Wrong Side Of The Honor Roll

First Impressions, Worst Intentions

Recess bell rang and halos buong hallway puno ng ingay. Students rushed out like floodwater, some heading straight to the canteen, others to their usual tambayan spots. Me? I went where I always go sa likod ng covered court. Hindi masyadong matao, tahimik, and more importantly, walang teacher.

"Jay, laro tayo mamaya, ha?" one of the juniors called out, nodding in my direction while spinning a basketball.

I gave him a lazy salute. "After last class, bro. Talo ka ulit."

As I leaned back against the concrete wall, I saw her again Elena Martinez, walking across the school grounds like she belonged in a different world. Her books were perfectly stacked in her arms, white uniform crisp and spotless, hair tied back like she just stepped out of a toothpaste commercial.

Ang weird. She wasn’t even in my section, pero ilang araw na siyang dumadaan dito tuwing recess. Was she purposely passing by our tambayan?

“Bro,” Rico whispered beside me, nudging my arm. “Si Miss Valedictorian oh. Ang sungit pa rin sayo ng tingin. Parang gusto ka pa rin niyang palayasin sa Earth.”

I rolled my eyes. “Hayaan mo siya. Maybe she thinks staring hard enough will make me vanish.”

Rico laughed, but I kept my eyes on Elena. She didn’t notice me or pretended not to. But there was a flicker, just for a second, where her eyes landed on mine. Cold. Judging. Then gone.

Was it my hair? My hoodie? The fact that I wasn’t taking notes in her perfect little class?

“Parang galit talaga siya sayo, bro,” Rico said, now half-eating his sandwich and half-gossiping. “Naalala mo nung pinatambay ka sa principal’s office dahil dun sa flag ceremony incident?”

“Yeah,” I said with a grin. “Guess who snitched?”

“No way. si Elena?!”

I just smirked.

It happened last week I showed up late, again, and walked right past the line while the national anthem played. Didn’t salute, didn’t even pause. The next day, I was inside the principal’s office with a written warning. Anonymous complaint daw. But it wasn’t hard to guess who.

That girl always followed the rules like it was religion. And guys like me? We were the devil.

Elena’s POV

I didn’t like walking past that area. Jay and his friends always hung out there laughing too loudly, talking about fights, cursing like they owned the place. They smelled like cheap cologne and ego.

Pero wala akong choice. That path was the fastest way to the library.

Every time I passed, I felt eyes on me mostly his. Jay Mendoza. I’d heard enough about him: frat guy, always late, always at the billiards place across the street. Laging may issue with teachers. Laging pasaway.

And yet, he was still passing classes. Barely. Some say it’s because he’s smart when he actually tries. Some say it’s charm. I say luck. Or pity.

“Miss Elena,” one of my classmates caught up to me. “May quiz sa next subject, right?”

“Yeah,” I said, still glancing toward the court. “History. Chapter 5. Memorize the treaty dates.”

She looked back. “Why do you always pass by there? Nakakatakot kaya ‘yung tambayan nila.”

I didn’t answer. I didn’t want to admit I was. curious.

Jay’s POV

Lunch came and went. I skipped it. Wala akong ganang kumain, lalo na't napansin kong mas madalas na dumadaan si Elena sa tambayan. She wasn’t doing anything just walking pero weird ‘yung feeling. Parang every time she passed by, I became... aware. Of how loud I was. Of how messy I looked.

Then that afternoon, sa hallway near the guidance office, we bumped into each other. Literally.

“Watch where you’re” she started, pero she stopped when she saw it was me.

“Relax,” I said, stepping back. “Not gonna rob you or anything.”

She narrowed her eyes. “I didn’t say that.”

“Didn’t have to. You look at me like I’m a walking detention slip.”

She crossed her arms. “Maybe I just don’t like people who don’t take things seriously.”

“Maybe I don’t like people who take everything too seriously.”

We stared at each other for a second. Her lips twitched almost a smirk, or maybe a scoff. Then she walked past me like I was a lamppost.

But in that moment, something shifted.

Not much.

Just enough.