School Again: A short story

“School again”, Jennifer said to herself. She slowly rises from the bed and fit her feet to her flip flops. It’s the second day of her class in Mathematics, another problem to solve and solutions to create. She combed her hair and enters their cozy bathroom.

As she gets out of their bathroom, she put her roll on, wears cologne and put some light make up. “A busy day in school again”, she thought. Well, Tanya is her name. She’s an Architecture student from a University in Quiapo.

She wears a black leather shoes, black foot sock, a maroon slacks and a white blouse. She walks with grace with her gray sling bag. Upon entering the gate of her school, she smiled to the guard. Fortunately, her class starts at four in the afternoon. It’s her advantage to do all stuffs like her assignments, projects and even watch those Korean TV dramas at night.

To be an Architect has been her dream since grade school. She loves to draw buildings and design furniture is her usual past time. Her father is so proud when she designed their altar.

It’s a Greek style with some paintings made by her. Those lovely edifices that flourishes her talent to decorate their church’s altar, it was an amazing task.

“Kain tayo sa labas”, Jeff said. He’s one of her classmates since first year. For her, he’s a best friend. He helps whenever their project is on a deadline. But she doesn’t think of any ideas that he might fall in love with him. Her morena beauty doesn’t appeal to him. She guessed.

“Maayos Sana natin ang project, no?!” an overacting facial expression came out from her. She’s really pressured about their project. Somehow it helps her to have a bonding with Jeff. They always do their project at Jeff’s house. His mom and dad feel that they’re brothers and sisters.

“Nakakakilig kaya kayo, ang cheesy niyo pa”, a jittering Tanya while eating her favorite manggang hilaw. Well, she’s one of her classmates in drafting since then. She’s a transferee from other school and shifted their major. “I know, you’re falling in love with him”, a devilish smile is obvious to Tanya’s face.

“Hindi kaya, para Lang kaming magkapatid” Jennifer answered with exaggeration. She knew that Tanya is just teasing her about their friendship. “Eh, bakit namumula ka?” Tanya teases her more. They talked like there’s no tomorrow about Jeff. They even talked about how gentleman he is. But they have to attend their class.

In the classroom, Jeff is drawing while Tanya secretly gazes on him. It has been a long time that Tanya has this discreet crush on him. But she doesn’t feel any jealousy to Jennifer. She knows that it’s merely friendship.

One day, a surprising event happen, Jeff put a note to Jennifer’s folder. While she is walking, a leaf slowly fell. She noticed the leaf and read the message, MAGKITA TAYO SA BAHAY MAMAYANG GABI. Of course, it’s nothing. Maybe he has a problem to share.

She goes straight to Jeff’s house and asked his mom, “Asan po si Jeff?” Her mom directly said, “Nasa taas siya” She knew that it’s either Jeff is in his room or on the roof. She steps on her left foot then her right foot. She slowly raises her left foot again until her right foot stepped on the second floor. She walks through Jeff’s room. She knocks using her knuckles and asked, “Jeff? Andyan ka ba?” no one answered on the other side of the door. She turns the door knob and sees no Jeff. She only saw his bed with cluttered papers and his uniform.

She knows that Jeff is not organized and like a snake that just put his skin somewhere. A lightning of idea comes again. She knows Jeff is on the roof top. She hurriedly goes upstairs.

“Jeff! Ano yan? She exclaimed while he saw Jeff drawing a picture of a girl. It looks like her. But in her mind, she denies it like hell “Ikaw!” he shouted but his cheeks are rosy like rose. “Bakit mo ‘ko dinodrowing?” She answered with eagerness. “Dahil may gusto ako sa’yo” he directly said what he feels. A romantic hug ended their lovely conversation.

That morning, they walk holding hands. Tanya is surprised when they do that. “So, kayo na?” She asked with a grunted voice. “Ah, di KO alam” Jeff answered with an enigmatic face. Jennifer knows the answer to Tanya’s question. It’s a yes but she needs a mutual approval from Jeff. They both don’t know.

Their relationship flourishes everyday. From the overnight project in Jeff’s house and sometimes they go for a date in Luneta. It’s even a regular issue when they fight about petty things like shirt color, design and food choices.

Every monthsary of them, they spend it to every restaurant that they want to dine. They give gifts like other lovers do. It’s a special day that they sometimes hear mass in Quiapo or San Sebastian church.

“Pwede bang pumunta ka dito sa bahay?” Tanya called her crying on the other line. “Bakit? May problema ba?” She asked. “Nagbreak na kami ng boyfriend ko” a soft cry is heard on the other line.

