02

I immediately went to the classroom after I said that to Alex, I don't know why my attitude is bad today or I just really don't like the people around me. I feel like, everyone around me will make fun of me.

"Hi, Miss. Do you know where is the classroom of grade 10 section b?" I nodded.

"Yes, actually I am your classmate."

A smile flashed on his lips at what I said. I just turned my back on him and continued walking towards our room.

"Great, I just have to follow you. Don’t feel strange okay! I'm not a bad person."

"You look like a bad person." I commented.

He does not look like a bad person, he is handsome because maybe he has a foreign race. I also don’t know what’s the basis of being handsome, is it because he is white and clean or just because I see him well in my eyes?

"And you are mean."

I ignored what he said because it was true. I don’t intend to be kind and friendly when speaking. Some of my classmates call me weird because of my quiet demeanor and my eloquent speech and my weird personality. I don’t know why they say that, for me they just have a judgmental eye.

When we entered the room, many people were looking at us, the teacher was not yet in the room so I took a deep breath. I can feel the man following me. I just went straight to my seat earlier, and Dave was still there. I quietly went rum and sat down.

"Can I sit here?" The man asked and sat down next to me.

"I didn’t even agree." I heard Dave whispered.

When the class started we listened to the teacher's discussion, he also announced room fees and what was needed. Like a reed broom, floor wax and whatever that cleans the room. Some of my classmates paid before our teacher's time was up, others decided to pay tomorrow because they didn't have much money. Like me.

In the next class, the teacher asked me a lot of questions, and I did not stop answering. It's as if I'm the only student in the room, even if I don't want to answer, I might be humiliated again. My two ears are already ringing with sarcasm, as long as I know something and I can answer the question, my mouth will not stop.

"We should go home, someone already won." Dave said while laughing, I smirked. I heard his grin and saw out of the corner of my eye his shake.

When break time came, almost everyone is busy fixing themselves. While I am busy arranging my bag.

"Why are you still carrying your bag?" Dave asked as I finished grabbing my bag and carried it in my back.

I did not answer. I don't want to tell him what happened last year, that my classmates put a rat in my bag that caused it to have a rip. The rip is not that big, nor small.

He looked at my bag as I remove my hair from the bag that got stuck in my back. I left my seat and walked straight out of the room.

On the way to the canteen, I could feel the man and Dave tailing me. I can also hear the conversations of my schoolmates. Everyone’s talking about where they should take their senior high school even though the school year is not even halfway done yet, a lot of them will go to manila. Others will stay here in Pangasinan.

They also talked about which strand they belong to, some likes to take science, technology engineering mathematics because they want to be a doctor in the future. Some want to become a lawyer so they will take humanities and social science. Everyone seems so pleased about the dreams they want to pursue. As for me, I still do not know where my life is headed.

"Where are you going to take your senior high school, Joy?" Dave asked me, I shrugged my shoulders.

"I don't know, maybe here too."

"What strand will you take?" I shrugged again.

He shrugged. "I don't know yet."

"But where do you think you are good or fond of?" He asked.

I always loved studying math ever since when I was in the nursery. I don't know why I like numbers, especially additions and substractions. When I went to elementary school, my passion did not stop, I enjoyed our lessons with the y-axis and x-axis. Until I was in high school, the passion is still there.

"In math."

"Maybe you will be an engineer or an accountant! That’s so cool. I hope everyone is good at math." He said. "Ask me what I am good at." He insisted.

"No need to ask that, Dave."

"Why? You already know what I'm good at?"

I nodded. "Yes, in nonsense."

He snorted.

If there’s a reason why Dave is forcing me to be close to him I would just let him. I don’t want to be confused and find a reason to talk to him, or it is just normal for him to act like that to everyone.

He only studied here this school year, much to the surprise of many. Because people in the area know that almost all the rich or parents in government positions are sending their children abroad to study.

"Do you have any friends in this school, other than me?" I frowned at his question

I did not know that he’s my friend, all I know was that I have only one friend in all my life and now she is far away from here.

I just shook my head. I did not answer his question. Shall I say I only have one and he will assume that he is my only friend? I also do not want to tell him that he is not my friend, because that is how he treats me.

When we arrived at the canteen I saw his cousin Alex, she was busy talking to her fellow students. Reason for her to be in the queue.

"Are you joining a club this year? In math club, because you're good at math." Said Dave.

"No, I’ll work."

"Where? Resort?"

I nodded.

That is the usual job here in the province, sometimes raising animals or growing vegetables or even rice. Our place is close to the sea so there are also many beach resorts, some of the resorts hire staffs when summer is approaching because many people are on vacation, sometimes when there is a wedding or an event such as birthdays they will hire staffs, even if they’re underage.

