Midnight's Secret

First Midnight

"Perfectionism is self destructive simply because there's no such thing as perfect. Perfection is an unattainable goal."

- Brene Brown

Chapter 1

"Ms. Alvarez, congratulations you perfected the exam again. I'm sure your parents would be thrilled to see their daughter strive hard for her future, keep up the good work." Nakangiting sabi ng aming professor, as he handed out my exam results. Everyone just stared at me as if they're just already tired of me getting everything right. The professor started to hand out the rest of the papers to the other students, different reactions filled the classroom, yung iba parang naiiyak dahil hindi nila inaasahan grade nila at yung iba naman tuwang tuwa dahil nakafifty percent pa rin sila kahit papaano.

This is easy, life is easy, which makes everything else easy. Nakakawalang gana mabuhay. Taasan mo lang grades mo at sasaya na lahat ng tao sa paligid mo, strive hard to achieve everything para magkaroon ka ng desenteng trabaho na makakabuhay sayo. See? where's the fun in all that? it's like you're running circles to do whatever you can, it's also as if our lives were just painted in two different colors. Tumingin ako sa labas para makita ang mga ulap na nagbabadya ng ulan. This will be a long day.

"Girl! you did it again. Ang galing mo talaga sa lahat nakakainggit tignan mo naman nakuha kong score, I just- argh papagalitan nanaman ako nila dad" Nakangusong sabi sakin ng kaibigan ko habang pinapakita nya sakin ang papel nyang may markang 25/50.

"Athena there's always a next time, alright?" I smiled at her, but at the back of my head getting a fifty percent in an exam is just hard for me to comprehend.

"Ang hirap mabuhay. Everything depends on your grades I'm so sick of it." True but I really can't relate to her.

"Ok class settle down." The noise faded around me, including Athena who made sure she was already in her proper seat. The professor chuckled as if he was already tired of the low marks his students were giving.

"As you all know 'Brookside High' has a way of disposing students who- uhm anong tamang salita para dun? nevermind. Anyways, it is the time of the month. Every student here will be having a meeting later to discuss important matters." Everyone was setting their eyes and ears on the professor, lahat ng mata nila nagpapahiwatig ng sana hindi ako ang susunod.

Our school, Brookside High has a system that other schools don't have. Tinatanggal nila ang mga studyante na nakakakuha ng mas mababa sa 50% sa kabuoang porsiyento sa bawat katupasan ng isang sem, well technically hindi naman nila kinikick out binabalaan lang ng school administration. But when this 'ritual' or what ever it is called occur, something odd always happens, students that are called for this does not bother to go to classes the day after; in the long run malalaman na lang namin na nagdrop out na yung studyante na yon. Some say that the administration advised them to change schools and some say that they were really just kicked out of Brookside. That list of requirements does not put me in the list of being expelled nor being advised to change schools.

Tumunog ang bell hudyat na tapos na ang subject at break time na namin. Tumayo ako sa aking upuan at kinuha ang aking bag.

"Aislyn san ka pupunta?" bahagyang nagulat ako dahil nasa harapan ko na agad si Athena dala dala ang kanyang gamit.

"Uhm mag-aaral ako sa quad"

"Pwedeng sumabay?" I simply nodded para walang masayang na segundo.

As we both exited the room the hot temperature enveloped our body, trees were rustling, chatters of the students filled the hallways. I looked at some of the students that were passing, they all seem carefree para bang hindi sila takot sa anunsyo na gagawin mamaya, well Athena that was beside me was actually waving at some students that she had subjects with she was quite the friendly type if you ask me. Her hair was always in a high pony, she always dressed so nicely causing the boys at our school to lay heart eyes on her.