Taming the School Heartthrob

Chapter 2

MOMENTS THAT HAPPENED in the morning resurfaced in my mind as I walked home. The sky was getting darker above and the wind started to get chilly.

The streets were filled with cars roaming and other people walking, but I only saw a few people that were walking alone. Most of them are walking with friends. Well, I don’t have that luxury, let alone genuine friendships.

The next thing I knew, I was already approaching the front porch of our house. On one of the corners of this noisy neighborhood, our small house stood. From the spot that I was walking, I could see and feel the appearance—the house was old, from the rusting metal gates and the dark color green paint, fainting for years now.

I was greeted by my mother. She gave me a smile and glanced at me swiftly before returning to her focus on my youngest sibling, still three months old.

“Hello, Baby Stella,” I cooed my sibling.

“Your father already brought groceries. Cook it for dinner,” my mother added as I closed the door.

“Okay,” I said, letting out a sigh.

I fixed myself, then prepared the kitchen for cooking. Chopping the veggies and adding a little batch of meat, it usually takes me three hours to prepare food for our family. Growing up, I never had the chance to complain about doing most of the household chores. Because my mother looks out for my other two young siblings and my father is always outside working, no one else will do it for us. Hiring maids never once came across their minds because, ever since, we only have enough money for our needs.

I wiped the sweat from my forehead as I closed the lid of the casserole where I had kept our dinner after cooking. Then I went inside my room. I sat on my small, dusty table just beside a corner of my room where a portion of the light coming from the opened door illuminates my spot. Life’s hard, but I know it won’t be the same. It can’t be like this all throughout.

I got this.

My palm traced my notebook and pens, then focused on doing my homework.

The next morning, I went to school earlier than usual. In hopes that I can get my calculator from Ceasar, yup. I got to remember the name of that jerk. I had to. Calculators are expensive, at least in my case, because back then, I had to save a month of my allowance just so I could buy one. And I just lost it…

My fingers anxiously tapped on my desk, looking through the window and checking every single student that gets inside the classroom. But no sign of that jerk guy… his playful grin and unkempt sense of fashion.

Absentmindedly, his face flashed inside my head.

That got me even more worried, but now with a slight irritation.

Why does our first meeting have to be that way? Maybe he’s still a good person after all.

He has to be… since he got my calculator—

But I can’t be sure.

“Hey, Trina,” I raised my head to see one of my classmates looking at me.

“Yes?”

“Teacher Ann asked you to come to her office.”

“Okay.” I stood up without questions. Positioned my things on my chair, making sure that I zipped them well and my things wouldn’t fall over on the floor.

I walked through the corridor, my feet, and when I arrived at the faculty office of all teachers in Senior High School. I greeted everyone that was there and stopped in front of our advisory teacher. “Hello, Celestine Trina Yue, right?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

She smiled at me sweetly. “You got the highest score during our diagnostic test, congrats.”

I didn’t know how to react, but something inside my heart tugged with happiness.

“Thank you, Miss Ann.”

“Keep up the good work. Please get your paper and return the other papers to your classmates.”

“Alright, ma’am.”

Worry flew from my mind while I was staring at my paper— I only made 3 mistakes! Way to go, Trina!

Still beaming with happiness, I started returning my classmates’ papers one by one. Until I noticed that almost all of us were already inside the classroom.

I glanced at the right corner of the classroom. My gaze landed on the guy that I had been waiting for since earlier.

I saw his name on the next paper that I was about to return.

Ceasar Nigel Gideon.

Slowly… with small gentle steps, I walked to his spot.

But my nerves prevented me from walking towards him steadily. My hands were sweating so I grabbed another paper from the back part of the pile.

“Nikko Dela Guzman?” I called.

The guy sitting at the back stood up. “That’s me!”

But to my horror, Ceasar grabbed the paper from my hands. He did it with a serious face, not even meeting my eyes.

“Bro.” The owner of the paper walked towards us. “That’s my paper dude.”

But Ceasar stood up too. He towered on our classmate. He was much taller than him.

My mouth went ajar, shocked by what had just happened.

“You have to give that to him. It’s his paper,” I said, calmly, but inside I knew I was doubtful when what I said would calm the situation.

“Wait for a second.” A hint of annoyance laced Ceasar’s voice.

I inhaled a deep breath and raised my brow. His arrogant attitude won’t cut it.

“That's my answer sheet, Ceasar,” retorted our classmate.

“You should give that to him. It’s his right.”

“Can you f*****g wait a second?!” The shout made our other classmates glance at us. The small commotion just turned into a head-turner. This jerk of a guy… Then he scanned the answer sheet.

I squinted my eyes and stared at him without blinking—serious and unimpressed. But I was just hiding my shock. I took a step, but he kicked the chair beside me. I stopped mid-step. Is he intimidating me?

With a cold stare, he raised the paper and allowed its owner to grab it from his fingertips. “I just checked how much you got, since you just copied from when we took the test.”

I suddenly had flashbacks.

Back in Grade 11, I once heard talks about a student who constantly causes trouble and commotions with the other students, and, arguments with the teachers. Meeting this guy for the first time, there was a doubt whether the rumors were entirely too different.

Maybe I already expected this guy would be this kind of a jerk, like what happened previously.

The words that once spread surely can capture the right description of a personality, accurately at times, as it turned out. She’s staring at the very proof of that. Ceasar has a bad reputation he truly built his crude behavior.

Silence filled the surroundings, so I cleared my throat.

“Here’s your paper,” I said, as if nothing happened just minutes ago.

Then I continued returning the paper.

When I sat on my seat, I had already finished the task.

I slowly approached Ceasar, with my arm leaning on my desk, I was already almost facing my back.

I didn’t bother to smile but I made sure that my tone was kind enough when I asked him a question, “Hi, by any chance… did you get to keep my calculator that I left right here yesterday?”

I feel so awkward asking the question. If only I had the choice not to ask. But I had to. It was my calculator which was at stake, and we will need it during our first class this morning.

But instead of answering my question, he just smirked. “Why are you asking me about it? It was yours to begin.”

“Huh?” My tongue got caught with wonder. How could he be this sarcastic?

“A classmate of ours said you kept it yesterday. It might have been below my seat yesterday. When I came back, it wasn’t here anymore. He said you kept it.” I pointed to our classmate that I saw inside the classroom yesterday.” He looked shocked when I pointed to him.

I smiled—an awkward one. “Sorry.”

Ceasar glanced at me lazily, uninterested, and nonchalant.

“It was my calculator. It had my name on the back. I can prove it to you. I need to use it. We’re about to have our quiz.”

Ceasar shrugged his shoulders and remained unserious.

I inhaled a very deep breath. I smiled at him. I’m about to lose my temper, but I have to try to be nice. Even if he doesn’t deserve it.

“Where is it?” I stood up this time and threatened to grab his bag, which was so light like a feather.

“Hey!”

“I left it at home.” He spat out.

Blood left my face and I felt my shoulders losing strength.

“What?? Why? How could you!”

What about our quiz? My head started to throb. Soon I was filled with fear, my hands got cold.