Just This Time

Chapter Nine

Marco's POV

Midway through November and I'm absolutely stumped. Our midterms examination for the first semester is fastly approaching, and I couldn't help myself from celebrating because, come on, one down, three more to go.

Our classroom is full of downright bad, absurd, and morally depreciating humorists who probably never got attention in their homes. There was this one time when a teacher was already fuming to a group of classmates who were very noisy at the back, but they continued to laugh, talk, and physically harm each other. The teacher walked out. There was also this one time when a teacher got hit by a piece of paper from classmates who were seemingly having a paper throwing battle at the front. Then there will be moments of classmates shouting at each other, cursing all of their vocabulary, and arguing over the most basic things ever.

One time I was trying to get my pen back from what I think is a case of pen theft. That thing cost me 50 pesos. So I looked for it, of course. And I asked my classmates about it.

"Did you guys saw my gel pen?"

No response from the class. I looked at every drawer, every single desk, and every inch of the floor. Wala.

Then here comes a response.

"Hinahanap mo Roy?" A girl from the class asked me.

"My ballpen. Have you seen it?"

"Uhm, try mo kaya i-check sa kiffy ko? HAHAHAHAHA!" she said as she busts out of laughter.

What in the name of what?

That thing she said was so outrageous I blurted out a big "yuck!" to her face. And that for me was crossing the line. I had enough of them.

So I remembered. May roong Freedom Wall pala where I can put my grievances about our class in a healthy manner. At least doon, nailabas ko na 'yung galit ko, at the same time, exposed naman ang kabalastugan ng section namin sa buong school. And maybe then some action would be taken. I guess.

So pumunta ako roon after class. Finally, may supply na sila ng sticky notes. Hinalughog ko 'yung bag ko for my pencil. Kulang ata 'yung isang page ng sticky note para masabi ko lahat ng hinaing ko sa klase namin. Then I proceeded to write down.

Palong-palo magsulat, oh.

But while I was thinking about what I would write more, napalingon ako sa mga sticky notes na nakapaskil sa board.

And I looked, looked, and looked.

Hey, what's up with that?

I actually stopped writing after seeing what I just saw. Was that right?

There was another reply to my message from a time ago.

"Hahahahaha, yah, same thoughts. Most of the students here are weird," said by the note.

I was absolutely baffled to what I saw. Is this person trying to be... penpals with me?

As much as I hate to say this, but I'm intrigued to who might be the other person is. So I took another sticky note, thought what I would write about for a few seconds, and finally I came up with a response:

"Why do you think people are like that?"

And I pasted it on the board, just below the message. I'm positive na that person would reply again. I asked a question, eh. After I proudly did so, I took my bag, and I went off.

Yep, I totally forgot why I went there in the first place.

Therese's POV

Guyssss!!! It's December na!