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Chapter 13: Cutting Classes

"Nicky, it's not just a person. Who says you have to stick with one person to give your gifts to? I'm thinking of having twelve different manitas or manitos. That's the twist-and the thrill! "

It took a moment for Nicky to reply. "Twelve persons?" Nicky finally muttered, still hesitant.

"You don't have to think of twelve different kinds of gifts, you could have just the same gift for each person if it'd really be a trouble enough for you," John Michael said impatiently.

"Fine," Nicky replied. "I think it's okay. But you'll be the one who'll talk about that to our classmates, then."

"Of course. It's my idea."

"Right."

John Michael readily proceeded to the front and called for everyone's attention. After three callings, and with the help of Danica, the secretary, John Michael had everyone's attention. Nicky was scorning as she watched and listened to the drill of John Michael's Twelve Days of Christmas. The girls were thrilled, while the boys were not exactly happy about it. Robert and Eddie Boy were complaining that John Michael had to shout to keep them quiet. Nicky loathed herself for enjoying watching John Michael lose his cool. But the class vice-president was really persistent in pushing his idea. In the end, he won, and the boys groaned their dejection.

John Michael then instructed everybody to write their names on one-eight sheet of paper. Then, they rolled their papers up and dropped them on the unused chalk box that Danica had been passing around. Before Nicky knew it, she was already drawing one thin rolled paper from the box. She rolled out the paper. Her manita for Monday was Rhea, her seatmate in Chemistry last year, and Nicky knew that classmate of hers wouldn't be that demanding with gifts. She breathed a sigh of relief.

"Why didn't you download the song?" Nicky asked Red impatiently, during their Music class. Their teacher had let the entire period be used for the duet practice while he was out to the Division's office. Nicky almost had forgotten about the duet. It would be that coming Monday, and they even hadn't practiced yet.

"You didn't tell me," Red replied as he was thumbing the screen of his iphone. "I thought you had the song already."

"I don't have internet at home, and not even an mp3 player," Nicky retorted.

"Do we really need an instrumental?"

"Of course we do. Some of our classmates are bringing speakers and mikes, even lap tops and the whole class can just use them. What we need for our duet now is the instrumental."

"Okay, I'll try to download it tonight, boss."

"It has to be ready by tomorrow."

"We're gonna practice tomorrow?"

"Yup, we don't have much time. The duet is this Monday already. We'll meet up here tomorrow at nine. I think our classmates are also gonna be here to practice for the duet."

Red groaned. "But I got something else going on-"

"No, buts. You've got to be here tomorrow or-"

"You'll come at my house and climb up the gate if we wouldn't let you in? Well, like Josh, we also have dogs, Nicky. And they're not on leash."

"What are you saying? Josh lied. I didn't go to his house and climbed up his gate. I've never even been there."

She noticed Red was no longer paying her any attention as his eyes were back on his iphone, riveted.

Nicky exhaled as she brought her hands together. She leaned to him as she began whispering, "By the way, before I forget, did-in anyway-did you tell someone about--well--you know--about what you know about me and how I feel for-for Ig-Ynigo." Nicky was bowing her head down, and not meeting Red's gaze.