Chapter 5 - Her Dooms Year as an Achiever

Alas! She was really determined not to be swayed by their friendly approach. She would like to prove to her parents that she was not flirting with the boys. She was certain of it. If she talked with them during the first three months of the semester, it was just for a mere socialization... A mere political relationship with her schoolmates for future candidacy as a student leader.

Now that her father accused her wrongly she had to stop being friendly with her school mates. What she had to do was to study harder until she got an outstanding marks in her class cards. Never mind an extra curricular activities as long as the trust of her parents would be given back to her, not doubting her to be flirtatious that marked not only in her mind but also in her heart.

In all her subjects, she could never be toppled down by her classmates, may it oral or written performances. These drove others to admire her more while some despised her due to jealousy and envy.

The day when her parents promised her to talk with the Dean and the guidance counselor had come. On their search for their office, they accidentally met Mr de la Cruz at the lobby. There and then, he learned about Richclar's request to wear the male's uniform.

"What kind of foolishness did she decide?" The instructor thought as he could not voice it out with her parents.

Never would he analyze her correctly on her preference for her clothes to wear when she was perfectly suited with what she was wearing as a girl.

Neither would he be able not to accompany them to the offices that they were looking for. Good it was his vacant period and he had the time to go with them in the guidance counselor and dean's offices. He was just listening while Richclar's parents were talking with them. However, he tried very hard to let them saw him in order to request his sign not to give in. And he successfully made it. As a result, Richclar's parents failed to give in to be supportive to her request. Before going home, they went to the boarding house.

" Richclar, we're truly sorry that we were unable to make the Dean and the guidance counselor agree to your request. Don't worry. When you are already a police woman, that would be the nicest time to wear a male's uniform."

"oh, I am so sad about it... But thanks a lot for keeping your promise to give in to my request, Ma and Pa" She thanked them lovingly.

The school days continued until the students were done with the first semester. The thought of going home gave Richclar an excitement to go home. But, she made sure that she was already enrolled before leaving the city for home. Without anyone she befriended with, she went home without bidding farewell to anyone. In short, she remained detached from them especially that they were all boys of almost of her age.

Just like before her life was confined to helping her parents the usual household chores and livelihood resources. "Two weeks are not enough helping them," she thought.

During her busy time she was surprised when a delivery man arrived with a bouquet of pink roses. At first, she argued with the delivery man for never in her mind would she had expected someone to send her flowers. So she refused to accept it.

"Sir, I cannot accept these roses as I don't have any friend who would send them to me." she said.

"Is this the residence of Richclar Sampson?" He inquired.

"Yes! I am Richclar Sampson." She replied.

"He stared at her face and spoke:" No wonder you have a secret admirer. "

Then asked her to sign before leaving her house.

While in the jeepney in going back to the flower shop in the city he called someone," Boss, I've delivered the roses already. You should have let me wrote your name in that card. "

The man over the cellphone laughed and told him, "Not the right time yet... There is the right time. I could patiently wait for that time." Then he hang off.

At that moment, he decided to stop playing table tennis with his friend as his focus was already distracted. He chose to stay inside her bedroom in order to stare at the picture he had hung at the wall facing his bed. Inside his room he tried to touch her cheeks, nose and even her kissable lips.

"Richclar... I would wait until you are in your last semester indy fourth year. I shall profess my feelings for you. For now, I would be chasing away your admirers of your age." He talked to her picture that he had secretly taken from behind one of the big posts at the administration building.

Back to Richclar's home, her parents asked where the roses came from. They read the name card only to find out that it has only their daughter's name written there. They were all puzzled.

During the evening Richard and Clariss were still awake in their bedroom. They were in their couple's conversation.

"Somone is interested to wooe our youngest daughter," Richard opened up his opinion about the bouquet.

"Who could it be? He wanted to hide his identity from our daughter," Clariss said.

"Correct me if my guess is wrong but I could not stop considering Mr Joshua de la Cruz to be her secret admirer," he guessed.

"Why do you think so? What could be your basis?" she challenged her husband to enumerate some possibilities.

"Remember last summer vacation when he came to give us the result? While talking with us, he could not take away his eyes from our daughter. Next, you told me that he went to the boarding house when she saw you there asking your permission to be our daughter's protector. You told me also that he reported to you about the several admirers our daughter has." he cited them one by one to his wife.

" He could be. But why would he hid his identity by not writing his name in that card? " She said... As if she was more talking to herself than talking to her husband.

" Let us be agent 009 once again! " They had their usual high five and said good night to each other, kissed and slept tightly.

Second semester started. Clariss went with Richclar to the boarding house in the city. At the door of her daughter's dormitory a single bloody red rose in a beautiful ceramic flower vase was waiting. As they lifted the flower vase the sound of greeting and welcoming back was heard.

"Good morning Richclar. Welcome back. Once again, by just looking at you from afar, makes me happy."

"What a waste of money, time and effort." Richclar said while dumping it in a nearby trash can.

"Hey! Don't throw it. Just put it on your study table." Clariss picked it up and brought it inside her room.

From afar, Mr de la Cruz had mixed feeling of disappointment and joy. He was disappointed on Richclar's reaction... Discarding the flower with its vase. He was glad when his future mother-in-law picked it up from the waste bin and brought it inside her room.

His admiration was hidden deep inside his heart. Even though he was one of Richclar's instructors, he did not dare to show his feelings for her. It is a taboo to create a teacher to student relationship and vice versa.

When December came, the instructor spent an amount to secretly send those gifts to Richclar unsigned. Without him knowing it, the latter never attempted to unwrap them. She had a box where she kept them all.

"Whoever the sender is must be shocked to receive them all upon returning them all. One day, I would be able to know who you are.," she assured herself persuasively.

Back to school once again as the Christmas Season had ended. It was January, time for candidacy. She remembered that she planned to run as their batch's representative. Would she go on with it? But... she was still not comfortable talking with them. Yes, she was dying to be a student leader however, she refused to be friendly with them. While she was trying to analyze her situation, she was walking at the lobby towards the path going to the east gate when she was blocked by someone that forced her to a sudden stop. When she looked at him, the blocker was Dennis himself.

Her fear of talking with him reminded her of the accusation of her father that she was flirtatious. So, she quickly moved like an eel that elusively passed through his right side... Then sprinted as fast as she could.

"Hah! You would never catch me unguarded," she again talked to herself as she had no one to talk to.

On the other hand, Dennis was the type of student who could not be ignored just like what she did. He followed her very quickly like her. Hence the chasing after one another reached until she was inside her dormitory. Outside the door he heard Dennis voice telling her of the possibility that her dream would be fulfilled if she would just listen to her.

In a loud voice Dennis said, "Be one of us as the candidate of your batch's representative."

" I am no longer interested!" she lied.

"Don't you know that you are qualified to be a student leader?" he informed her.

"I knew it but like I said... I am no longer interested." She insisted.

When Dennis left, she hurriedly got inside her room in order to hide her pent up emotion how she was sorry for her refusal. She was really done for, regarding her supposedly well- planned candidacy back in June, July and half of August.

She had really messed up with herself just because of that hateful word .. Flirting. How pathetic she could be if she was, but the truth was she wasn't at all. The reality is that she was not interested falling for the boys. What she was most interested to be falling for, her fellow girls.

"Am I a tomboy? A tee bird? A Lesbian? Will this be the cause of the Dooms Year of my would be failure in becoming a student leader in college? " These are some questions to herself.