𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙏𝙤 𝙈𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝙃𝙞𝙨 𝘽𝙧𝙤𝙠𝙚𝙣 𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩

Suspiscion

Chapter Twenty Four

"Miss?"

Halos mabingi ako sa lakas ng pintig ng puso ko. Bigla na lang akong pinatawag ng English teacher ko sa hindi alam na kadahilanan.

With my both hands at the back of my waist, nilapag niya ang activity sheets na pagkakatanda ko ay naging project namin noong nakaraang linggo. Ngunot noo kong tinitigan yun at binaling uli ang atensyon kay Miss Ora na hinihintay ko lang na magsalit.

"You did this?"

"P-po? Opo." bakit kaya? Anong problema?

"I just want to ask you a not so good question but I hope I'll hear a very honest answer. It's almost end of the school year and as a teacher who proactively checked your papers, this looks really suspiscious to me."

I gulped in nervousness. Anong ibig niyang sabihin?

"To compare this recent task from your previous ones, this one is more detailed, precised and very well written. I cannot even recrity nor provide a critic for it is more like a perfect report. You're mother is an intelligent English teacher——"

"——pardon me, miss. To get straight and honest with you as well, I worked hard for that report to finish by myself without my mom's help." she narrowed her eyes and looking at me like she's willing to listen every word I'll speak. "When I learned how to write my name, my mom never ever helped me even one assignment until now that I am in high school. She never checked it and let me submit it to you and the rest just as raw as scratch so no. I am confident that the job done was from me, no one else's."

"Okay." she nodded. But I can sense that she's not convinced and it bruised my ego. Humiliation at its finest. "Impressive work. Therefore, I would like to apoint you to be the representative of an essasy writing contest that will take place a week from now."

Lumuwa ang mga mata ko sa sobrang gulat. Ako na naman? At essay writing contest pa? Di ba adviser siya ng pilot class? Bakit hindi siya kukuha sa sarili niyang advisory class eh mas marami namang mas matalino sa klase niya?

"P-pero——"

"Your work is a winning piece if it would be competted. Kaya kita pinatawag cause this really caught my attention." turo niya sa papel ko. "Sales and you will represent the sophomore level."

Sales? Ang humoured valedictorian ng klase namin? Jusko, yan pa lang makakalaban ko talo na ako, paano na lang ang nasa third year at fourth year?

Shit.

Parang hinahamon pa talaga ako ng maestrang ito. Nakakainis!

"Grabe siya ha. Pwera naging maganda lang ang project ko nandaya na agad ako? Alam kong hindi ako matalino at lage akong kinikuwestyon bakit hindi ko nakuha ang talino nila mommy at daddy pero hinding hindi ako mangdadaya. Asar!" paamok kong binato ang hawak na bato sa lawa habang nakatambay dito kasama sina France at Cley. "Hindi ba pwedeng nag improve lang ako? Duh. Tamad lang naman ako non pero hindi na ngayon"

"Pa'no yan? Kakasa ka ba?" tanong ni France na abala sa pagbalat ng hawak na orange.

"Wala na akong choice. Pinili na niya ako. Gusto niya ata talaga akong ipahiya. Dinig ko, ang mga first honor at best in English ng bawat angkat ang sasali. Paano na lang sa aming walo ako yung pinakakulelat? Ano na lang iisipin nila tungkol kay mama?" halod maluha na ako sa paglabas ng mga hinanakit ko sa oras na to. Nakakakulo ng ulo. Lahat ng katunggali ko nasa pilot section eh ako, nasa 4th section lang naman!