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"Sinong lapastangan ang magtatransfer daw sa ibang eskwelahan?!" Jerald's voice boomed inside the room. He ran all the way from the faculty room to his classroom when he heard the news from their adviser.
"Magta-transfer? Matatapos na yung second grading, may magta-transfer pa?"
"Baka wala ng pambayad sa—"
"Sino. Ang. Magta-transfer?!" Jerald bellowed angrily. "Nangako tayong sabay sabay na ga-graduate dito, tapos putangina may magta-transfer?!"
"Words. Meet me in the faculty later today, Mr. Napoles," Ms. Montenegro entered the classroom. Everyone scrambled back to their respective seats. "But yes, may magta-transfer sa inyo."
Murmurs filled the classroom. Guesses on who and why flew here and there.
Ms. Montenegro cleared her throat and adjusted her glasses before continuing. "Ms. Mendoza, do you have anything to say to the class?"
"Uh... Hi," she started nervously when she was asked to go upfront. "We're moving out. Lilipat na kami ng bahay.. Medyo malayo na kasi dito yung bagong pagtatrabauhan ni Tatay, so kailangan kong magtransfer.."
"What?!" Jerald pulled at his hairs. Maine was like a younger sister to him.
"Mengggg!"
"No!"
"Kailan ang alis mo?"
"Alam ba ni RJ?"
"This is not true!"
"Mamimiss kita!"
The class burst in protests, whines, and queries. Maine was everyone's favorite. She was their baby sister, their best friend. She was loved by all.
"Pakihinaan ang volume, class. May nagkaklase sa kabilang room," Ms. Montenegro reminded her students before she spoke. "I know it's hard. It is with a heavy heart to say this. But that's life. We move on. We should keep moving forward. And if it means we have to let our beloved Menggay go, we should. She's leaving in two days, on Sunday."
"Ang daya mo naman, Meng!" Jerald walked out of the room.
"Jerald!" Ms. Montenegro called out but he did not even look back. "Excuse me, class." And with that, she left the class.
Maine quickly followed her adviser's lead and exited, but went the opposite direction. She needed to get out from the room. She knew she would be bombarded with questions if she did not. She didn't want to leave too.
Her feet led her at the back of their building. There was a bench under the shade of an Acacia tree beside a man-made pond. She often stays here for the quiet when things become too much for her. It was her secret place.
She sat on her bench and started throwing rocks within her reach into the pond.
Someone sat beside her a moment later and joined her in throwing stones.
"Nakakatawa ka kanina," he started, picking a reddish stone by his feet. "Nanginginig pa yung boses mo dun sa harapan."
Maine gave him the look, but let him continue anyway. He needed it.
"Gets ko yung pagka-OA ni Je kanina. Pangarap nating lahat na sama samang gumraduate, 'di ba? Dalawang grading periods na lang oh. Sayang."
"Pumunta ka ba dito para i-down ako lalo? It's working."
"Magkasama na tayo simula pa lang sa nursery, kinder, tapos gradeschool. Mas masaya kung dito ka na lang. Mas masaya kapag kasama kita."
"RJ.."
"Mamimiss kita." The stone skipped thrice on the surface water before it sank.
Silence. It was the only sound that could describe how they felt at that moment. The sound of silence that says a lot. And they understand.
He picked another stone, yellowish this time, shined it by his uniform pants and gave it to her. "'Wag mo 'kong kakalimutan ah. Ako lang ang BFF mo. Hahanapin kita pagkagraduate ng college. Papakasalan pa kita."
She laughed. "Papakasalan ka dyan," she pushed him.
"'Wag kang tumawa. Seryoso ako."
She snorted like the true lady she was.
"Mamimiss ko 'to," he buried his face in her hair.
It was sad, but she smiled anyway. This guy. "Mamimiss din kita."
