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It’s Homeroom PTA meeting on Monday and Mr. Lapuz goes to CITS to hear the latest about her future-valedictorian daughter from sleek-haired Mrs. Lim. Between husband and wife, Mr. Lapuz is usually the one more deeply invested in Kate’s academic standing. Kate thinks it’s because her Pa was a high school dropout while her Ma at least graduated from high school (when high school was still just a four-year affair). Kate doesn’t think it’s simply because it’s easier for her Pa to get leaves at the auto repair shop than her Ma at the diner. And so, Mr. Lapuz splashes some Nenuco Agua de Colonia baby cologne on his pulse points because he was a ’90s kid, puts gel on his hair and molds it into a fauxhawk, dabs some of Mrs. Lapuz’s Vaseline on his mustache and combs it deep, puts on a gold chain and, finally, dons a Hawaiian shirt whose top three buttons he leaves undone and the tail he tucks into his tight jeans. He caps, or rather underscores, everything with a pair of boots. Looking like
Francine has already gotten in touch with the photographer she met at the hotel lobby in July. First, she checked the website URL indicated on the business card to make sure he was legit. Her eyes brightened in the blue-light glow of all the beautiful shots in color and black and white; all the portraits and concept images. Some even made it on the cover of glossies. The title of the website was "Julius Tenorio" and below that "Fashion Photography". The page tabs were Models, About, and Contact and, when Francine clicked the Testimonials page, all she could find were glowing reviews from professional models. So, Francine composed an email with an attachment of her portfolio and headshots, including the latest ones she had for the Student Council campaign poster (she ran and won as Secretary) and even the 15-second TikTok clip where, one by one, the GEEKZ were prancing while conjuring letters from their palms or index fingers. The letters spelled out U DON’T NEED 2 SPEAK, WE UNDERSTAN
Every year, tens of thousands of graduating high school students troop to various testing centers across the country to take the UPCAT. There’s an average of two test centers per region. In Region 4-A, CALABARZON, the closest test center to Kate and her schoolmates is the Imus Pilot Elementary School, which is in the next city. Some CITS students, including Trish and Francine, already took the test as part of the morning and afternoon batches yesterday. As students typically do after a test, they compared answers online amid all the rants and crying-face emojis. On Fasebook, they also posted what they remembered of the most difficult questions that were asked yesterday. Although there was a low chance that Kate’s batch would get the same questions, they took note of all the hints anyway. One thing that Kate has really found lucky is the fact that she and Grace have the same test schedule. If they didn’t and because of the Lapuz family’s no-car situation, she wouldn’t know how to ta
When they arrive at the test center, Kate is amazed. There’s a long queue of aspiring students of all genders and from various high schools. It’s really noisy and tense. Some of the students chat and take selfies while others continue to study at the very last minute, reciting Physics formulas to themselves. Some parents also came along to cheer for their kids. (Mrs. Montemayor dropped them off at the curb and hurried to the spa and probably a Razon’s for indeed a parfait glass of halo-halo.) Somewhere in the back of a large auditorium, the three girls sit next to each other on beige Monobloc armchairs. The setup isn’t one seat apart but Kate guesses no one would dare cheat on the UPCAT anyway because the motto of the university is Honor and Excellence. Besides that, there are plenty of test proctors roving about to make sure nobody is tempted. Kate spends the last minutes of the calm before the storm staring past the back of various hairstyles to squint at the distant whiteboard up
“Annyeong,” Nathan introduces himself. “I’m Nathaniel Policarpio. Some people call me Nathan and others call me Nate. Personally, I’d prefer it if you call me Nate because Nathan reminds me of the time I spent in Camp Unplugged, the Internet addiction rehabilitation center that was on the news with, uh, Shadow and me. “Unlike my brother Shadow, who had Korean and Filipino blood, I’m 100% pure Filipino. Fun fact: I’m also the first real-life Filipino cyborg because of a microchip implanted in my brain stem that allows me to stand unassisted here in front of you. Um… yeah… I guess that’s it. It’s nice to meet you all!” Kate almost gets a heart attack when she sees Grace’s hand shoot up even though Mrs. Lim didn’t invite any questions. Grace is sitting in the third row next to Francine. The seat directly behind Francine is empty because she’s tall and would block the board for the average Hobbit. “Yes, Grace.” Rather comically, the raised hand is acknowledged by Nate instead of Mrs. Li
“You know,” Nate tells her during the 20-minute morning recess, “the name Everest is very apt for this star section.” Both of them ate breakfast at home so they didn’t feel like going to the canteen. That’s probably the best for crowd control too. For a precious glimpse of Nate a.k.a. Cyber, early Mariteses from either wing of and from the two lower floors of the STEM building ascend to the rear side doorway of 12-Everest. Even Grade-7 students and other junior high grades homeroomed in the poster STEM building have gotten wind of his presence. Nate, after all, is the biggest celebrity this side of the Korean wave. Kate spies all the admirers from the corner of her eyes and over Nate’s shoulder. It’s a good thing the HUMSS, ABM and ICT buildings are on the other side of Campus Drive or the leaning domino of onlookers on the corridor outside would collapse into a pile of bodies. They’re boisterous too, as impudent as a handful of CC sisters who preen and chat within earshot to try an
