To Reach You (Cordillera #2)

Prologue

I was ambitious, too ambitious.

To think that I would be able to reach him was absurd. My head was way above the clouds, masyadong mataas ang pangarap ko.

The heavens would probably bow bago mangyari 'yon.

"Lia, may title ka na para sa Research paper?"

Napailing ako, I stared at the gates of Caraga Regional Science High School, 15 minutes has passed since release, dumagsa na ang mga estudyante sa mga nakaparadang tricycle.

Nandito kami sa field, enjoying the serenity of the surroundings. The sound of the soccer ball brushing against the grasses of the field caught my attention, I stared at the soccer players on the field. One of them was attempting to do a rainbow kick, he miserably failed.

"2 weeks since the official start of the school year and they are already giving us a hard time! I should've stayed in St. Paul!" naghihisterya niyang sabi sa akin,

Napatingin ako kay Codey, her eyebrows furrowed as she tried to open her Ipad.

"Sana palang ay nag-isip ako ng Research title noong nasa grade school pa ako. Sana ay hindi na ako nahirapan!"

"I mean, grade seven pa lang tayo , tapos may Research paper na tayong kailangan gawin? Who does that?" Napangisi ako habang tinitingnan siyang halos magkandaugaga na para makahanap ng title.

"Science High School 'to Codey, alangan naman mag te-teatro tayo? Of course gagawa tayo ng Research paper!"

Napairap siya habang nagtitipa sa cellphone niya.

"Wala akong problema sa Research, Lia. It's just that it's too early! Freshman pa tayo noh!" Napakamot siya sa ulo habang nagsusulat ang nakuha niyang mga impormasyon.

Tahimik akong nagbabasa ng mga SIP na galing sa library. Our Research Adviser gave us a task to familiarize the contents if a SIP.

Napailing ako habang binabasa ang table of contents, ni isa sa kanila ay hindi pamilyar sa akin. Mukhang mahihirapan kami ni Codey dito.

"May naintindihan ka, Lia?" Tanong niya sa akin. Nahihiya akong umiling. I expected this. Bago ako pumasok sa paaralang ito, sinabi ko sa sarili na mahihirapan talaga akong mag-aral dito. You need to mantain your grades in order to pass.

A grade below 85 and 83 respectively for Major and Minor subjects, you can kiss your Honors goodbye.

Dalawang linggo pa lang ako rito and so far, it was the most stressful weeks of my life.

Halos wala akong tulog dahil sa tambak na mga assignments.

Math was hard. Research was hard. Heck, everything is hard. SayHay is such a pain in the ass.

Pero kailangan ko itong tiisin, hindi afford nila mama na paaralin ako sa isang private school. Codey came from St. Paul, a Catholic School ran by Nuns. Isang pribadong paaralan iyon, kailangan mong magkaroon ng lagpas dalawangpu't libong piso para makapag enroll ng isang school year. At kung unang taon mo, kailangan mo rin gumastos ng dalawangpu't libong piso para bumili ng Ipad.

Apatnapung libo para sa isang taon ng pag-aaral? Mapapatay ako ni mama.

Hindi kami mayaman, kaya kailangan kong magsikap.

Bawal magreklamo.

"Overnight nalang tayo sa bahay sa weekends para makapag-research tayo, wala naman sila Mom at Dad." Sabi ni Codey.

Huh?

Naalala ko ang bahay nila, nakakahiya na tawagin na bahay ang tinitirhan niya dahil mansion na ito. It was big and wide, ang exterior design nito ay yung klase na makikita mo sa mga magazines. It was a three story house with a pool, located in one of the old villas in the city--- Villa Corito.