Friends

PART NINE: BRIEF

January 19, 1998, Monday

After the pageant, Mr. Watts came into the room with a chocolate box. All of us wondered who it was for or if he received them. Sitting down on these armchairs is like being glued to this seat for the next eight hours of my day. Everyone began to stand up as Mr. Watts headed to Jade and Chase—he brought them to the front of the classroom and congratulated them with the chocolate. Students started whistling, Fiona cheered, Wayne and Harry, hyping them up, and I watched all of it happen at once.

Mr. Watts stopped them before going back to their respective seats, "What is it like to be Mr. and Ms. East High?" Jade answered, "It is an honor not only to my partner but also to the whole campus. I displaced my gratitude and bestowed this recognition as I am feeling enthusiasm in this room. Well, how about you Mr. East High?"

"Thank you, Ms. President. For starters, there's this hole that's inside of me before but it started to heal slowly as I felt the joy inside me when I became Mr. East High. Cheers to the best partners, this classroom will ever have," he said as an inspired leader.

"Take your seats as I distribute your grades," everyone started to groan. "Now-now, open your boxes while you're at it." Jade opened the ribbon of her box. "I thought this was chocolate," she paused, looking at Mr. Watts. "I would never have imagined—I passed, I passed. Chase, I can't believe it. How did you do?" She stands up, jumping up and down from excitement.

"Jade, we both passed. Is this a surprise, sir? If it is, this was the best surprise I've ever had," he said, surprised by the delayed opening of boxes. "I was expecting chocolates though."

"Forget about that, we just passed," Jade exclaimed, looking enthusiastic in her face. She showed us the box and her grades were truly visible. I felt worried as I patiently waited for my name to be called. I started to draw a picture with my parent's faces. It's bad.

Students began to get called to receive their report cards. "Fiona Goode and Wayne Parker." Wayne exclaimed as he turned around, "Yes. How about you?" Fiona looked at her report card and was relieved. All of us stared and felt sorry for Fiona. "Why are you all looking at me like that?"

"You got a C+ in Physics," Harry pointed out.

"Be grateful, this isn't yours. I can imagine your face staring at that grade. By the way, C+ is still a passing grade," she answered back.

"Did you even see my grades? Straight A's," the both of them started to argue with the grades that they received.

"Charlie Rode," I heard my name being called and I headed towards his desk. "Good job, Charlie. Keep it up," he cheered me as he handed me my report card.

"All passed—straight A's. I can't believe it." I ran up to my desk and started viewing every grade to make sure I passed. I am shocked that I am second-highest in the class. Indeed, Harry is always at the top of the class. We started cheering for the five of us as classes were dismissed. Holding the papers, we were over the moon.

Crossing the hallway with friends of Chase behind us, the students began to look up to Chase and Jade. "Promote equality," his friends started protesting with their fists up high. "Stop cyberbullying," Wayne and Harry started adding. Emerging the crowd even more as we step out.

I was eager to go home and show my grades to them. Who knows their frowns could turn upside down compared to last year. I stepped into the door, they were in the living room. I set aside my bag on the couch and my mom didn't like me putting it there. "The material. Look at the material, don't put that rust here. " I dropped it on the floor and showed them my grades.

When I showed them my grades, they didn't give a damn. Is this it? When I have a failing grade, they will respond but a passing grade—they will act like this. I acted fine and headed to my room. Conveying my thoughts to my steps as I drown in this room.

Later at night, someone came into my room. Crashing the telephone beside my bed, I heard a loud crack. I felt it being broken, I turned around thinking that it was not robbery. It's my father who came into my room. "Where the hell is your girlfriend? Not perceptive in this household, huh? Answer me," he said, being aggressive. Looking mad, sounding drunk, asking for things I don't have, and being mad about everything. I couldn't stand up to him so I let him talk badly of me. "This grade of yours? Second?" He kept staring at me as if I were a criminal that has committed fraud. "That's all? Goddamn! Be first or you're never going back to this household of mine. You get that?" I nodded as he grabbed the nylon of my shirt, causing a rip to the neckline of it. "Get it together. Find me a girl that'll keep me happy." I nodded even more. My brain started to crash and was flooded by waves that faintly deafened my ears. Perhaps, I wished that it should've been a robber. I began to hold tight to my pillow as if it were a person.

Broken wire, broken buttons, damaged shirt, opened window, I felt the wind turning cold. I had no one to talk to and no communication as the telephone was damaged. The lights were off, I started to break down in tears as I wept alone. Here, as the window behind me lit a reflection of mine. It's not the same as I figured it out.

I went back to school as a happy and ordinary student.