C H A P T E R 0 5

AUDRIE FESTEJO

"Doctor Suarez called me last night, and said that your brother had dengue. Hindi ka na dapat pumasok pa. Dapat binabantayan mo siya ngayon," he seriously said. Bumalik na naman siya sa rating Sir Highmore na palaging mainit ang ulo at nakakatakot.

I just continued to walk trying to sink in all what happened earlier. I just can't move on. What was that all about? I know that he just did those things because of the Guard who blocked my way. But I can't help myself to assume.

"You know what, if you don't want to speak, it's better that you go to class first, I don't want to talk on air. I'll be a few minutes late because I'm going to the office. Also, take these papers and lay them on the table. Tell your classmates that I will arrive late." I immediately took the papers he was talking about without speaking anything before he walked away from me.

Agad naman akong bumalik sa katinuan nang mawala siya sa paningin ko at dali-dali nang naglakad patungo sa classroom namin.

Nasa malayo pa lang ako ay rinig na rinig ko na ang ingay ng mga kaklase ko. May mga nagsisigawan at nagtatawanan kaya agad akong tumakbo papalapit at binuksan nang malakas ang pinto dahilan upang matahimik silang lahat. Ang ilan din sa kanila ay dali-daling inayos ang mga upuan na wala sa tamang ayos.

"S-Sir . . . " hindi naituloy ng lalaki na nasa harapan ang kaniyang sasabihin nang makita niya ako.

"Sorry, I thought you were Sir. Highmore!" natatawa na sabi niya bago naglakad papunta sa kaniyang upuan.

Lahat sila ay napahagikgik dahil sa inasal ng lalaking kaklase namin.

"Audrie, right?" tanong ng babaeng mayabang sa Cafeteria kahapon.

I nodded.

"Why are you late again? Aren't you have a watch para makita mo kung ano'ng oras na? Look, it's our last subject. But, wait . . . Sinasadya mo ba ito?" she asked stupendously.

"I mean, sinasadya mong pumasok ng ganitong oras dahil alam mong si Sir. Highmore ang Instructor natin. Para magpapansin sa kaniya. Okay, now I know. How pathetic you are?" she continued as she burst into laughter.

Kumunot ang noo ko. "N-No! What are talking about?" I asked in confusion.

"Audrie, don't deny it. We know that Sir. Highmore is so attractive, pero hindi naman kami gano'n kadesperado, just like you. You are just new to this institution but looked at your moves, you are so unbelievable." She looked at me from head to toe.

"S-Sorry, but I don't know what you are talking about. Hindi mo alam kung ano'ng nangyayari sa buhay ko. So don't you ever judge me like that! Also, if you really think na ginagawa ko ito dahil gusto kong magpapansin kay Sir. Highmore, sorry pero kahit hindi ko gawin iyon, napapansin pa rin niya ako. And if I'll going to compare myself to you, mas kapansin-pansin naman talaga ako kaysa sa iyo," I proudly said as I walked towards the Instructor's table and laid down the papers I was holding.

"Sir. Highmore will arrive soon. I saw him in the ground, and gave these to me. He also said that he was just passing by the office," I exclaimed before I walked over to my chair and pushed myself to sit down.

Wala ba siyang ibang mapagpapansinan kaya sa akin siya nagpapansin ngayon? Ang kapal ng mukha niyang sabihin iyon sa akin. Bakit, sino ba siya? Kamag-anak ba siya ni Jam Magno? Ang papansin kasi. Akala mo kung sinong maganda at matalino. Hindi naman halata. Hindi na rin ako magtataka kung may Tiktok account iyan.

"Chew this!" May inilapag si Haven sa desk ko, isang piraso ng chewing gum.

"Chill ka lang, ayan . . . mag-judge ka muna nang lumamig ang ulo mo," sabi pa niya habang humahagikgik.

Hindi ko na lang siya pinansin at kinuha -at balatan ang chewing gum bago ito ngi-nuya.

"Bakit kasi late ka na naman," he asked.

I kept on chewing the gum. "Wala pa bang isa? Ang tipid mo namang magbigay."

He laughed sabay abot ng dalawang piraso ulit ng chewing gum.

"Thanks!" I forced a smile at him.

"So, bakit ka nga late again? What's going on? You can share it with me, I will listen," he said seriously. He is really sincere.

I brushed my hair as I took a deep breath. "I was in the hospital.My brother has dengue, so I'm late again. But not as same as my reason yesterday, huh? It only happened yesterday, it's a good thing I came home early because if I didn't, my brother might be gone now," I said sadly.

I feel like I want to cry but I immediately bite my lower lip to stop myself. I don't want to show to him or to them the weak side of me. Ayaw ko ang kinakaawaan ako. I'm Audrie, a strong and independent woman.

Natigilan siya dahil sa sinabi ko at malungkot na ngumiti.

"How is he now? Hindi ka na dapat pumasok pa. Dapat binabantayan mo siya ngayon," he worriedly said.

"Don't worry, he is with my best friend right now." He sighs heavily but nods.

I noticed his sad and emphatic look at me, so I forced a smile.

Until I saw Sir. Highmore entered our room, so everyone immediately fell silent and sat down properly. The silence returned again when he arrived.

Alright, back to normal.

