Chapter 22
899 Words
Monday – 7:29 AM – Classroom NB4
Puno na ang room kahit maaga pa.
Aira gripped her pen, staring at the front board where “Final Exam – Lit102” was written in block letters.
Calix sat one row behind her—something they agreed on para ‘di sila ma-distract sa isa’t isa. Mira flashed her a thumbs-up from across the room.
“Okay, class,” tawag ng prof. “You know the drill. No talking. No looking around. Five pages, four essays. Good luck.”
Aira took a deep breath. Let’s go.
8:48 AM – Aira’s POV
The words blurred halfway through page three. Her hand was already cramping. But her mind kept running:
Literary symbolism in post-war novels
Character arcs in Filipino realism
Gender in regional fiction
Her own growth she could barely fit into essays
> “How ironic,” she thought. “I’m writing about protagonists surviving hardship… while trying to survive an exam of my own.”
She shook her hand, cracked her knuckles, and kept going.
10:03 AM – Hallway Break
“Grabe,” Mira groaned. “Nag-trip ‘yung prof. Akala ko thesis, hindi exam!”
Calix appeared behind Aira, hair slightly messy. “Okay ka lang?”
“Brain-dead,” Aira answered.
They sat on the hallway steps while waiting for the next subject.
He offered her a chocolate bar. “Energy.”
She smiled tiredly. “I’ll take five.”
12:17 PM – Classroom NB5 – Sociology Final
“Last one,” someone muttered. Everyone clapped weakly.
Their professor, a middle-aged woman with reading glasses, walked in holding a large Starbucks tumbler. “Relax, this isn’t a trap,” she smiled. “Multiple choice and one essay.”
The room collectively exhaled.
“Also,” she added, “after today, Christmas break officially begins. No more deadlines, no more group work—until next year.”
Cheers erupted.
“And your grades,” she added, raising a brow, “depend on today. So don’t get too excited.”
2:41 PM – End of Exam
Aira passed her paper and stretched her arms. Her shoulders ached. Her neck popped.
Calix caught up with her near the door. “Tapos ka na?”
She nodded. “You?”
“Finished a while ago. But I waited.”
Mira rejoined them. “Guys, I feel like I just ran a marathon. Emotionally and spiritually.”
“Same,” Aira sighed.
3:10 PM – Classroom Announcement
Their class president, Paolo, stepped in front of the whiteboard.
“Guys, announcement lang!” he called out. “Magkakaroon tayo ng Christmas party!”
Cheers followed, some sarcastic.
“Kaya lang,” Paolo added, “majority said they wanted swimming this year. So… kelan kayo free?”
Someone shouted, “After grades come out!”
Others yelled, “Next weekend!”
“Basta wag weekday!”
“Gusto niyo Dec 20? Sa Batangas?”
Aira whispered to Mira, “Swimming sounds nice. But I need to sleep for ten years muna.”
Calix leaned closer. “G, if kasama ka.”
Aira gave him a tired but fond look. “Let’s see if I survive first.”
4:44 PM – Dorm Room (Aira’s POV)
Aira collapsed face-first onto her bed. Her backpack thudded on the floor. Her body screamed for rest, but her heart was… light.
Exams were over.
First semester, done.
> “I thought I’d feel relief. But what I feel is… like I proved something to myself. That I didn’t crumble. That I made it.”
She reached for her phone and texted Calix.
AIRA
> Hoy. Thank you sa chocolate kanina. Literal lifesaver.
CALIX
> You’re welcome. Sleep now. Proud of you.
AIRA
> You, too. Kita tayo sa weekend?
CALIX
> Always. Kahit may grades or wala. Kahit swimming or tag-ulan.
She smiled at that.
8:02 PM – Dorm Lobby (Group Hangout)
Everyone was there—Mira, Nhene, Gab, even Paolo the class president.
They ordered fries, nuggets, and milk tea to celebrate their “freedom.” Laughter echoed in the common area.
Aira leaned her head on Mira’s shoulder. “I missed this.”
“You mean when we weren’t panicking about deadlines?” Mira replied.
“Exactly.”
Paolo brought up the swimming plan again.
“Game kayo?” he asked the girls.
“Depends,” Aira said. “May sabit ba?”
Mira laughed. “Wala. Pero may Calix.”
Everyone looked at her.
Aira didn’t deny it. She just shrugged.
“Then yes,” she said. “Game na.”
calix is irreg student kaya minsan kaklase namin sya minsan hindi
10:19 PM – Dorm Balcony (Calix POV)
Calix stood outside, hoodie on, eyes on the sky.
His phone buzzed.
AIRA
> Di ako sanay ng walang requirements. Paano magpahinga ulit?
He smiled.
CALIX
> You just… breathe. And if you forget how, I’ll remind you.
Flashback – Calix, Last Year
He was alone at the end of the first sem. No one to celebrate with. No messages. No congratulations.
This year?
He had Aira.
And every silence between them felt like warmth.
Midnight – Aira’s Journal Entry
> “Final exams. Final breath. But not final feelings.
I came into this semester unsure. I’m leaving it… still unsure. But I have people now. I have Calix. And for once, I’m not afraid of what’s next.”
- Writer
