XYRENE: The New Girl in Town

CH. 3: Faculty Room Talk

Krrrring krrrring krrring

The bell rings and everyone gets up from their own seats, getting ready and excited for lunchtime. Xyrene quickly packs her spiral notebooks and black binder into her bag. She looks to where the professor usually is, but she already sees him walking out of the lecture hall.

"Huh, he's leaving early today," Xyrene says.

"Who's leaving early?" Her friend asks from behind. Xyrene's shoulders jumped a bit and looks at her. "Abbie naman! Don't scare me like that." Xyrene hits her friend's arm in a joking matter.

Abbie laughs at Xyrene's surprised reaction and clings onto her friend's arm. "Sooo who's that guy?" She teases. Xyrene looked at her with confusion then asks, "What do you mean guy?" Abbie gives her an "Are you kidding me" look. Xyrene furrows her eyebrows and tilts her head at a 45-degree angle.

The latter sighs, "The one you said a while ago, the one who's leaving early?"

"Oh, you mean our professor, sir Lorenzo," Xyrene answers. Abbie's eyes widens and had her mouth wide open. "WHAT?! DO YOU HAVE A CRUSH ON THAT WEIRD PR-" Xyrene quickly covers Abbie's mouth before causing a ruckus. "OMG No! Never!" Xyrene protests with panic in her voice.

She then carefully removes her hands from Abbie. The friend looks at her with her arms folded, waiting for an explanation from her. Xyrene notices and begins to explain, "He usually leaves later once everyone left the hall. Today, he also looked like he was in a hurry..."

"Alriiiight, he's probably busy or in a hurry to do something strange or weird I guess. Change topic! Let's go to the burger place nearby for lunch." Abbie says and pulls Xyrene's hand, going out of the lecture hall doors.

Xyrene then removes herself from Abbie's grip. Abbie looks at her confused.

"I uhm forgot to pass something for Communication and Society." Xyrene lies as she rummages something in her bag. "Oh, your report? Sure, I can go with you." Abbie bought her lie and offered to accompany her. "Y-you don't need to. It'll take a little while too. Just go eat lunch with sina Robert and Lisa." Xyrene smiles at her and begins to walk going in the opposite direction leaving Abbie in the middle of the hallway.

"Sige! Hurry up, so that you can still eat with us!"

Xyrene arrives and knocks on the faculty door a few times. She opens the door and greets the teachers present there. "Good afternoon po mam, nasaan po si sir Arnel Lorenzo?" She asks one of the fellow teachers of the campus.

The teachers who heard her suddenly looks worried and surprised to hear her question. No one in this school didn't want to go near or be with him because of his so-called "strange" self.

"His desk... is at the corner over there," the teacher who she asked answers with hesitation and points at where he is. Xyrene thank the teacher and walks going to her professor's seat.

Everyone's eyes in this room follow her every move. Some were already whispering and gossiping, wondering what was the reason that made Xyrene find for him. Xyrene definitely can hear their gossips and decides to ignore it. She didn't want to deal with any of them for now.

She stops in front of his desk and knocks on the dark oak table. Her small knock caught the attention of the professor and raise his brows. "Hello po! I'm Xyrene Rosario, one of your students in Media Law and Ethics. I have a question to ask if you won't mind po."

The professor just nods and gives her a hand signal to proceed.

"I was wondering, what were you mumbling... about since the first day of classes?"

He looks at her shocked, a flabbergasted expression written all over his face. He never expects his student to be interested in it. "What-- what suddenly got you interested about what I said?" He asks.

"I just recently moved here and the things you said made me confused since I've heard from others that Taguig is known as a perfect city. But the things you said like lies? The mayor? Were you talking about this place?"

The professor chuckles and nods. "You're a quick thinker I'd say. Come sit here, I'll explain everything that most people don't know about this place."