"Okay, class! Bring out 1/2 sheet of lengthwise paper. We will have a surprise quiz in 5, 4 . . ." Dali-daling naglabasan ng 1/2 lengthwise ang mga kaklase ko nang biglang nagbilang si Sir. Highmore.

Maging si Haven din ay mabilis na may kinuha sa loob ng bag niya. Habang ako naman ay pinanood lamang sila sa kanilang ginagawa dahil hindi ako handa. Wala akong alam. Nag-klase ba sila kahapon? Gosh! Hindi ko iyon naabutan! P'wedeng next time na lang ako mag-quiz? Bakit nila ako dinadamay diyan?

Ano'ng klaseng Instructor ito? Agad-agad may quiz? Second day of class pa lang, pero may quiz na agad? 'Tsaka wala man lang pa-good morning bago sabihing may surprize quiz. Matindi!

Sobrang guwapo rin sana niya pero parang mukhang galit palagi. Pinaglihi ba iyan sa apoy?

"I guess you don't have a paper, so here." Inilapag ni Haven ang isang sheet ng lengthwise sa desk ko, pero hindi ko iyon pinansin dahil wala rin naman akong isusulat doon.

"Okay, solve the following problems. Number 1!"

"W-What? Solving the following problems? Wait, ano'ng subject nga ito?" naguguluhan kong tanong.

Tumawa nang mahina si Haven. "You're not really reading the schedule. It's physics, Audrie. So don't worry, it's easy!" he blinks his eyes, trying to tease me.

What? Kailan pa naging madali ang Physics, hello? I thought it was just true or false.

"S-Sir, we are not prepared," narinig kong sabi ng isang kaklase namin.

Woah! Finally, may kasama akong hindi prepared. May kasama akong maze-zero. Yes!

"Gaga ka ba, surprise quiz nga!" sabi naman ng katabi niya. Iyong babae kaninang nakasagutan ko.

"Kahit kailan talaga killjoy itong babaeng ito!" I whispered.

"I just want to know your stock knowledge about our subject. Kung may natutunan ba kayo noong senior high school kayo!" Bahagyang tumuwid ng tayo si Sir. Highmore at ipinasok ang mga kamay niya sa bulsa habang nakatingin sa akin.

Nag-iwas ako ng tingin at isinulat na lang ang pangalan ko sa papel.

"Number 1. A race has an acceleration of 8 mi/h/s. Express this acceleration in meters per second." Pinakinggan ko nang maayos ang sinabi niya at napangisi na lang ako nang maalala ko ang mga pinag-aralan namin sa Physics no’ng senior high pa lang kami.

With a grinned, I immediately wrote down the solution and my final answer; 3.58 m/s²

"Wow! Brainy," nakangising bulong ni Haven.

Abot gilagid ang ngiti kong tumingin sa kaniya.

"Ano ka ba, basic unit conversion lang iyan. Kahit elementary kayang sagutin iyan, hello?" pagmamayabang ko. Well, it is partly true. When I was still in elementary and secondary, Science and Mathematics are my favourite subject, kaya nadadalian lang ako rito.

"Warning, Haven and Audrie!" Napakagat labi ako nang marinig ko ang pangalan namin ni Haven na sinabi ni Sir. Highmore.

I looked back at my paper without looking at him.

"Number 2. An acre is defined such that 640 acres=1mi². How many square meters are in 1 acre."

"Square meters in 1 acre?" I mentally asked.

1 mi = 1.609 km = 1609 m
1 acre = 1/640 mi² = 1/600 (1609m)² = 4.05 x 10³ m³

Ngumisi ako nang makuha ang tamang sagot. Hindi ko akalain na may naaalala pa pala akong lessons no'ng previous years.

Nagpatuloy lang ang aming quiz, hanggang sa matapos ito at agad naming pinagpasa-pasahan ang mga papel namin para i-check.

"Who got a perfect score?" Sir. Highmore asked seriously. His deep baritone is damn good to hear.

Tiningnan ko ang papel na hawak ko. Out of 10, five lang ang nakuha ng may-ari nitong papel. And me, I'm not sure, but I have the guts na perfect score ko. Kung hindi man, maaaring isa lang ang mali.

"Sir." Agad na ini-abot ng lalaking nasa harapan ang papel na hawak niya.

"Only one got a perfect score?" Sir. Highmore asked as he raised his right brow. I don't know, but he sounds so disappointed.

No one spoke to us.

"Okay, Audrie got a perfect score!" he exclaimed, and all my classmates turned their gaze at me.

Some of them are smiling, while the others are just mad and I don't know why.

Minutes had passed, after Sir Highmore collected all the papers, he immediately dismissed our class, so everyone yelled, and so am I.

"Congrats, brainy Audrie," Haven teased me.

"Tse. 9/10 ka kaya. Isa lang ang wrong mo, so you are brainy too!" I exclaimed to him.

Napakamot siya ng ulo. "Stop it, I hate compliments," he laughed.

"I hate—"

I wasn't able to continue what I was going to say when I heard Sir. Highmore called my name.

"S-Sir?" I turned my gaze at him.

He is already carrying his belongings and ready to leave our class.

"We will talk. In my office. Now!" he said in authority before he walked out of our classroom.

"I'll come with you," Haven insisted, and I immediately nodded as we walked quickly to follow Sir. Highmore.