"Raine, pinapatawag ka ni ma'am Jane sa office niya."
A thought came to mind. Just as I was about to look at Lyra, Rose, and Elizabeth, they were already looking at me thinking the same thoughts.
"Teh, baka ikaw panalo!" Lyra cheered for me.
They looked at me with a mixture of hopefulness and expectation. They probably thought that since I was being called into the teacher's office, it must be something to do with the writing competition.
"Si Raine na 'yan. Talagang panalo na 'yan."
Tinatago ko ang ngiti ko. There was a mix of nervousness and excitement. I had poured my heart and soul into my entry for the writing competition, and I was feeling positive and hopeful na may chances akong manalo. Pero hindi pa rin ako pakakampante. Kinakabahan pa rin ako.
"Congrats, Raine." Aries gave me a supporting smile.
I arrived at the teacher's office and found Miss Jane waiting for me. She smiled as she saw me enter. She gestured for me to take a seat in front of her desk, and I could feel the weight of anticipation in the air.
"How are you doing, Raine?"
"Uhm, okay naman po."
Miss Jane smiled and then took a deep breath and got straight to the point, and my heart skipped a beat. "You must know why you are here," Miss Jane said. "It's about the writing competition."
"Your writing is truly impressive," she said, her eyes bright with genuine appreciation. "May experience ka na ba sa pagsusulat?" she asked, leaning forward with curiosity.
"For fun lang po. Mahilig po talaga kasi ako sa pagsusulat. I started writing when I was 13 po."
Her mouth opened slightly in shock, as she was clearly not expecting such a young age for someone with my writing talent and experience.
"That's good to hear. I really like your story, hija. You have a great command over language and structure. I was really impressed by the way you used descriptive language to bring your story to life."
Hope started to bloom in my heart as she continued to praise my work.
"Your choice of words, the structure of your sentences, and the overall cohesiveness and flow of the story. It was all top-notch, and I really like it."
"'Yung entry din ni Aries, magaling din. Actually, pareho talaga kayong magaling. Both of your entries stood out among the rest."
I smiled.
She looked down, a small change in her expression signaled that there was more to her statement.
"Pero napansin ko lang. Aries' work really stood out to me"
Miss Jane spoke with a hint of admiration and conviction in her voice.
"It was not only well-written but also deeply touching. The way she explored the theme of mental health really struck a chord with me."
My smile slowly fell.
"It was her understanding of the theme of mental health that really grabbed my attention. Her portrayal sa struggles and challenges associated with mental health was incredibly accurate and beautiful, hija. It was actually more on the theme although her writing skills needs a little improvement."
Miss Jane smiled apologetically, and her expression was tinged with regret. "It was a difficult decision for me," she admitted.
"I was torn between your work and Aries'. You have impressive writing skills, Raine. Your storytelling is compelling and the use of your language is also effective." She paused, then her voice becoming more firm.
