TBBM XV. Think As Though You Were Taking The Quiz

"I'm sorry, Miss," my voice broke, as soon as I reached the professor's table. "This was my fault. Boast---I mean Red, was not late to begin with. He just... he helped me do my homework that's why he's late. I hope you'd let him take this test."

I couldn't stand watching Red suffering because of my ill fate. If I wasn't lucky enough to save myself, I'd like to make sure to save the people I cared about.

"H-Hickey---" Red stood up.

Silence.

Sometimes, silence was pivotal to making big decisions. Silence.

I looked around and saw the PAC girls glaring at me. Mar and Cliffy smiled to their ears. Cy and Hugo looked confused. Eventually, Noriella and Loraine started teasing us.

T-tease us?

I turned red---or purple, actually.

The teasing went too loud and wild that the professor could not help it but to allow Red to take the quiz. It'd be really embarrassing had she decided otherwise. I walked back to my seat at the back avoiding stares from every which way possible; instead, I focused my eyes on Red, somehow, he felt warm.

Red seemed to want to say something, but the professor picked up her notes and poised to begin the next question. He kept eyeing at me. I didn't know what to say.

The answers were to be written on a lengthwise-sized paper. Red split the whole sheet into two and gave me the other half. He looked less tensed now. He looked more at peace. He looked more like the Red I liked---I meant, "like," friendly like.

"You heard her," I mumbled. "Only you are allowed, not me."

"But that's where you're good at," he looked at me, teasing.

"Huh?"

"Just think as though you were taking the quiz," he stole the paper back and wrote my name on top after he did his. "Hickey Magat."

He stifled a laugh.

Just think as though you were taking the quiz.

Just think as though you were taking the quiz.

Just think as though you were taking the quiz.

Just think as though you were taking the quiz.

Why was he so weird?

I covered my ears as I kept hearing him in my head while the professor carried on with the items. Why? I couldn't stop hearing him.

Dub dub. Dub dub.

Dub dub. Dub dub.

My heart, it was as if Red was controlling it. He looked at me from time to time, smiling.

Just think as though you were taking the quiz.

Just think as though you were taking the quiz.

Just think as though you were taking the quiz.

Just think as though you were taking the quiz.

+++

The class ended and I intentionally stayed until everyone left. I needed time to calm my heart down. I felt like I ran ten laps in the university oval. The throbbing of my heart, it was unprecedented. Was it one of the side effects? I sighed to myself.

When I had enough strength, and my knees felt stronger, I eventually left the room.

"Did you take that long because you wanted me to wait for you?"

"W-wait? You waited?" I gaped. Red stood there behind the column.

"Nothing. I--uh," he ran his fingers on his nose bridge again. "I'll see you in Square by eleven. Don't make me wait again, or else."

"But I was going on duty."

"Ingrate," he shook his head. "I don't care. We had a deal."

In a minute, he disappeared. He was back to being his annoying self. He didn't even stop by to say 'thank you.' Well, he needn't to really---in fact, I was the one to cause him trouble this time. But I was just glad he didn't have to suffer like me.

#EdwardCullenSavedMe

<@o@>

I ran to the chapel to report for duty. Inside the chapel were two offices---one on the second floor, another, on the third. I worked on the second floor. Basically, we were in charged of the university-wide formation activities---that meant, we took care of spiritual and self-enriching sessions. I was happy to be part of this office: it felt like I needed it most.

I came across Roma on my way to the chapel. She was headed to the library to work, too. Our offices were right in front of each other, so we walked together.

"Jopet," she called. "Have you heard about the meeting of officers later at 12 noon?"

"Really? Seems like I've been running behind on news, lately."

"Well... that happens," she smiled. She was always kind.

"Thank you for letting me know," I said when we reached the front of our offices. "You only need to render 50 hours this semester, right?"

"Yes. But I'm trying to get over it quick. I have a few endorsements next month, you know?" Roma was sweet and nice and photogenic, if I might add. Because of that charming look, she would usually be chosen as a brand model or ambassadress.

+++

That day, I did my usual errands in the office: to staple forms together, file records to their respective folders, answer phone calls, encode survey results and compute for review scores.