I also thought of working because I’m about to go to college, just a few years from now. Maybe what I can save now will be enough to finance college, last year I just helped mama in the market. But even if I just helped it was still tiring.

When I was at the counter I immediately saw that they are selling Maruya. That's what I bought right away because that's my favorite and that's what I’ve been buying before.

"What did you buy?" The man who I accompanied before entering the room asked me.

"Maruya."

He nodded at me and I was surprised that he bought the same. Dave also bought Maruya and even bought bottled water. I didn’t buy bottled water anymore because I have that in my bag.

"Aren't you burdened by your bag?" Dave asked.

I noticed earlier that he’s always asking me. I looked at him, he bites his lip when our eyes met. I saw his piercing on the tongue. I just noticed that now.

"I'm not burdened by my bag." My answer. "Why do you have..." I was stunned. I can't continue the question lest he says I'm meddling with his life.

"Why do I have?"

"Nothing."

"Why do I have nothing? Weird."

He never asked again. I let them walked first and I’m just behind them. I looked closely at Dave.

He has a tattoo on his neck and a piercing on his ear, you won't notice that he has a tattoo on his neck if you don't pay attention to it because of its small size, I frown because I know it's not allowed at school. It's good that the guard is still letting him in.

I even met Sirius, my classmate who always asked me to do all his school works, that was not the case for me because he pays a lot. Because he’s rich so that explains it.

He just smiled at me and I just nodded, we didn’t talk anymore. That's okay with a simple gesture and a smile, I don't want to talk to some people anymore.

"Who's that?" Dave asked, curious.

"Sirius." I answered while busy looking at my footsteps.

"Ah. Boyfriend?"

I was surprised by his question, I looked at him. One of his eyebrows rose and a smirk engulfed his lips. I just shook my head at his thought.

"No, just someone I know. Why?"

"Nothing." He answered simply, but I felt that that was meaningful.

The next day is Saturday I went with mama to sell at the market. At six o'clock in the morning, there were a lot of people. Other people just stop by at our store and ask about the price per kilo.

"Don't you have an assignment?" Mama asked, I shook my head. We are also with Jun, but he is at the other store here in the market. He’s also with a child in the other store so he plays with him. We just let him go because I know he will just stay on one side and he’s pretty close to our place.

I was busy removing the bangus bone, I turned around when I heard a noise as we were about to do something. I was surprised to see Tyra, carrying a lot of soap and clothes.

Tyra, my friend since I was a kid. She moved to Baguio when we went to high school. She calls me occasionally or comes here to Pangasinan to visit me.

"My bestfriend's so diligence!" She shouted causing me to wince. "Where's Jun!? Jun! Hey! Jun!" She called my brother.

Jun approached her, he hugged her. I didn't look at them because I’m still busy removing the bangus bone.

"Kiss your beautiful sister, kiss!” I heard her teasing Jun.

Tyra sat down and she started talking to mama about what she had done in the past few days. Mama just laughed while busy with the buyers and listening to Tyra's stories.

"Then my aunt, I have now a boyfriend!"She said, trembling.

"How many?" I answered.

"Probably one! Seriously, Joy. Do you think there are three?"

"I thought there were 10." I teased

"The hell?" She said and stared at me. I laughed.

She even told a story about her boyfriend that that is not true. She said it was just a crush, her crush had a girlfriend, so mama and I laughed. We are stalking him on Facebook so we know his name and appearance.

"Seriously Tyra, if you became a reporter, maybe you'll have a lot of libel cases."

"He's my boyfriend... in my dream."

I just shook my head at her nonsense and just distract myself with the buyers.

I looked at Dave on the other side of the market, I avoided looking and just took care of the buyer. Shouldn't their mansion assistant be the one buying in the market and not him?

"Someone handsome, Joy!" Tyra said, she’s thrilled. I just ignored her.

"Your eyesight suddenly becomes clear when there is a handsome boy." I commented.

"Joy! He looked here!" She added, but I ignored her. "I think he's going here! He's coming here!"

I heard her shout, I was just shaking my head. I don't know why she likes handsome men. Eh, sometimes handsome men are just good in sight but not in life!

"I'll buy it all!" My forehead furrowed as Dave acted in our place, still smiling at me.

"Are you serious? You’re gonna eat for a month.. a fish?" I asked in amazement as I looked at the fishes we sell.

"I'm not the only one who’ll eat these. Some of my papa's assistants, and mama. You ah! You are too curious about my life." He joked.