She hurriedly dresses up. She put on her white shirt, skinny jeans and checkered green flip flops. Her father asked him where she is going. “Kina Tanya, tinatapos namin yun project SA Drafting” she answered back gasping her breath running towards the front door of their house.

“Para”, she shouted in a normal pace with low pitch of voice. She alighted from the jeep, the common ten passenger seat in Manila. She walks two more blocks.

Tanya is living with her aunt in Sampaloc. It’s very near in Quezon City just one street away. She knocks on the green gate and quite scared with the barking “Askal” (Asong kalye) that’s chain to an Aratiles tree.

“Tao po!” she shouted to the house’s owner. A petite, chubby old lady opens the gate and asked, “Sino kailangan mo?” She is hesitant to the high pitch tone of the old lady. She thought that it might be Tanya’s aunt. “Si Tanya po” she answered politely.

She goes to the third floor of Tanya’s aunt house. The façade looks like an old Spanish house which was renovated to a boarding house. Most of the rooms have two double decks as she gazed momentarily to the rooms. When she found Tanya’s room, she hugged her. “Ano ba nangyari?” she asked. “Nakipagbreak ako kasi nakita Kong may ibang babae si Lord” she spoke fast while crying.

Tanya shared her broken relationship to her. She observed a girl defenseless of the situation. She comforted her until they fall asleep.

That morning, the three of them are always together. Although Jeff feels uneasy whenever Tanya is with them, he couldn’t object or say to Tanya how he feels. Instead, he asked Jennifer about her. She answered directly that Tanya is depress and needs someone to be with.

He understands Tanya’s feelings but he still feels uncomfortable. One day, he saw those two walking holding hands. It’s really normal for girls to do that.

He doesn’t feel embarrass when his girlfriend is closer to Tanya. He feels secure about their relationship. They still do the regular things that opposite relationships do. They celebrated their anniversary in their house. On the roof top eating Mozzarella pizza and a diet coke, they talked sweet nothings.

Somehow, Jennifer feels unusual whenever she’s with Tanya. During their class, she asked Tanya on why she doesn’t have a new boyfriend yet or she even dumped one her suitors. “Di ka pa rin ba nakakamove on?” she politely asked her. Tanya just smiled and said she found someone to love.

It was a mysterious answer from Tanya.

Every day Tanya always treats her on lunch. Jeff and she have a conflict schedule from some minor subjects. They usually meet after their class.

Small talks about school, their classmates and even their professors are their topics. Tanya would always love to go with her. Sometimes they hold hands while walking.

One night when both of them are fixing their thesis, Tanya said surprisingly to her; “Mahal na ata kita” She was shocked and felt odd to her. She doesn’t know what to say or what to do. She froze like an ice standing in front of her. She froze more when Tanya kissed her on the lips.

Knowing that she’s a girl, her love to Jeff is true. Confusion strikes her mind. Is she going to kiss her back or not?

She opened her eyes from the glaring shades of the Sun. Both of them are naked covering their luscious anatomy with large, white blanket. She just said in her mind, “Nadala ata ako ng emosyon niya”.

They meet again at school. The three of them are graduating Architecture students. Jeff is always busy working and studying. But due to Jennifer’s moral support, both of them did it.

She keeps her secret to Jeff. That incident is a ghost running to her head every time she sleeps. Fortunately, she and Tanya don’t talk much after that incident.

They walk through the aisle of success. The red, dazzling carpet is as fantastic as they finish the five years of Academic experience and face the real world.

Tanya sheepishly handshake her and said, “Congrats”. She smiled and answered, “Sa’yo din”. Both of them appeared red in between Jeff. But he just hugs Jennifer too tight that they own the stage.

After a year, while Jeff and she is walking in a mall in Makati. They see a tall lady like Tanya. She wears a shirt that makes her sexy. Her pants are so tight, too. But wait, she has this girl holding her hand.

Jeff’s curiosity arises and tapped the lady she thought Tanya. “Hi, Tanya Kaw Na ba yan?” he asked. “Uy, Jeff!” her voice sounded bossy but in a low pitch.

“Sino siya?” he asked. Jennifer looks down and faces Tanya. “Ah, si Anne, girlfriend ko” she uttered with confidence. Jeff feels surprise but somehow he has to be cool.

They take a lunch at Pizza Hut and talk about their Architecture career. All of them enjoyed each company except for Jennifer’s unusual smile. Jeff doesn’t notice the gaze of Tanya to her.

They go home. Jeff holds hand with her and exclaimed, “Tomboy pala si Tanya”. She keeps silent for a moment. Then Jeff wakes her up, “Uy, nakikinig ka ba? She suddenly answered, “Oo”.


“School Again”