Within the Walls

Chapter 6

 What is up with me and deep-sounding names of the guys I meet.

 I gaze upon Restituto’s chocolate tone of his skin. He looks just like Aurelio from last night, only with a scar on his eyes, giving him that stoic look.  

 “Hey, where did you get that scar?”

 He pauses for a moment, stopping underneath the pouring rain. He blinks, staring into the gates of the school. Swallowing a lump that formed in his throat.

 “It’s nothing.” His expression turns dark, and the smile from his lips turns into pursed ones.

 I didn’t want to intrude much further. The space underneath the wet umbrella turns into a deafening silence. We trudge towards the gates of the other students rushing to their classes. Reaching the roofed entrance, Restituto closes his umbrella, shimmying it a little. Water splashed on the soaked floor, after which, he closes it. He looks at me, his pursed lips forming a smile once again. I didn’t know why, but I looked away. A hand recedes a lost strand of hair from my ears.

 I turn around to see him stooped down on my level, faces in front of each other with only an inch of space in between. I jump from the sudden face in front of me. My shoes slipping from the dripping tiled floor.

 I’m about to fall.

 Then, a pair of hands hold me from behind and prevents my fall. Just like in the movies, where the girl falls out of nowhere and a handsome man grabs her. It was like this. Our faces near each other, sharing a minute of staring into each other’s eyes. Restituto smiles, and I mimic his actions.

 After a long second, we are brought back to our senses. He hoists me up and we assume a standing position. Now we stand, a distance now forming between us. We both look away from each other, catching a glimpse of people pooled next to us. Staring intensely with a wide grin in their faces. I feel my cheeks heat up and I run inside the entrance, surprisingly, I hold the camera securely on my arms.

 Percussive squeaking of my shoes on the tiled floor as I dash to my classroom. Ascending the stairs two steps at a time, I reach my destination. Opening the door, and shutting it with an explosive thump. I slide down the door and curled into a ball. I feel the steps of my classmates as they shroud the light surrounding me.

 “You okay?” A high-pitched voice asks me as she crouches to my level, parting my hair.

 I look up to see everyone’s concerned expressions gaze at me. I nod and a rough hand hoists me up. He smiles at me and I emit a hushed thank-you to him.

 I stroll back to my seat, placing the camera on my desk. The others go back to their seats as well and occasionally glance at my direction. Suddenly, the door opens, a female teacher in a pale pink pantsuit stands in front of us with thin pink eyeglasses survey the room. She places her pink bag on the teacher’s table, turning around and head to the blackboard. She writes her name, Ms. Lilibeth Giya. She turns back to us.

 “Good morning students, I am Ms. Lilibeth Giya, and I am your Araling Panlipunan teacher from now on.” She beams at the class.

 Everyone suddenly sits up straight and stare into the teacher. Even me. She has a stern aura around her, commanding and serious.

 “Now, you’re teacher gave an assignment on historical places, with only an explanation right?”

 The class agrees in unison.

 “But, learning dwells upon application, let me change the instruction.” She turns around and heads to the blackboard once again. Her hand gracefully dancing as a trail of chalk forms cursive letters. She finishes writing and walks to the side.

 ’Story with 10000 words’

 The class erupts into a cacophony of murmurs and chatter. Everyone talking with the person beside them.

 “Now,” the whole class silenced, “I will move the deadline to next Friday as a good story takes time to make.”

 “I want creativity to exude from your work, understood?”

 The whole class nods, which I sheepishly do as well.

 “I assume you’ve done some progress in your work, so I’ll let you work on it today, tomorrow we will continue classes.” She announces, sitting down on her table. She brings out her laptop, booted it up, and taps away on the keyboard.

 Everyone occupies their time, faces scrunched up in ultimate focus, some scratching their heads as they repeatedly tap with their pen on the notebook. While I merely fumbled with the camera.

 I didn’t know where the photos went, did I drop them at the other place? Or maybe at the jeep? I was dead tired that time so I didn’t notice. But, I have tons of time to worry about that. Others questions floats on my mind, like is my dad a scientist to make such a camera? Did he actually make it? A thought comes to my mind but I quickly shrug it away, denying such a possibility.

 Hands slams onto my desk which breaks my train of thought.

 “Ms…”

 I gaze up at Ms. Giya, a sweet expression on her face that’s the complete opposite of what she just did.

 “Josefina.” I gulp.

 “What a lovely name, have you started with your work yet?”

 “Umm…I lost the photos I took of Intramuros, I’m sorry.”

 “No, it’s fine! You still have a bunch of time ahead of you, but how about you draft a story now?” She suggests.

 I nod at her and smiled. She did the same and walk to the others, doing the same thing, making them jump. I stifle a giggle and rummage through my…

 Wait, where’s my bag.

 I stand up and ran around my chair to find my bag. Looking below the chair, beside it, my other classmates, and glancing at the door but nothing. Until a mellow knocking emits from the door. Ms Giya strolls the door and in a hushed voice, she asks what’s the purpose of knocking. The teacher nods and lets the student peer his head in.

 Chocolate skin, scar on his eye, black hair. 

 It’s Restituto!

 “Umm, for Ligaya Josefina?”

 The class looks back at me and smiles.

 “Ayieee!” Incessant high-pitched suggestive sounds my classmates emits.

 My face flushes into a deep crimson, and my body feels light. I trudge to the door and grabs the bag, looking down. I walk back to my seat, placing the bag on the floor near me. A blank expression on my face as I rummage through my belongings in search of notebook and pen. I can still feel the stares of my classmates, some giggling, and another one checking his phone.

 “Hey, is this you?” He shows me his phone to see a picture of me and Restituto at the entrance.

 My eyes widen and I shake my head in denial.

 Can the Earth swallow me now?

 It’s all over social media too.

 I stare at my notebook as well as my pen.

 Restituto Karimlan, what have you done to me?