The Campus Queen Bee That Used To Be Us

Chapter 1

The L and V in Livington

♕

Sive

The multiple alarms that I set last night started to ring one after the other. I gently scratched my eyes with my middle fingers to ease my morning laziness.

Huminga ako nang malalim at natulala sa ceiling. This is it. My first day on Livington. Naramdaman ko agad ang mabilis na pagtibok ng puso ko. Hindi ko na pinatagal pa ang aking katamaran at bumangon na sa aking higaan.

My body started to feel relaxed when the water finally rinsed my body. I love showering. It's like cleansing all the negative thoughts in my mind too. All those worst things that could possibly and impossibly happen to someone like me on their first day of school as a graduating senior high school student.

I still can't believe we moved here to Cavite. All my life, nasanay na akong mamuhay sa Batangas. Naroon ang buhay ko, and then suddenly, my dad decided to move us here. I'm still on the verge of adjusting. Barely adjusting.

Hinanap ng mga mata ko ang aking phone to check the time that I wish I had done it way earlier. It's already 6:20 p.m. I'm gonna be late! Itinapon ko ang hawak sa bag at dinalian ang pagbibihis. Mabuti nalang at maganda ang bagong uniform ko. A black blazer and pants with a white polo underneath and a black and dark red striped necktie. It's so fitting.

Habang tinatahak ko ang hallway ng aming bahay ay muntik pa akong matumba dahil sinusubukan ko na rin na isuot ang aking black shoes. Inayos ko ang pagkakasuot ng strap ng muntik nang mahulog na bag ko. Ugh, imagine if I just fell down the stairs, head first? Can't wait for it to happen. Kidding!

My face suddenly smelled the bacon and sinangag na luto ni Mom downstairs in our dining area. Nadatnan ko siya na still preparing the table. My presence suddenly stopped her.

"Breakfast na, Maris," she said.

Maris. Ugh. I hate hearing my second name. I just shrugged it off and went near the table to go grab some bread.

"I can't, ma. I'm already late na!" pasigaw kong sabi at dali-daling naglakad palabas ng bahay.

Hindi ko na muli pang narinig ang tawag niya. As much as I want to have a seat for the most important meal of the day, I can't. I don't feel bad na rin 'cause I know that Dad can finish anything her wife serves. It's why she married my mom, after all.

The cab that I booked thankfully arrived outside our village before me. Guminhawa rin ang aking pakiramdam nang makapasok sa kotseng full-pact ata ang AC. I did my best to hurry up. It's now all up to Manong Driver and the traffic to determine my fate.

I plugged in the earphones and played some Taylor Swift songs. Ugh, I hate how basic I am, but it's the songs that I love. Can't help it. As I stare in the window, I still can't believe this is Cavite. Traffic, roads are always under construction, and tangled electric wires. Wow. Why did we move here again?

I finally arrived at Livington after almost eight songs. Tumigil pa ako sa harap ng gate to calm myself down again dahil kinakabahan na ulit ako. This is it. Livington, please be good to me.

Hindi na ako nahirapan tuntunin ang building at room ko. Kahit may kaba pa rin ay binuksan ko na ang pinto at bumungad sa'kin ang tingin ng maraming estudyante at ang iritang tingin ni Maa'am whose in the front.

"I'm sorry, ma'am. I'm late," I politely said, gently making my way inside and closing the door, which made a very loud noise!

"Are you Mr. Marquez?" tanong niya.