CHAPTER 9: TO CONFESS OR NOT TO CONFESS
THE GIRL WHO CAN’T DATE
By Eleventh
CHAPTER 9: TO CONFESS OR NOT TO CONFESS
“Dear Mr. Umbrella Man, I am very thankful for your sudden appearance! You just saved me from becoming a wet, ugly puppy. Your scent is familiar though. I wonder where I smelled it.” – Ira P.
2017 JOURNAL
AT GRAYSON ACADEMY
“Iraaaa!”
Maggie arrived in the Faculty Room one morning with eminent energy and thrill. She threw her bag on the table, grabbed a chair, and sat in front of Ira ready to listen to the story. But sadly, her friend doesn’t seem to be as ecstatic as she is. She wasn’t thrilled to share anything at all.
But seeing that her friend awaits her story, she told Maggie her conclusion.
“I have decided to put an end to my feelings.”
Disappointed, Maggie whined. “What? But WHYYY?”
“There’s no sense in keeping it when the signs are clear, Mags! There’s no future with Joey. What we have is just a hopeless love story.” Ira grabbed the whistle from her drawer and wore its strap on her neck. She also grabbed her water bottle from her cabinet and went to the dispenser to fill it with water.
“What happened last night? Did you tell him how you feel? Did he reject you? How? What did he say?” Maggie threw a lot of questions while following Ira.
Ira drank some water, gaze into Maggie’s eyes, and when she finished gulping, she said, “I couldn’t tell him, not when he told the waitress of the restaurant that I wasn’t his date but his sister. Can you believe that? To him, I was just a little sister.”
Maggie placed her hands on her chest, feeling heartbroken for her friend.
“Oh my! That is… worse than friendzone.”
“It is.” Ira went back to her table with Maggie following from behind and prepared her things for her class. “So, that’s the call! I have to end these unrequited feelings.”
But Maggie is sedulous. “Listen! The fight isn’t over until you confess your feelings, Ira.”
“Maggie! Were you listening? What’s the point of telling him now?” Ira snatched the marker and her class record, ready to leave for her class.
Maggie held on to Ira’s arms. “It might change his mind if you tell him how you truly feel. What if he does like you and he’s just keeping it because he doesn’t wanna risk your friendship? What if you guys are just waiting for each other? Look! I am not convinced that this guy isn’t looking at you as a woman. Why would he bring you to a fancy diner instead of a fast-food restaurant?”
“Because he’s a considerate guy.” Skye interfered as soon as arrived.
“Oh here comes the nosy twerp! Will you please stop butting into someone else’s conversation?” Maggie ranted while watching Skye go to his table.
“And will you stop giving people false hopes?” Skye retaliated. He was darn serious.
“Skye is right. Joey is just being considerate. Nothing more!”
And Ira left the Faculty Room quietly.
August is about to end. Sports Day is coming in September and she will surely be hectic. Smelling the air with the scent of grass, she looked at the mowed field and thought that perhaps her work’s going to help her stay preoccupied. Maybe!
“Ira!” Skye caught up with her.
Ira turned and wasn’t pleased to see him so she kept on walking to her class.
“Hey! Wait up!”
Ira was too walking too fast that Skye had to jog to keep up with her pace. He knew that he gets into Ira’s nerves but he cared less about it.
“What!? What do you want?”
“Have you heard?”
“Heard about what?”
“The position for MAPEH Department Head is vacant.”
Ira paused from walking.
“What did you say?” Skye just smiled, feeling satisfied that he caught Ira’s attention. “What happened to Mrs. Carlos?”
“Don’t miss the department meeting, tonight!” Skye tapped Ira’s back with a sly smile and went on his way.
She knew he was teasing her but she didn’t have the energy to retaliate. The sudden news of a vacant position concerned her. She has been a teacher of the academy for six years, and though it wasn’t long enough to qualify for the position, she still desired that promotion.
She wants growth. She wants an upgrade. She wants to be challenged.
“Good morning, Teacher Ira!!!”
The sophomore’s greetings were cheerfully loud enough to wake up their adviser from her daydream.
“Good morning, Grade 8 Leo! Please have a seat.”
Ira started checking the attendance, starting from the boys. She calls them one by one and each time she calls them, they raise their hand and make their presence known.
“Corrales? Tristan Corrales?” Nobody answered.
She checked Tristan’s seat and it is indeed empty. She checked her class record again and noticed that he has been coming to class late this week. Three times consecutively.
Thinking that perhaps he's just tardy again, the good teacher did not mark him absent. Then, she continued calling the rest. She also went on to call the girls. They were only eight of them and they were the easiest to check.
