Chapter 4

It was half past five in the morning, but I still could not sleep. Dealing with a headache, I just stared at the ceiling the whole time before I got off the bed, annoyed.

I did not have any more time to sleep, so I went to the bathroom and took a warm shower. While having breakfast, I heard my phone alarm. I hastily put the dishes in the sink, looked at myself in my hand mirror, and went out of the house.

Almost 20 minutes had passed, but still no jeepneys on the road. So I called Faerie, and she immediately answered the phone.

"Good morning—"

"I'm already half an hour late!" I said, cutting her off. "Is there a transport trike?"

"Yes, it was in the news last night."

I cursed under my breath.

"Where are you? I'll pick you up."

"Finally!" I saw a jeepney coming. Signaling to stop, it did near me. "No need, love. See you later!"

Arriving at school, I saw no students around, manifestly because classes had started already. Walking briskly into the faculty room, I felt my co-teachers giving me questioning gazes.

"Maybe you should advance or change your clock at home, Ms. Escobar," Ms. Tolentino remarked sarcastically.

Clearing my throat, I just ignored her. "Good morning!" I greeted the other teachers.

"Did you see that? She's so rude," Ms. Tolentino continued criticizing me. "I've been teaching in this school for 17 years, and you're the only one who has the guts to disrespect me, Ms. Escobar. Are you really a teacher?"

The room went silent, and blood started pounding in my ears. I slowly turned around and faced her, showing no emotions.

I was about to open my mouth when someone put his hand on my shoulder, stopping me from saying something negative to her.

"All right, teachers!" Mr. Reyes accentuated the word 'teachers,' breaking the ice. "No one wants a warning letter from the principal, right? Let's go to our respective classes and do our best to teach our students."

Our co-teachers began to disperse, and I smiled back at Mr. Reyes.

"She always picks on me," I said.

He went to his table and picked up his books and laptop, his smile never leaving his face. "Get used to her, Amity."

Walking to the door, he tried to keep pace with me.

"Who is your first class?" he asked.

"HUMSS 1A," I answered, glancing at my wristwatch.

"Great! Mine is 1B."

Humanities and Social Sciences strands or classes were in the same building. Each strand or track had its facility, so it was easy to locate the senior students.

When I caught sight of the president with the principal walking along the hallway adjacent to the auditorium, I tugged Mr. Reyes' arm, which muddled him.

But it was too late to avoid them.

"Mr. Reyes and Ms. Escobar," Mr. De Guzman, the principal, called our attention.

In a nervous state, I gulped, thinking of how to act normal in front of the president. The sound of their footsteps approaching intensified the feeling of perturbation.

"Good morning, President and Mr. De Guzman," Mr. Reyes said. Realizing that I did not greet them, he then nudged me.

"Good morning, sirs!" I slowly turned in Mr. Agrezor's direction, and he was looking at me.

"Good morning," they greeted back at almost the same time.

"Where are you heading to?" Mr. De Guzman asked.

"HUMSS building, sir," Mr. Reyes answered using his calm, respectful voice.

The president and principal continued talking. A group of girls from the STEM Building peeking through the window, looking in our direction, caught my attention.

"Let's go there first," the president interjected.

Mr. Reyes and I had eye contact, obviously ill at ease in his presence.

Mr. Agrezor walked past us, heading to the HUMSS building. Resuming their conversation about the school facilities as Mr. De Guzman walked alongside him, I felt slightly relaxed.

"Are there upcoming activities this month?" Mr. Agrezor's eyes roamed the surrounding.

"Yes, sir. Here's the calendar of activities." Mr. De Guzman handed him the iPad, and he started scrolling through the academic calendar on the screen.

Mr. Reyes cleared his throat; I realized that we were already in front of his classroom. He also got the attention of the president and the principal.

"Have a nice day, President and Mr. De Guzman!" he said, bidding goodbye.

He patted me on my shoulder before entering HUMSS 1B's classroom.

Mr. Agrezor glanced at my shoulder, still emotionless. I was about to say goodbye to them, but I was interrupted by the sound of a phone call.

"Hello, Lucille? Please accompany them to my office." Mr. De Guzman's face turned serious, talking to his secretary on the phone. "Yes, I'm just around the corner; I'll be there in a moment."

He faced us and shot me an obscure smile. What was that?

"President, something urgent has come up." He seemed genuinely apologetic as he looked up at him. "Would it be okay if Ms. Escobar keep you company?" And then he turned to me again. "Ms. Escobar?"

I was a bit reluctant, but I knew I had no choice. "Sure, sir."

Mr. De Guzman excused himself. And now that we were left alone, it was like I did not know how to strike up a conversation.

"I'm going in, sir. You can come along if you want," I said, not looking at him.