‘What is the meaning of everything? Why am I here?’

“Mr. Mercado, if you’re gonna sit there daydreaming, you better leave my class.”

Mark’s classmates are looking at him and laughing. Mark looks at them on his left, right, and front while scratching his head. He looks at his teacher and notices that he’s being looked at the whole time.

“What is it, sir?”

“Will you focus while I’m teaching here Mr. Mercado?”

“Of course, sir. I’m sorry for the inconvenience.”

The teacher turns his back on Mark and writes something boring on the board. Mark glances to his right and sees Samantha staring at him with a smile. She then looks in front of her while Mark smiles facing Justin. Justin glances at him and sees Mark smiling. Justin’s curiosity piques.

When lunchtime came, they went to an eatery opposite their school. Mark orders rice and Filipino Menudo, Justin orders rice and ground meat, and Samantha orders rice and chicken stew. The eatery is packed with people, they saw a table not taken and sat there. A lot of people are talking in the air so that makes talking difficult for them. Mark urges them to pray and they bowed their heads and closed their eyes while Justin makes a sign of the cross. Mark opens his eyes and looks at Justin.

“You lead the prayer, Justin.”

“Ok.”

Mark bows back his head, closes his eyes, and clasps his hands.

Justin then says, “Lord, bless this food which we are bound to receive. Amen.”

They now dig into their lunch; Mark gets some ground pork from Justin and the latter takes some of Mark’s Filipino Menudo; Samantha just eats with her rice and soup from the stew without bothering to take some of the meals from the two of them. Mark looks at Samantha then to her plate and is moved.

“Samantha, take some of our meals because you’re only eating rice with soup. Have a little flavor for your tastebuds.’

Justin looks at Mark in defiance.

“Uh-uh, not mine I won’t.”

“Come on Justin. Just give her some of yours.”

“No, I won’t. It’s mine.”

Samantha takes some ground pork from Mark and smiles at him.

“Thank you, Mark.”

Mark blushes and has some kind of a restrained smile. Justin looks at him the entire time and rubs his chin. Mark notices this and glances at him.

“What are you looking at?”

“Oh, nothing. Just studying if my suspicions were true.”

Mark raises his eyebrows and looks away from him.

“Whatever, man.”

When they are done eating, they paid their dues and started to walk back to school. As they are about to cross the street, Justin holds back Mark by the shoulders while Samantha crosses. Samantha looks beside her and finds out that Mark and Justin are not with her. She about-faces and sees them across the street talking to each other.

“Hey, guys! Aren’t you gonna come?”

Both of them stared at her without saying a word. Justin whispers to Mark then stares back at her. Mark smiles at her.

“Just go on inside the school, we’ll catch up later. There’s something that we want to do.”

Samantha raises her eyebrow.

‘Hmm. What are they planning to do?’

“Oh really? Can I come?”

“Uh no. Actually, we have to memorize something before the upcoming test.”

“Oh, why wouldn’t you say so? I know the subject by memory. I’ll help you."

As she is going to cross the road again, the two of them shouted, “NO!”

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‘No? What? Why?’

She looks at them, hands on her hips. They noticed it and Justin leaned over to Mark and whispered.

‘What are these oddballs up to?’

Justin straightens up, fixes his shirt, and pinches his nose. Mark looks at her all stoic-faced and the like.

“We’re about to interview some tough people from the neighborhood if they want ice cream or something.”

‘Uh-huh.’

“Um. Are you sure about that?”

Justin puts his hand on Mark’s shoulders.

“Yes, we’re very sure. You should go to school because we’re gonna handle this by ourselves.”

“Oh, ok.”

“Yeah, we’ll be fine.”

‘Ok, I’ll concede.’

“Have fun then. I’ll see you later.”

“Oh no. We’re not having fun. They are really tough dudes out there and we better take them seriously.”

“Well, be sure you’re safe, then. Adios!”

In unison, they replied, “Adios!”

Samantha turns around and walks towards the school while Mark and Justin travail on their way.

‘Interview tough people. It’s so obvious. Why won’t I be included in their good old adventure? What are they up to anyway?’

Samantha walks to the room for her next class and sits on her designated chair. Not long after sitting on the chair, Cesar sits on a chair beside her. Samantha notices him beside her and hugs him. Cesar gives her a chocolate bar and Samantha raises her hand against the chocolate bar.

“Cesar, didn’t I tell you that I don’t want chocolate for now? Why would you give me another?”

“I’m sorry darling, I want to give you something and this is all I could come up with.”

“Just kidding. I brush every day so it’s fine.”

“Phew, I thought you would rant for some chocolate bar.”

