First day at junior high had arrived, finally. And don't worry, Kat. This will be as easy as the previous years, sabi ko sa sarili ko as we drove our way to Puerto Estrella University. It was exciting yet so terrifying kasi madami na namang tanong ang pumapasok sa isip ko. Would I fit in? Would I have nice teachers? Would I be bullied? 'Yun ang mga tanong na lagi kong iniisip sa lahat ng first days namin ni Kurt --- sa lahat ng pinaglipatan naming schools dati.
In the midst of my anxiety, biglang tumunog ang phone ko nang nag-text si Rita. She was asking if we're already at the campus. Dinaanan namin siya kanina sa kanila pero sabi ni Mamita maaga siyang umalis sakay ang school bus. Nag-reply ako at sabi ko sa kanya, mabagal mag-drive si Kurt kaya papunta pa lang kami. She just replied with a laughing emoji.
Our original plan was I'd be driving on our first day and then we switch everyday. Tamad lang talaga ako mag-drive. Buti na lang gustung-gusto ni Kurt magmaneho kaya walang issue sa kanya. He could even drive us for the entire school year.
It took us some time to park dahil sa dami ng mga kotse sa parking area ng campus. Parang halos lahat yata ng mga estudyante sa PEU ay may mga sariling sasakyan. I had no clue where to go when we got out of the car and just walked all the way across campus. We finally reached the courtyard where there were crowds of kids hanging around. This was it.
They were everywhere. May mga naglalakad na naka-backpack, may mga grupong nagtatawanan at nagki-kwentuhan in every corner of the campus, may mga nagpi-picture, at may mga nagti-TikTok. It's like they had no idea that fourkids already died in Puerto Estrella.
I started to take my meds again early this morning kaya feeling ko ready na'ko ulit to face my battles. As usual, Kurt just looked perfectly calm.
Our high school uniforms were both modern and elegant looking with black and yellow as color motifs. All the students at PEU were sporting a western-style coat with a white collared blouse underneath and a black bow tied in front. The guys were wearing the same but matched the white collared polo and black ties. For bottom, girls wore a plaid pleated skirt paired with knee-length black stockings and heeled loafers while the guys wore black pants and formal shoes.
"Kat!"
Nakita namin si Rita na naglalakad ng mabilis palapit sa'min ni Kurt and then she hugged me.
"I already got both of your schedules para di kayo ma-late," sabi niya then she handed out some papers to us with our classes printed on them.
"Awww, thank you," I told her habang chini-check ko ang mga subjects ko.
"We've got Physics together on our first period," she told me excitedly. "Kurt, you've got Gen Math."
Masaya ako na kasama ko si Rita sa first period. At least, hindi na'ko 'yung tipong uupo lang sa isang sulok at sa pinakalikod na part ng classroom, trying to avoid everyone.
We used the campus elevator to get to the fourth floor.
"See you at lunch," sabi ni Kurt sa'min saka siya tumalikod at pumunta kung saan man ang classroom niya.
Nilakbay din namin ni Rita ang napakahabang corridor kung saan puno ng mga estudyanteng nagki-kwentuhan, some of them were staring at me. The bell was ringing the moment we finally found our classroom at nakahanap kami ng upuan sa loob. Magkatabi kami ni Rita sa gitna, behind the two seats from the platform in front. Most of the students were already inside nang pumasok ang isang female teacher na mukhang mataray at nasa late-forty's na.
"Good morning, everybody! Welcome to Junior High!" bati niya sa'min na nakangiti pero mukha pa rin siyang nakakatakot. Her eyebrows were raised and her smile was sinister. "I am Ms Asuncion Rivero, your Physics teacher and at the same time your class adviser. First and foremost, I'd like to introduce our new student from Manila --- Katherine Grace Vergara."
Salamat sa pagbanggit ng buo kong pangalan. I got nervous a little bit so I glanced to Rita and she smiled at me.
"Would you like to stand and say something about yourself to your new classmates?" sabi sa'kin ng guro.
Tumayo ako ng dahan-dahan and silently cleared my throat. "Hi, you can call me Kat," I started. "I just got here in Puerto Estrella two months ago."
The entire room was awkwardly silent.
"That's all?" tanong sa'kin ni Ms Rivero with a tone of disappointment. "Okay, thank you, Ms Vergara and welcome to Puerto Estrella University," sabi niya finally. "Now I want to inform all of you of some basic rules while you're in my class: no food, no cellphones, no chit-chatting with your seatmates, no staring outside the window, and lastly, be mentally present.
"I don't care if you mess up with other things," dagdag pa niya, "but once you're inside my classroom, I want everyone to pay close attention. You think you want to graduate and leave high school? Then take your last two years here at PEU more seriously than you ever did in your entire life. Am I making myself clear?"
Ramdam ko ang tense sa loob ng classroom. Parang tama nga ang first impression ko na strikto si Ms Rivero. Wala masyadong sumagot sa sinabi niya at kung meron man, they were just a few of them at masyadong mahina.
"What was that? I didn't hear you!" she provoked. "Did I make myself clear?"
"Yes, Ms Rivero!" sagot naming lahat in unison making our voices loud.
"Good, good! Now let's start our day. First, I'd like to ask you about one thing in common between a star and a human. Anyone?" went her overhead question.
The class went silent again. At wala rin ni isang nagtaas ng kamay.
Ms Rivero let out a deep breath. "Let's hear it from our transferee then --- Ms Vergara?"
Seryoso? Ako talaga, agad-agad? Di ko nga alam ano isasagot ko. Ano ang pagkakapareho ng isang tao at isang star? How would I suppose to know that?
