There I was, waiting for the flag ceremony to start, feeling all jittery 'cause I was wondering if Liza was around. I kept pacing back and forth at the school entrance, thinking maybe I'll just wait for her there, but man, I felt like a total idiot doing that.
The flag ceremony ended, and still no sign of her. So, I dragged myself to the first class. I was like a lost puppy, just following the crowd to the main building. Every step felt heavy, and my head was like a swivel, constantly looking back to see if Liza was there. Nope, nada.
Turns out, she was already in our classroom! She skipped the flag ceremony. I tried to go in a few times, but I kept chickening out, letting everyone else go in first. I don't know why, but facing Liza made me feel all shy and awkward. Luckily, I found a group of bros outside talking about who knows what, and it distracted me from thinking about her. But then, our teacher showed up, and I remembered Liza was sitting right in front of me. We've had this thing where our hands touch when passing test papers during exams. For the next thirty minutes, we didn't say a word to each other. Just awkward glances that said everything and nothing. Maybe it was just me feeling weird; who knows?
Next up was Science, and in our public school, we had to switch classrooms. This place is huge, and if you're unlucky, your next class could be in a building on the other side of the campus. I left the room before Liza, trying to avoid her, but I was looking for her when I got to the science room. We locked eyes when she was just a yard away. I couldn't even say hi. Her eyes were like lasers piercing through me. I managed a small smile, and she smiled back, all sweet and stuff. Damn, her face lit up. Maybe I'll talk to her at lunch after the next two classes, Filipino and Social Studies.
Our classes were mostly copying notes from the blackboard or some old Manila paper visual aids. It was like a giant grade school notepad. The edges were all frayed and falling apart. I'm not much of a writer, and my handwriting sucks. Everyone knows it, including Liza. So, those two classes were just note-taking, and not much else. Only a few teachers bother to actually talk and invite questions.
There's no bell to signal lunch; our stomachs do the talking. My bros and I headed to the cafeteria, even though it's pricey. I go there because of Liza. There's a better chance we'll talk if I eat there. It's way different from eating outside where the food is cheaper. Outside, you get a bowl of mung beans for five pesos and rice for three, but in the cafeteria, mung beans or jackfruit curry costs seven pesos, and rice is five. I hesitated to join Liza and her girl squad at their table. It's not like the old days when we'd grab our food trays and unknowingly sit together. Now, it felt like sitting with her would be awkward. We'd probably just end up being shy.
I finished my meal alone at a separate table. My bros decided to eat outside after I'd already paid for my food. I was annoyed, facing away from Liza's direction so I wouldn't keep sneaking glances at her. After eating, I lingered a bit to digest. I didn't smoke back then, just a quick rinse and a sip of water, and I was good to go.
"Why didn't you join the guys for lunch, Bernie?" a familiar voice asked from behind. It was Liza, no mistake.
I turned around, and there she was, munching on some ube candy. She offered me one, and I couldn't say no, so I turned around to face her properly.
"They eat too far away."
"Where at?"
"Over by the market. Sometimes near Mr. Gozum's place."
"Let's go back to the room. It's too hot out here."