GLOSSARY
· Po - to further highlight the politeness of addressing a statement/question towards someone older; has no direct English translation
· Kasi – because
· Naman (…it is a majority religion naman) – …a majority religion anyway
· Diyos ko po – Oh my God
· Diba? – Right?
· Iha – a term of endearment typically for a younger girl
· Aba, sumasagot ka pa, ha? – Oh, you have the guts to talk back to me?
· Tapang noon ah! – That was gutsy/brave!
· …,'ano? – This word literally translates to what but if used in this context, usually means "…,Right?"
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After the baffling question, the students remained in stunned and fearful silence. If you knew Mrs. Asuncion long enough, you knew that if she snapped she'd get passive aggressive which was so scary that we'd never dared to test the limits of that.She continued to pour on and on about the application of the three dimensions of faith. The mood of the class shifted into various shades of bored until the hour ticked to its last second and the lesson finished ten minutes earlier than expected.
"Okay, class. That ends our session today. Thank you for listening and you know, may your faith be strong ALWAYS without DOUBTS! Goodbye and thank you, class!" Mrs. Asuncion boomed.
"GOOODBYEE and THANK YOUUU, Mrs. Asuncion!" The class greeted in unison.
A handful of others added hastily, "Have a nice day. God bless you!"
She smiled at the class and waved Willow over to the teacher's desk in front. Willow gathered a few notebooks and her lunch box as she made her way to the front of class.
My friend group gathered in one corner of the classroom as everyone else began to pile outside to go down for lunch. We all agreed to wait outside the classroom, in the hallways for the other class of ninth graders where some of our friends were. While waiting, we continued chatting as Mrs. Asuncion and Willow picked up their conversation from earlier.
The others weren't paying much attention to them but when you could read emotions, you'd clearly want to hear what makes it that way. I scooted a little closer to the closed classroom door to hear the conversation but the sounds were so muffled.
I had no idea the new girl was a social justice warrior. It peaked my interest a bit, not gonna lie.
I tried my best to lean into the door but I couldn't make anything out. I read the emotions swirling in the room and detected rising contempt coming from Mrs. Asuncion I assume since the same blank signal came from the other being in the room.
The conversation's tone was slowly rising and I began to grow a little worried that eavesdropping might get me in trouble so I decided to edge away.
Before I could edge away, I caught Mrs. Asuncion's blaring voice proclaim, "I'm sorry, Miss Balagtas but sometimes, we just have to accept what is fed to us!"
I felt a little stunned and rooted in my spot upon hearing a non-passive aggressive statement coming from Mrs. Asuncion. You just knew the new girl pushed her past the limit. I didn't wanna be in proximity when it happened so I dashed to the cover my of my friends.
As soon as I left the side of the door, Mrs. Asuncion came barreling out and readings of absolute anger swept off of her, driving my brain into overdrive. In short, a painful headache was budding but I had to bite it back a bit.
She tried her best to remain composed as she walked towards the door. I tried my best to scoot away and make it seem like I wasn't listening and that my head wasn't aching like hell.
An agitated Willow bravely faced Mrs. Asuncion and stood her ground as she followed Mrs. Asuncion down the hallway, "Miss! I am human and if it concerns my fellow humans' rights, it does concern the human race!"
Mrs. Asuncion stopped in her tracks and my friend group went dead quiet as they awaited Mrs. Asuncion's next move. She turned on her heel and propped her chin up to face an equally pompous Willow.
"Girly is busted on her first day," Jima whispered before Sammy hit him. The whole group pretended to ignore what was happening. Thalia struck a conversation with Christian and me but I knew what was happening was much more engaging.
"Aba, sumasagot ka pa ah!" She stormed her way to Willow until they were an arm's length away, "Miss Balagtas, I demand you go to Mrs. Nolasco immediately."
Willow held her head high and raised an eyebrow in contempt, "I simply answered your question, Miss. You're the one who left the conversation early."
The whole group was in a fit of stunned silence as people filed into lines and groups on their way down, trying to ignore the scene going on. Was the other section going to get out yet? This is too much tension. I could read the heavy swirl of anger processing into numbers and letters my brain could pinpoint coming from Mrs. Asuncion but Willow remained signal-less as ever. I couldn't understand how she was feeling or why she was doing this to herself.
"Office, now, Balagtas!" Mrs. Asuncion's chaotic and enthusiastic energy was gone; all that you would ever see is her eyes glaring with fury.
Without a word, the pair stormed down with Willow seemingly holding back a smirk.
When the whole group could breathe, they all let lose their withheld reactions.
"What the he-"
"Tapang noon ah."
"I got a new idol ,guys."
Amidst our chatting, the bell rang and the other class filed out of their two doors from the classroom. The speakers blared with the chime that there was an announcement. Jima and Christian looked at each other in understanding with widened eyes and dashed down the stairs upon hearing the chime, leaving us in their wake.
Thalia sighed and shook her head, "They really dash down the stairs when the Angelus comes, ano?"
Sammy rolled her eyes, "I guess if the Angelus is in their way, they suddenly want it even more."
The Angelus was a 12 o'clock prayer recited every day but with the long lines at the canteen and some other batches who had earlier lunch breaks than us, the length of the lines could be at your disadvantage if you get caught in the Angelus prayer before you line up.
The speaker blared with the honeyed voice of a senior, "Good afternoon. We shall now pray the angelus. Drop all you are doing and participate in the praying. "
My thoughts flitted from the moment and I looked out over the open aired hallways to see Christian and Jima slowing down and subtly moving towards the canteen on the school grounds while the school prepared for prayer.
"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit , Amen.
The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary…"
"…and she conceived by the Holy Spirit," We all replied in a monotonous chorus, a practiced response while others remained silent.
I didn't know what Willow said to her or how she felt. All I knew was that someone was shaking things up at St. Nick. You could say, the main character has finally arrived to begin the movie and she wasn't skipping a beat to be y/n from the Wattpad self inserts.
Sometimes we just have to accept what is fed to us, Mrs. Asuncion had said. She did have a point. Which is why I'm savoring every bite of this journey to graduation with Willow Balagtas. Let's see how long this girl can hide her heart from me.
"Amen."