Mark is in the room for the Mathematics class. Sitting in his chair, Mark chats with Justin and Samantha who are beside him.

“This is unusual.”

Justin’s face is confused-looking and says to him, “Why does it have to be unusual for three friends to be talking together, Mark? That’s what friends do, right? Or am I so dumb to understand what you’ve said?”

“I’m talking about our teacher, it’s unusual that he is late for our class when he used to be the one who met us here every Math class.”

“I’m really too dumb to understand what you’re thinking, Mark.”

Samantha looks at the ceiling and says, “Oh, yeah. He usually meets us here.”

As they are talking to each other, a female student shouts.

‘What the heck? Who shouted? It sounds like it’s from the bathroom,’ thought Mark.

The three of them stood up and walked outside their room. Only Samantha and Mark who were brave enough to go to the bathroom and they found many students with some teachers outside the bathroom.

Samantha looks at Mark and says, “What’s going on?”

He replies, “I don’t know.”

Samantha puts her hand on somebody’s shoulders and says, “What’s going on here?”

“Somebody slit their wrist and bled to death.”

‘What?! Who could it be?’ Mark thought

Samantha taps someone further front and asks, “Who committed suicide?”

The student turns his head slightly and says, “It’s Mr. Garcia.”

‘What?! Mr. Garcia?! Our Math teacher?! He was fine last month up until today. Why?’

Mark disengages from the crowd and heads to the room they were in. Samantha follows him towards the room.

“Why would Sir commit suicide?” said Samantha.

“Who knows?”

As they are walking towards the room, Justin meets them halfway.

“So, what was the commotion about?”

Mark takes a breath and sighs.

“I dunno, man. Something bad happened today.”

“What is it, then?”

Mark walks past him towards the room. Justin turns to Mark as he walks past him. Then a hand rests on his shoulder. Turning his head to see, it was Samantha.

She looks at Mark then at Justin and says, “Sir Garcia committed suicide.”

“Wait, what?! Why?!”

“I don’t know”

“Oh, maybe he got in trouble.”

“What trouble? Do you know why he committed suicide?”

“I don’t know. I guess I have an idea why. You know last week when our parents came here to see our report cards.”

“What about?”

“There was a rumor I heard from the faculty that Sir Garcia got berated by the Principal. They said that he was too strict with the students and that few of them passed. I heard that this school year is his last and that he would be fired from his job.”

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

“Really?”

Justin nods in reply as Samantha falls silent and just walks back towards their room with Justin following suit. The two of them break the story to their classmates who are still in the room while Mark is still sitting in his chair pondering.

‘Why would he commit suicide? A bright young man who has a bright future ahead of him would commit suicide. I know I’m young too but I consider him young, granted that he’s in his twenties. This would bring pain to his family.’

After informing their classmates of the situation, Samantha and Justin sit in their chairs. Justin confides with Mark about the rumors he has heard from the faculty. When he has done confiding, Mark just sits back and ponders.

‘Even so, why would you commit suicide? There are so many more opportunities that you can grab onto. Even though he has ended his pain - well he didn’t really end his pain, he just passed it to his own family and friends. He inevitably passed more pain unto his family.’

The police and the ambulance arrived just as we entered our next class after Sir’s. The police ruled it as suicide and the ambulance took his body. The cleaners made sure that the crime scene was clean from all the blood spilled. It’s so sad that he committed suicide. Even though he failed at being a teacher, he should place his life more than his career. Because life is more precious than anything else, you know. Even though you failed in life, you should seek help from God. Jesus always helps people if they call upon him.

We attend our morning classes with a saddened atmosphere. In each class, the teacher would address the situation and advise us to not commit suicide but instead tell our loved ones, friends, or professionals to confide our problems. Telling us that committing suicide would make everything worse; that it doesn’t solve anything but bring evil.

After we had attended our morning classes, Samantha, Justin, Ruth, and I went to the dumpling eatery near a bank. Ruth wants to be with us because she wants to talk about Sir’s suicide.

When we arrived at the eatery, we ordered our meals. We brought them to our tables and sat down on the chairs.

Ruth fingers me at my arm as I sit there looking at my meal.

“Mark, I’m gonna miss Sir Garcia.”

Justin humphs and says, “You just said to me that you don’t like him becau-“

As Mark elbows him.

“Ouch.”

Mark leans over to Justin and whispers, “Don’t be rude.”

“Ok, fine,” Justin whispers back.

Mark glances at Ruth and says, “We sure do miss him, Ruth.”

Ruth nods, “He is a human being, you know. We’re all made in the image of God, and he shouldn’t mess with it; he shouldn’t have ruined the image of God that he bears. But as it is, everything has consequences whether it’s good or bad. For him, it’s gonna be bad for his family and friends.”

The three of them were wide-eyed.

Samantha giggles and says, “Wow. I didn’t know that you’re that insightful, Ruth.”

Ruth giggles also and solemnly bows her head, “When someone dies, I get sad.”

Mark smiles at her and says, “Everyone gets sad when anyone dies. I got sad when Sir Garcia committed suicide. Although I can’t relate to everything he was going through, he’s still a human being, susceptible to pain.”

Samantha nods and says, “That’s true. Well, why don’t we just eat for now, shall we?”

They nodded at her, bowed their heads, closed their eyes, and clasped their hands while Justin made a sign of the cross.

Mark opens his eyes and says, “Who’s gonna lead the prayer?”

Without opening her eyes, Samantha says, “I will.”

“Ok,” as he closes his eyes.

Samantha leads the prayer as follows, “Lord, thank you for the food you’ve given us today. Give us the energy to participate in school activities so that we will be well academically. Lord, comfort the family of Sir Garcia as they will grieve for him. Give them peace, Lord. In Jesus’ name.”

And they all said, “Amen.”

Then they opened their eyes, raised their heads, grabbed their spoons – some with forks – and began to dig in their lunch meals.

As they are eating, Ruth occasionally looks at Mark. Ruth doesn’t know this but Justin observes this.

‘Why is she looking at him? Maybe she likes him?’

Justin smiles wryly at her and continues to eat his meal. Justin also sees that Ruth offers Mark her meal to which he concedes. When Mark eats the meal offered to him, Justin observes her titillating with a giggle.

‘I can’t believe Mark hadn’t noticed that Ruth likes her. Should I break the news to him? No, he has to know that himself. Maybe a clue would help him.’

“Mark, maybe holding her hands would be nice.”

Ruth is wide-eyed at what Justin has said. Mark chuckles and grabs the hand of Ruth. Then Ruth turned flush red and Justin’s suspicions were truly confirmed.

‘I knew it.’

Then Mark removed his hand from Ruth’s. Samantha smiles at them as she’s eating with a little chuckle.

“Mark, it would be nice too that you would put your head on her shoulders.”

‘Yes, Mark. Do it,’ Justin thought.

Unhesitatingly, he puts his head on her shoulders. Immediately, Ruth straightens up until the boiling point is reached and she then faints.

Before she would face-plant herself to her meal, Mark grabs hold of her shoulders and straightens her up.

“I can’t believe that you fainted and blushed just because a boy does these things to you, Ruth. You have a faint heart, Ruth,” says Mark.

Mark laughs and the other two frown.

‘Oh, how I wish that you would be enlightened that she likes you, my best friend. But you would have to figure that out for yourself, Nevertheless, you and Samantha would be a better pair’ Justin thought.

Samantha thought, ‘She didn’t faint and blush just because you’re a boy, dummy. It’s because she likes you.’