"Uhm . . ." I muttered on my seat. Come on, Kat. Think!
"Did you understand the question?" tanong niya at ramdam ko sa boses niya ang pagkairita ng konti.
Tumango lang ako at nag-isip pa rin ng tamang sagot.
"I will paraphrase the question and in Tagalog," she said and I hoped it would help. "Sa palagay mo, bakit ka nandidito ngayon? Paano ka nag-exist sa mundong ito?"
"Uhm . . ." I made the filler sound again. Unsure, pero sinabi ko pa rin ang naisip kong sabihin. "Because of my parents . . .?"
"Bata, bata. Paano ka ginawa?" panunuya ng isa kong classmate na lalake na nakaupo sa harap at malapit sa pintuan. My other classmates laughed with him.
"Nice one, Mr Cruz. The next time any of you cracks an inappropriate joke, you will spend the rest of the morning in the Guidance Office," warning ni Ms Rivero at tumigil ang lahat sa pagtawa kasabay ng pagkawala ng mga ngiti nila. "Well, Ms Vergara, you are correct," nagulat ako sa sinabi niya. Paano naging tama ang sagot ko?
"You're alive because of your parents. Now, I hope you don't mind answering this next question," akala ko nakaligtas na'ko sa hot seat pero meron pa palang follow up. "What will stop you from existing?"
Umupo ako ng maayos sa upuan ko, I cleared my mind and thought of the question again. Para sa'kin, mas nadalian ako dito sa pangalawang tanong. What would stop me from existing? What would stop anyone from existing?
"Death," sagot ko.
"That's correct again! Life and death, that's what we and the stars have in common," she happily elaborated at di ko na narinig ang iba niyang sinabi.
Death. Because of it, my parents were gone. And because of it, it made us realize that life is too short and that we should cherish it with all the people we love. Sumakit ng konti ang lalamunan ko habang pinipigilan ko ang pagtulo ng aking mga luha. I didn't want to cry. I didn't want them to see me crying.
"Life and death are one thread, the same line viewed from different sides. That's a quote from an ancient Chinese philosopher and writer, Lao Tzu," Ms Rivero continued while passing out Physics books. "Today we will examine the life cycle of stars. Stars are like human bodies, made up of different elements that were created in the explosion of massive stars. In our case as humans, we're created by the genes passed from our parents. Now, everybody, turn to page nine. Let's talk about a star's Genesis."
The bell rang after our first period. Nagsilabasan agad lahat ng mga kaklase ko habang inaantay naman namin ni Rita na makalabas ang lahat pati ang guro namin.
"Ano next subject mo?" tanong ko sa kanya.
"Practical Research," malungkot niyang sabi kasi alam niya na di na kami magkaklase. "Halika, hatid muna kita sa room n'yo for your Entrepreneurship class. Then I'll see you later at lunch!"
Entrepreneurship and the rest of the morning just flew by in a blur. Naging kaklase ko na naman 'yung lalaki from our first period na nagsabing "Bata, bata. Paano ka ginawa?" Siya ang kauna-unahan kong bully na napansin kasi may inaasar na naman siyang isa sa mga classmates namin sa Entrep. I found out his full name and it's Raven Cruz. Buti na lang mukhang di na niya ako maalala kasi di niya 'ko pinapansin.
Iniisip ko rin kung kamusta na si Kurt sa mga klase niya. Di ko alam kung magiging classmates kami in one of our subjects. I didn't have the chance to see his schedules before we got separated earlier.
At the lunch bell, Rita and I met at the cafeteria. Gaya ko, may baon din siya prepared by Mamita. Si Auntie Edna naman ang nag-prepare ng baon namin ni Kurt. I had beef steak and steamed broccoli. I finally saw Kurt entering the cafeteria kasama sina Jake, Seth and a bunch of other guys.
Pinagdugtong nila ang tatlong bakanteng mesa para magkasya silang lahat at sama-samang mag-lunch. I also found out from Rita that all of them were part of the school's basketball team and Jake was the Team Captain. Kurt seemed he's enjoying their company and I was happy about it.
I was also shocked to see Raven Cruz in their group. Sabi ni Rita, siya ang dakilang bully at playboy ng PEU since nasa grade school pa lang sila. I hoped hindi niya ma-influence si Kurt.
"Mukhang may nakabuo na agad ng squad, ah," sabi ni Rita, and she meant Kurt.
"Well, that's Kurt," sabi ko naman.
"By the way, just ignore, Ms Rivero," Rita told me nang nagsimula kaming kumain. "Ganun talaga siya lagi sa lahat ng mga estudyante kaya binansagan siyang Terror Teacher of Junior High. Let's just follow all her classroom rules and we'll be safe from her wrath."
"Sanay na'ko sa ganyan. A lot of my teachers in Manila were like her."
"Sabi nila matandang dalaga daw kasi, kaya ganun 'yung attitude," sabi pa niya and we just laughed.
Nakalimutan kong dalhin ang tumbler ko para sa tubig so I had to buy one. Um-order ako ng isang bottled water sa counter at nung pagbukas ko ng wallet ko, I saw there was nothing on it. Then I realized na maling wallet ang dala ko.
I told the cashier na babalik ako to pay for it at plano kong manghiram muna ng barya kay Rita. And just as I was about to turn my back, may kamay na biglang humawak sa kanang braso ko, stopping me from walking. Pagkalingon ko, nakita ko ang mukha ni Jake Salvador.
"Ako na bahala. Ako na magbabayad nung tubig para sa'yo," sabi niya sa'kin and his eyes were gazing at mine.