'Hi, I am Nicholas Velazquez. I am 17 years old and a transfer student from Paris. I am talkative and easy to be with, so please! Don't be shy about approaching me! '
I keep repeating it to myself again and again while searching for my room. I'm nervous since this is my first day in an unfamiliar place. Yeah, I mean, Paris was my life back then. But now, I am here in the Philippines, trying to find my life that has been snatched from me.
"Oh! Here it is!" I gulped when I heard a loud voice inside. I bit my lower lips as I stepped back, afraid to enter.
I take a deep breath. 'You can do this, Nicholas. I know you can.'
I hold the doorknob, but my confidence just leaves my body. I am starting to shake again, so I need to let go of the doorknob.
"Calm down. They will be your classmates for this school year. You don't need to be afraid." I take a deep breath and exhale slowly until I finally calm down.
I hold the doorknob again to open the door, but someone does it first. My eyes widen and my lips parted when I saw a tall guy, whom I assumed was the one who opened the door.
He's seemed so cold.
"Pumasok kana, kanina ka pa d'yan." I tilt my head and look at him in confusion. "Ano? Tutunganga kalang? Parating na si, sir."
I was about to say something, but he grabbed my arms and pulled me inside the classroom. I bit my lips when the noises that my classmates made stopped.
I looked at them and smiled shyly.
"H-Hi.. I-I'm.." My body starts shaking while I'm staring at them!
I feel so nervous! two-no! Three times more than before!
I gulped and bit my lips. 'You can do this, Nicholas. Just introduce yourself like you practiced.'
I felt his hands on my arms as his hold tightened. I looked at him, and he's staring at me with a raised eyebrow, as if he's telling me, 'What are you doing? '
I bit my lips, leaned into his ear, and murmured. "I am nervous; I can't. I can't introduce myself properly," I said, a bit shy.
"Hindi mo kailangan," he said, then rolled his eyes.
Even though I can't understand him, I feel like he's encouraging me. So I smiled at him and nodded, then I faced my classmates.
"Hi! I'm Nicholas Velazquez. I'm 17 years old, a transfer student from Paris! I may look shy at first, but I am easy to be with! So please, be my friend!" I smiled at them.
But an awkward atmosphere just brings back my nervousness!
'Why? Did I say something wrong? '
"Nicholas Velazquez, lll? Pangatlo ka?" I tilt my head again. "You don't understand me, huh?" He smirks before pulling me again to sit beside him! "Magkatabi na tayo." Then he grins again as if something is funny.
I looked at him in confusion before shrugging my shoulders. Then I noticed that everyone was quiet. and I realized that they were staring at me!
I shyly smiled and nodded at them. "Ah, hi?" They all smiled, and in my shock, they approached me!
"Hala, totoo? Galing kang Paris?"
"Huyy pangarap ko run!"
"Bakit ka lumipat dito? Seryoso kabang pinagpalit mo yung Paris sa pilipinas?"
"Cute mo! The third ka talaga? Ang astig!"
"Hi classmate! I'm mica!"
"I'm george!"
"Amoy, baby Johnson!"
"I'm trisha!"
Then there they are introducing themselves to me! I felt so happy because of their warm welcome.
"Anyway! You can't understand Tagalog, 'no?" A guy asked me, and I slowly nodded. "Say putang一" the girl who's wearing eyeglasses cut his word by covering his mouth!
Everyone laughs because of that, but I left in a state of confusion.
"Don't mind him," Mica said. "I am the president of this section, by the way! Welcome to this noisy and weird section!" Then she fixed her eyeglasses.
I just shrugged and smiled at her. "Thank you."
but then I felt an eye that had been staring at me for a long time. When I turned around, I saw that tall guy. staring at me.
"What?"
He then looked away. I heard him murmuring something, but I couldn't hear it clearly as my classmates began to make noises again.
But it's something like 'ngayon lang napansin.' that I don't even know what it means.
"Anyway, what's your name?" I asked as I looked at him.
I can say that he's kind of attractive: a thick eyebrow, a pointed nose, one pair of deep and lazy eyes, long eyelashes, pinkish lips, and messy hair. I am kind of jealous, though.
"Akhiro Fernandez," he uttered.
He's even got a deep voice, while they told me that my voice was soft!
"Hiro." My eyes widen when I say that! I covered my mouth and looked away. "I'm sorry! We're not that close for me to create a nickname for you."
"Hiro sounds good. I don't mind." I glanced at him but immediately looked away when I met his eyes!
I nodded in response.
Then the class began. I'm having a hard time as I transferred here and they're in the second semester. I am late and need to catch up with their lessons.
"Damn, I forgot how to solve this," I uttered as I stared at the equation in front of me.
'should I ask him?'
I pout. Nevermind.
I looked away from this tall guy who's sleeping in class! Yes, he's sleeping! Bowed head and closed eyes!
It feels like he doesn't care about missing written works because he's been sleeping in here! I sigh.
I am reviewing my notes and trying to understand mathematics. Yet, I can't even understand any of it!
'I hate mathematics! '
"Akin na nga," he gently took my notes and answered them. And he's so fast! He answered it as if he knew the answer!
I mean, it's amazing, as he knew how to answer even though he's just sleeping!
Is he a mathematician or something?
I smiled at him when he finished answering those and returned my notebook. I smiled widely when I saw that every answer that he wrote was correct! I got a perfect score because of that, while him. He slept again!
I felt happy and sorry at the same time. Happy because I got a perfect score in that written work, and sorry because he's the one who answered it, plus he just slept there and didn't answer the written work!
Now, after the three tiring subjects—mathematics, Araling Panlipunan, and Edukasyon sa Pagpapakatao—it's time for break time! Sadly, it's just a 30-minute break, unlike at my previous school.
I glance at the tall guy named 'akhiro; he's been sleeping all day! I tap his head gently to wake him up, and finally! He's awake!
"Uhm, can I treat you a food?" I asked with a shy smile.
His eyebrow furrowed. I thought he wouldn't agree, but I see him standing up and walking to the door first! He didn't even wait for me!
Yet, I followed him, and a smile rose up in my face.
"What do you want?" I asked when we arrived at the cafeteria. It's small, unlike what I used to, but their food seems delicous.
"Maruya," he said, pointing at the banana fritter.
"Is that Maruya?" I asked, pointing to the banana fritter.
He raised an eyebrow and nodded. "Maruya sabihin mo," he uttered, so I nodded even though I couldn't understand him.
"Two maruya, please, thank you!" I told the lady who's wearing an apron.
She looked at me with a raised eyebrow before taking my order.
"Here." I give her 100 pesos since I don't know how much maruya is.
"Wala kang barya?" I tilt my head. "You don't have 50?"
"Oh, I have." Then I give her 50 pesos; she then returns my 100 pesos. I waited for my change, but instead of money, she gave me 10 pieces of candy!
I looked at her and shyly smiled. "I didn't buy these, ma'am," I uttered, but she ignored me, so I don't have a choice but to leave the lineup.
I walk towards Hiro, who's sitting at a table. He looked at me, annoyed.
"Ang tagal mo." He seems mad, so I quickly apologized. "Ang dami mo namang candy?" I tilted my head in response, so he pointed at my candy.
"Ah, ma'am, gave these to me," then I pointed to the lady. "I think she thought I bought candy, so she gave this to me." I smiled at him. "Want some?"
He shook his head. "That's your change, siraulo."
"Siraulo? What's that?"
He then looked away and grinned again. Avoiding to answer.
"Anyway, Hiro, we're now friends, right?" I asked shyly.
His eyes widening, he quickly shook his head and shouted. "I can't be your friend!"
Then there, we became an enemy.