The first class of this year, and hoping it will be kind to me. I have already adapted to a new sleeping pattern, and my body clock now wakes me up at 6 AM. It feels nice, and there's no need for me to hurry since I need not be an early bird doing some stupidity.
I'm in the classroom now. My head is buried on my desk, waiting for the teacher to come. So far, there's nothing much happening to me. People seem to have already forgotten the issue. It appears like a regular day.
I feel like being attentive to the discussion, but then again, my sheer attention is being pulled by the guy in the front row. Fuck it, why do I keep staring at this same person over and over again. I think since I've started liking Shane, I'm always like this to the point that I have memorized his facial features. From his hairline down to his thick eyebrows, long eyelashes, his drowning eyes, the nose line, his pinkish-red lip, and his sharp jaw.
I am too focused on Shane when suddenly Ley tapped my shoulders and said, "Mr. Dimagiba is calling you."
Wait? What?
Instinctively with no knowledge of what's happening around me, I stood up and asked, "Could you repeat the question? Please."
Everybody is looking at me, some are trying not to laugh, and I have no idea. Did I do something wrong?
"It looks like your mind is in somewhere else, Mr. De Leon," my classmate burst out laughing, and it's this feeling again because of humiliation. He continues, "but the question is, what drives the tectonic plates to move?"
"Convection current in the mantle, Sir." I confidently said, answering his question. It's such an easy question. Science is my favorite subject, no big deal.
"That is right. Congratulation, Mr. De Leon, you may now go outside and stand in the hallway until the next teacher come. You may not enter the room, and you cannot go to other places, stand still outside until I said it's over," he said.
So, I went outside and ready to stand still for the next one hour. This teacher of ours is somewhat oldies and traditional. He hates the most when someone is not listening to him, no matter what the reason. Whoever he caught not listening, they need to stay outside until his period is over. For so many times that I am zoning out because of staring at Shane, this is the first time that Mr. Dimagiba caught me for not paying attention to his lesson. However, I didn't care much less.
A couple of minutes had passed when suddenly Shane went outside. I thought he is going to the restroom, but I was bewildered to see him stand next to me, on my right side. Do not assume in the part of him being next to me. He was a meter away, okay. I look at him in awe, wondering what did he do for him to be punished too. I was caught off guard when he sees me gazing at him, he glares at me, and I look in the opposite direction to cut off the eye-to-eye moment between us. It's not my business to mind why he is also outcasted.
People passing by in our room keeps looking at us. I'm so embarrassed. Can the ground open up and eat me. I try to squeeze myself to be little though it wouldn't make a change. It's such an awkward thing to experience. I looked in Shane's direction, and I think my eyes saw him looking at me, or it's just in my mind. However, the situation we are in does not affect him at all. It is more likely he is confident than ashamed of it.
Then, ten minutes or so, Ley came out of the room. I stare at him with rapidly blinking eyes because I could not believe what I am witnessing, and Ley also did something.
"What did you do?" I asked.
"Nothing," he responded and laughs.
"Quiet! Both of you, Mr. De Leon and Mr. Gomez," Sir Dimagiba said, so Ley and I become stiff as we stand straight. Mr. Gomez is Ley, and it's his surname. Thus his full name is Ley Gomez.
As soon as Mr. Dimagiba leaves the room, we went inside, and everyone else starts to take their lunch. As for me, I grabbed my bag to have my lunch at another place. I walk and walk directly straight to the tree at the soccer field.
The shade here is pleasantly great, and the wind blowing brings cold air. It is such a nice place to savor my food. Manang Linda is the one who made my lunch today, which is originally her thing long before I initiated to make bento myself. I head to the room primed to take the last class after finishing my food.
It's smooth sailing that it's already dismissal. I'm walking alone because Ley said they need to start practicing and that we can't go home together. Not looking unto my way, I bumped into someone I do not know. I guess we are of the same grade level but different section.
"Sorry." I apologized and started to walk again, but he was not alone. There were four of them, and one of his friends grabbed my backpack, thus restraining me from leaving.
"Owww, I remember you. You are that faggot who shamelessly confesses to someone who has a girlfriend already." The guy said, who was holding my bag. Then they started laughing.
I take it lightly, whatever they are saying, and as much as possible, avoid talking back. Unfortunately, the guy I bumped in dragged me into a corner where no one can see. In there, he punched me, and one by one, they followed and started hitting my whole body. I wanted to fight back, but my strength had escaped my body. There are four of them, and I'm all alone. What can I do?
A punched on my stomach made me fall to the ground. I felt excruciating pain and started crying. I was crumbling, and I cannot move, but I tried to get up, yet they still did not stop. I remember them kicking and stomping me as I feel numb from the pain before losing my consciousness.
