Only Girl

"Oh my gosh!"

Narinig kong tili sa kung saan kaya hindi ko mapigilan mapabuga ng hangin. The girl had been squealing and screeching like a banshee for hours now and it was getting into my nerves.

I don't know what she had been overacting about. Last time I check, there were no rats or bugs around. Well, it's not like may pakialam ako upang kamustahin siya. Bahala na siya sa buhay niya.

She could scream all she wants as long as she won't bother me.

One thing I hate the most after all, are disrupting my free time with unreasonable and nonsensical things. I plug both of my earphones in my ears and increased the volume hanggang sa hindi ko na narinig ang mga sinisigaw ng babae.

Man, that girl is going cuckoo.

I tell you that girl is bloody mental.

Napailing na lamang ako at pinagpatuloy ang pagbabasa. Tutok na tutok ako sa aking binabasa. It wasn't sexual or romantic. I'm not fond of reading corny poetries and cringy poems. My type of books are more outrageous than the next book. It was filled with scientific words and research studies. In other words, Physics and Science.

Hindi naman sa matalino ako. To be honest, I could hardly decipher what I was reading. I don't know what's this and that. I just want to look cool and smart. Though you gonna admit, science is fun once you understand it.

Yung nga lang kahit anong basa ko ay wala talaga akong maintindihan pero yun naman ang nagustuhan ko sa isang libro. Yun ang hirap intindihin pero babasahin mo pa rin. It what makes things more challenging than plain reading.

Napatigil na lamang ako sa pagbabasa nang malakas na binagsak ng babae ang kanyang mga kamay sa aking mesa.

She's starting to get annoying.

She open her mouth and words just came out like flowing water. It doesn't seem she had plans on stopping. She was talking to me. Screaming and shouting but I could barely understand what she was blabbering about dahil sa earpods na nakasalampak sa dalawa kong tenga.

The only thing I could hear from her is gibberish words.

She just keep talking and talking habang nakaupo lang ako at nakatingala sa kanya. I was just blatantly staring at her while my lips were pulled in a thin line.

I was getting bored and tired just by looking at her talking for half an hour. Kailan ba niya balak tumigil? Isn't she tired opening and closing her mouth for hours? Where does she get her energy from?

I kinda pity her since she ends up with the likes of me. I was never gentle with girls. I deem them too annoying and loud for my taste. They were too energetic and full of life for me to handle. That's why I avoided their species since I don't think I'll be able to live with their presence. They were so different compared to my quiet self who prefer silence and peace.

Hindi ako kagaya nang babae sa aking harapan na masyadong madaldal. Hindi naman ako mahiyain. Hindi ko lang alam ang sasabihin ko. How was I supposed to know how to interact with people when I don't know the basic things in starting a conversation?!

There was no findings or studies in science on how to interact with people.

I just couldn't say Hi without knowing what to say next. It would be awkward. At the same time, it's troublesome to think about.

I let out a tired sigh for the umpteenth time bago tuluyan nang tinanggal ang isang earpod mula sa aking tenga habang nanatiling nakasalampak ang nasa kabilang tenga.

"Like oh my gosh, hindi ko in-e-expect na ganito pala kadumi ang classroom natin. It's like a pile of trash tas tayo lang dalawa ang nandito." that was the first thing I heard from her when I took off the earpod na pinagsisihan ko sa huli nang marinig ko ang kanyang mala-babae at matinis na boses.

"Don't tell me tayo lang dalawa ang nasa section na toh?!" she exaggeratedly scream.

"Actually, Miss Zivar, there's seventeen of you."

Sabay kaming napalingon sa direksiyon ng pintuan kung saan nanggaling ang boses na sumagot sa tanong ng babae. I couldn't even remember this loud girl's name.

May nakita kaming isang lalaki na naka-casual wear lang habang may dalang dalawang libro, long ruler at isang box na puno ng chalk with two thick chalkboard erasers. He had his hair styled with shiny wax.

"Wait, sino ka b–"

"–Sir Herbert" agad akong tumayo at niyuko ang bewang at ulo bilang paggalang. "Good afternoon, Sir."

"Good afternoon, Prudent." balik na bati niya sa akin habang naglalakad siya patungo sa teacher's desk na nasa harapan lang. "Take a seat."

