IV.
1743 Words
The lunch bell rang, and the cafeteria burst into motion—a sea of students flooding tables, chatting loudly, trading food and gossip. Raya scanned the room, spotting a cluster of familiar faces at a table near the windows.
Irene and Wendy waved her over, smiles wide, and Raya hurried across the room to join them. To her surprise, Alec was already sitting there, leaning back with a tray of fries and a water bottle.
“Hey,” Irene greeted brightly, pulling out a chair. “Lunch together at last.”
Raya smiled faintly but mostly listened as the group bantered back and forth. Words bounced around—weekend plans, upcoming school events, homework complaints—but Raya mostly stayed quiet, absorbing the rhythm of it all.
Finally, Irene leaned in with a curious look. “So, Raya, have you thought about joining any clubs yet?”
Raya shrugged, “I don’t really know. It all seems so new.”
Wendy chimed in, “Well, you should totally join the CreatiSyn Club with us! We do everything from art projects to writing contests. It’s pretty chill.”
“Yeah,” Irene agreed, “and if you want something more active, there’s drama, music, even robotics if you’re into that.”
Felix—who’d wandered over with a tray—added with a grin, “Don’t forget sports. There’s the football team, basketball, track… you name it.”
The teasing turned toward Alec, who had been quietly sipping his water, unbothered by the spotlight.
“So, Alec,” Wendy said, “what about you? Got any clubs to recommend?”
He smirked, shrugging. “What? Should I tell her to join the sports club? Football?”
Laughter bubbled up around the table.
Raya met Alec’s gaze, raising an eyebrow playfully. “Why not? I can also do that.”
Alec chuckled, the tension between them easing just a bit. “I’d pay to see that.”
Irene grinned, shaking her head. “See? You’re already fitting right in.”
The group’s laughter and easy chatter wrapped around Raya like a warm blanket, the strange edges of this new world softening with every shared joke and friendly smile.
The laughter died down, but the warmth lingered as Raya settled into the rhythm of the table. She picked at her sandwich, feeling a little less like an outsider.
“So,” Wendy said, nudging Raya gently, “what kind of stuff did you do back home in Cebu? Any hobbies or things you loved?”
Raya thought for a moment. “I liked drawing a lot. And sometimes singing… mostly at family gatherings.”
Irene’s eyes lit up. “See? You have to join CreatiSyn then. We could use some fresh talent.”
Jay, who had been quiet until now, grinned. “I’d love to hear you sing sometime.”
Raya blushed but smiled. “Maybe one day.”
Alec shifted in his seat, watching the exchange with an amused expression. “You’re lucky these guys don’t bully you too much,” he teased.
“Hey,” Irene shot back with mock offense, “we’re the welcoming committee, thank you very much.”
Wendy gave Raya a playful shove. “Besides, if you survive lunch with us, you can survive anything.”
Raya laughed, the sound a little lighter than before.
“So, what’s your favorite food here so far?” Felix asked, leaning forward.
“Hmm,” Raya said, glancing down at her half-eaten sandwich. “I’m still figuring that out. I miss adobo and lechon though.”
“Lechon?” Alec asked, genuinely curious.
Raya nodded. “Roast pig. It’s kind of a big deal back home.”
Felix smiled. “Sounds delicious.”
“Maybe you’ll have to bring some Filipino food for us one day,” Irene suggested.
Raya’s smile grew warmer. “I’d like that.”
As the lunch bell rang again, signaling the end of their break, Wendy stood up, stretching. “We’ll meet up again later after school, right?”
“Definitely,” Raya said, feeling more sure.
Alec gave a small nod, grabbing his tray. “See you guys later.”
The group dispersed, but Raya lingered a moment, glancing around the bustling cafeteria, realizing that maybe this new place wasn’t so unfamiliar after all.
The fluorescent lights buzzed softly above as students slumped into their seats, the midday slump settling in like a heavy fog. The whiteboard at the front was already filled with symbols and numbers that looked more like ancient runes than a math problem.
Raya sat near the window, flipping open her notebook, pen already in hand. It was her last class before the day ended, and as luck would have it, none of the others from her new circle were here—except Alec, who dropped into the seat behind her with a sigh.
Mr. Granger, a tall man with sleeves rolled to the elbows and the energy of someone running on his third coffee, tapped a formula scrawled across the board.