Female Everesters are tripping over each other to volunteer to run to the seminary clinic across Campus Drive. Not only because of the privilege of a hall pass (which btw is not a physical item in the Philippines) but because the girls have all romanticized Nate’s situation and are feeling like damsels-in-shining-armor. Finally, Andrea Joy “AJ” Gadon, a CC sister, is selected by Mr. Romero because she’s a track star who has competed in the regionals. She runs to the clinic, which is about 50 meters from the 12-Everest classroom, and returns in just a little over a minute without breaking a sweat. But since AJ can’t carry the nurse on her back, she comes back without her. As it turns out, the eagle-eyed principal, Principal Aguilar, saw AJ streaking back and forth across the thinning-grass-and-bald-spot grounds (kind of like Principal Aguilar’s own pate) and he decides to investigate. He climbs the stairs to the third floor, regretting that they never have enough budget for an elevat
Inside the bathroom stall, when thirteen-year-old Kate saw that the blood had soaked through her panties and shorts and even stained the back of her skirt, she couldn’t stop crying. After a while, she tried to clear her mind and distract it from the pain. She tried to work out an elaborate plan of ditching underwear and shorts and somehow making her way back to class full commando. Since the school skirt is plaid, it sort of pixelated the stain and diluted it into something that could pass for chocolate syrup. Oh, who was she kidding? There was no way she would be able to hide it through the day. If only she had a cellphone that she could use to call her parents! This was exactly one of those emergencies that justified giving a tweener a phone. She was in this puddle of pain, confusion, shame and self-pity when she heard someone speak from the stall right next to hers: “What’s wrong? Did someone bully you?” It was Francine. But Kate didn’t know her name yet at that time because e
For Ecto, New Year’s is more or less the same as Christmas. The same warm, gooey feeling. The same close-knit spirit. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has banned the manufacture and sale of firecrackers, the shooting of which has been a well-loved tradition for centuries and can be traced all the way back to the Spanish colonial era. The exact inventors and originators were the Chinese, who believed that noise would drive away bad luck and bad spirits. According to Mr. and Mrs. Lapuz, the Filipinos seem sadder now, having been robbed of the most thrilling and spectacular means of making noise. But according to health and safety records, hospital personnel can rest easier because the ERs wouldn’t be packed with casualties this time around. Just the New Year’s before last, it was like a war zone on the streets what of households competing for the biggest bang to welcome the new year. Many men got drunk out of their minds and then tried to light a firecracker with the non-PC name
After Mass, Kate and Nate buy rice cakes at the town square. One is the awesomely purple puto bumbong and another the yellow bibingka. They also buy roasted chestnuts and bring all the treats home to Mr. and Mrs. Lapuz. On one trip to a very crowded shopping mall, Ecto sees a Santa Claus impersonator. Curiously, the Santa is Caucasian and not brown-skinned like most of the Filipinos. Of course Ecto has already figured out by himself that Santa isn’t real. To his surprise, after they get back home, Kate insists on teaching him the hooman custom of hanging a stocking. On the desktop of her computer, Kate shows him a folder that she has named “Ecto’s Stocking”. She then goes through all the trouble of changing her wallpaper to a fireplace and dragging the folder onto the 2D mantelpiece. “What for?” he asks her through her smartphone’s loudspeaker. Her smartphone is open and showing the My Dream Boyfriend app, right into the inside of Ecto’s bedroom. Ecto’s wearing a knit sweater
With a little help from Terra, Kate downloads the My Dream Boyfriend App again with some customizations. Because Ecto isn’t bound by any one platform anymore, he’s capable of some manner of fission, where he splits and replicates himself while also dividing his consciousness among all his manifestations. It’s like Doctor Strange’s clones when they were fighting Thanos, but in Ecto’s case, each and every duplicate is much more than an illusion and is a sentient and perfect version of himself. This allows him to be both in Nate’s microchip implant while back in his virtual bedroom inside the My Dream Boyfriend app on Kate’s smartphone. At any time, he can also perform fusion and re-absorb his manifestations. Terra removed the boyfriend creation window because of course Kate doesn’t need it anymore. Ecto wanted his virtual bedroom exactly as it was. He could easily “slide” into his other cribs anyway, like the old orange, pink and red Provençal one on Dungeon Raydens which he was able