Agad akong umupo gaya ng kanyang sinabi. This is the first time I've seen Sir Herbert entering our classroom. Usually, palagi niya lang ako pinapatawag sa teacher's office at doon niya ako binibigyan ng mga gawain na puro school-related activities and assignments.

Nilapag niya ang kanyang gamit sa lamesa bago pinagpag ang kanyang upuan na puno na nang alikabok. Napagdesisyon na lamang niyang umupo nang malinis na ito.

He knotted his fingers together on top of the table before he turn his attention towards the girl who was trying to fit herself on the chair beside me with my bag.

"Hello, Miss Zivar. I'm Sir Herbert Aiofe Zerrin but most of my rascal students call me Sir Herbert. Nice to meet you."

"Likewise, Sir Herbert. I'm Oriel Krysanthe Zivar. Just call me Oriel. Zivar is just my last name after all."

Hindi ko mapigilan mapatango. So her name is Oriel. Kaya pala.

Ang yabang naman.

Nawalan ako ng gana kaya naisipan ko na lang na ituloy ang binabasa ko na naudlot dahil sa babaeng katabi ko ngayon. I grab the book from my desk and open the page where I left off with the bookmark on the middle.

"May tanong ako, Sir Herbert."

"What is it, Miss Zivar?"

"You said we are seventeen in total. Lahat po ba absent ay puro lalake?"

"Of course. I have sixteen boys who are absent for two weeks."

"What?!" nabigla akong nang biglang-bigla na lang sumisigaw si Oriel. Sumakit tuloy ang tenga ko dahil ang lapit niya lang sa akin tas sumigaw pa siya.

"Damn. Would you be quiet?" inis ko na sermon sa kanya pero hindi niya ako pinansin. Instead, she stood up with a shock expression on her face.

Looking at her gestures. I was already receiving hints what was about to come at mabilis tinakpan ang dalawang tenga ko bago pa siya muling sumigaw. "So, you're telling me that I'm the only girl in this fucking room?!"

Napairap na lamang ako sa ere nang makita ang reaksyon niya. Why is she acting like it's the end of the world?

Aakmang sasagot na sana si Sir Herbert when a realization was dawn on Oriel's face. "Wait...Sixteen? Teka! Nagugulo po ako. Please enlighten me, Sir!"

"Uh yes." Tumikhim si Sir Herbert bago nag-ayos ng upo. "You see, Miss Zivar. I'm the adviser of Section Sage Z as you would know, I would be the first one to be inform if I'm taking a new student in my section."

My eyebrows arch in question.

Luckily, Oriel was the one doing the asking, "What do you mean, Sir Herbert? Na hindi dapat ako dito?"

"Yes, Miss Zivar. That's what I exactly mean."

"But Sir, nakasulat sa student's book ko na dito ang section ko!" tutol agad ni Oriel.

"Are you sure, Miss Zivar? Baka nagkamali ka lang. With your status, you don't belong in our section." bago pa muling makatutol ang babae agad na lumipat ang tingin ni Sir Herbert sa akin. I was about to bring my gaze back to my book pero nahuli na ako ni Sir Herbert. "Prudent, pakitingin ang student's book ni Miss Zivar."

"Yes, Sir." umayos ako ng upo bago napabuga na naman ng hangin. Dapat hindi na lang ako nakikinig sa kanilang pag-uusap. Ito tuloy ang napala ko. Nagiging utusan.

I turn my body towards Oriel who was arching her eyebrows at me. I only looked at her with bored eyes. I want to get this over with kaya wala akong imik kundi nilahad lamang ang isang kamay. Silently asking her to hand over her student's book.

Bawat estudyante na nag-aaral sa Elacion Renaissance University for the school of Aristocrat, Polyhistor and Puissance ay may student's book which are necessary for us to carry around. The school placed more importance in the student's book than our school ID.

You could leave your school ID and the school staffs wouldn't make a big fuss about it basta wag mo lang iwan ang student's book mo.

Kahit nga ako, palaging nasa bulsa ng aking pantalon ang student's book ko.

Oriel looked conflicted pero sa huli isinuko niya din sa akin ang student's book niya. Mabilis kong ibinuklat ang maliit na libro na kasing liit ng small version ng isang bible pero hindi kasing kapal. Hinanap ko ang students information niya and voila!

"Section S..." basa ko mula sa maliit na libro na hawak ko.