“Alright, folks. Let’s see who’s awake. Anyone want to take a shot at this?” he asked, gesturing to the quadratic word problem.
Silence.
A few heads turned to each other, others sank lower into their seats, trying to disappear.
Raya hesitated, glancing around, then slowly raised her hand.
Mr. Granger looked pleasantly surprised. “Ah! Our new student. Miss Guinto, right?”
“Yes, sir,” she said as she stood.
“Come on up, then. Show us how it’s done.”
As she walked to the board, Raya could feel the eyes following her. But once she picked up the marker, her nerves melted into quiet focus. She read through the problem again—something about maximizing area with a fixed perimeter—and began outlining her solution.
She spoke clearly as she worked:
“So, first I turned the word problem into an equation using A = l × w. Since the perimeter is fixed, I expressed one variable in terms of the other. Then I used substitution and completed the square…”
The numbers flowed from her like second nature. By the time she underlined the final answer, the room was silent. Even Mr. Granger blinked, then broke into a grin.
“Well done,” he said, clapping once. “Textbook-perfect explanation. Anyone else want to try to beat that? No? Thought so.”
She chuckled shyly and returned to her seat, cheeks a little warm.
As she slid into her chair, Alec leaned forward, resting his arm casually on the back of her chair.
“Math’s my weakness,” he muttered just loud enough for her to hear. “I could use some help… perks of hosting a smart person, right?”
Raya bit back a smile, eyes still on her notebook. “I’ll consider it… for a price.”
“Oh? What’s the price?”
She tapped her pen thoughtfully. “I haven’t decided yet.”
Alec smirked, leaning back. “Dangerous.”
Mr. Granger resumed his lecture, but the buzz in the room had shifted—now people occasionally glanced at Raya with newfound curiosity or admiration. But all she felt was a quiet sense of relief.
She had survived her first solo class. More than that—she had owned it.
The final bell rang through the hallways, and students poured out of classrooms like a flood released from a dam. Backpacks slung over shoulders, conversations bubbling up in every direction. Raya blinked at the noise and energy, hugging her books to her chest as she stepped into the crowd.
“Raya!” Irene called, weaving through students with Wendy close behind. “There you are.”
Raya smiled. “Hey.”
Wendy tugged on her ponytail. “You survived Day One. Barely traumatized?”
“Still standing,” Raya joked. “Mostly.”
Irene grinned. “How are you getting home?”
“Oh—Alec offered to give me a ride,” Raya said, adjusting her bag. “He said it’s on the way.”
Irene and Wendy exchanged a look.
“Wait,” Irene said. “You do know the football team has practice today, right?”
Raya’s brows furrowed. “No, I didn’t.”
“Yeah,” Wendy added. “Most teams practice after school during the season. He’s probably out on the field by now.”
“Oh,” Raya said, trying to keep her face neutral. “That’s okay. I can wait.”
“Or—” Irene offered, looping her arm through Raya’s, “we can give you the official unofficial tour of Maplewood while he’s out there throwing balls and tackling people.”
“You sure?” Raya asked, though her feet were already following them down the corridor.
“Absolutely,” Wendy chimed in. “You can’t go here and not know the secret snack machine on the third floor.”
Raya laughed. “That sounds important.”
They walked together through the building, Irene pointing things out with flair: “This is the art wing—home of glue-stick fumes and emotional masterpieces. And over there, the choir room. You’ll hear vocal warmups echoing down these halls during auditions season.”
Wendy gestured to a nearby staircase. “Library’s up there. Never trust the third cubicle by the window—it creaks like a horror movie scene.”
As they walked past the open gym, the sound of sneakers squeaking against the polished wood and a referee’s whistle echoed through the space. A glimpse through the glass doors revealed the boys' team in drills—among them, Felix in motion, commanding attention like an athlete in his element.
“Guess Felix is in his element,” Raya murmured.
“Right?” Irene said too quickly, then caught herself. “I mean—yeah, he’s good.”
Wendy stifled a grin.
By the time they reached the back doors that led to the field, the sun was already beginning its descent, casting long shadows across the turf. Players ran drills, coaches barked instructions, and sure enough, there was Alec—helmet off, catching his breath by the benches.
“There’s your ride,” Irene said with a playful nudge. “See? We timed it perfectly.”
Raya gave them a grateful smile. “Thanks. That was... actually fun.”
“Welcome to Maplewood,” Wendy said. “You're one of us now.”
- Writer
