Where Do We Go from Here?

i.

1 YEAR AFTER

      My test results are crumpled somewhere inside my backpack beside me, but I can still see the red mark showing a 3 point deficient score before considered as passed. Our professor is up front, blabbering something about not giving up and honestly, I couldn't care less.

     I still hate results day, but not as much as I hated it when I first got my failed mark. At this point, it's just the norm, the default for me and most of the class. You fail one test, and you try your hardest to do great on the next so you can be safe. It is a constant battle of 'not giving up', and the thing is, when you're in that head space of trying not to give up, it doesn't really help when someone shoves it further down your throat, that's for me, at least. 

     "Party at Jean's later?" my seatmate whispers. His test result sits on his desk, facing down. He got the highest score. Again. With his chiseled jawline, almond brown eyes, glistening tan skin and velvet wavy hair, you ought to think he's an empty can. But he isn't.

     This is when I know God has his favorites. One of them is Jacob 'Cobi' Villa, my closest Uni friend. 

     "Must you ask? Of course, we'll go," I grin and I see his excited smirk after. I catch some women swoon over that one second glory. I have my fair share of women giving me glares because of Cobi, some of them have the nerve to even confront me about it. Although, I don't get affected, I find it funny rather, that they actually think Cobi will give me a chance. 

     That sounded pitiful. Let me rephrase that in my favor, Cobi and I are just friends and nothing more. 

     Jean Mendez is a batch mate of ours who throws parties after the results are out and somehow it became a campus tradition. He is from a different college but since our college has a fair market share of failures, Accountancy students tend to be at the scene most of the time. The party welcomes everyone, but I mean, who really needs all the booze to forget? Us, the failures and disappointments. 

     "Now, to wrap up this class, I wish you all a happy weekend," Ms. Judith announces. 

     Not a minute after, I already have my backpack on me and I am ready to get out.

     "Where do you want to pass time? Mine or yours?" Cobi asks, tidying up his bag.

     "Do you want my brother to knock your front door off?" I answer, "And boy, do you really have to start doing this now? When Ms. Judith's blabber portion was the perfect time to do it? We could have bounced by now."

       "He can't knock it off, it's mahogany," he begins, "And it's disrespectful to tidy up when someone's still talking," he ends sarcastically.

     "And this is why we cannot be more than friends," I complain, "you are annoying my soul and I."

     "You sure it's not because I cockblocked you?" he retorts and I smack his head. He got me. But that's for another time to tell. 

     We finally arrive in the room's doorway after slithering our way out of there and we see a giant boy towering at 6'5 passing through the hallway, literally inviting everyone he comes across to. A few moments after, we lock eyes and he comes where we are at.

     "Hey Cobi Wan Kenobi! Yo, Naomi!" Jean does a handshake-chest pump greeting with Cobi and and he messes my hair up after. "Ooh, that rhymed. Just checking, you going?"