
When the class were all settled and were already formed circles, saka nagtaas ng kamay si Lea.
"Yes, Miss Gomez?"
"Ma'am, puwede po bang makipagpalit sa ibang groups?"
"Why, you don't like your groupmates? I'm sorry, Miss, please 'wag niyong isali ang personal na—"
"No, Ma'am! Puro po kasi kami babae rito sa'min. I mean, yes, we can do a research. But what if we will be needing a manpower? Mahihirapan po kami."
Tumago si Ma'am at luminga. "Okay, but, is one boy enough? Naisulat ko na ang mga pangalan niyo sa record ko."
Sumang-ayon na kami roon. Actually, si Lea lang naman ang may gusto no'n. Pero ayos lang din sa akin, mukha kasing hindi makakapag-focus si Janelle sa amin.
"Boys, who among you would want to switch group with Miss Reyes?"
A girl from the back raised her hand, "Ma'am, I voluntarily switch Mr. Ynarez!"
"Oh, ba't ako?" reklamo pa ng ungas. Sana hindi siya pumayag.
Dana, the girl who raised her hand, whispered something to him. Then Andrew stood up, "Oo pala, Ma'am! I volunteer na rin!"
My classmates laughed.
"Andrew will be in group seven from now on and Janelle in group one. That's final, wala nang iba pang lilipat!"
Naupo si Andrew sa tabi ni Lea na nasa tabi ko rin. "Lea, ano na? Kailan tayo mag-uumpisa? Kailan natin ipapasa?"
"Drew, naka-drugs ka ba? Research 'to!" inis na sagot ni Lea sa kaniya.
"Hindi, ah! Masama iyon! Pero naaadik na ako." bulog lang iyon pero narinig ko pa rin.
Later on, Mrs. Gomez said that wherever we are seated now, will be our permanent seat in her class until the end of the semester.
While waiting for our class to end, we planned a little about our research. And it's very clear that Andrew's been avoiding me. All throughout our discussion he wasn't looking at me.
Which was, somehow, fine by me. Our group didn't assign a certain leader 'cause it's a tough work.
Lumabas na rin si Ma'am Gomez nang tumunog ang bell, hudyat na tapos na ang klase niya sa amin.
Sunod namang pumasok ay si Ma'am Lorenzo, para sa aming PEH subject. Actually, wala na kaming performance task ngayong first quarter sa kaniya. Since we all attended the party last time that we didn't knew that was graded.
Hinayaan lang kami ni Ma'am na gawin ang gusto naming gawin. Agad namang tumabi sa akin si Hannie at nakichismis.
"Bagay ba sa'kin ang long and curly hair, Jules?" she asked.
Tumango ako, "I've seen a lot of petite girls, and most of them ay bagay nga ang gano'ng hairstyle."
"Buti naman. Then, I'm planning to dye my hair blonde on summer. What do you think?"
"Honestly, I love your hair like that. I mean, it's so black and straight."
"Yeah, and it is my trademark. Kaya nga gusto kong palitan, eh.", she rolled her eyes to nowhere. "Everyone's impression of me is either innocent or nerd."
I chuckled, "Bakit sobrang bitter mo naman 'ata?"
Nang-aasar niyang kinurot ang braso ko. Gusto ko sana siyang bawian pero halatang inis na talaga siya.
"Jules, seryoso kasi! They always think I am like that. When in fact, I am the exact opposite of it. Punyeta, I am not a good girl!"
Napahagalpak na ako ng tawa dahil do'n.
"Bakit, all of a sudden, gusto mong magbago ng identity? Ano 'yon? Metanoia? Change of heart?"
Asar na asar na ang hitsura ni Hannie ngayon. Sobrang kunot ang noo, she then raised her right eyebrow. As if she was rejoicing.
"Eh, ano kayo ni Andrew? Metanoia rin? Change of heart?", she waved her brows at me and teasing me, "No'ng nakaraan lang, grabe kung magkainan kayo. What now?"
Now, I am the one who's pissed.
As if on cue, the bell rang and it was followed by the Angelus prayer. I sit properly at that, at tinitigan naman ako ni Hannie nang mapang-asar kaya tumingin na lang ako sa labas.
There were girls outside already, at the corridor. Probably waiting for their companion from our class. One of them was Gail, the one who won the Face of the Night.
Nang natapos ang dasal, nangungunang lumabas si Andrew at agad inakbayan yung Gail.
Hannie scoffed, "Metanoia nga."
