"Chris, for real, are you just friends with Magnolia or is there something more?" Ms. Manlapaz asked, totally crossing the line.
"Ma'am, seriously? That's a non-issue! Whether we're friends or whatever, Cons has no right to mess with me and embarrass me!"
"Look, Cons, I'm sorry if I'm not pretty or whatever. I know I look dirty, my skin's uneven 'cause I work in the fields, cook on a firewood stove, and clean pig pens before school. I even hang off jeepneys to save on fare, so I get all dusty. Meanwhile, you live near the plaza and ride a tricycle to school. I'm not your problem; your problem is yourself!" I ranted, letting out all my frustrations.
Cons didn't say a word even after my long outburst. So, the conversation shifted to Auntie and Cons' dad. They patched things up, and the same with Bernard's mom. They had two suggestions for disciplining me: either transfer me to a lower section and midshift to avoid Cons, or suspend me for the whole of December and do homeschooling. Auntie rejected both because they were unfair and only punished me, not everyone else involved. The parents agreed I hadn't committed any grave offense, so we settled on a deal where any trouble between me, Cons, and Bernard would result in all of us getting suspended.
The parents of the kids I threw dirt at didn't show up. I don't know if they're my enemies for the rest of the school year or if the issue will just die down since no one got seriously hurt. Bernard gave me a high five and we made up. Cons stayed silent, not saying a word.
They forgot about my head wound, so Magnolia took me to the clinic. Auntie and Jennifer went for lunch. Bernard told his mom he'd join us at the clinic. Cons and his dad left the guidance office first to go home.
Jennifer and Auntie stayed in the guidance office to discuss Ms. Manlapaz's rejected recommendations. They weren't arguing, just having a professional level discussion.
"Hey Chris, mind if I tag along with you and Magnolia?" Bernard asked, joining us on the way to the school clinic.
_End of Chapter 2_