Wrong Side Of The Honor Roll

Jay Soriano was a legend but not the kind you’d find in yearbooks or award lists. He was the kind of legend who knew every shortcut in school, every guard shift rotation, and which classrooms had the best aircon to sneak into during lunch. And of course, he was always in the same spot before class: the billiards hall. With his barkada. Late. Again. "Bro, it’s 7:55 already," Marvin said while sipping his soda. "Then it’ll be 7:56 next," Jay replied, striking the 9-ball with confidence. He was still wearing the same jersey from last night’s game sweaty, slightly wrinkled, but somehow still looking effortlessly cool. Fraternity member. Team captain. Resident troublemaker. But smart the kind who never studied but always passed. He was the kind of guy teachers warned you about. He wasn’t classmates with Elena Martinez, but everyone knew who she was. Top of the class. Favorite of the faculty. Quiz bee champion. The type of girl who had color-coded notes, a sticker-covered planner, and probably her own whiteboard at home. Every recess, lunch, and dismissal, Elena would walk past Jay. And every time, she'd notice him. Eyes rolling. A sigh of disapproval. Or just plain annoyance. That was the extent of their interaction. Back in his third year, Jay had been classmates with his ex, Camille a member of the school’s "It Girls." Socialite, beautiful, and daughter of a prominent politician. Their relationship was wild, intense, and inevitably tragic. Her father didn’t approve. She was pulled out of school and transferred. Jay didn’t take it well. He acted out. Harder. Louder. Thursday. Lunch break. Jay sat on the side steps near the gate, holding his friend’s Bluetooth speaker blaring old OPM rock songs. His school ID was lazily clipped to his shorts, sandals on his feet, counting bets for a pickup game later that afternoon. Then she appeared. Elena, walking out of the library, her arms full of papers, a bottle of water tucked between her books. She looked stressed but composed like someone with a hundred things to do and enough discipline to do them all. Their eyes met. She frowned. He smirked. She looked away. But her pace quickened. "That girl hates you," Marvin whispered, laughing. "Nah," Jay shrugged. "She just hates fun." Jay’s Thoughts (Narration): "I swear, I never paid her much attention. But every damn day, there she was, glaring at me like I stole her medal or something. Maybe she just couldn't stand that someone like me was breathing the same school air. But honestly? I wanted to prove her wrong. That even someone like me late, lazy, loud could still matter. I wasn’t into drama. But when she was around. I don’t know. Something changed." Elena’s Thoughts (Narration): "Why is he always there? Same bench. Same jersey. Same smug expression. It’s distracting. It’s irritating. Every time I pass him, it feels like the standards I work so hard to uphold get mocked. Like he's the glitch in my perfect system. But why do I still keep noticing him? Why does my heartbeat spike when I catch him looking back?" Later that day during flag ceremony practice, all student leaders were required to attend. Elena stood in front, helping Ma’am Tessa organize the program when of all people Jay walked into the gym. Late. Holding a bottle of Gatorade. Not even on the participant list. "Mr. Soriano, this isn’t your event," Ma’am Tessa said with a flat expression. "Ah, sorry po. Thought there was a tryout here. My bad," Jay replied casually, flashing a small smile before glancing at Elena. Their eyes locked for just a second. Long enough for her to feel it. Long enough for him to grin. Elena’s Thoughts (Continued): "He’s impossible. And yet, why does it feel like this isn’t the last time I’ll be seeing that smirk? And why do I care?"