Querencia (Midnight #1)

Chapter 18

Eighteen
ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈✧༺♥༻∞

"Okay, again!"

Buntong hininga kaming bumalik sa unang pwesto namin.

We were practicing for an hour now. Medyo pagod na kasi dire-diretso ang practice namin ngayong araw. Also, today is the last day of practicing—the school gave us two whole days to practice for our Choral Fest.

I can feel the excitement and competitiveness of my classmates; I have never been in this situation. Kailanman ang mga napuntahan kong section nang nagdaang taon ko kung sa eskwelahang ito ay hindi ako nakatatamo nang ganito. Although, I am happy since I am now experiencing the kind of section na may samahan na kasi ilang taon nang magkakasama.

Hindi naman sila mahirap lapitan—siguro ang iba, but the others are also looking forward to get to know the newbies.

"Awat, Pres! Para na 'kong mamatay!" Sigaw ng isa sa mga kaklase ko.

"Ang OA naman," sagot ni Jaemilyn.

"Pres, wala bang pa-water break d'yan kahit limang minuto lang?!" I heard someone shout, surely it was Vince.

"Real, wala kang awa, Jaemilyn, ang sakit na ng lalamunan namin kakakanta tapos ikaw pa-chill lang d'yan!" Datong ni Ricco.

"Hoy! Tigilan n'yo si Jaemilyn, ha! Bumalik kayo roon. Nanggigigil ako sa inyo," it was Jaemilyn's bestfriend.

Alam kong tropa-tropa na sila at wala lang ang sigawan na iyon para sa kanila. They were with each-other since Grade 7 kaya ano pang ihihiya nila sa isa't isa? Ang simpleng bangayan na iyon ay parang wala na lang din sa mga kaklase namin, they just shook their heads and laughing—parang sanay na sanay na.

Sometimes Yelly is more likely to be our Class President than Jaemilyn—minsan kasi ay nahihiyang magbawal si Jaemilyn sa mga kaklase namin kaya si Yelly ang gumagawa, tulad ng ngayon. But other than that, I could say that Jaemilyn is the best Class President we could asked for.

Ganoon ang nangyari, bumalik kami sa unang pwesto namin kung saan—nasa harap ang mga lalaki at naupo ang mga babae sa likod. The boys were singing and us girls at the back were using our hands and feet to combine with their voices. Naging maangas ang kinalabasan noon noong sume-segundo kaming mga babae sa bawat paghimig nila kasabay pa noon ang kamay at paa namin.

This Choral Festival is one of the most awaited competition here in our school—parang first day pa lang yata pinagpaplanuhan na nila 'yung mga kantang ilalagay at paghahalu-haluin nila.

We are not allowed to use an instrument while performing, own background music, own harmonizations, own melody, and how you will creatively perform it.

Puspos at talagang nagkukumayod kaming magpraktis ngayong araw. . . ni halos hindi ko na makausap si Maxeus, Tori, at Beige sa buong araw dahil sa praktis namin. Talagang buong araw ang practice namin ngayon, katulad lang din kahapon; our teacher in that respectively hour will the one who will look for us.

It's almost our lunch break but our leaders—the chosen ones, having leaders is not clearly necessary but as a one group we've decided to choose three who will teach us, we made sure that they really are capable of disciplining and good at communicating with us at the same time. Having Jaemilyn as our leader is enough but choosing another two for them to help manage the whole section is the best.

I sat on the floor where my seat was next to me. We arranged our seats together for more space in the middle—medyo maluwag naman ang classroom namin, inilabas namin ang iba para talagang maluwag.

Pinunasan ko ang noo kong may mangilang-ngilang pawis na rin ang namuo sa noo ko. I was drinking my water when Maxeus walked towards the corner where I am. He smiled at me and so I did.