The Architecture (Batchelor Series #1)

11

As John’s birthday approached, the days seemed to blur together. His birthday coincided with their periodical exams, so Manuel and Baltazar decided to hit two birds with one stone—prepping for the celebration while also reviewing for the exams. Since Baltazar had gifted Manuel a new tablet, they’d gotten used to doing FaceTime study sessions regularly.

Manuel's phone buzzed.

baltazar: Facetime now. Tapos na akong mag-review ng physics, sabay na tayo sa chemistry.

mrdavinci: Okay, wait lang. Ayusin ko lang itong table ko. Tawag na lang ako.

Manuel had recently changed his Instagram username, knowing his first one was way too jejemon and long. He even mimicked Baltazar’s style a little bit. Neither of them followed anyone else except each other on Instagram; it was their private little circle, no girls, no other friends—just them.

Minutes later, Manuel initiated the FaceTime call. Baltazar answered almost immediately. As soon as Baltazar’s face appeared on the screen, Manuel couldn’t help but smile. “Hey, Chem buddy!” he said, wiggling his eyebrows playfully.

Baltazar chuckled and shook his head. “Ano na naman ang pinaggagagawa mo, Manuel?”

Manuel just grinned wider and held up his chemistry textbook, clad in a sleeveless shirt that showed off his broad chest. “We’ve got a review to do, and I’m not letting you slack off this time,” he teased.

Baltazar couldn't help but laugh as he got himself comfortable for the study session. "Sige, sige. Ano ba ang gusto mong unahin?"

"Pero pre, study tayo, pero bakit sa utong ko ikaw nakatingin?" Manuel teased, zooming in on his face to block the view.

“Mag-focus ka nga,” Baltazar said, laughing. “Kahit gusto kong itanggi, medyo totoo. But seriously, let’s do this.” Amin ni Baltazar.

Manuel's charm was irresistible as they dived into complex chemistry topics. He turned the study session into something light and funny, using silly analogies to explain complicated concepts. As they discussed chemical reactions, Manuel was all over the place—making funny faces, cracking jokes, and even drawing absurd diagrams to help Baltazar grasp the topics.

At one point, Baltazar pointed at the screen and smirked, "Sabi ko graph, hindi yan! Ano na naman yang dinrowing mo, Manuel?"

“Pare-pareho lang yan, pre. Parehong may sides,” Manuel said with a mischievous grin, showing off his pearly whites.

"Baka yan pa ang isagot mo sa exam bukas," Baltazar warned, half-seriously.

“Wag ka nga OA. Mahirap pag di mo ka-humor ang kausap. Mamaya burat mo pa maisagot ko sa test bukas,” Manuel fired back, making both of them burst into laughter.

Despite the playful banter, the review went smoothly. They alternated between sections—Baltazar handled one part, and Manuel the other, giving and taking in a way that made the session productive yet fun.

"Ano ba 'to, pre? Parang ginawa mong pizza menu 'yung periodic table," Manuel joked, holding up one of his ridiculous sketches.

Baltazar shook his head in disbelief but couldn't stop laughing. "Manuel, you're a clown. But honestly, you're making this easier to understand."

They share the part of the review session. Module 1-8 for Baltazar and Module 9-16 for Manuel.

Manuel flashed a triumphant smile. "That's my job, bro. Alright, let's go over acid-base reactions next."

As the night went on, Manuel’s humor didn’t stop. "Okay, imagine this: the acid is like your grumpy neighbor, lagi siyang galit sa pH level," Manuel explained, pulling another goofy face.

Baltazar played along, enjoying the unexpected analogies. "And the base is like the happy neighbor who’s always calming him down?"

"Exactly!" Manuel’s eyes sparkled. "So, when they react, it’s like a party. The acid goes, ‘Oh no, I'm too acidic!’ and the base is like, ‘Relax, I got some hydroxide ions to fix that!’"

Baltazar burst out laughing. "You are the most absurd person I know, Manuel."

"Absurd? Yes. Genius? Also yes," Manuel winked. "Next, let’s talk about buffers. Think of them as the party hosts, keeping everything balanced, making sure no one gets too acidic or basic."

As the review went on, Manuel’s analogies got wilder. He started making up songs about reactions and performing exaggerated dance moves to keep things entertaining. Baltazar, though shaking his head at the ridiculousness, secretly appreciated the effort. Manuel’s humor, no matter how bizarre, made the difficult concepts easier to digest.

At one point, Manuel stood up and started pretending to be a proton. "I’m a proton, hear me roar! I’m going to bond with that electron and make the craziest acid-base reaction ever!"

Baltazar was practically in tears from laughing. "Stop it, Manuel! Hindi ako makahinga sa kakatawa!"

Manuel just grinned mischievously. "Yan nga ang goal ko, pre, para ikaw mag-fail at ako ang maging rank one. Ambobo mo naman eh."

"Try mo lang. Ikaw yata ang magiging bottom," Baltazar teased back.

Manuel raised an eyebrow. "Hindi pre. Ako top, ikaw bottom. Wait and see. Paglabas ng rankings, sisiguraduhin kong ako ang nasa itaas." I said. But Baltazar don't comment.

As they neared the end of their review, titration came up, and Manuel couldn’t resist turning it into another joke.

“Titration is like dating, pre,” he said, with a cheeky grin.

Baltazar sighed, already expecting another wild comparison. “Paano na naman?”

“Okay, ganito. You start with a strong acid, slowly add a base until you reach the equivalence point. Parang naghahanap ng perfect match—pag nasa tama na, boom, balance.”

Baltazar couldn’t help but chuckle at Manuel’s relentless attempts. “You’re a genius… of bad analogies.”

Manuel beamed. “Hey, if it helps you understand, I’m doing my job. Now, let’s wrap this up. Let’s review the strong and weak acids—basically, the clingy and non-committal partners of the acid world.”

After hours of reviewing, they finally finished around past midnight. The chemistry notes were scattered, jokes and laughter mixed with real learning.

"Good luck bukas sa exam, pre," Manuel said, giving a final wave before ending the call.

"Good luck din, Chem buddy," Baltazar replied with a smile.

As Manuel lay down on his bed, he felt a sense of accomplishment. Sure, they had a lot of fun, but he knew he’d done everything he could to prepare for the exam. Tomorrow, he’d face not just the test but also John’s birthday. But for now, with a small smile still on his lips, Manuel allowed himself to drift off, content with how the night had gone.