Reporting

Why do I feel time is at a glacial phase? I can't be with Zach in an another hour! I sighed and took the broom to sweep the floor while Zach is at the counter.

"What?"

"H-huh?" I asked perplexedly.

"You're distracting me woman. Stop looking at me"

"Oh o-okay" I didn't notice that I was staring at Zach for a while. Awkward!

I finished what I am doing and went at the storage room, afterwards. I carried the new delivery items. It's so heavy!

I heard someone entered the store so I looked at the customer. An old man, he looks drunk? I didn't gave attention to him and proceeded with the new deliveries.

I was about to put the box that I'm carrying with the others but..

I slipped!

I hate that rug! Who put the rug here?!

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!" I shouted. I was expecting that I'll be falling on the ground but I felt someone's presence at my back. Zach was hugging my waist. He caught me! "T-thank you"

He stood up straight and cleared his throat. "You should have been more careful next time, miss" I just nodded.

After what happened, Zach left me there. It's so embarrassing!

When I got out in the storage room, I can saw Zach's worried face. "Why.. Is something wrong?"

"That drunk man left without paying, now we'll have to deal with it woman" I suddenly felt guilty. If only I didn't slipped, this wouldn't have happened.

I forced myself to speak. "S-sorry"

He looked at me with his cold stare. "It's fine you did nothing wrong"

I'm in the urge of crying right now but I had to hold it. I didn't want him to see me crying so I forced myself to smile and left.

The next day, I woke up early. Today will be our reporting in History so we must be prepared. Mavis picked me up so we could go to school together. I'm so nervous! Our first subject will be History!

"So Tine... Ms. Santos will be randomly pick a group so you don't have to worry! So what if you're group one right? You got this!" I smiled bitterly. "Hey, what's wrong?" she hugged me.

I started crying in her arms. "M-Mavis, w-what am I going to do if I lose my job at the convenience store.. M-mom already has her problems, I don't want to be a b-burden..."

She patted my back and hugged me tighter. "Dry your tears bub, don't worry I'll help you. Just focus on your reporting first okay?"

I nodded and wiped my tears. I fixed my self cause we're almost at the university.

When we arrived, we saw Claire waiting for us at the gate.

"Why did you both arrived just now? I almost waited for hours! Hmp!" Claire said while frowning.

"Oh um.." Mavis looked at me and smiled. "I f-forgot something at the house so we came back.. T-that's it"

Claire nodded in agreement. She looked at me, you can see on her face that she's worried. She was about to speak when Mavis put her arm on Claire's shoulder and invited her to go inside already.

Mavis bid her good bye since she still has classes. I can't believe this girl. She's already late yet she still choose to hang out with us.

Claire called me. "Zach sent a message that he's not going to attend classes today" I stopped at what I heard. Omg. What about our reporting? The both of us are tasked in presenting our group! I also have a stage fright..

"Oh.. Why did something happened?" I asked.

"He said he has to do something important.."

"O-oh okay.." I smiled bitterly at her.

She put her arm in my shoulder. "I know you have problems right now that you don't want to talk about.. But I know you can do it! So smile already!"

I smiled and hugged her. I'm so lucky to have these people in my side. Especially right now, there presence is everything to me. They'll make me feel that I'm not alone.

After a while, the professor is already here. "Good morning. So as you all know you will be presenting your research today. Let's not waste time, leaders kindly go in front"

All the leaders of each group went in front. Ms. Santos asked us to write the names of the members and what they contributed in the group, in a paper. We also decided who will go first. Unluckily, our group will be the first one who'll present.

Chloe and Cyril got mad at me. They complained that why did I volunteered to be the first one who'll report. Who are they to complain when they're not the ones who'll be representing the group?

But because Ms. Santos doesn't like wasting time, we already went in front. I'm just the only one who'll present our presentation because Zach's absent.

I wonder what happened to him?

I took a deep breathe "O-okay uh... good morning everyone. Today I will be representing the lessons that the world wars taught us..." I presented the power point presentation that we made and explained it all one by one. The people at the back, who are laughing are distracting me! But I need to focus. "Therefore I conclude that there is no divine plan decisions of war and peace are up to us and only us, and we own the results"

They clapped their hands after. Ms. Santos also explained it so we can understand it more clearly. The professor smiled at us. "Good job, you may now take your seats. Next group..."

I sighed while going back to my seat. I was wondering what grade will Ms. Santos give us. I'm so nervous earlier that I wasn't able to speak properly.

Up until now, I'm shaking so I tried to calm myself. Minutes have passed, the other groups have finished reporting too.

"Okay good job everyone, even though you guys didn't reach my expectations you still did a good job. I hope next time there will be changes on how you report" I heard my classmates complaining. Ms. Santos tapped the table. "Shush! I will now announce your grades.... for the group one you got 3, your presentation is excellent but you lack in team work. Remember this is a group work, you have to work altogether. For the group two..." While Ms. Santos is announcing the scores, I felt disappointed. I'm a scholar and I worked on it overnight yet that's the only grade we'll get? I sighed. I should work harder next time. "That's all for today, class dismissed"

My classmates went out already while I was left there dazed out.

Is Zach sick? Did he already ate? How is he? I can't help but worry about him.

That's the questions that keep running on my mind.