Jay's POV
The moment I stepped inside, it was like a flood of paper balls. The floor was completely covered, and with every step I took, I couldn't avoid kicking or stepping on one. They didn't even bother cleaning up. Unbelievable!
I sat in my seat—right at the center of the U-shape. Dead center. The room was too quiet. I had a bad feeling about this. I glanced behind me to check.
Thankfully, nothing weird was happening behind me. But Felix and Keifer were just eating my snacks. How shameless!😒
They were even savoring each bite—of my food!😫 The worst part? My classmates were staring at them with hungry eyes, following every move of their hands as they ate. Even I got drawn in, staring at their food. These jerks were making it look extra delicious, acting like they were in a food commercial😣. So shameless!🤬
I looked away. I let them devour is cause, I—somehow—care about them.
Finally, the bell rang, and our teacher arrived. Given the state of our classroom, I expected her to get mad, but she didn't seem to care about the mess she stepped on.
"This room really suits you all," she said in a bored tone.
She was about to start teaching when she noticed me. "Why is there a girl here?"
"Transferee, ma'am…" I answered, in a bored tone.🥱
"Ahh… Jasper Jean Mariano?"
I said. "Yes... ma'am."
She gave me a you're-a-jerk-just-like-them look, before turning back to her book. Like the previous teachers, she gave me the lessons I had missed.
As I was writing down the lecture, the teacher approached me. Her name was Mrs. Zaragosa, and she looked to be in her mid-50s. Of course, she had an older appearance, but she didn't look strict.
"If you had a choice, which section would you prefer?" she asked.
I looked at her in confusion. "What?"
"You can't stay here; you're the only girl."
So, what! I don't care!😒
"Are you serious, ma'am? The registrar told me that because of my record, I was placed here." I said, finding an excuse to stay.🤔
Suddenly, it felt like the whole room went silent. As if everyone was listening to our conversation.
"That's not a problem. Alvin and I will work on transferring you. The girl before you was already moved to Section B."
"I'll think about it..." That was the only excuse I got now, to avoid this conversation.🤫
Honestly, I don't want to go. It's better to stay in a section which bullies me, instead of being in a section where I get haunted by a painful truth. After all, I'm the only girl here. The only beautiful lady.😉
Classes with Mrs. Zaragosa and the other teachers went by, and we were now in our last subject for the day.
"I don't want to teach!" our teacher suddenly yelled in frustration.
My classmates reacted like wild dogs, going crazy with joy. Like they just heard someone is giving them all the things they wanted. And, even I was relieved. Cause I already know that lesson. Not showing off. Just stating the fact.😁
"Clean your room… I have to attend a meeting," she said.
Huh? So there's a meeting? Maybe she just doesn't want to teach. Or maybe she had the option to skip the meeting but just didn't want to deal with this class.🤨
"Oh, so you want this the hard way...fine!When I come back and this classroom still looks the same… I will teach! No one is leaving, or I'll kick each of you one by one!" she added before leaving.
Her name was Ms. Cindy Smith. She looked to be in her mid-20s and had such a cool aura. As soon as she left, I was shocked when the entire class suddenly stood up.
I thought they were going to clean, but instead, they all ran out. Damn!
"Hey! Where are you all going?!" I shouted, trying to follow them, but just as I reached the door, they shut it.😠
"Open this door!" I yelled, banging on it.🤬
"Clean the room!" I heard Kiefer say from outside.
"Hey! What the hell is this?!"
"I said Clean the room" he replied in a bored tone.
What the—?!
"I won't! Why should I? You guys made this mess!"
"Tss. You're the reason we made this mess. Now you clean it!"
"And what if I don't?!"
"Then we won't open the door, even if Ma'am Sexy arrives."
Ma'am Sexy?! Just wait until I make you regret this.
I heard our classmates speak up.
"Just clean it!"
"Hurry up!"
"My arms are getting tired standing here!"
Wow, the nerve of these people!