It’s already 6 pm when Nate finishes his social host obligations and comes looking for Kate. He doesn’t need to look hard though because earlier, Kate sent him a text saying she’s waiting for him in the Council office. Nate has a spring in his step and is smiling ear to ear. The scratches on his face are still stinging but, before the closing ceremony, Nurse Judy cleaned and applied Band-Aid on them. Nate can’t hide his excitement in seeing his GF again after they’ve taken care of all their responsibilities. {That kiss on the track was supernova-hot. I hope we make out too.} When he finds the office door locked, oddly enough, he knocks and calls out uncertainly: “Kate?” He hears her move inside the room and then the door swings open. The sight of her face wipes his smile off. She’s been crying in the dim. She has the look of someone who has just had herself a good cry. Her eyes look cleansed and exposed, indeed like pure windows into her soul. Her lips are tightly set in a line, as
Kate is alone in the Student Council office tidying up. Nate’s off wrapping things up with his manager and the film crew and saying goodbye to everybody, including his bandmates. The trophy that STEM 12 won is now in the 12-Everest homeroom, because the bulk of tournament champions is there. Kate’s classmates are all posing with it and gushing at how shiny it is. This year’s Intrams was perfect. Kate couldn’t ask for anything more. She has once again been reminded of the importance of having balance in life; of, as cheesy as it sounds, having both a sound mind and a sound body. It felt good to do something physical, to be away from the rigors of school work and the false urgency of the Internet. But the heart of the matter is, she’s blissfully content because she has a boyfriend and she didn’t make a mistake in choosing him. In fact, she made a brilliant choice. An undertow to her joy is a silent prayer that she has finally broken the curse that she felt had hung over her ever since
“OMG!” Mr. Romero says the word in everyone’s mind as they watch the pitiful scene. “Policarpio’s crawling to the baton exchange. Quick! Somebody help him! Help him!” Reggie is the first to break the spell of paralysis. He leaps over the rail and onto the track. He and Jared manage to run towards him before the alert CAT volunteers practice crowd control and stop others from joining. Reggie reaches Nate’s side. “No!” Nate screams vehemently. “Don’t touch me! Don’t touch me! I have to do this by myself.” “But hyung,” Jared says, having stopped next to Reggie, “you don’t have to do this. You don’t have to prove anything.” “Yes… I… do,” Nate grunts as he crawls forward foot by precious foot. “Let us help you,” Reggie pleads. “You don’t have to do this alone.” “Don’t come closer!” Nate barks, spittle flying between his gritted teeth. In what feels like eternity, he reaches the changeover zone and Kate’s crouched form. Her eyes are glassy and full of pity for him. He hates that loo
By Friday morning, STEM 12 has won a total of 7 champion ribbons and several ones as runner-up. This makes them a leading candidate for overall champion. As Kate has anticipated, the non-sports events buoyed them. Apart from Francine and her escort winning Mr. and Mrs. Intrams, Grace and her benchwarmers won the bench cheer. It didn’t hurt either that the Bali Girls minus setter Lor were at the top of their game. And Nate, to everyone’s astonishment, is actually a Filipino Usain Bolt in the making. {Your BF’s Superman,} Nate’s words have been echoing inside Kate’s head since Wednesday, along with the news reporter’s: {Idol, social catalyst and Internet detective. Is there anything that Cyber can’t do?} But STEM 12 didn’t exactly win all their wins. Just like in last year’s Intrams, several games have been forfeited. An opposing team either failed to meet the minimum number of players required to start the game or failed to appear at the venue within the 15-minute grace period. On CIT
The crowd of hysterical girls in front, held back only by a cordon of CAT cadets from junior high, are screaming the names of DMG members: “Cyber! Reggie! Jared! Sonic! Neo!” Seemingly from out of nowhere, they’ve whipped out banners and signs. Instead of the usual glow-in-the-dark Korean lettering for an evening K-pop concert, there’s a slew of English ones interspersed with the name of a particular artist or of the whole band. | IT’S MY BIRTHDAY CYBER, YOU ARE MY PRESENT DUMP KATE TAKE ME I WOULD SELL MY SIBLINGS FOR YOU I LOVE YOU MORE THAN FREE WIFI DON’T STOP INSPIRING ME! CAN I BE YOUR HAIRDRESSER? ALL I WANT FOR X-MAS IS A PIC WITH JARED DMG We have 5 fingers enough for 5 wedding rings SPIT ON ME CYBER | An English-speaking Filipino director is riding a crane and shooting high up in the aisle of the audience seats. His staff is scattered on the edges and near the stage, operating or holding up every manner of equipment. DMG plays their covers of the most popular s
On Tuesday, they have the same brain-hurting and nose-bleeding calculations in Physics and Chemistry. The only thing different is DMG’s closed-door rehearsal at the chapel-slash-auditorium 500 meters east. Nate has been exempted by Principal Aguilar personally from any school work or quiz. The whole campus is abuzz and on edge at every sighting of truck and van with tinted windows down Campus Drive and onwards to the auditorium. Kate has also prepared paper lots in an empty pencil case for the Secret Santa next month. She lets every Everester pick their recipient, including her own name. Kate has set the budget at “No Fixed Price” because she knows not all students are financially comfortable. When only two pieces of folded paper remain (one for Nate and one for her), she picks her recipient and is both excited and nervous to see that it’s Grace. She keeps the last piece of paper, of course unopened, for Nate. {Huh,} she thinks to herself afterwards. {What gift can I give somebod