Chapter 5

Carlo left home early that Monday morning. At six am, he is already in school. He felt both excited and nervous as he held the bouquet of roses that he bought from the market. The cold air of February blew through his face and made his ear length hair wave. He needs to make sure that he arrives in school earlier than Isabella so he can still prepare everything he needs. Of course, at that early, he is the only student in school. He arranged their chairs properly, put the roses on her seat and placed a white cloth on the desk with her name written on it with a permanent marker. At seven am, the other students started coming in, but there's still no sign of Isabella. Maybe, she's just late because we finished dinner late last night. At eight am, the class started but Isabella has not arrived yet. Carlo became uneasy. The roses on her chair are still there, with a little tube filled with water at the bottom of each stem. His mind wondered what could have happened to her. It's almost lunch but Isabella still isn't there. He started to think that maybe she is sick, or if she needed to go somewhere, or maybe she just woke up late and decided to go to school for the afternoon class. Well, whatever happened, I hope that she is doing fine.

Carlo didn't eat his lunch. It was four pieces of fried chicken that his grandmother prepared for them. He is not in the mood to eat anything without her. In fact, he is not in the mood to do anything. He just sat by the side of the open basketball court, watching the sophomore students play basketball. He's still thinking about Isabella. I miss you, Isabella. Where are you? He has never felt anything like this to anyone before. Carlo missed her so much that he could imagine her walking down the corridor, approaching him with her brilliant smile, glowing in the light of the sun. His imagination was interrupted when a fifth grader tapped his back and told him that the principal wants to see him right away. Then the boy headed back towards their classroom.

Why would she want to see me? He thought while walking slowly towards Mrs. Manlangit's office. He was still a few feet away when he saw Isabella standing in front of Mrs. Manlangit's table. His heart leapt with both excitement and fear. He entered the principal's office as gentle as possible, trying to feel the atmosphere of the room first. He also saw Isabella's mother sitting beside the principal's table. She looked upset and Isabella's head is bowed down, as if uttering a silent prayer.

"Good afternoon," he greeted and everyone looked in his direction.

Isabella's mother looked at him from head to foot and looked back at Isabella.

"Good afternoon, Carlo," Mrs. Manlangit greeted him, half smiling. She is wearing a white pair of prescription glasses hanging on her pointed nose. He can see the wrinkles peeking through the sides of her eyes but nevertheless, with the help of her red lipstick, she doesn't look like she is in her fifties. "Have a seat," she said, pointing to the chair right in front of Isabella's mother.

"No, thank you, Mrs. Manlangit," he refused and just stood beside Isabella. Before the principal started explaining what is going on, his intuition tells him that this has something to do with what happened the other night. Maybe her mother got upset because she came home late.

"Well, I guess, we better start," Mrs. Manlangit said. "I requested for you to be here, Carlo, because Isabella's mother has a complaint about you." She paused, looked at everyone before she continued. Isabella's mother is still looking at him furiously.

"As you know, Isabella is our school's scholar. She gets to study here without paying a single penny, mainly because of her good grades, which in return, is our school's pride. Now, her mother, Mrs. Angeles, noticed that she came home late last night and she saw you with her in front of their house when she got home. She is very much concerned if the two of you are dating or are in some sort of relationship, which might affect Isabella's performance in school." She paused again, waiting for any reaction from the three of them, especially Carlo. Carlo and Isabella stayed silent, not even looking at each other. Then, in a firm and angry voice, Mrs. Angeles broke the silence.

"You better tell us the truth, both of you. Don't you dare lie." She was looking at Carlo when she said her last statement. Carlo felt a little upset, for being accused of being a liar.

Mrs. Manlangit continued, "So tell us, why were you with Isabella last night, and are you in any sort of a relationship?"

"We're just friends," Isabella started. "We're best friends."

"Yes, that's true, Mrs. Manlangit, we are best friends. The reason I was with her last night is because my grandmother wanted me to invite her for dinner.

"Isabella, you told me that you are going to your classmate's house to finish a project. So what is this dinner about?"

"I told you that because I know you wouldn't agree if I tell you that I will go to Carlo's house for dinner."

"See, what that guy has made you? He turned you into a liar." Isabella wanted to answer back but she controlled herself not to disrespect her mother in front of other people.

"Carlo," Lisa turned to him, "How did your grandmother know about her? Did you introduce her as your girlfriend?" Lisa interrogated. "Even during Christmas and New year, you visited her and brought food you said your grandmother prepared. Why?"

Carlo felt the urge to answer her and tell her that she is just protecting and taking care of her. Things that she, as her mother, is not even able to do, that he wants her to feel the love that she never gave her.

With an air of angst, he replied, "When I met Isabella, all she eats during lunch is crackers and water. She doesn't even have money to buy food. Do you think three pieces of crackers is enough for the whole day? That's why I told my grandmother about her, and she started giving me extra food to give her." Isabella was surprised with the way he responded. She held his arm trying to stop him.

"What do you care? What do you think of yourself, a super hero?" Lisa exclaimed which also surprised Mrs. Manlangit.

"I care because I love her! And I will do anything to make her feel better, to feel the love she's never felt before. She is a scholar, she is your pride, but you are not taking good care of her." Lisa stood up and slapped him,

"Who are you to talk to me like that?"

At that point, Mrs. Manlangit immediately rose from her seat to stop Mrs. Angeles from further hurting the student. Isabella on the other hand, pulled Carlo away from her furious mother.

