THE LOVER : Lucius Marco

[Seis] RAZÓN

Nakaupo lamang si Emmanuela sa couch habang nakatingin sa principal nila sa desk niya. Nothing is more awkward than sitting infront of your principal while he's doing his stuffs. Emmanuela blew a few strand of her hair that were blocking her view of their principal.

Minutes passed, the man he had been waiting for arrived in the principal's office. Apologizing at the principal for being a bit late. Emmanuela sighed.

"Ms. Besar, please sit here." Mr. Julio, the principal, motioned her to sit at the chair closer to his desk.

Palihim na umirap si Emmanuela bago ito tumayo at umupo sa upuan. Mr. Marco also sat across her.

"Ms. Besar—" Emmanuela interrupted Mr. Julio.

"If this is about what happened a while ago during Mr. Marco's class, well I'm telling the truth na hindi ako 'yon." She said, crossing her arms, leaning her back on the chair, not looking neither of them.

"Sana nga ganoon lang kababa ang rason kung bakit ka pinapunta dito." Ani Mr. Julio. Napakunot naman ang noo ni Emmanuela at napatingin sa matanda.

"What do you mean sir?" she asked. Nabalin kaagad ang atensyon niya nang maglagay ng folder si Mr. Marco sa desk ni Mr. Julio.

Mr. Julio opened the folder and examined what's written in it.

Hindi kaya nalaman nilang nasa bar ako kahapon? Tapos mga pic ko with the guy last night ang nasa loob niyan?

Fuck, I'm seriously overthinking right now.

Oh come on, Emmanuela. Its not their business kung pupunta ako ng bar o hindi. Wala ngang pake si mama eh sila pa kaya?

Hayyyss! Ewan ko! Napakaporkchop!!

"Bumababa ang grades mo, Ms. Besar." Mr. Julio said. For a second, Emmanuela sighed in relief.

"Hay, salamat yun lang pa— ANO?!" She exclaimed wide-eyed.

This is actually worse.

She thought.

But who cares?

She thought again. She's not Emmanuela the grade-conscious anymore. Wala na siyang pakialam kung mapapasa ba niya ang quiz or exam. Nag-aaral pa rin siya, pero di tulad ng dati na sisikapin niyang maging first sa class niya. Kasi ngayon, kung ano ang kaya niya ay yun lamang ang tatanggapin niya.

"I didn't expect this from a valedictorian." Ani Mr. Julio. Emmanuela calmed herself down and leanes back on the chair.

"This just for the subject History of arts, galing ito kay Mrs. Zairon. Your previous teacher in this subject." Ani Mr. Marco tsaka kinuha ang folder galing kay Mr. Julio at pinakita kay Emmanuela.

Bumungad sa dalaga ang listahan ng mga score niya sa kada quiz, exam at performance task na mas mababa pa kaysa sa passing score nito. Overall, below those records, lies Emmanuela's grade. 3.

Oh, you messed up, Ela.

"It's just history of arts." Ani Emmanuela tsaka binalik ang folder sa kanila. Mr. Marco chuckled. She looked at him intently.

"Do you really think ipapatawag ka dito kasi ang History lang ang bumaba?" Mr. Marco mocked. Emmanuela's eyebrows furrowed by his sentence.

Agad na binuksan ni Mr. Marco ang folder sa harapan ni Emmanuela, he then flipped the next page. Revealing her grades for each subjects.

Line of 3? Wow, Ela. I didn't know you're a basketball player.

"Lahat tres." Ani Mr. Julio. Emmanuela rolled her eyes.