So What If I'm in Senior High School?

The limbic system is the part of the brain which controls your emotions. The amygdala, in particular, is assigned with the body’s fight or flight response. Whenever you see something that scares you, it’s in charge of whether you should face your fears or run from it. Ding Ding Ding Ding Ding Ding And, there’s the school bell. It’s time for finals. I put my notes down on my desk and stand up. You know, I have this strange feeling my amygdala’s telling me to run for my life. I look around me. Everyone is busy eye-ing their notes and highlighting texts which they’ll probably forget once the exam starts. Screw my amygdala. I don’t want to repeat 11th grade. I sit my ass back on my seat and look at my notes once more. Not that it was going to help. “Seth, stop studying. We’re gonna pass this grade, anyway,” Ross says as he puts his arm on my shoulders. While it’s true that schools aren’t allowed to fail students no matter what—thanks to our crappy government’s no child left behind law—I can’t help but want to correct him that that rule is only applicable to grade levels below Senior High School. “Nuh. We’re not in Junior High anymore, i***t. Teachers can flunk us, and flunking means we’ll be kicked off the team,” I explain. Ross takes his hand off me and shakes his head. “You for real? How can I take you seriously when you don’t even have your bag with you at school right now?” I smirk. “It’s at the back of the room and, since when have you ever taken anything seriously? Didn’t you ever wonder why the coach kept telling us to keep our grades in the green zone?” “Holy f**k!” He slaps his cheeks hard, making his skin turn red. “Give me that!” Without a second to spare, he swipes the notes from my hand. "Yooooo. I was reading that” I say while chuckling a bit. “Who cares?” Ross replies as his eyes scan through my notes. “Damn it. I can’t remember any of these!” I roll my eyes. “Of course you can’t, dumbass. Even I can’t remember all of this in just a split second.” Ross sighs heavily. “Could this day get any worse?” “Quiet, please!” A loud voice emits from the door, making everyone stop whatever they were doing. It was Ms. Rocco, our school prefect. As usual, she’s standing the same way she does every day. Her hair is tied in a super neat, and I mean slightly OC kind of neat, bun. Her shoulders, feet, and arms are stiff. Her clothes are dull and gray. And her face— Jesus, don’t get me started on that scary expression of hers. “I just had to ask…” Ross whimpers. “The exams are about to begin. I want you all to arrange your seats, and be on your best behavior,” Ms. Rocco announces. Everyone responds with a weak “Yes.” She starts walking around the room, revealing a roll of test papers in her hand. “No freaking way…” I whisper. “Don’t tell me, she’s going to be our test proctor?” Ross puts down my notes. “We’re doomed.” His voice cracks as he walks to his seat. I scratch my head. Why does it have to be during finals out of all times? And when my assigned seat is right next to the proctor’s desk? As if taking 11th-grade biology isn’t bad enough. But taking it next to Ms. Rocco? What a time to be alive, Seth. What a time to be f*****g alive. I take off my glasses, close my eyes, and place my palms together. Jesus, if you hear me right now, please send some kind of divine intervention that will tell me all of this isn’t real. If you do, I promise I’ll go home early this weekend, won’t drink, and will be extra nice to my mom and dad. Okay, maybe not the going home early part. But I swear I won’t drink! Not even a sip. Then out of nowhere, everyone cheers loudly, and a different voice shushes them. I put my hands down, open my eyes and put my glasses back on. As my vision cleared, standing by the proctor’s desk was someone that wasn’t Ms. Rocco. She was wearing a bright colored polo, nicely fitted black slacks, and lavender colored doll shoes. Her clothes were the polar opposite of Ms. Rocco. But it wasn’t just that. Her physique was also different. I stare at her, mouth agape. She was small, had long black hair, milky skin, chubby cheeks, and an adorable smile on her face. For some reason, my lips curl. Hot damn. What a cutie. “Okay, okay” she laughs adorably mid-sentence, causing my chest to jump once. Oh, snap, there goes my heart. “Everyone, calm down. Please place your things at the back of the room. You should only have your test permits and pens on your desk.” Holy— she’s our test proctor?! Jesus did you just answer my prayer?! Also, she’s an employee here? H-how come I’ve never seen her before? Is she new? But she looks so… so young?! I could have sworn I thought she was a student here! “Again, please put your things at the back of the room. Only your test permits and pens on your desk,” the mysterious young-looking proctor repeats. I shake my head. Snap the hell out of it, Seth. Now is not the time to focus on girls. You’ve got a bloody Biology test coming your way, so calm the hell down. Girls can wait. I put my notes below my chair and take out my test permit and pen from my pocket. Yeah, girls can wait. Then, the proctor taps my arm, sending a million electric surges throughout my body. She smiles at me, and I look at her, dumbfounded. Correction, girls cannot wait. “Could you lead the prayer for me?” She asks. “Wha?” I utter. Rather, the