"Tss. You guys are unbelievable! After you ate all my food, now you're making me clean?!"
"Stop bringing that up. Why did you even bring food in the first place?"
Oh, these brats!!
"You bloody—!!"
I heard them laughing. They were really getting on my nerves.
"Just clean the room. If we get bored, we might just go home. Ma'am Sexy might not find anyone here. We also have the key."
Sh*t!!
"Ugh!!! YOU BITCHES!!" I screamed.
Damn it! These people are so shameless.
What else could I do? I had no choice but to clean this damn room.
I crossed my arms and looked around. It was just a typical classroom, like the others—except for the pile of plywood, metal sheets, and cartons in the back. There was also a cabinet, which I assumed held the brooms.
I walked over and opened it. I searched for the brooms and dustpans, which looked like ancient artifacts passed down from the school s ancestors. Luckily, there was a roll of garbage bags.
Honestly, the ceiling was full of cobwebs🕸, and the windows were ridiculously dusty. Basically, it looks like a house, which was unused and haunted by a ghost for 100 years.👻 But I was only planning to clean the floor.
What do they think I am, their maid? Just wait until I take my revenge.
I swept the floor quickly, stuffing all the trash into the garbage bag. As I swept, I accidentally knocked over the stack of cartons near Keifer's seat. The boxes toppled to the floor, sending a thick cloud of dust into the air. Great! Just Great! Instead of cleaning, I made more mess.😑
I bent down to clean that mess, when I saw… a rice cooker? I moved the boxes aside for a better look. It was still in its packaging and looked brand new. Then I noticed that it was placed on a shoe shelf. There were lockers behind it. My eyes roamed among the lockers.
I found Keifer's name. Mark Keifer Watson. I smiled to myself.
I looked at the other spaces and saw Felix's name.
"John Felix Collins."
I continued seeing all the racks but one caught my attention the most. It was the one beside Keifer's. There was a heart sticker on the divider between their spaces, and the name beside Keifer's was a girl's.
"Ella Dianne Hyun."
My throat tightened. Something sharp flicker in my heart. And the worst part is, I hate it. I hate the feeling. I hate that I still cared. I hate her.😤
I came back to the reality when, I heard my classmates knocking on the door, asking if I was done.
"Not yet!!" I yelled back.
I put the boxes and cartons back in place. I got curious and peeked under the plywood and metal sheets. Who knows what it hides.
They had an electric frying pan—the kind they use in Korea. There was also a water dispenser and small cooking pots.
Was this a kitchen?! Speaking of kitchens, they even had a tiny sink. There was an empty bottle of dishwashing soap, too. Were they camping here or something?
I put everything back and finished cleaning. I was about to go to the door, when I stopped at the lockers. Ella. I stared at her longer than I should.
My hands, instinctively, moved towards the lockers. When I was halfway to open it, a strong hand shut it close. Fast, forceful.
"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?!" Kiefer shouted. His face is angry, frustrated, tensed, eyebrows furrowed.
"CLEANING THE MESS YOU GUYS MADE, OBVIOUSLY" I shouted back. I'm not a puppy to be scared. 😡
"Stop yelling at me" He said, firmly. Bro, you were the first one to yell. And you're telling me?!
"I WANT to yell at you, what can you do huh?!" I said, more firm, challenging.
"Shut up or I'll make you shut up" He said, leaning forward. Make me shut up? 🤣. In your dreams.
"Try me" 😏
He looked like he was trying hard not to hurt me.
Suddenly a voice came.
"Hahaha… You two look like a married couple," Felix teased, followed by loud cheers.
I swear, I looking like a tomato😚. But I controlled myself and acted to keep a disgusting reaction.
Even Kiefer has the same reaction. Not for long. I promise, one day, you will blush like hell, even just by that thought. One day.
But, one thought keep running in my mind:
He stills cares about her. He still loves her. He still loves Ella. He still loves the girl who broke him.
And that...hurts more than anything.