The next day, it was Monday, and Lyra and Jona were back at school, sitting side by side in their Grade 12 classroom. The first subject of the day was Math, and as usual, their teacher, Mr. Santos, was already at the front of the room preparing for a quiz. But Lyra and Jona were in their own little world, quietly flirting with each other, oblivious to the tension in the room about the upcoming quiz.
Lyra nudged Jona's arm and whispered, "Mukhang mahirap 'yung quiz. Ready ka na ba?"
Jona smirked, leaning in closer. "Hindi ko alam, eh. Pero kung nandiyan ka sa tabi ko, baka kayanin ko."
Lyra laughed softly, playfully rolling her eyes. "Bola ka na naman. Sabihin mo na lang kung gusto mo ng kodigo."
Jona grinned, clearly enjoying the banter. "Ay, wow! Kodigo agad? Ang galing ko kasi may special privilege ako sa'yo."
The classroom was filling up, and their classmates were starting to settle in. Mr. Santos was writing the quiz instructions on the board, but Lyra and Jona were still sneaking glances at each other, their playful exchanges going unnoticed by the rest of the class.
As the bell rang and the quiz papers were handed out, Jona shot Lyra a quick look. "Wish me luck," she whispered, her fingers lightly brushing against Lyra’s under the desk.
Lyra gave her a soft smile, leaning just close enough to murmur, "Good luck, love. Huwag ka masyadong kabahan."
Throughout the quiz, Lyra worked steadily on her answers, occasionally glancing at Jona, who looked like she was doing her best to focus. A few times, their eyes met across their papers, and Jona would wink, causing Lyra to bite her lip to stop from laughing.
As the quiz dragged on, Jona leaned over slightly and whispered, "Ano 'yung sagot mo sa number 5?"
Lyra smirked, writing something quickly on a small corner of her scratch paper and discreetly sliding it over to Jona. Jona glanced at it and grinned, mouthing, "Salamat."
Despite the seriousness of the quiz, there was an undeniable thrill between them, the secret smiles, the light touches—being in class together felt like an excuse to be close, even if it was supposed to be all about academics.
When the bell finally rang, signaling the end of the quiz, Jona stretched in her chair and let out a relieved sigh. "Hay, buti tapos na," she said, packing up her things slowly.
Lyra leaned over and teased, "Baka naman pasang-awa ka na naman sa quiz."
Jona chuckled, standing up and slinging her bag over her shoulder. "Walang pasang-awa ‘pag kasama ka. May lakas ako."
Lyra shook her head, smiling. “Bolero ka talaga.”
As they walked out of the classroom together, the school hallways bustling with students, Jona lightly nudged Lyra’s shoulder. "Alam mo, kahit na may quiz pa tayo kanina, parang ang saya ng araw ko dahil nandiyan ka."
Lyra blushed slightly, though she tried to play it cool. "Sabi mo lang 'yan kasi tinulungan kita."
Jona laughed softly. "Partly. Pero mostly dahil... alam mo na."
They continued walking side by side, their hands occasionally brushing against each other as they moved through the busy hallways. They were headed to their next class, but all either of them could think about was how much better everything felt when they were together—even the hardest quizzes seemed a little easier when they had each other to lean on.
After the quiz in Math, Lyra and Jona headed to their next class: English. They found their usual seats next to each other, still riding the high of their playful exchanges earlier. As the teacher, Ms. Perez, began discussing the day’s lesson, they exchanged knowing glances every now and then, though they tried to focus.