only thing my distracted mind could utter at that moment. She makes a cute chuckle, making cupid hit me with an arrow. “Lead the prayer, so we can start the test.” My eyes blink fast as I realize how stupid I must look like right now. I laugh awkwardly, nod my head and stand up. Facing my classmates, I announce, “Are you ready to pray, classmates?” “Yes, we are,” they all respond in unison. “Let us pray,” I say as we begin praying. Although we were supposed to be focused on that, I can’t stop myself from having thoughts that the proctor might think I was kinda weird. Who the hell says wha to a formal question? She probably thinks I’m a dumb teenager. I made the sign of the cross as we finish the prayer. But wait—it doesn’t even matter now! Like I said, girls can wait. Seth, you need to get your mind in the game. The real enemy here is your biology test, not the embarrassing moment shared between you and the cute proctor. “Good afternoon, everyone. I’m Ms. Julianna. I’ll be your test proctor this afternoon,” the proctor announces with a smile. I instantly feel myself melting at the sound of her name. Julianna. It sounds like another version of Juliet except it feels more warm and romantic. Damn, even her name is attractive. I really can’t focus on this test, can I, Ms. Julianna? “Good afternoon, Ms. Julianna,” Everyone replies. “Take your seats,” She adds. We all sit down, and Ms. Julianna walks around the room, handing test papers. As she does this, she announces, “Your first subject is biology which is two hours. After that, you’ll have economics for an hour and a half.” Ms. Julianna places a test paper on my desk and moves on to the next person. I shake my head for the infinite time as I saw the test questions. Stop fantasizing, Seth. Y-you can do that later! Oh god, biology was first, right? What was I reading awhile ago? Something about the, the, the part of the brain? That functions of each one and… and… ugh, I am so f****d. This is what I get for drooling over a girl while I still have a test going on. Alright. Here goes nothing. I begin answering my biology test, trying to ignore the fact that Ms. Julianna was sitting right next to me. Focus, Seth. Focus. While I’m answering, I could roughly hear some of my classmates trying to whisper to each other. Keep whispering mates, I kind of need the help too. All of a sudden, Ms. Julianna clears her throat loudly, stopping the whispers. Everyone is silent, and it’s deafening. Are we all in trouble now? Is she gonna condemn us? Will Ms. Rocco come here and pass on mighty judgment? But then the most unexpected thing happens. Ms. Julianna did not look at us. Instead, her eyes are looking at the window and a smirk is on her lips. “God is watching youuuuu,” she sings. My jaw drops. Everyone laughs and so does Ms. Julianna. As she chuckles about, Ms. Julianna’s eyes turn chinky and her cheeks puff. My chest races, making me take a deep breath. How have I never noticed someone as adorable as her in this school all this time? Come on, Ms. Julianna, stop it. Stop being so cute and everything in front of me. You can do that when I’m done with the test. Please, I’m begging you. She politely asks everyone to quiet down and return to the test, which they did. I take another deep breath, trying to concentrate on the test once more. Not long after though, the whispers between my classmates come back. I could hear them asking each other about the test questions. Not that it was anything new to us though. Ms. Julianna, however— “Hi!” Ms. Julianna suddenly says. Everyone stops again and looks at her. “If you have any questions, please ask me, and not your classmate. Thank you.” She may have tried reprimanding us, but the way she said it was too sweet. She even has a smile on her face. I can’t… I can’t feel bad about it. Would it be creepy to say that I kind of like it? “Ma’am, what’s your number?” Troy jokes. My classmates and Ms. Julianna laughs at his question. “Thank you, next,” Ms. Julianna replies. “Ma’am! Ma’am! How old are you?” Elisha asks. “Ma’am, what subject do you teach?” Shawn adds. “What did you finish in college?” Yana inserts. “Do you have a boyfriend?” Gabriel says. I let out a small laugh. Of course, somebody would ask if you have a boyfriend. That’s what you get for being so cute. Ms. Julianna’s lips go crooked for a bit before turning emitting a small chuckle. “Woah, woah, woah, woah. That’s a lot of questions. I didn’t know this was a hot seat.” “We wanna know more about, ma'am.” Veronica giggles. “Maybe next time when you don’t have a test,” Ms. Julianna answers. Everyone in class breathes a heavy Awwwwww and begs for her to answer their questions. Ms. Julianna, probably feeling defeated, shrugs and smiles. “Fine. But after this, you have to promise me you’ll quietly answer your test.” “Yes!” my classmates reply. “Alright. I don’t teach. I’m a counselor for our elementary students. I have a degree in Psychology, and my age is x=2m+(7)(3).” “Wow, ma’am. As if our brains aren’t bleeding hard enough with this biology test. Do we have to solve that equation?” Ross groans. Everyone else laughs. My lips curl too. She’s got wit, and that’s attractive as hell. But a counselor for kids? Its no wonder I don’t see her around. But wait—there’s one more question she didn’t answer. Does she have a boyfriend or