However, when she called the last one on the list, no one answered again.
“Villanueva, Hailey? Does anyone…”
“PRESENT!!!” a chubby girl with pinkish cheeks and Asian eyes shouted from the door panting raising her hand to make her presence known to Ira.
Next to her was a young man with curly hair, catching his breath too while saying, “CORRALES! PRESENT TOO, TEACHER IRA!”
Ira closed her attendance book and crossed her arms while looking at the two. Her eyes were peering.
“Coach P!” Tristan spoke. Students from the basketball team call her with that name. “We are terribly sorry for being late. Please forgive us!”
“Luckily, both of you made it on time. Homeroom chat isn’t over yet. However, Tristan, you have to see me after the class. I need to talk to you. Go to your seats now.”
Tristan didn’t say a word. Instead, he nodded in agreement.
Right after the class, Tristan approached Ira.
“Let’s talk at the canteen. I don’t want you to miss your break time.” Ira dropped her intimidating look by smiling at Tristan seeing how uneasy he is. “And you can relax. We’re just gonna talk. I’m not going to scold you.”
Tristan seemed relieved. Ira can tell from his smile and hops as he walked away.
“Looks like someone is in trouble, huh?” Maggie remarked perceiving their conversation. “Why don’t you talk to him in the faculty room instead? You always talk to your students at the canteen.”
“Naaah! Those places only make them feel threatened and vulnerable. I don’t wanna bring them to an environment that makes them less comfortable.”
Maggie was impressed. She never knew this side of Ira though she always sees her reprimand her students in their comfort zone.
“Wow! I am impressed.” Maggie praised as they go down the stairs and led their way, yet again, through the crowded canteen.
“What’s so impressive about that?”
They paused at a stall and bought some hotdogs in a bun.
“For someone who always has a black mood and patience that’s as thin as ice, it’s inspiring how you stay relaxed and understanding with your students.”
But Ira wasn’t paying much attention to Maggie. She was closely watching Tristan carrying a tray of food for Hailey who was waiting for him at the table.
“Just find a table. I’ll join you after talking to Tristan.”
Carrying her snack, she joined Tristan where Hailey shares a table too. Sensing that the two might need some privacy, Hailey stood up and left them alone. But Ira was quick to stop her.
“It’s okay, Hailey! You can stay.”
“I’ll just buy some drinks, Teacher!” she excused.
When they were finally left alone, Tristan suddenly whined. “Coaaach P! We’re friends, right?”
“Idiot! We’re friends if we’re outside the campus.” She reminded as she took a bite on her bun. “Do you know that you can be suspended from the basketball team if your tardiness persists?”
“Let this go just once. Pleaaase! I don’t wanna miss basketball practice!” He folded his hands and faced Ira like he was praying to a deity.
“Then you should have thought about that before you crazily wait for Hailey at the gate every morning.”
Tristan dropped his jaw and gasped. “How did you know about that?”
“Duh! Your carpool driver never comes to school late. And every morning, I always see you standing outside the gate. It’s just weird to come to class late with Hailey when you have already arrived at school 30 minutes before the time.” Tristan sat properly and stayed quiet. Then Ira asked, “Are you guys dating?”
Tristan quickly shook his head. “No! No! We’re not! We’re not dating! Not at all!”
Ira crinkled her eyebrows. “Are you sure?”
“I swear to God, Coach P! We’re just really close. We’re friends since kindergarten.”
“Wow! Why don’t you date her? You obviously like her! I can tell from the way you behave!”
“Well…” Tristan sighed. “It’s true that I like her but Hailey and I were best of friends.”
“So?” Ira’s voice rose. She suddenly got interested.
“Feelings will only get in the way of our friendship. I don’t wanna risk what we have.”
Ira’s eyes suddenly brightened. “But what if she likes you too and you’re just waiting for each other?”
“That would be great. But…”
Ira didn’t finish the conversation with Tristan. Leaving her students in a daze, she ran to the Faculty Room, searched for her phone in her bag, and immediately called Joey.
He picked it up and oh, how she was glad to hear his voice.
“Hey! Where are you? I need to see you!”
She had made up her mind.
She’s taking the risk.
It’s going to end in two either ways anyway. It’s either A, she’s going to be rejected and carry the shame maybe for a month or for a year, or B, her feelings will be accepted and she’s going to go out with him. End of story, happy ending!
What is a day of rejection anyway compared to missing a chance for a lifetime? She knows it’s going to haunt her if she won’t tell him or at least try asking him if there was a chance for him to like her more than just a friend but less than a family.