Morning Blushes

chapter twelve

Weeks passed in a blur. Palapit na nang palapit ang school play namin. I can barely even notice. We're practicing all day since the week after exams. I mean, all day. It's physically and mentally demanding, I swear. I am working 70 percent of the time.

I'm having lunch break with the other members of the other members here inside the room. They are pretty cool. Over the weeks we've been seeing one another, I have eventually been comfortable around them. I can say they are so much fun. Of course, a jam won't go missing. It has been normalized since the first break we had.

"Hey, what about Beauty and the Beast?" Jace asked, one of the loudmouths here. He's from the other section and apparently the best friend of Calvin. He's mortal enemies with Lily which I find to be amusing. Hindi tatahimik ang buong mundo kapag nandito sila.

"Duh, Jace? Really?" Lily rolled her eyes. "You're seriously asking us the childhood we lived for years? Hell, yes."

"Cool. Simulan mo," sabi ni Jace.

"Depends on what song, dummy," Lily said.

"I'll start. Days in the Sun." Calvin started. He copied the voice of the young beast and all of us cracked up. He looks ridiculous but he doesn't even care about it. It's a normal thing to look ridiculous in musical plays anyway.

They're all having our voices mixed up. Tawa kami nang tawa nung ginaya ni Lily si Madame Garderobe. She exaggerated the operatic impression, that's why. They looked at me when Belle's part is about to start. It's a sign that I'm gonna be doing it. Lily has the most encouraging look telling me to go for it. As I sing Belle's part, they all cheered. Pinigilan ko yung tawa ko nung ginawa ni Lily yung humming as second voice ni Madame Garderobe, in its usual operatic voice. I continued Belle's part with the other girls.  

Some days,  kapag hindi namin kasama yung iba, I'm just staying inside here. Calvin is also staying. He reasoned out that I have no one to talk to. Well, that's fine by me and I guess I just eventually got fine around him too.  I somehow appreciated the effort most of them does to stick me to the team. Parang ako kasi lagi yung parang kakawala then mahihiwalay na lang sa kanila.

"What's your favorite song?" Calvin suddenly asked. "From Beauty and the Beast."

"Evermore. From the live-action." I answered. It's obviously the most emotional song. 

We're singing and rehearsing our complex duet every spare time. Then after school, I'm going home and check our section's group chat since doon sinasabi lahat ng ginagawa to keep up.

I'm so ready to sleep after a long exhausting and fun day. Saktong saktong pagkapikit ko, my phone beeped. I groaned. It's hard to get up and get my phone across the room. Nung tinignan ko, it's a message from De Guzman. 

I won't be able to see you early in the morning :( 

What's with the sad face? Goodness gracious, that was cute. I've been walking with him to school most mornings. It's the only time of the day we're most likely to meet and catch up.

I replied, Di ka papasok?

I waited for his response. I waited for a couple of moments. No reply. I just placed my phone across the room and tried to sleep.

I'm having a hard time coping up and managing my grades. I got most of the highest marks on the previous exams and some of them are high enough. I only got one perfect score.  Hindi ko na alam kung anong idadahilan ko kay Mommy.  It's so hard to lie to her. 

Pumasok ako sa school nang maaga to take some of our quizzes. I just shrugged and resumed walking. I saw a bunch of people at the football pitch for military training. I see. Now I know kung bakit hindi ko kasabay si De Guzman. He's probably interrupting their thing there or maybe he's simply not around today.