Meet Me Halfway

Chapter 10: HALFWAY

Ring!!!! Ring!!!!

“Omg, I’m late.”

I immediately got up in my bed, and rushed to the bathroom to brush my teeth and take a bath. It is Monday morning and I think my day is going to start being late to school.

“Mr. Espiritu will scold me again, haysst!.”

I prepared only cold coffee for my breakfast and because I don't have much time to cook food for myself. I’ve already finished preparing at exactly 7:30 and luckily, I waited for the bus.

“Yahoo! No need for a rush I guess.”

Having a thought of not being late that day because you did not miss the bus proved to me that sometimes, the faith was playful.
Walking down the hallway, I observed silence in every classroom and every teacher was in their class for their first subject.

“I’m late again, grrr!” I screamed loudly in the hallway until another teacher noticed me.

“You're 10 minutes late, again Ms. Riparip. What took you that?” Mr. Espiritu asked as I entered our classroom.

I knew it was gonna happen.

“You're also late, Mr. Barbasa!” our Professor faced us angrily.

As I turned back, I saw Jarelle beside me who caught his breath running so fast to rush in to go to our Classroom, same as what I did.

I smiled at Jarelle but he only nodded his eyebrow to me. I attempt to say another word but I choose to refuse myself from talking.

“Mood swings, huh!” I whispered to myself as I faced Naya who laughed so hard at being standing at the door a lot of the time.

“The cockroach was late HAHAHAHA!” she shouted at our room, and I was really angry.

At that moment, I want to grab her hair and bump her head into the walls and make her bald. I’m glad I refused to do that to her. She’s so mean every time.

Taking a deep breath to calm myself down, I walked past Naya and took my seat at the back of the classroom. I tried to focus on the lecture, but Naya's words kept echoing in my mind. The sound of her laughter filled the room, making it harder for me to concentrate.

I knew Naya had always been a bully, targeting anyone she deemed weak or vulnerable. And today, she chose to target me because of my tardiness. It wasn't the first time she had bullied me, but it still hurt every time. I wished I could stand up to her, but fear always held me back.

As the class went on, Jarelle glanced at me a few times, concern evident in his eyes. He knew how much Naya's words affected me, and he had always been there to support me. Jarelle had been my friend since childhood, and recently he had expressed his feelings for me, asking me to be his suitor. But I couldn't give him an answer yet.

When the class finally ended, I gathered my things and rushed out of the room, wanting to escape Naya's presence. But before I could leave, Jarelle caught up with me in the hallway.

"Alianna, wait up," he said, slightly out of breath.

I stopped and turned to face him, a forced smile on my face. "Hey, Jarelle. What's up?"

He hesitated for a moment before speaking. "I wanted to talk to you about... us. About what I asked you before. Have you thought about it?"

I sighed and looked down, my heart heavy with guilt. "Jarelle, I appreciate your feelings for me, and I value our friendship. But I can't give you an answer right now. There's someone else."

Jarelle's face fell, disappointment evident in his eyes. "Someone else? Who?"

I took a deep breath, gathering the courage to explain. "His name is Zandro. He's someone I've known for a long time, and... I've always had feelings for him. I can't deny that he's the one I love the most, the one I loved first."