As I gazed out the window of our classroom, the world outside transformed into a vibrant scene filled with bustling students. They strolled towards their classes, each clutching a colorful umbrella that danced in the wind like a row of cheerful flowers in a garden.
June had ushered in the rainy season, draping the landscape in a blanket of gray clouds and soothing drizzle. While most found joy in the pitter-patter of raindrops, I felt a familiar heaviness settle in my heart.
This weather was not just a backdrop to my day; it served as a haunting reminder of my father's death. A faint smile flickered across my lips as I wished for the ability to revel in the beauty of the rain.
I longed to admire the delicate droplets as they cascaded down the glass and whispered their stories, yet my heart remained burdened by the profound sorrow of his absence.
How could I find joy in something so innocent when the memory of his departure cast a shadow over everything?
It was a particularly stormy day in November, the skies weeping as I remembered the days leading up to his passing. Each day felt like a battle as Papa's condition deteriorated; the once vibrant man I knew became frail and weary. He had been diagnosed with stage four cancer, and despite our desperate attempts to seek treatments that could potentially save him, we only succeeded in prolonging his suffering.
Each visit to the hospital felt like a cruel reminder of life's fragility, and witnessing his pain tore at my heart. We fought fiercely against the inevitable, determined to show him strength and love.
Every moment was a testament to our hopes, yet the cruel hands of fate proved unyielding. When the end finally came, he slipped away in my arms, and in that heartbreaking moment, the world around me stilled.
"Hey! Are you done?" Melissa's cheerful voice suddenly broke through my reverie, ringing like a bell in the silence.
It startled me, almost making me leap from my chair. Thankfully, she was blissfully unaware of the whirlpool of memories that had engulfed me as she eagerly inquired about our art project, her bright demeanor a stark contrast to the somber thoughts that lingered in my mind.
"Not yet, I don't have the exact measurements," I said sadly, surprising her.
Melissa knew that I really loved drawing, so hearing my answer made her wonder why I hadn't finished yet.
"I thought you were done already," Melissa said softly as she took her seat beside me.
"How about you?" I asked, lazily laying my head on my desk.
"Not yet, I can't solve the measurements either," she replied in a low voice, just enough for us to hear.
We both sighed; we were stuck.
"I hate Math," we said in unison, struggling to understand those formulas.
Then we sighed again, feeling defeated.
"Perhaps I can help?" a cheerful voice interrupted us. When we turned, we saw Bernard, one of our classmates, standing in front of us. He was cute and very friendly towards us.
"Oh, thank you so much!" Melissa said happily, bouncing her feet, which made me chuckle.
He taught us how to solve the formulas easily, and luckily we got it thanks to his patience in teaching us.
At lunchtime, Melissa and I decided to stay inside our classroom, happily eating our lunch when we noticed the sweetness of Harrish and Joyce as they arrived.
"They are already in a relationship," Melissa whispered to me, a hint of sadness in her voice. Harrish Talledo is the campus heartthrob.
He is tall and handsome, as everyone says, and all the girls in our school have a crush on him, including Melissa.
Melissa has had a crush on him since elementary school, and no one knows except me, her best friend.
I was so shocked when Melissa told me that she had a crush on him because I also had feelings for him, which she never knew.
Luckily for me, I never had a chance to express my feelings, or else our friendship would have been at risk. From that moment on, I decided to give up my feelings for him because I chose Melissa, and our friendship mattered most to me.
I would give up anything for my best friend's happiness. I'm just a transfer student from a public school in Leyte, and this is my first time attending a private school. I assumed that bullying and discrimination would be a part of the experience.
We have a lot in common when it comes to our interests, but we are quite different when it comes to looks. Melissa Ki is half Chinese. She has a cute face, a chubby figure, and stands at 4'9".
As for me? Nah... I'm just an ordinary girl. Melissa is more beautiful than I am. I mean, Filipinas are beautiful, but I don't consider myself one of them. I'm just an ordinary girl with a slim body, fair skin, and wavy hair—so in other words, I'm not attractive. Anyway, let's get back to the couple seated in front of us.
They are happily talking sweetly to each other, and honestly, they look perfect together. Joyce is beautiful and charming, although she's not very friendly to us.
"You like her, right?" Gene asked out of nowhere. I hadn't sensed his presence until that moment, and only God knows how long he had been standing behind me.
Thanks to him, I caught the attention of our classmates, and now they were all looking at me, including Joyce and Harrish.
"You really like girls?" Joyce asked softly, a small smile plastered on her lips.
Just great! I always try to avoid drawing attention to myself, but now everyone was waiting for my answer. I worried that Joyce would think I liked her and that I was a tomboy, while Harrish might see me as a rival in their love story.
I glared at Gene, whose face looked guilty for saying what he did, but I couldn't blame him completely. Sometimes Melissa and I act and move like boys, but that doesn't mean I like girls.Although I admire some girls for their beautiful faces, I am not a tomboy.
"Xia, it's fine. We're friends, right?" Joyce asked with a smile, and I felt relieved to know that she wasn't mad at me.
I slowly nodded because I didn't know what to say. When I looked at Harrish, I noticed that he was staring at me earnestly. His eyes made me feel like I was drowning at the bottom of the sea—so deep and hard to read, as if he was speaking to me through his eyes. I couldn't help but stare back.
"You okay?" Melissa whispered in my ear, pulling me back to reality. Now she was standing right in front of me.
"I think so," was all I could say, and at that moment, our homeroom teacher walked in, ready to start the lesson. But my mind was still on Harrish's eyes.