After Her Last Straw (Dream Series #1)

Prologue

After Her Last Straw
Zanashi

Intelligence, they said, is a big contributor of success. Acknowledging the role of diligence and hardwork does not necessarily mean denying how intelligence serves as our significant instrument to reach the outcome we've been dying to bag.

Being a college student- an accountancy student to be exact, makes me embrace the idea that intelligence and hardwork should always work hand in hand. Aanhin mo ang talino mo kung tatamad-tamad ka pagdating sa pagbabasa? Aanhin mo ang sipag mong magbasa kung wala kang kakayahang intindihin ang binabasa mo? Simple as that.

Accounting is not as easy as I thought. Back in high school, I thought college students from accountancy department were just exaggerating things like how they didn't have enough sleep for several weeks just to study and still failed their exam. It was rather a challenge than a threat to me.

I mean, how could they fail their exam when all they did was to study? But now, well, I guess that was really meant to be a threat huh? Hindi nga madali.

"How can I even pull my grades up with this kind of score?" said one of those students who are standing near my locker. Nagpatuloy ako sa pagkuha ng accounting and taxation book ko. Just two more subjects and we're done today.

"Well, that was indeed a pretty bad score for a midterm quiz but I'm sure makakabawi ka pa sa finals. Midterm pa naman eh," her friend said, causing my right eyebrow to raise. What she said was like the usual comforting line one could hear from her friend.

Tuwing nakakakuha ng mababang score, bawi na lang sa susunod. If you failed your first trinal exam, there's still midterm, and there's still finals when you failed your midterm exam, and the cycle goes on.

I personally beg to disagree with this notion. Having that kind of mindset won't do you any good actually. Yes, napapagaan niya nga ang loob mo pero hanggang doon na lang iyon. Pag mababa ka sa quiz ngayon, magmumukmok ka at mapapabayaan mo ang quiz bukas. Makakabawi ka pa kaya? So why not pass it today and relax tomorrow? Atleast kung mababa ka sa final assessment, your previous grade would still save you.

"Pulling it is like pulling a large metal buried deep down the ocean," sabi ng isa pa niyang kaibigan.

I hate to admit it but she's right. It might sound rude but that's the most realistic comfort I've ever heard.

"Grabe naman 'to! Mataas ka lang siguro kaya mo 'yan nasasabi."

"Hindi no. My score is lower than yours, actually. I'm just preparing myself for the incoming inevitable disaster."

Sinara ko ang locker ko at magpapatuloy na sana sa paglalakad nang bigla akong tawagin ng isa sa kanila.

"How about you, Aphra? Ilan ang nakuha mong score sa quiz?"

I just shrugged my shoulder and left. Really? Why would I tell them? I hate it when they ask me that kind of question.

Hindi ko ugaling ibahagi sa iba ang score ko sa bawat quiz namin. Kung mababa, okay. Kung mataas, great. There's no need for me to broadcast what I really got.

Pretty weird, right? That's me. Kaya walang gustong makipagkaibigan sa akin kahit pa noong high school ako. Friends tend to comfort each other and I could not give it to those people around me. I don't like sugarcoating things. Some people being oversensitive at all times just don't like me for this. They think it was rude and I don't give a damn about it.

Bago makarating sa classroom ng Block A ay madadaanan muna ang classroom ng Block B. Kaya naman, wala akong choice kundi ang dumaan sa harap ng grupo ng mga lalaking nakatambay sa harap ng classroom nila. Malayo pa lang ay rinig na rinig ko na ang tawanan nila, walang pakialam sa kahit na sinomang dumaraan.