The Mendacious Top Tier

Chapter 1: Meet That Stranger

"It's already time na, class. Goodbye, students," Ma'am Reyes said.

We stood up and bid our goodbye to ma'am when suddenly one of my classmates said something.

"Ma'am, 'yung assignment na binigay niyo sa amin last week, ngayong araw po ang deadline, ma'am."

I suddenly paused when he said that. Nagawa ko ba ang assignment na 'yon? Or I didn’t finish doing it?

"Oo, nga pala. Today is the deadline. You can pass your assignment na."

I immediately look in my backbag. I felt relieved nang makita ang assignment ko. I was done already. Ipinasa ko na ito kay ma'am. Nang mapasa na lahat ng mga classmate ko ang assignment nila ay lalabas na sana si Ma'am Reyes, but suddenly someone entered the classroom.

"Are you one of the students in this classroom?" Nakataas ang kilay ni ma'am.

"Oo, ma'am. Pasensya po kung na-late ako," he said, panting. Mukhang galing siya sa pagtakbo.

"Bakit ngayon ka lang dumating? Alam mo bang tapos na ang class ko?"

"Sobrang traffic, ma'am, kaya natagalan ako sa pagdating," he answered while nagpupunas ng pawis sa face n'ya gamit ang kamay niya.

I suddenly remember na may quiz pala na ibibigay sa next class namin. So I took my notebook out of the bag and started reading it. I just wrote the summary of the topic last night that I was sure would appear in the quiz later, para hindi na rin ako mag-panic kung paano intindihin 'yon nang mabilis. I put my earpods in my ears para magkapag-focus ako sa binabasa ko. I was just listening to a relaxing violin music instrument.

"Paano ka ba napunta sa tier na ito kung hindi mo masagot ang simpleng tanong ko!"

Naagaw ang atensyon ko nang sumigaw si Ma'am Reyes, kaya napatingin ako sa kanila. Hindi ako maka-focus sa binabasa ko.

"Pasensya na talaga, ma'am," he answered and gulped. Mas pinagpawisan pa s'ya lalo sa face n'ya. He looked so nervous.

"Pasensya? Tamang sagot ang hinihingi ko, hindi ang pasensya mo!"

I breathe heavily. Ang ingay-ingay na nila. I couldn't focus na sa binabasa ko. I need to do something to stop this.

"Excuse, Ma'am Reyes." Naagaw ko ang atensyon ni ma'am dahil dito. "Can you repeat the question that you asked to him, ma'am?"

"Why would I do that, Lyra? S'ya lang ang tinatanong ko," she confusedly asked. I felt the eyes of everyone staring at me now, as if they were waiting for my answer to that.

I stand up and straighten my back. "As a class president, I should help my classmates with this kind of matter. I must help them not be embarrassed so it will not embarrass the top-tier either," I lied. Gusto ko lang talagang maging tahimik ang paligid.

Ma'am Reyes suddenly smiled with high expectations in her eyes. "Then what is the function of the ribosomes in a cell?"

"Ribosomes are responsible for protein synthesis in cells, ma'am," I answered.

"That's right, Lyra," Ma'am Reyes said. My classmates applauded, so I just gave them a smile and sat in my chair. Ibinaling na ni ma'am ang tingin n'ya sa hindi makasagot ko na classmate. "Buti talaga to the rescue ang class president n'yo rito. Kung hindi, isang oras talaga kitang patatayuin sa labas ng classroom. Ano nga pala ang full name mo, student?"

"Rafael Felix Calderon, ma'am."

"You can go to your seat now, Rafael."

Lumabas na si Ma'am Reyes sa classroom after she said that. Nag-focus na ulit ako sa pagbabasa.