Playing With Perceptions

I - Uneventful, As Usual

At last, our first period professor arrived and Ma'am Nabella is my favorite. I love her subject so I participate a lot. Sometimes I can tell that she has grown fond of me, making me in charge of announcing quizzes, assignments, and deadlines to my blockmates. I'm the one who has to often do activities individually due to the odd number of students especially during pairings. Whenever there's no one reciting, I'm the one she always asks to answer and she always listens attentively during my reports. She hardly gives me difficult questions when interrogating me about my presentation. Or maybe I always just do a good job. I always excel when I'm interested in what I'm doing and I'm putting my all into it. Honestly, she's the only professor I give a damn about. I'm scared to let her down.

She asked our class representative to give her a brief report on the amount of people present and who among us are absent. After the usual routine, we immediately went back to where we left off on our lesson. My friends and I actively participated in recitations since I always study in advance and I teach them what I read. This is why our group of friends is her favorite and we get good marks from her.

"I'll give you a copy of the PowerPoint presentation through Nievez so make sure to study the lecture since I'm having a written work this Friday," she said before returning my flash drive and leaving our classroom.

Our next period came and I loathe this subject so much. I like studying Physical Education and Health, but my professor makes me hate the subject. As a solution, I sleep through her classes and just study her lesson by myself instead of having to listen to her.

Someone shook my shoulder, waking me up. I immediately thought that it's already break time. I lifted my head, gently massaging my neck in the process. I stretched my arms and legs before turning to the person who woke me up. My friends are gone and only Tres is here. I looked at the time on my watch. It's five minutes past the start of our break time.

"Do you want to eat fast food?" He asked. I automatically grinned. I love fast food. He showed me the paper bags from McDonald's.

"Can we eat here instead?" I suggested. He nodded and moved one chair on the opposite side of the table so he's across me.

"How's the weekend?" He asked. I remain calm and composed.

I shrugged. "Uneventful, as usual," I replied although that's a lie. It's not like I should feel bad for lying. I'll only feel bad once they find out that I'm lying.

"Do you want to come with us later on?" He asked which made me arch one eyebrow. "We're going to eat out by midnight." I smiled at the idea.

"Sure, I'll go," I answered. He grinned from my answer.

"By the way, can I borrow your notes for Ma'am Nabella's class?" He asked. I nodded while sipping on my coke and fishing for my notebook from my bag. I handed it to him and he opened my notes. He did a quick scan and blew out some air.

"She'll only discuss the first subtopic for today and it's going to be a long one," I told him. "It will get kind of confusing but once you read it over and over again, you'll understand it. She likes to twist the questions but the whole process is just a cycle."

"You're amazing," he praised. I chuckled and ate my rice and chicken fillet. While we were eating, we were only discussing random things we can think of and in the middle, I told him more about the lesson while he took glances at my notes too.

We disposed of our garbage after eating and made a quick stop in front of my locker just to get my notebook for the next two periods and I returned my second period notebook. I have different notebooks per subject. I aspire to be that organized.

"Are you sure you don't want to keep it until lunch?" I asked, pertaining to my notebook. He shook his head.

"I won't be able to read it in class and I already took note of everything you said," he explained. I nodded, grinning widely. I'm glad he listened throughout my babbling. "You should keep it or else my blockmates will snatch your notes from me."

I laughed, putting my notebook inside my bag. That might actually happen.

"Well, I hope Ma'am stops disliking you," I said, closing my locker. He smirked. "She's giving us a quiz this Friday, by the way. I'll give you the PowerPoint tonight so you can share it with your block."

"She never gives us the PowerPoint," he said with a pout. We started walking back to the direction of my classroom.

"Just make sure no word goes out that any of you got the copy," I told him. He nodded, saluted even. I laughed at his behavior. "It's not like she'll ever suspect that I'm the one who gave it."

"You're the favorite," he said. I smiled at what he said.

"I'm the teacher's pet," I jested, wriggling my brows. He chuckled.

On the way to my classroom, he only summarized everything he learned from me about the lesson. I praised him for understanding perfectly. Intelligence is in their genes.

We stopped right outside of my classroom. Before he bid his goodbye, I told him to inch closer.

"I'll pass you a document of detailed notes tomorrow," I whispered to his ear. He chuckled softly. I smiled, putting my index finger in front of my lips. "Don't spread it to anyone."

"I won't," he said. I raised my right eyebrow. "Promise." I grinned.

"Good," I said. I tapped his cheeks before entering the classroom with a small smile. My blockmates are throwing me looks and I can't point out what they mean. I just shrugged them off and went back to my seat. Who left a chocolate on top of my table?