“Where in the world are you now? Were late.” Toni shouted as I give distance to the phone on my ear. I could still feel the timbre of her voice; as usual it is so deafening.
“I’m on my way there. Meet me in the burger stand.” I told her. “Oh, by the way, could you please get me a cup of coffee also.” I added
“Yes sure. You owe me big time.” She said nastily
We were like this for a couple of years already. She seems to be the best person I ever had. She was my best friend and I don’t know what I would do without her.
When I wake up in a normal school days, she calls me early because she knows that I’m a sluggish person and that it takes a lot of patience for me to wake up. When she knows that I’m awake, she’ll hang the phone, leaving me half awake and lazy. But then, I always wake up to her call for her not to get mad. Then the usual day starts, take a bath and then spruce up, get into the bus and go.
I don't really like eating.
Not long after she came.
I feel that my stomach surges out whenever I eat. Weird right? I don’t know. Maybe I’m not used to eating. I am a girl, but I am the laziest girl you would ever know. I grew up in a wealthy family and it feels so different living all alone now. One of the reasons why I love my best friend is that she never grew tired of caring and loving me. Even if sometimes I discarded and left her a couple of times. I don’t know why. Maybe because, she was the only person that I have in my life and I guess she knows that well enough.
“Thank God, heaven sent you here. I could already sleep here waiting for you lazy young woman.” She scolded me again like she was my mother
“Oh, I’m so sorry Madame for keeping you wait, shall we eat?!” I answered her naughtily.
“Good for you. You know now how important eating breakfast is. We are not going to eat unless you order for both of us and pay for it, full.” She said mocking me
“Oh, you are a terrible friend!” I answered.
“I bought you a cup of coffee remember? And by the way, you are the only friend that I’m terrible at. Don’t worry.” She said while I attack to ruin her long gelled hair
I ordered two double patty cheese burger and 2 bottles of water. While she was in the middle of eating our favorite burger, I tapped her back and screamed my lungs out silently, a scream so silent she was the only one who could understand and hear it. I saw my crush in front of the gate of our school. I was about to eat the last piece of my burger while she was still halfway done with hers. I told her to hurry up so that I could walk with the guy I like. I was about to choke her up because I was hurrying her too much. She picked my ear, twisted it and said…
“You’re about to kill me because of that horrible guy!” she shouted while taking off the cap of her bottled water.
“He’s not horrible!” Now she shows a poker face “By the way, nobody dies because of swallowing half of a burger!” I said to her kiddingly
“Talk to yourself.” She said standing up and heading inside the school. I think she’s mad. Sometimes she gets so sensitive with what I do or say
“Hey, wait up. I’m just kidding. You forgot your coffee.” I said rushing to her.
“Drink them all, nobody dies because of too much caffeine in their body as much as nobody dies because of swallowing half of a burger.” She said
Then I was silent and said “I’m sorry.”
“Apology accepted. Hurry up, were totally late. 20 minutes on my clock. ” She said
She grabbed my hand and we run as fast as we can to our literature class. Our teacher was already there the moment we came, and unfortunately that teacher was one of the strictest and most disciplined faculty members of the school. As she was busy writing the lectures in the whiteboard, we silently sneaked in and proceeded to our chair, about to sit but----
“Ms. De Guzman and Ms. Bautista, you’re both late. What happen?” Mrs. Macapagal said. “I hope you both understand well that it is unfair for your classmates who come to class on time to let you in this late. So, I hope you understand. You two ladies, each of you get 4 thick text books on that bookshelf. Step outside the classroom. Place your back on the corridor, but not leaning. Face the classroom and put the books on your arms while you are in a squat position. Understood?”
“Yes Mrs. Macapagal.” We answered politely.
“Do it starting now until the end of the class.” She said.
We took 4 thick text books in the bookshelf and did what Mrs. Macapagal told us to do. We waited for the bell to ring and for us it was like a moment of forever. Both of us were blaming each other for being late. And in the middle of the punishment, Toni started to do silly dances. One was like of Mr. Bean’s dance steps (he was our favorite cartoon character) and then I started to giggle and laugh constantly. I didn’t notice that the books on my arms started to fall one by one. I stopped and for a moment the eyes of our teacher and classmates are all on me.
“I hope this will never happen again. One of the school regulations and goals of this school is to maximize the importance of punctuality. Ms. De Guzman, your one of the top students in your class. Don’t take this for granted, this could affect your grades and Ms. Bautista, I want you to show that you’ve really changed. I hope we make things clear before you leave the office.” Mr. De La Vega, the school director said
“Yes Sir, we’ll never let this happen again. We apologized for what had happened.” Toni said, well she was always my spokesperson.
“Go, and proceed to your classrooms.” He said
I was the first one to turn my back on Mr. De La Vega. I really hate when people treat me like that. I really hate being compared to other people. When it’s time for Toni and me to be alone, she always talks to me like she was my mother, my sister and friend. I never felt so comfortable talking to her like that. I know that she is the only one who I could talk to situations like this, and for all the time, whenever I can’t understand myself, she’s always there to understand me. She’s the only family that I have right now.