"Step away from him, Isabella! I told you, you are not supposed to have a boyfriend."

"He is not my boyfriend." Isabella answered. "We are just friends and we respect our boundaries and he respects me as a woman. His grandmother treats me more like family unlike you, who only sees me as a trophy."

"Is that what that friendship taught you? To answer your mother and be impolite? Not because they treated you nicely the first time, means that they will treat you the same way for the rest of your life. He is no good for you. He is not good for your future."

"Yes, the future where you always tell me that I should marry a rich man, to get us out of poverty. That's the value of relationship for you. All monetary. What about my feelings? What about me as a human? You don't care about any of that."

Mrs. Manlangit pulled Lisa back to her seat and told the two students to stay outside the office.

"I'll call you again later."

The two left the room and let the principal talk to her mother. Carlo squeezed Isabella's right hand, looked into her eyes and said, "Everything's going to be all right."

"I hope so."

After almost an hour, Mrs. Manlangit opened the door, Isabella's mother left without looking at them. Carlo and Isabella entered the room and sat in front of Mrs. Manlangit's table, facing each other. There was a moment of silence for a few seconds, an awkward kind of silence. Isabella was holding her breath, waiting for Mrs. Manlangit to start. The principal took her phone and started dialing, although it wasn't on speaker mode, they can hear the other line ringing.

"I need you here in my office now, please," she said in a sweet, calm voice. Minutes later, Mr. Stanislao came in to the office.

"Please grab a chair, Mr. Stanislao." Mr. Stanislao sat in front of Mrs. Manlangit, "Good afternoon, Madame. Why did you call me here?" he asked as he looked from Carlo to Isabella. "Is there anything wrong?"

"Well, there was a commotion here earlier. Isabella's mother came here furious, thinking that Carlo is dating Isabella." Mr. Stanislao listened attentively, nodding his head from time to time. "I understand that it was your idea to have them sit next to each other."

"Yes, that's true."

"May I know why?"

"As you know, Isabella is a very bright student, and Carlo," there was a short pause before he continued. "He has lost interest in his studies, so I thought that having them sit next to each other will help both of them. Isabella will have someone, like a buddy whenever she studies, and Carlo might find interest in studying again. But I didn't mean for them to be too close. There are other studious students too that I placed beside someone whom I think they can help. I believe that people can influence others, it's just up to you if you want to be influenced by the negative ones around you or the positive ones."

"Is there any improvement on Carlo and the rest?"

"Oh yes!" he answered right away almost excitedly and proudly. "There is a lot of improvement especially on Carlo. I can show you his grades if you want."

"There's no need for you to do that now, you can have it submitted by the end of the quarter," the principal said. "Well, that's all that I need to hear from you right now. Thank you." Mr. Stanislao stood up and left the room.

Carlo and Isabella sat there in silence as they watch Mr. Stanislao leave and close the door.

"Isabella, Carlo, I don't know what kind of relationship you are into, but that is the least of my concerns, especially that I can see that you are both helping each other. I just hope that you are both matured enough to know your boundaries, are we clear?"

"Yes, Mrs. Manlangit," they replied in unison.

They both left the principal's office and went to their classroom. There's no one inside yet. Everyone's in the court for their P.E. Class. Since they know that their adviser knows that they were at the principal's office, they decided to stay inside.

Carlo looked at Isabella but didn't say anything. He caressed her long, black hair. Isabella stopped him by holding his hand and placing it on her chest. Carlo was surprised. His heart was racing. Isabella let go of a sigh, looked at Carlo, still holding his hands on her chest. Their eyes met, and the whole surroundings vanished from their sight. They can only see each other's eyes, trying to peek at each other's souls.

"Carlo," she said in a soft sweet voice, letting go of his hand. "What you said earlier…" she paused and waited for him to understand what she meant.

"Which one?" he asked pretending not to know what she is talking about.

"Uhm," she hesitated not wanting those words to come out from her lips because she's afraid that she might have heard him wrong. "What am I to you?"

"Isabella," he said, almost whispering. He took her right hand and placed it on his chest then sighed. "You are the only one I ever care about in this world. All I want is to take care of you, to give you everything that you need." He let go of her hands, bowed down and wiped the tears that welled up his eyes before looking at her again. She can still see the tears, welling up his deep brown eyes again. At that moment, Isabella knew, what she heard earlier is true and she was sure that she feels the same way towards him, too. This may be a start of something sweeter, or maybe a happily ever after, or the start of a hellish life with her mother. Isabella tried to wipe the tears from his eyes but he stopped her and held her hands. He laid his right cheek on her palm and gently closed his eyes.

"Carlo," she whispered.

"Whatever happens, Isabella, I will always be yours, forever," he said. Carlo hugged Isabella, the kind of hug that melted her bones. She felt her heart thumping while they are locked in an embrace that she doesn't want that moment to end. It felt like they are one, his body and her body, his soul and her soul. She wants to stop the world from revolving, to stop the time and just stay in his arms forever, to never let him go, to let their hearts beat in synchrony, for their souls to never part as they find comfort in each other's company. She wants all of him to be part of her, and hers to be of him. His smell, a unique scent that brings out the woman in her, his touch that burns her skin. She wants him all for herself. She wants his everything: his soul, his spirit, his heart. Then she felt that they were like in the middle of the universe, slowly rotating with all the celestial bodies around them. This must be heaven, she thought.