| Ruthless Jerk |
"OH, thank God, you're awake," Reina vented out. She's squatting on the floor near my bed. I bet, she's been gawking at me 'til I waked. She knows that I hate being hindered when I'm in a deep sleep. Because I slap or tread whoever the person who tries to wake me up, even if she's my mom or dad. I don't know, but it seems like it's a mannerism.I gently rubbed my eyes and pulled the pillow below my knee. Hmm... I still want to sleep."Hey," Reina called out and snatched my pillow offhand. "Don't you dare?" She frowned at me.I smiled. "Five more minutes... please.""No. You've been sleeping for five hours and I didn't have my lunch because I've been waiting for you, and it's already afternoon."I lifted my left wrist right in front of my eyes. My watch says it's four o'clock. My eyes widened. "Why didn't you wake me up?" I got up. Ugh! I still feel so dazed and vague to stand up."Didn't wake you up? Are you serious? If I wake you up, I may have a bruise on my face right now. You're like a horse when someone wants to slam you from a deep sleep.""Oh, my bad. I should set an alarm next time. And who told you not to eat without me? You should've eaten lunch, you know.""Wow, coming from you? If I eat by myself and you woke up and didn't see me around, you'll get mad and act like a crazy bitch again and began to whack me up.""Whack you? What are you, a kid, who's been whacked up because he doesn't like to eat? Come on, college is different, I won't get mad if you have done that. Our health must be one of our priorities.""Whatever." She rolled her eyes and walk through the door and opened it. "Aren't you coming? Seriously?... I'm really hungry by now, I just got cookies in my bag and that's not enough for me," she said.I chuckled. "Alright."THE CAMPUS is broad. In front of our dorm were restaurants and cafés. The cafeteria was one hell of a walk from our dorm so we decided to eat in the nearby restaurant. Chanter University has many buildings. Every course has different buildings. Of course, I saw it again on the handbook. There's also a map fastened in there."What do you want to eat?" Reina asked me. We're standing right in front of the counter, looking for the menus above."I'll just have rice, chicken adobo, and a can of sterilized milk. There the *R1." I said and pointed out what I like."Okay. Now find a seat," she said."Potassium," I answered. Her brows crinkled, seems like she doesn't fetch what I said. Slowpoke. "I said, K as in okay. You know, periodic table of elements where *K means potassium?""Of course, I knew it," she replied and rolled her eyes.I chuckled. Ah-oh, people inside looked at me. My bad, I just smiled, awkwardly. My eyes wandered around, and there I saw a spot near the karaoke machine. I poke my cousin. "I'll wait for you, over there," I said and pointed out the vacant seat I found.She nodded.While waiting, I keep myself busy watching people outside the glass wall of the restaurant, some were biking, some were busy walking and chit-chatting. I heaved a deep sigh. The next day after tomorrow will be our first day in college. I hope I can get along. I needed to find a part-time job as soon as possible. Perhaps, I'll look tomorrow.But first things first, after we eat, I'm going to fixed my things. I haven't done it yet, because I prefer to sleep."Here." Reina put down the tray. I grabbed mine so as she. Then we began to eat."How did you pay?" I asked."Of course, I pay with my own money. You should pay me back.""I thought it's free here? Isn't it a part of our expenses as scholar students?" I asked."I thought you've read the student handbook many times? It says there that we can only have a free meal when we eat at the school cafeteria," she clarified. "And... you are lazy to go there and decide to eat here.""Oh, my fault again. Sorry," I replied, sarcastically. Her face grimace seems she doesn't like what I've said. "Okay, don't be grumpy, I'll pay you back."She lifted her left hand, pointing to the fork she's holding in front of me. "Be serious, Becca. Don't bring your foolishness here," she warned but I just laughed.| Conceited Lady | AFTER WE eat, we decided to have a walk along. I need to find a job ASAP. We're about to cross when a fast car passed by. Damn! I almost got hit. "Like who the hell it is?" Reina asked, seems angry. "Can't he see people were about to cross?" I arched my eyebrow. "How do you know that it was a he?" I asked. "I saw the driver, of course. You almost got hit. What if that car hit you? You might be dead by now," she said. She put her right hand in her waist and bite her thumb because of frustration. I put my hand above my chest, clutching my dress, acting like I'm hurting. "Ouch, dead? I'm a cat you know, I got nine lives," I joke. "Your joke was so funny. Tell me if you want to be dead. I'll be the one to kill you. I almost got a heart attack and you have time to drop a joke up? Geez," she said and walked fast, leaving me behind. She's angry. Really. I chuc
| Part-time Job | THE NEXT morning, I woke up early. Reina went out to grab our breakfast, and I stayed because I was busy typing and filling up my biodata. I've decided to find a part-time job before the school year starts. When I'm done, the next I did was fix myself. Doing my daily routine—bathing, changing clothes, caressing my face with a powder, and apply a lip tint on my lips. I put the paper inside the brown envelope. I will try to pass this in the restaurant we've been to yesterday. I bet they're hiring because I only saw three employees working—one cashier and two waitresses. I'll just try my luck, who knows? I'm about to close my bag when Reina opened the door, holding the plastic in her left hand and two plastic cups in the other one. "There are so many students in the cafeteria, it's just seven in the morning," she mumbled and placed the plastic and cups above the coffee table. "Is
