Chapter 1 First Day!
It’s a brand new day for Joshua! Summer has ended, and it’s his 1st day on high school! In Joshua’s current state of mind, everything ends with an exclamation point! He slept 8:00pm in the evening and woke up 4:30 in the morning. He couldn’t hold his excitement for school. The greatest moment in his life had just ended (summer) and now the next great thing is coming up! High School! Where you can start over and be whoever you want, if you make a good impression. That thought struck Joshua like a lightning. He gosh darn hope he won’t make a bad impression or no one will like him, ever! That thought struck him like 2 lightning bolts, or 3 lightning bolts? Either way that thought nearly crushed his confidence for school, but Joshua isn’t a quitter! He’s going to dance his way to school wearing high heels and make some friends! Joshua’s confidence bolstered with a single thought, then he thought to himself. Dancing to school on high heels is pretty……peculiar. He’s really sensitive on using the word stupid. He looked at the clock and its 5:00. Only 2 hours to go and school will start. Getting…a bit…drowsy…Joshua dozed of.
After his nap, woke up at 6:40, Joshua called a cab and freaked out a little. All set and ready Joshua commuted to his School, Saint Lorenzo Ruiz High School. He watched with awe because this school is much bigger than his alma mater. He thought to himself, maybe this school will be better. Such a child, so hopeful with the future. They arrived about 6:50pm. The driver dropped Joshua to the entrance, he opened the door for him and said, ”Good luck, kailangan mo yun.” Joshua smiled and nodded, he moved his way out and took his very first step on Saint Lorenzo Ruiz School. The driver’s advice lingered inside Joshua’s head, “Good luck, kailangan mo yun.” And Joshua said, “Hmm! Hinde ko kailangan ng luck, confidence lang ang katapat niyan!” He took a deep breathe, then walked to his assigned classroom. Pushing aside negative thoughts and move on. Though Joshua doesn’t know it, the driver’s words lingering inside his subconscious not knowing his words made a deep impact in him.
“1-11, 1-11?” Joshua thought while looking for his classroom. He began to feel lost, he then decided to ask directions. He saw a guy with a buzz cut, then he asked, “Uhm, sir? Saan po yung room 1-11?”, The stranger said, “Oh, yung cwasswom mo ngandoon o”, The stranger pointed his finger across the hall. Joshua feels relieved and kindly said, “Ay, maraming salamat po! Malapit na ata ako ma-late, aalis na po ako”, The stranger said, “ Wawang pwobwema! Biwisan mo mawawate ka na”, and he did. Joshua thought of the stranger kind of weird. He must have a speech impairment, Joshua said to himself. Well I guess I’ll never see him again, but I’ll remember the whole speech impairment though. Joshua knocked on the door then opened it. He saw at least 20 people staring at him, a cold death stare. For a split second Joshua’s confidence fell rock bottom. The driver’s words echoed inside his head, “Good luck”.
“Oh, and you are?”, the teacher said. “Uhmm…..I…..I…..I’m J-Jo-Joshua Buh-baduria……”, Joshua stuttered.
His classmates just keep on staring at him like some exotic animal. “Take a sit Baduria, you made a bad impression to me and your classmates for arriving late on your first day of school”, the teacher said it jokingly. Joshua laughed nervously. What the teacher said stuck in his mind, a bad impression. Joshua thought to himself, it could be worse I’ll just take my seat and be done with it. Joshua noticed two vacant sits up front, he walked straight to it agonizingly while his classmates stare at him. Joshua kept telling himself it’s all in his confidence, just be confident and everything will be fine. He finally reached his sit with much relief
“Ok class, now we are all here we-“, “Sir! Wala pa po yung Ngo ngo!” a student interrupted. “Ah, siya. We’ll we can begin without him”. “Let’s begin by introducing ourselves my name is, Arnold Esteban, and I’ll be your Home room teacher. Who’d like to start and introduce themselves?” No one seems to be enthusiastic to do it. Confidence…Confidence! Joshua thought to himself. Time to make friends right? Then this is the right thing to do! Slowly and reluctantly, Joshua raised his hand.”Gu…Gusto k-ko po magsimula s-sir”. “Sure, go on in front then”, Mister Esteban said. One of his classmates commented, “Ang galing, may ngo ngo at utal tayo sa classe na to, mga weirdo.” Mister Esteban snapped, “Did, I ask you to talk? You won’t undermine his confidence, talk to him like that again and I’ll make sure you fail this class. No actually sit down Baduria, Gusto ko muna marinig magsalita si sir”, Joshua felt relieved and strangely happy because no one stood up for him before. He had a feeling this teacher is a good guy. “Now, who are you? Mister?” Mister Esteban said to his rude classmate.”Ako PO si Peter Gomez at ikinagagalak ko PO kayong makilala” Peter Gomez said aggressively. The whole class sat in silence. “See me after school, Mister Gomez. Take a seat.” Sir Esteban said calmly as he looks Peter sternly on the eye.