“Why shouldn’t I?”

Cesar glances at her grim face facing directly towards his soul.

“I, uh, um- “

Samantha then bursts out laughing, attracting glances towards them. Cesar just smiles at her, unsure if he’s in trouble or not. Samantha restrains herself from laughing and then leans over to him, inviting him to lean forward. He leans forward with her and she says in a hushed voice.

“I love you and I thank you for the gift you have given. It’s so sweet figuratively and literally.”

Cesar and Samantha leaned back with a smile on their faces. They just said nothing to each other and just stared at each other. Their classmates are wondering why they’re acting this way. They stopped talking and just watched Samantha and Cesar.

“Hey,” Cesar interjects amid silence.

Samantha leans her head to one side.

“What?” With a shimmering smile on her face that glows throughout the room.

“You’re welcome.”

Their classmates’ whispers reverberate throughout the entire room.

Mark and Justin have just arrived at the room and wondered why they’re leaning over each other with hushed voices. Justin approached one of his classmates near the door and tapped his shoulders.

“What the heck’s going on here? Did somebody just die here or something?”

His classmates faced him and then went back to their own business. Justin got weirded out at them and wanted none of it.

Justin bangs the teacher’s table and gets onto the teacher’s chair. All his classmates are now attentive to what he’s going to say.

“What the heck is going on here!?”

“And what are you doing setting foot on my chair?”

Justin looks at the door where the voice was and saw-

“Ms. Berido, I’m sorry for stepping on your chair.”

Justin steps down from Ms. Berido’s chair.

“You’re not only stepping on my chair, you’re standing on it. What makes you think it’s a good idea to stand on my chair, Mr. Banderas?”

“Well, I’m just curious, ma’am, why all the people here are whispering to each other.”

“Is that so?” Ms. Berido faces the class. “Could you tell me a satisfactory answer to the piqued curiosity of Mr. Banderas?”

Silence reigns over the whole room, except for the voice of teachers in other rooms with students participating in the class.

‘What were they whispering about to each other? Did someone have a breakup or something?’ thought Samantha.

After the long reign of silence, somebody raised their hand from the far corner at the back. Ms. Berido glances at the raised hand and pleasantly smiles.

“Yes, Mr. Aguas.”

The student stands up and fixes his shirt.

‘I hope it’s not between me and Cesar.’

“Ma’am, we all whispered here to ourselves because Samantha and Cesar are so infatuated with each other.”

‘What!? How did they notice us? Did they just sit with their butts on their chairs and watch us?’

Ms. Berido raised her eyebrows and says, “Hmm, well this is interesting. Are you so low to care for other people’s business? Did you just sit there and gossip about your classmates’ actions?”

Samantha nods to her remarks.

‘Preach it, sistuh! Preach!’

“Now, all of you be seated in your proper arrangements.”

After hearing this, they went over to their battlements and sit on them. Amidst the scramble, Cesar gets up and leans over to Samantha.

“See you later, mah love.”

Cesar then goes to his seat by the wall with the doors. His seat is in the middle row. Ms. Berido glances over at him with her arms crossed together.

“Mr. Owens.”

Cesar turns his head to glance at her.

“Come with me.”

Ms. Berido goes outside, and Cesar follows her with his head bent low. Samantha bows her head and is all jittery. Mark sits beside Samantha where Cesar sat. Mark notices that Samantha keeps playing with her hands. Mark pats the shoulder of Samantha.

“Everything’s gonna be alright Sam, you’ll see each other later.”

Justin shakes his head at what he heard and puts his right hand on his face. Mark could hear his unintelligible mumbling. He then leans over to Justin.

“What are you sulking about?” Mark whispered.

Justin whispers back, “This isn’t one of our plans.”

“I know. But this is for the common good. I’m content not having her because God got me. So, chill.”

Justin sighed, “See! This is what happens when you become a Jesus freak, you become soft.”

“Keep him out of this, man. You even warned me that I shouldn’t pursue Samantha. After all, she doesn’t like me because she likes Cesar, and that I’m only hurting myself if I continue further.”

“Ok, I’m sorry. That was unwarranted. The reason I told you those things is that you only remotely know her. Don’t tell me you conceded what I’ve said?”

“That seems to be the case. I have to let her go, man. Besides, she and Cesar already have traction.”

“Mark, I could-

“Ok, class! Sit properly! We’re about to start!” Ms. Berido remarked with Cesar tailing her.

Walking towards his seat, Cesar bows his head and slouches. As he sits down, he covers his face with his hands and shakes his head. Then he lays back and clasps his hands on the chair. Seeing Cesar acting this way, Samantha became antsy.