Signed, Gaius

Chapter 5

Five

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The classroom buzzed with the anticipation of a new day as students filed through the door. Gaius settled in his seat by the window next to Korong, his tablet in hand, awaiting the arrival of their class teacher, Ma'am Juliana. Ma'am Juliana, who was also heavily pregnant at the moment, entered five minutes later accompanied by the expected new face. The noise in the room instantly died down and the entire class stood up to greet their beloved teacher. The boys, always trying to pull their favorite teacher's leg, prolonged the pronunciation of each word. "Goooooood moooorning, Ma'am!"

"How uncivilized," spat Juliana with a menacing smirk, causing the entire class to break out laughing with her. "I see you and I know that dark days are upon me."

Ma'am Juliana had been their class teacher since eighth grade. Every morning for three years, the day for this batch began with English Literature class. While her primary subject was literature, her role extended far beyond the confines of textbooks. She shouldered the responsibility of not just monitoring their academic progress but also delving into their personal lives, ensuring their overall well-being. She made sure they read the paper every day, made sure all the boys understood what menstrual cycle is, encouraged girls to talk about it without shame, assisted them in their class activities. . . She was basically their caretaker. The class had adored her ever since that memorable day in eighth grade when she called them all "ugly faces," on her first day as their class teacher. That broke the ice.

"Settle down, children. It's good to see you all back at school," she said, brushing back her hair and exhaling audibly as she wiped her handkerchief across her forehead. "My dear students, we have a new member in our family this year." She smiled at the girl on her right. "She will introduce herself, and we will welcome her in our usual way. Korong, be ready."

The class howled in excitement and Juliana had to press a finger over her lips to shush her children. "Not that loud! We don't want Mother Agnes to hear us. Somebody shut the door." Then she turned to the new student. "Go on. Introduce yourself."

The entire class waited in silence. Gaius, towering over his classmates, enjoyed a good view despite sitting at the back. He saw that the girl stood at average height, and while her appearance wouldn't fit into the criteria of someone hot and attractive according to recent beauty standards, there was nothing wrong with her. She was perfect. And if earlier she reminded Gaius of ripe peaches, it was marshmallows and cotton candy now. She was bright and pink, and delicate.

Looking slightly unnerved, the girl spoke in English, her voice carrying a touch of uncertainty. She'd practiced this for a while in her head, although she was not particularly nervous. "Hi, everyone. My name is Ophelia Grace. I'm from Tamenglong district. I grew up in an orphanage and I used to attend a Catholic school in my hometown. Now, I'm here at Sister Marina's Convent. I'm excited about the year ahead and getting to know all of you better."

She then turned to Juliana, indicating that that was all she had to say.

"Why don't you tell us about your likes and dislikes? Your hobbies?" suggested Juliana. "We'd love to know you better too."

"Okay." Ophelia turned to the class again. Each of them waited in silence as though all they ever wanted to do was know her better. Despite the distance, her eyes came in line with Gaius' for a brief moment. He too was listening intently. His attention was solely on her, meticulous and solemn, and even the whiteboard slapped to the wall could tell he had no intention of looking away.

"Uhh. . ." she began slowly. "I'm into knitting and embroidery. My favorite subject is Social Science. Civics in particular... Favorite color is Green. What I don't like. . . Well, I can't think of what I don't like at the moment." She turned to Juliana again, a sheepish smile on her face, signaling this was truly all she had until a sudden realization struck. "Oh! I don't like peanut butter," she added in a hurry.