The office could be very quiet sometimes, especially whenever I was alone; ending, I sometimes fell asleep.

The workers in the office were all nice and smart. They came from reputable schools---half of them entered the seminary or the convent. Whenever I saw them, I smiled at the thought of entering the convent, too; possibly, if the Heavens did not really detest people like me.

Among all of them, Ma'am Jing was the one I liked best. She was nearing her retirement and she often told us stories. She typically retold stories from the Bible and how it related to life. I loved her and her wisdom. Considering my situation, I knew she was God-sent. Without much support I knew I wouldn't make it this far.

+++

I left the office after the day's shift. It might look to you like I was nothing but a hardworking student but, just like youngsters of my age, I also had an insatiable need of Facebook and Twitter.

<^o^>

I arrived to the ERS just in time.

Actually, social media surfing was nowhere allowed in the university computer room---understandably because one must be studying there and not flirting around with random people on the web. But where there were rules, there were rulebreakers. I was one of the latter.

I usually went there four days in a week for about thirty minutes, if for leisure purposes only. Otherwise, if we were working on projects, I'd be there for as long as I could stomach it.

I got lost in the count of how many times I prayed that the Saint would allow me to view James' Facebook wall just one more time. Today was no exception. I stealthily typed my web proxy and loaded Facebook.

My heart raced in anticipation as I searched for the only profile I ever cared about---James'.

"Waiting for you to notice me," he wrote on his status.

I wondered if that was, at all, serious. Knowing James, he used to pull on tricks when trying to be funny---or, was that about me? Since I didn't really finish talking to him earlier today? Did he miss me? I felt goosebumps crawling up my spine---probably, a little too much.

"Quiet, please," I heard voices around me complaining.

I scanned through some posts I missed since the last time I snuck out to open my account.

Relationship status. Travel updates. Favourite musicians. Concerts. Those were what people my age busied themselves on. Me on the other hand? I was so different. I didn't even necessarily cared about any of thise. I busied myself on things far less commonly thought about like transition, calcium supplements, organic hair care, working mornings and thinking about James.

Those pretty much summed up Jopet.

I scanned and scanned until a certain post caught my eyes:

"I'm pretty. Not oily. And, I don't flirt in quiz, lol," the post read. It was Angie of PAC girls. She posted it earlier on today.

She was such an attitude.

I read on the comments under it:

"I'm pretty. Not pimply. And I don't flirt in quiz," Ceccie supplemented.

"I'm pretty. Not in the backseat. And I don't haev a Hickey," it was Phao's comment.

"Haev," there she went again, making fun of me. I knew they were furious about earlier. But I never thought they'd bring classroom issues to such a public space.

Was it my fault I was that airy guy's favourite? Why didn't they just confront Red and tell him to notice them instead. I was sure Red w-would--- No! The abrupt realisation descended upon my conscious mind.

Red, he said to meet him by eleven. I looked at the wall clock:

Quarter to Twelve.

So, I wrote on my profile before logging off, "Death Note: some type of a highly-boasty guy is gonna kill me. SOS."

Hurriedly, I logged off my PC and ran my way out of the door and on to the stairs.

"Excuse me!" suddenly, a male personnel went after me. I froze. Did I just get caught? Noooo. I could never afford the repercussions of being caught: I'd be suspended, my scholarship might be risked… No! Just No! The attendant was wearing a cream-coloured polo. He still lurked behind me. I tried to come up with excuses. He held me by my backpack. "Where do you think you're going now?"

"Sir-I," I turned around. I wondered which one was more unfortunate: being caught by the ERS personnel for browsing unauthorised sites? or being caught by the very person I was running away from. "Red!?"

"You were just hanging out here? What made you think it's a good idea to make me wait, huh?"

"Let me go," I tried to wriggle out of his hold. "What made you think I should obey you all the time? What about my human rights, intellect and free will?"

"Free will?" he rubbed his nose ridge again, flashing some teeth. "Don't you think you relinquished your rights since you used my lappy and printer? You're my slave for the semester!"

"W-what?"