After lunch, my friends and I found ourselves on a mission—to find the perfect spot to finish an assignment before our afternoon class.
The campus was bustling, but we wanted somewhere quiet, somewhere just for us.
We wandered around until we spotted a cluster of old, forgotten desks along the side of our next classroom.
It wasn’t the most glamorous setup, but for the four of us, it would do.
Most of our classmates had already retreated to their boarding houses for the break, leaving the area peaceful, just as we hoped.
However, there was one small problem—no chairs.
Without missing a beat, we went to our teacher to ask if we could borrow a few.
She hesitated at first, saying something about not wanting to set a precedent in case others started asking too.
But, after some playful persistence and the reminder that we were her students, due to attend her class later, she gave in.
We grinned, victory in our grasp, and returned to our makeshift study corner.
Settled in our seats, we began to work, the rhythm of our pens scratching against paper.
As usual, students passed by, lost in their own world.
We ignored them, heads down and focused.
But then, a group of tourism students gathered a few feet away, their disappointed faces hard to miss.
One of them held a test paper, the dismay written all over their expressions.
I caught myself staring, sympathizing with them.
I knew the feeling of seeing a grade that didn't meet expectations.
I wanted to shout, "Hey, we’ve all been there! Normal ra na!" But I stayed quiet and turned my attention back to my notes.
That's when I saw him.
Sir P.
He was standing just behind the group of students, waiting for them to move aside so he could pass.
Clad in his signature green polo shirt and sporting a large ID badge that dangled from his neck, Sir P was the picture of composure.
I froze.
Please, unta dili sila kabantay.
I thought, praying my friends wouldn’t spot him.
You see, one of my dearest friends had made it her life’s mission to playfully pair me with Sir P.
According to her, “Dae pareson mo ni sir P. ayieeeeeeh crush nimo no? hehehe,” and ever since then, my classmates had run with the joke, teasing me relentlessly about a non-existent crush.
It was a harmless joke, but with Sir P around, the teasing could get unbearably awkward.
I tried to concentrate, but the more I focused on my writing, the colder the sweat on my forehead became.
I could feel Sir P’s presence like a spotlight in the background.
Eventually, he passed by without incident, and I exhaled, grateful that none of my friends seemed to have noticed him.
But the universe wasn’t done with me just yet.
Ten minutes later, I spotted Sir P again, walking back towards us.
My stomach did a somersault when he stopped right beside us, and before I could look away, his voice broke through the tension.
"Ah, looks like you've found a new favorite hangout spot, huh?" His words carried a friendly, teasing tone.
I wanted to sink into the floor.
But, my friends, being the ever-cheerful bunch they were, immediately piped up.
"Yeah, sir! Haha!" they said in unison, their laughter filling the air.
I forced a smile, my eyes silently sending them a desperate message: 'Do not tease me about this right now.'
Thankfully, they picked up on my signal.
With only a knowing smile, they turned back to their work, leaving me to breathe a sigh of relief as Sir P continued on his way, disappearing into his classroom.
I stole a glance as he walked away, and I couldn’t help but reflect.
Sir P wasn’t just a kind teacher; he was someone who commanded respect through his presence alone.
The way he carried himself, with a quiet confidence, made him a favorite among students.
No wonder so many admired him. But still, the teasing was relentless.
I didn’t have a crush on him—at least, not the way they imagined.
He was my teacher, after all, and there were boundaries that I respected deeply.
Yet, no matter how many times I laughed it off, my friends seemed to think my awkward smiles and half-hearted denials were proof that I was hiding something.
The truth was, I was just embarrassed.
The last thing I wanted was for Sir P to catch wind of these rumors and think I was anything less than serious about my studies.
I’d worked too hard to have anyone, especially him, think otherwise.
Still, I knew better than to make a fuss over a bit of playful teasing.
It wasn’t life or death, and in the grand scheme of things, it was just a small bump on the road of my academic journey.
I smiled to myself, shaking off the lingering embarrassment.
There were bigger things ahead—assignments to finish, goals to chase, and dreams to pursue.
For now, that was enough to keep me focused.
With renewed determination, I picked up my pen, ready to dive back into my work.
The teasing would come and go, but my future? That’s something worth fighting for.
YOU ARE READING
POV
Non-FictionLife often presents itself as a series of hurdles, each one taller than the last. These hurdles, though daunting, are not meant to break us but to shape us into who we are meant to be. It is through our darkest nights that we gain the strength to fa...