| First Day | COLLEGE IS way too different from high school. College is not high school. Professor will foresee you to be more independent, adventurous, and responsible than your high school teachers presumed. I grew in a family where positive thoughts always overcome negativity and have all the enthusiasm that I needed to face a new reality. I always believe to myself that nothing is difficult when you put your heart into it. But who wouldn’t feel jitters when you’re on your first time? No one. No matter how optimistic you are, you will still feel nervous—like your palms sweat, fast heartbeat, and more so. But it’s all-natural. I and Reina don’t have the same schedule as we differ in courses. But still, we reside on the same roof. I have a part-time job while Reina doesn’t. My classes start at eight, ending at three, while Reina starts at ten, and ends at five. “You’re an hour early, Becca,” Reina said as
| The Encounter | TIME PASSED by without you even knowing it. The more you ignore the time, the faster it ticks. First day in College gone better as I expected. No hassle at all. I even meet new girlfriends which share the same interests as mine—Nena, a black American girl who loves coffee and books, Trix, a foodie blonde girl, and Evette, the fashionista. Though I was a bit left behind by being a sassy lady like Evette, still we share the same interests when it comes to putting light retouches on our faces. The day ends gracefully that I didn't even notice that my shift at the café was done. While talking to Kara my phone beeps, and Reina's name was evident on the screen.“I get going,” shifting away from Kara, pulled the door, I answered the call. “I'm on my way home,” not bothering what Reina wants to say, I talked first. “Okay. I get you dinner. Vegetable salads and burger steak, is it okay with you?”
| Strange Feeling | COLLEGE IS hard, particularly when you don’t belong in the world of a wealthy family. You can’t convey to their discussions. Like, they talk about the enormous dishes they ate in a fancy restaurant, their trips abroad, models and celebrities whom they met, and more so. Those topics that you can only see on television. Tackling about it, you seem like a display around that is meaningless. I hope Reina and I are just on the same course. With her, your day wouldn’t boring, because she will educate you with all the things she knew like you just want to stay away if you can’t hold how intensifying the topic. But of course, being with Reina always makes my day. I got used to it. Not until this moment—entering College. I sighed and rested my chin on top of my palm. Eyes on the clean, glossy whiteboard that I can almost see my mood—plain and boring. Fortunately, there seems to be no complacency here. Though
| Linus | DAYS, COME and go, but this feeling within me, keeps ongoing and growing. I just want to ignore this. I want to consider this as a normal feeling, but I know that it’s not. How can this feeling stop, when I always see his deep and mysterious eyes? I know it’s crazy but I’m just being honest to myself, that I never felt this before. Come on, Becca, you’re just getting curious, I mumbled to myself. “Before we have our first test on this subject, I want you to work on a reaction paper about the Sonnets of Shakespeare,” said, Mrs. Ether. I’m not into poetry, but I know Shakespeare. “And it will be by partner,” she added. Nena, beside me, poked and smiled at me, “hope we’ll gonna be partners,” she said. I’m about to reply when our prof says my name. “Rebecca and Linus.” “Linus?” I know this sounds ridiculous, but I don’t know the names of my clas
| One Fine Day | WEEKEND AND I just want to sleep all day but the fact that I mumbled something last night that may provoke me to spill what I’m thinking, I decided to get off bed early. I need to stay away from Reina’s curiosity. Besides, I have work to do. I need to fill in Bill’s place. The golden rays of the shining sun greeted the beautiful land of Chanter University. Birds chirping, telling us that another wonderful blessing was given to us. The greens give hope that no matter how cruel humans will be, God can give us all the beautiful things that we deserve. “Good morning, Becca,” Mrs. Dory greeted and sipped on her cup of coffee. “Good day, Mrs. Dory,” I greeted back. I walked towards the locker room and fixed my hair in a bun and put my apron on. Kara is still not here, well, it’s just 7 in the morning. On Saturday, we need to spend our time in the café for eight hours. Sundays will be our day off.
| Underground | IF I would have the lamp of Aladdin right now, I will wish the genie that he’ll banish that Linus for the rest of his time. Or maybe just turn him into an orange pulp and I’ll pop it until it shrinks. I never think that things get worse when I met that guy. First, he rolled his eyes at me. He arrogantly talked to me, and he winked at me the other day, that I almost had insomnia, because the scene keeps on replaying inside my head. Oh, how I wish that the ground will swallow me during Mrs. Ether’s class. That reaction paper is a curse, and having Linus is unfortunate. He was absent! The submission for that paper was today, and he got the guts to get absent?I know, I must be patient and be considerate because I don't know what happened to him or what he does, why he's absent. He may be sick or what, but the hell, he could have informed me. How would he inform you?