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Chapter 28: The New Year

28

The New Year

Nicky was not completely sure what happened to the rest of her Christmas vacation. It seemed to pretty wind up fast that the next thing she knew, she was already struggling to get through the first week back to classes. She remembered her aunt actually visited for a couple of days to celebrate New Year with them. She even took them to Dumaguete for some catch-up Christmas shopping. She bought them a few gifts. She bought Nicky a new pair of pants, and Nicky was actually grateful for it. Her grandparents also called for some greetings. It was good hearing from them. Nicky hadn’t even seen them before. She wished she could finally go visit them at Manila. She had a feeling she’d finally get to meet them, especially when she was planning to pursue her college at UP Diliman.

The first week back went by like a blur. There were assignments, a few quizzes, research papers and SG meetings about the JS Prom. Nicky got through them more than okay. She reckoned it was a pretty normal school week. Her classmates even seemed to forget about her and Red already. The news of Iggy and Camille having a cool off or more of heading for a break-up was the latest talk among her classmates. Nicky could not even care less about it. She had nothing to do with it, and it had nothing to do with her. Besides, she was worrying other more important things. The UPCAT results were drawing more and more closer. And she was getting more and more nervous.

So since it was the New Year, a few of her classmates had some new looks to go with it, too. Mostly, they got some new haircuts. Priscilla changed her long straight hair for some gentle loose waves. Danica also cut her long chops and took a risk with a bob cut. But the one that was most talked about was Red’s new do. Some of their classmates didn’t recognize him the first day at school. He usually just sported a typical schoolboy layered haircut, but this year, he got rid of them for a short buzz. A few of their classmates would even kid with their other classmates, telling them they got a new kid in class as they would point to Red. And right off the bat, some even got duped and completely fell for it.

Nicky remembered the first time she saw him with his new do. She readily recognized him. But she had to approach him for a closer inspection. So she did. Besides, she was also curious.

“What happened to your hair?” She asked him, before she could even remember her new year’s resolution—avoid him at all costs. June was at that time not anywhere near her to remind her of that.

“I found out I had lice,” Red replied.

“You had?”

“Well, not anymore.” Red shrugged nonchalantly.

Nicky knew he was kidding. She even almost laughed. But then, she got a hold of herself, and suddenly remembered her new year’s resolution. So, she immediately bolted out of the scene.

For the rest of the first week back, Nicky avoided Red, and tried to not think of him and his new do, and how he kind of looked different, but different in a good way. His do actually suited him. He looked really good with his new hair—or the lack of if, for that matter. I bet he could pull off any look.

Nicky could nearly cuss. She knew she shouldn’t be thinking of him and his new do. So, she fought to think of something else. It was a moment before her mind started to wander of having a new hair cut herself. But it didn’t take long for her to realize she always got a bad haircut. She’d even always feel bad after a haircut, especially when even with or without a new haircut—her hair would still kind of look the same. Messy as ever. She thought grimly.

Nicky got in. BS Chemistry. UP Diliman. It was a sigh of relief, like all the weight of anxiousness had been lifted off her shoulders. She was more than relieved, though. She was happy, extremely happy at the news. She was jumping up and down with June the moment she heard about it as soon as they arrived school. Nicky already had the gut feeling she’d pass, but hearing it seemed unbelievable. She almost couldn’t contain herself. She was so happy, and most especially, excited. Her future had never felt so sure. She could see it. Vivid and clear. She could see herself at UP Diliman. And she couldn’t wait.

Her classmates who took the UPCAT also made it. Only few of them opted for UP Diliman, though. Most of them settled for UP Visayas in Ilo-ilo and Cebu. John Michael was one of the few who tried for UP Diliman, and he got in as well, BS Industrial Engineering. Lois got into UP Ilo-ilo with BS Biology, the same with June who together with a few of their classmates chose BS Accountancy. Iggy also made it, BS Civil Engineering at UP Cebu. Red never made it. He never applied for any program in UP.

Their adviser, Mr. Manginsay raved about the results and congratulated the UP passers. All of those fifteen who took the UPCAT passed, and the entire school had never been proud.

Nicky’s mother was very much proud of her as well, but still apprehensive on the prospect of sending her eldest daughter to Manila to study college. She favored more on having Nicky study at Silliman University at Dumaguete. It would be easy to visit her then, and Nicky could also easily go home during the weekends.

It also didn’t take long for Nicky to got the results for her applications for DOST and CHED scholarships. She got both scholarships. But she knew she could only take one of them. She thought she’d have CHED scholarship. And then, she figured she’d mull over and weigh her options later.

Since then, the remaining half of January had quickly passed by. Everything seemed to go on smoothly, and days glided by swiftly as well without a glitch. Nicky had topped most of the quizzes. She passed all her papers before due date. She was excellent in delivering her oral reports. She had been reciting in classes more often than she should. She was on all fours on her research papers and on her group’s investigatory project. And for the first time in a course of almost over two months, she had been all about school. She realized she had always been all about school until that fateful advent of having Josh for a boyfriend, followed by a somewhat series of misfortunate events taking place in a domino effect—breaking up with Josh, surviving through the break-up story Josh told everyone, getting overly preoccupied with the thoughts of Iggy, suddenly crushing madly on Red and getting her heart crushed during the process.

She finally figured she was better off not having boys in her mind. She was good at school. It was one thing she had always been good at, and she knew now that she should stick to it, especially that there were only two months left before graduation.  She could not afford to entertain any more distractions. She had never known she could even ignore Iggy then who had been suddenly texting her with forwarded messages, a few hellos, and sometimes a few inquiries for the pages of their assignments. She’d respond to the later, and then dismissed any more distractions from him. She knew she should keep her focus on nabbing the title of valedictorian.

And focus was all she did since the beginning of January. Study. In a renewed energy and vigor she had not known she had. She had been studying every night and all weekends. The last week of January was the Third Grading exams and it had been keeping her a whole lot busy. Before she knew it, she was back to her old self—oblivious to anything else except for getting good grades, especially when John Michael seemed to be doing the same thing. He was doing more than catching up to her. He was trying to get ahead of her. And suddenly, he’d also been acing their quizzes, getting good remarks on his research papers, was even a step ahead of Nicky’s group in the investigatory project, shooting up his hand right after Nicky recited just so he could either add something more or contradict with her answer. Nicky could feel the sudden neck-to-neck competition. John Michael was really right on her heels, this time. And before she knew it, she was not thinking about Red anymore. She was not even thinking about anyone or anything else except not letting John Michael catch up to her. Just as much as she hated being labeled as the-next-valedictorian like that was all there was to her, she also did not like not being the-next-valedictorian herself. She had always dreamed to be one, and it was as this time, she should see to it to make it happen—make it a reality—and not let John Michael take it away from her like the way he snatched up the first honors from last year and the first grading this senior year.

Nicky was not just back to school! But, she was back! And everything else went back to normal as well, like Christmas break had washed off those events that had happened at the later part of the previous year. Last year even seemed a pretty long time ago. It didn’t even look like that of a big deal anymore. It was all in the past now. It was New Year after all—a new beginning, a time to start over, or better, to get back on track—finish this race and win it.

And then February came.