LORENZO ELRIC GARCHITORENA

WHAT A cram-page, indeed! It's already 12 midnight and I'm freakin' busy rushing this project I need to submit for tomorrow. And sanctified feces! Sobrang aga pa ng klase ko mamayang 7 AM. Great.

The continuous clacking of the keyboard is the one making noise in this time of the night. Sino ba naman kasi 'yong walang ibang inatupag kung hindi tapusin ang anime series na dinownload ko pa sa laptop?

Well... Procrastination is life! Kung hindi lang ako na-remind ng aming professor through our group chat, hindi ko na alam kung saan ako babagsak nito.

Bahala na ako kung masu-survive ko pa ito bukas. It's either I'll finish this in no time, or this project is the one who will going to finish me.

Doing basic C++ (I repeat, basic) is such a pain in the arse. Ilang beses ko nang nira-run ang program ko pero patuloy pa rin ang na lumilitaw ang error. Oh, please! Kailangan ko nang matulog.

Napaunat ako ng dalawang braso while sitting at my gaming chair. I also stare at my pet cat, Mr. Ginger whose body is curled and sleeping at the brown-colored rug na nasa ilalim lang ng inuupuan ko. Napakahimbing ng tulog niya, na kung minsan ay parang gusto ko na lang na maging isang pusa--far from stress and worries a hooman being is facing every single day. If I would given a chance to switch my life with a furball, I would grab that opportunity in an instant.

As the wee hours of the night emerged, patuloy ko pa ring ina-analyze ang kung ano ang kulang sa pino-program ko. Actually, completed na nga ang mga na-encode, but I'm still figuring out kung saan ako nagkulang.

Every single value inserted were manually detected, kahit na nawawalan na ako ng gana at kung pupuwede lang na ihampas ko na ang keyboard sa monitor. And after years of prolonged agony, I noticed something at the return 0 part.

That goddamn semicolon!

I knew it! Instead of putting semicolon, I inserted a colon instead para sa return function! What a dumbass I am. Parang gusto ko nang. ihampas ang mukha ko sa keyboard.

So, my fingers are crossed while I tried to run again the program (it's now or never!) at hindi mabakas sa mukha ko ang tuwa nang makita kong mag-fade into black ang screen at lumitaw ang output; finally, successful ang pag-run nito. I feel the glory in the middle of the night! I feel so satisfied! It's so fulfilling! Makakatulog na talaga ako.

---

"Anyare sa iyo, Lorenzo?" one of my classmates asked upon seeing my haggard face habang nakalumbaba ako sa dalawa kong magkabilaang braso sa desk. Well, this is a by-product of my struggles in life.

Hindi ko na lang siya sinagot at ipinagpatuloy na lang ang paglumbaba.

I was busy sulking once again in the corner. It's still the same scenario all over again inside our classroom. Hinihintay lang namin ang aming professor for our first period this day. There's endless chatterings by my classmates. And of course, there's the ever-great president, Chino na feel na feel ang pagbalandra niya sa bandang harapan. But I don't give a crap to them, because I look like a crap for today. Three hours of sleep is not enough at para tuloy akong isang lantang gulay na parang ewan na nakulangan ng vitamins. Late na nga akong natulog, ang aga ko pa ring nagising.

Kahit sabaw at lutang ako ngayon, at least, tapos ang pinapa-submit. Wala na akong pinoproblema ngayon.

Campbell's Cream of Lorenzo Soup, now available in stores near you.

After few moments, our Professor for our C++ subject, Sir Mutuc came inside the classroom. At least, hindi siya late ngayon (most of the time, he is always twenty minutes late even after the 15-minute grace period). He has this small physique, a Caesar-style haircut, and his chin is almost covered with goatee.

Binigyan niya muna kami ng instructions sa pagpe-present namin. And of course, he demonstrated us sa kung ano ang next na gagawin namin for our programming. Sa totoo lang ay hindi ma-process ng utak ko ang instructions na ibinigay niya. Ang nasa utak ko lang noong mga oras na iyon ay ang matulog, matulog, at matulog. Kanina pa ako dinadalaw ng antok; like there's Jigglypuff is humming at me. Sa sobrang bigat na ng mga mata ko ay anytime ay baka makatulog na ako nito.

"Lorenzo." Upon hearing my name, my heart skipped a beat. Mukhang may masesermunan na rito. Kahit napakabigat na ng ulo ko ay napatingala pa rin ako and I tried to be attentive on what he will going to say to me.

"Hindi pa ba na-mention sa iyo ni Ma'am Aguas na ikaw ang isasali para sa Quiz Bee?" he declared while raising both of his eyebrows.

Wait, what? What is Quiz Bee?

My mind haven't processing anything yet when Sir Mutuc speaks again. "Inter-school ang magiging competition, at makakalaban ninyo ang ibang representatives ng ICT department from different colleges and universities of San Fernando. Bale gaganapin siya three weeks from now. So, prepared ka ba?" Honestly speaking, wala akong masiyadong naintindihan sa sinabi ni sir. Pero tamang tango na lang ako. I really need to sleep.

"Kausapin mo na lang si Ma'am Aguas para sa iba pang details."

After that, hindi ko namalayang dinala na pala ako sa kabilang mundo and it put me into deep slumber. I know that the devil wins this time.

---

The reality gradually sinks in at doon ko na-realize na isinali nga pala ako sa Quiz Bee. Buti na nga lang talaga at hindi ako nasita ni Sir Mutuc kanina habang natutulog ako.

I contemplated with my decisions in life upon exiting the computer laboratory. At sinong Poncio Pilato naman ang nag-suggest na isali ako sa competition? I am not that prepared. At sino ba namang sasali sa akin? Kung sa bandang huli naman, I would become an ornament.

They choose me, and they choose their own doom.

Dumeretso ako sa may school cafeteria to eat my lunch and to get rid of the stress I am having. Sa mga oras na ito, maraming mga estudyante ang kumakain but I still managed to get a seat. Inilabas ko ang rectangular food keeper na may brown lid sa aking backpack. Pagkabukas, I saw the scrambled pieces of Pork Tocino, sliced scrambled eggs, and fried rice and they looked murdered due from the container due to being packed inside my bag, but they're still manageable to eat.

Inilabas ko rin ang textbook ko para sa Philosophy because we're having a quiz for later. And... I haven't reviewed even a single bit of information from our recent topic. Socrates, who? Well... He's the student of Plato.

While busy eating my lunch, someone caught my attention... Again! That Onemig from YoLO! I'm already in a sour mood, yet dadagdagan pa niya? Oh, come on!

"Uy, Lorenzo! Kain nang mabuti!" Oh, please! Can he give me some peace? I really hate being interfered! Pero this time, kasama niya 'yong isa niyang classmate.

Lumapit pa siya at saka ako itinapik ang kamay niya sa balikat ko. He's being too touchy as if we're that close. Umiwas na lang ako ng tingin. Kung hindi lang talaga ako makapigil, I would just shut his mouth. His ray of sunshine kinda makes me nauseated. Oh, please! Gusto ko lang na manahimik.

"Byron, si Lorenzo pala. 'Yong kasama ko sa YoLO!" He even introduced me to his friend.

"Hi, Lorenzo!" he greeted back with a cheerful tone.

"O siya, gotta go na! Eat well, Lorenzo. See you!" And finally, peace at last! Makakakain na ako!

Gah! I need some repellent to get rid of him. He's trying to get in my nerves already.

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