no? Ms. Julianna shrugs and chuckles. “You guys are STEM students, right? That equation should be easy.” I look at her. “Ma’am?” She looks at me, a pretty smile on her face. “Yes?” I bit my lip. My heart starts to race. Am I really going to ask this question to a school employee? Wait, wait—there’s nothing wrong with that right? It’s not like I was the one who asked it first. It was Gabriel who did it. Yeah. Matter a fact, even other students ask about. Don’t they? There’s nothing wrong with me. Hahahaha… Besides, this is just for sheer curiosity. I just want to know. Nothing more. I swallow hard. My throats dry like the Sahara desert, and my eyes stop blinking as I stare at her. The noise from my classmates, the room next to us, and probably the entire school suddenly disappears, and all I could hear was the heavy beating in my chest. Like a movie, my vision pans slowly at Ms. Juliana’s face. Ms. Julianna tilts her head, eyes focused on me. “What’s up?” “Ma’am, I…” I utter, lips trembling. D-do you have a boyfriend? Ms. Julianna, do you… do you happen to have a boyfriend? Do you have a significant other? D-do you smash with anyone!? Seth! Just f*****g say it. It’s just a harmless question. S-say it! “Twenty three! You’re twenty-three years old!” Yana loudly announces. I jerk. Nice. The timing couldn’t be better, Yana. Sheesh… Ms. Julianna looks at her, then laughs. She claps her hands. “See? I told you it was easy!” Everyone cheers loudly, and I could hear some of my classmates saying that twenty-three is still young. Still alright. What do you mean still alright, punks? I shake my head violently. Just kidding. I was also fantasizing about Ms. Julianna moments ago. “Okay! Please answer your test quietly now.” I look down on my test paper. God. How could I have been so stupid, trying to ask a school employee if she has a boyfriend? Bet I sound like a complete horndog right now. What am I trying to achieve even? She’s a f*****g employee, and I’m a Senior Highschooler. Who… I sigh. ... who has a complicated relationship with his girlfriend. Ah, Sienna. We really have to get our s**t together. I dunno if you hear me, but I'm sorry about Ms. Julianna. “So, what did you want to ask me?” Ms. Julianna looks at me. “Uhh…” I look at her. Sorry not sorry, that is. Ms. Juliannnaaaaaaaa! I scratch my head. My eyes are swiping left, right, up and down my test paper. Oh god. Oh god. What do I say? Uhm… uh… uhm… I know! I'll ask a question about the test! Smiling awkwardly, I say, “What does… mitigation mean?” “What?” She chuckles. Her eyes are smiling again, and it’s so freaking beautiful. Whyyyyyy?! Ms. Julianna shakes her head, her hair swinging left to right gently. “Sorry. It’s your test. I can’t answer it for you. How about another question?” And just like that, she was looking at only me. No annoying classmates, no generalized answers, and her eyes were only for me. It was a moment that she and I shared. No one else’s. I couldn’t stop myself from smiling as I look at her. “What’s your full name?” I ask. “Hmm,” she stalls. Then, she grabs her ID and shows it to me. “Follow me on YouTube, Twitter, f*******:, and leave a comment down below,” she jokes, and I instantly fall for her wit. I know she was just kidding, but her humor is enchanting. What a dame. Julianna Luna. I mouth the sound of her name as I stare at her ID. The sound of her name crossing my lips feel like a dream. It’s beautiful as the moon. I want to know more about her. Not just her name. “Ma’am? Can I go to the comfort room real quick?” I ask. She nods her head. I stand up and head quickly to the lavatory. Resting my back on the wall, I dig through my pocket and take out my phone. I press on f*******: and input her name on the search bar. The screen loads. It’s taking forever. I breathe, wiping the sweat off my forehead. I’m too excited. I have to be patient. Then, at long last, loading time ends and results flash. There was a lot. But only one of them felt right. Only one of them was her. Julianna Luna. I click her name. Her display photo is a picture of her wearing round pink glasses, and a crown of flowers on her head. Cute. As I scroll down, I’m disappointed. Her account's private, and I’m only limited to her display photo. Damn it. What now? I cross my arms and grumble. Looks like this is the end for my story with Ms. Julianna. Tough luck, Seth. You better focus on your exam when you sit your ass back in class. Ding My phone lights up. I look at it and there’s a notification from f*******:. Julianna Luna has accepted your friend request. “Say what?!” I yell, almost dropping my phone. “woah! Woah!” I barely catch it. My eyes grew wide and my jaw drops. “Did she just… did that just… I didn’t even send a request… and, and?!” I shake my head violently. Jesus, is this another divine intervention you’ve sent? Holy shi—wait, sorry. I shouldn’t be swearing in front of Jesus. Holy Macaroni! Just when I was about to give up on her, this happens. Does this mean the universe has my back? Oh, whatever! It doesn’t matter whether this was the work of the universe or just a stupid coincidence. I smile and scroll through her profile. Ms. Julianna Luna, elementary school counselor of Saint Francis Academy, prepare yourself because Seth Earl Benitez, Senior High Schooler of Saint Francis Academy, is about to make your acquaintance.