One Of The Reasons

Chapter 1

"Xianne, what are your plans for summer?"  Patricia asked me after she told us her summer plans.

"Review for UPCAT," I answered while browsing some Review Centers' customers' feedbacks.

"Right, dream school mo nga pala," sagot naman ni Tyra.

Tumango lang ako sa kanya at nagpatuloy na sila sa usapan nila about their upcoming summer vacations.

Nandito kami ngayon sa cafeteria since hindi naman pumasok ang two-hour subject dapat namin.

"Aren't you guys gonna review for entrance exams as well?" I asked them, completely joining the conversation as I put my phone away.

"Well, I don't have any plans to transfer," Demi said and shrugged.

"My mom will just hire a tutor after our vacation. Mahirap kasi kapag sa review center, maraming akong mami-miss because of our vacation," Tyra said.

"What schools are you going to try?" I asked Tyra.

"Maybe, Ateneo, Mapua, and UP rin," she said while sipping her frappe.

"Hmm, how about you Pat? Do you have any plans to transfer?" I asked.

"Loyalty awardee 'to," sabi niya at tumawa. "Dito na rin siguro ako magka-college, hindi ko na maiwan e," sabi niya at humigop na rin sa frappe niya.

Tumango lang ako sa kanya.

Loyalty Awardee kaming dalawa dahil since kinder nandito na kami. To be honest, it's also hard for me, pero wala e, UP is my dream. No way to go but UP.

I started dreaming about UP when my elementary professor talked about his UP Experience, then out of curiosity way back in Junior High, I researched about UP and their passing rates and feedbacks are all good. I made up my mind when our school talked about career guidance, good thing about this school is that they aren't pushing the students to stay here for college, they even invited a Doctor of Medicine who graduated in UP to share her remarkable UP experience.

I also want to be a doctor, that's why I'm here, sitting in this chair and learning this freakin' basic calculus. Mahina talaga ako sa math, but when it comes to Physics and Stoichiometry or any Science related problems, okay naman ako.

"Pat!" Mahinang tawag ko sa kanya.

Nag-eexplain ang prof namin ngayon pero hindi ko nasundan dahil sa pag-iisip kung saang review center ako mag-eenroll.

"Pat!" This time siniko ko na siya.

"Shh, baka makita nanaman tayo, mamaya ka na," sabi niya at nagpatuloy sa pagte-take down notes.

Si Pat ang mas magaling sa math kumpara sa akin at ako naman sa Science at English. Beneficial din ang friendship namin dahil nagtutulungan kami.

Dahil hindi niya ako gustong sagutin ay nagsulat na lang ako sa papel.

"Paano raw?" Tapos nilapit ko sa kanya.

Napatingin siya at mahinang tumawa.

"Crush mo pala si Philip ha," sagot niya sa sulat.

Naknamputek, ayon pa napansin, dahil sa pagde-day dream ko kanina naisulat ko pala.

Siniko ko siya at mahinang tumawa rin.

"Gago, hindi 'yan pinapabasa ko sa'yo," bulong ko sa kanya.

Tumawa siya.

"Miss Dela Rosa and Miss De Guzman, what's so funny?" Professor Vinluan strictly said to us.

"Patay," mahinang bulong ko.

"Stand up, both of you! Repeat what I just said," she said and she looked at Pat then me.