"So tell me about yourself."
And yet, I once thought na ligtas na ako sa mga ganitong pangyayari. I guess I'm not that lucky enough.
"Uhm..."
What I hate about introducing yourself in front of the class is that all eyes are on you. It's quiet that you can hear your own breathing, and it's killing me. Wala pa naman akong kakilala dito dahil taon-taon ay nagsa-shuffle ang schedule.
I roam my eyes around the room, only to meet bored, amused, impatient, scrutinizing, and threatening gazes. It's making me uncomfortable, so much that I want to barge out of the room, go home and shackle myself in my room and play God of War instead.
"Uhm..."
Ms. Ivy, our Spanish teacher, clears her throat and raises her left brow when I look at her. "Are we going to stand here all day, or are you going to talk?"
Shit!
Kung meron lang sana akong confidence na mayroon ang iba, sana... Nakakainis!
"H-hi. I-I'm---"
"SORRY, MISS, I'M LATE!"
And just when I thought I was going to die, that one girl who almost killed me earlier, ironically saved my life. Ngayon, lahat ng atensyon ay nasa kanya na.
"Do you need to shout, Ms. Tolentino?" Small chuckles erupt from my classmates, pero nawala rin 'yon nang tumingin sa kanila si Ms. Ivy. Remember nang sinabi kong 'pa-strict'? Joke lang 'yon. Nakakatakot ang Spanish teacher namin ngayon.
Akala ko ay maglulupasay na naman siya katulad nang ginawa niya kanina. But no. Her next words got all of our jaws dropped. Grabe, hindi ko alam kung ano'ng ibig sabihin ng sinabi niya. Ang alam ko lang, alam ng babaeng ito kung paano ililigtas ang sarili niya mula sa kapahamakan at sa kahihiyan.
"Lo siento que no pasarâ de nuevo, Señora."
Ang kaninang nanlilisik na mata ni Ms. Ivy ay nakangiti na, hindi nga bumagay dahil nakakatakot pa ring tingnan.
"Toma asiento."
Ang tanging naintindihan ko lang ay 'Gracias' na ang ibig sabihin ay 'Thank you' tapos ay umupo na siya sa... teka.
She's seated beside me! That annoying girl. I mentally groaned as I keep on trying to show a creepy smile because Ms. Ivy is practically burning me with her gaze.
I roll my eyes and clear my throat. Akala ko ligtas na ako, heto na naman.
"Good morning. I'm Bryan Velasco and... my family just moved in High Homes a year ago so I am not really familiar with your faces." Hindi ko alam, pero nagtawanan ang ilan. "Let's just hope we can get along with each other and..." Tumikhim ako at dahan-dahang lumingon kay Ms. Ivy. "Si-simpatico reunion u-us-t-tedes."
Pero imbis na ngumiti ay napailing si Ms. Ivy at narinig kong napatawa nang bahagya 'yong nakakainis na babae. Bakit? Tama naman ang sinabi ko, ni-Google translate ko pa 'yon dahil assignment namin 'yon last year.
"Kung bobolahin ninyo ako, make sure na tama ang mga pinagsasabi ninyo. Now..." And the class goes on and on na hindi naalis sa isip ko kung paano ako napahiya ng ilang beses.
Padabog kong sinara ang locker ko na ikinagulat ng mga nagdadaang estudyante sa hallway. Agad naman akong nag-sorry dahil ang iba ay napamura na sa gulat. Grabe pala talaga ang mga estudyante rito sa Sonnet, dinaig pa ang public school na pinanggalingan ko. Naturingan itong international school, English nga ang primary language dito, puro mura naman ang nalabas sa bibig ng mga estudyante.
"Bryan!" Agad kong nilingon si Jake na tumatakbo pa papunta sa akin.
"Bro!' Hinampas ko ang dibdib ko, indicating a request for a body bump, and he gave me the most enthusiastic body bump ever.
BINABASA MO ANG
How I Lost Her
Teen Fiction[Filipino] Bryan Velasco is an achiever, at least that's what his mother wants him to be. But he can't. He is the epitome of lazy. He hates Monday mornings, he hates school, he hates being busy, and most of all, he hates Korean pop. He hates it that...
