I Was Her

Chapter 9

PENELOPE'S POINT OF VIEW

I am in the backseat, and I bend over for my mom to reach my cheeks. She kisses them both.

"Good luck on your first day, my beauties. Phoebe, take your little sister to her classroom before you go to yours, alright?"

"Sure, mom."

Phoebe and I stare at each other, and she's giving me a mean look like do something, I don't want to do that. I take a deep breath and try to form a smile in front of Mom.

"It's okay, mom, I can handle myself. I don't want my sister to be late to her class," I say, putting my bag pack on.

"Are you sure, honey?"

"Of course, mom, I can ask naman po."

"Alright." She nods, extending her arm to reach at the back of my head, and gently pushes me to her to give me a peck on my left cheek.

"Don't forget to eat your lunch, okay?"

"Yes mom." sabay na sabi namin ni Phoebe at lumabas na kami ng kotse.

"Bye girls!" may kalakasan na sigaw ni mom at nagmaneho na paalis.

Phoebe and I stare each other again,

"Don't call me when something bad happens to you. Just call mom," she says, walking away from me.

I roll my eyes and start walking while looking around the campus. Phoebe is a second year high school while I was first year. My sister and I have never been close. We're just one year apart in age for goodness sake. She has never liked me since we were children, until now.

We have never been able to relate to each other, so we never really bonded. We barely talk to each other kaya hindi 'rin kami nag-aaway pero lagi lang niya akong binibigyan ng mga tinginan na nakakainis ng buong pagkatao.

Lagi siyang may sariling mundo. She always wants to be alone pag nasa bahay or maybe sa school 'din-though kahit naman ako. Parang lumaki at nagka-isip ako na never kong naranasan na may ate. Ate na laging nandiyan sa tabi mo para pag-usapan ang mga bagay-bagay kapag malungkot ka o masaya. Ate na makakasama mo sa lahat ng bagay, lahat ng 'yan wala, wala akong naranasan.

Mas close ko pa nga si Yesha na anak ni nanay Isabel- na siyang katulong namin, kesa sa kanya. She is always in her room, reading books, eating, and sleeping. Oh, she bakes sometimes when everyone is sleeping, but I never tried to taste it. I wonder kung may nakatikim na sa bahay ng mga ginagawa niya.

She's really a private person. I don't even know if she's making friends at school, though I don't have any friends either because I chose to be alone. Maybe this is something we can relate to.

I am walking around the campus, taking in the sights, mabuti nalang sanay akong mag-isa. Mas malaki at malawak itong school ko ngayon kesa sa last school ko. I could see nothing but students everywhere. Malamang nasa school ako.

I am surrounded by people of all different ages, backgrounds, and interests. I don't know kung magiging tahimik ba ang pag-aaral ko rito o hindi. I tuck a wisp of my loose, long black hair behind my ears, and I absently watch the flutter of the campus banners as they wave in the wind.

"Students please go to the field for the opening ceremony... Students please go to the field for the opening ceremony." sabi sa speaker ng campus kaya nag asikaso na ang lahat para maglakad papunta sa field habang sumusunod lang ako sa kanila dahil hindi ko alam papunta 'run.

I am walking on the field, and there is a banner in every line palatandaan kung anong year ang dapat na pumila 'dun. I continue walking until I see the banner for freshman.