First year students shuffled relentlessly in front of him as he took a drag from his half-done cigarette. He glanced at his wristwatch. It was fifteen minutes before 7 o’clock. Most students would be rushing already to their respected classrooms. But not him. Fifteen minutes is still too early for a senior student like him, and a graduating one at that. He will not be one of these freshmen being early and waiting for their professors inside the classrooms.
He was already done with all his major course subjects for his degree in Sports Science. He just needed to finish up the rest of the leftover subjects he postponed on taking during his earlier years in college. That would mean he needed to attend classes that are usually taken during your first and second years. It’s just one of the last few hurdles he had to get over with until his well-deserved graduation.
He continued to observe the busy area around him when he saw a girl with what seems to be a bread roll in between her teeth while walking hurriedly and lugging a guitar with her towards the Chemistry pavillion. His eyes followed her for a while before taking a final puff and extinguished the cigarette underneath his shoe. He scrunched up his forehead. Maybe he could try to be early for his class for his last year in college. He picked up the cigarette butt and threw it into a nearby trash bin before he walked towards the same direction where the freshman was headed.
When he arrived at the classroom, he was surprised to see the same bread-eating freshman sitting inside, among with the other younger classmates he was going to have for this semester. She was sitting in the last row with both her bag and guitar by her feet and by the looks of it, she was taking some of their weight because there was not much leg room around.
“You can put your bag on a vacant arm chair if you want. I don’t think our class will get filled up with such an early time slot.” He smiled at her before taking the next chair beside her.
“Oh, right. Umm, thanks.” She grabbed her bag and put it on an empty chair nearby.
“My name is Rico. I’m taking up Sports Science. Hoping to graduate this year.” His right hand reached out for a shake.
“Maya. Electrical Engineering. Freshman.” She shook his hand in return.
“Wow. You must be really smart getting into that course. I heard that it’s a quota course too.”
“I don’t really think of myself as smart but thank you. Until now I couldn’t believe that I actually passed the entrance exam.”
“Passing is just the first phase. Wait until you actually have to survive the rest of your college life. True story.”
Suddenly, a woman who seems to be in her mid twenties entered the room. With no greetings whatsoever, she immediately started writing the course outline of the subject on the blackboard. The shuffling of bags and clicking of pens could be heard briefly before settling into silence again.
“I take it that she’s our professor.” Maya grabbed her notebook and pen from her bag and tried to find a comfortable position on her seat.
“Well, here’s to the start of our 5-hour survival adventure in Chem lecture and lab.” He pulled out a pen and paper from his back pocket and held the pen slightly towards her.
“Right.” She replied as she tapped her pen against his.
“Cheers.”
Six weeks into the semester and he has been struggling with this subject already. He had his tennis racket propped on his lap and has been using it as his makeshift table while sitting on the stairs in front of the pavillion. His left hand was playing lazily with his unlit stick of cigarette while his right scribbled on the lab sheet he forgot to do. He made a quick glance on his wristwatch before resuming his futile attempt to finish the report.
“I can lend you some of my answers if you want.”
Maya was standing in front of him, offering a sheet of paper on her right hand while finishing up eating her morning bun. She loves eating those. As usual, she has her loyal guitar with her too.
“Thanks. It must be nice being a freshman.” He took the paper with gratitude and started copying her notes.
“I hope you don’t mind me playing though while you do your report.” She brought out her guitar from the case before sitting next to him.
“Uh, sure. No problem.”
He found himself tapping his way through the melody of the song while Maya sang and played her guitar. Her little performance was not really remarkable like those who record themselves on social media, but hers was charming and spirited. And somehow, it felt more intimate too.
It went like that for the next meetings they had. He would come early and shamelessly borrow her notes while she strummed away the minutes before the start of their class. She didn’t seem to mind that she was hanging out with a senior student with bad habits, and that includes being a half-hearted delinquent who doesn’t skip the cigarette every morning. Who would’ve thought that he would find company with the likes of her.
“Hey, can I ask you something?” He asked her while releasing a hazy stream of smoke from his lips.
“Shoot away.” She replied while grabbing another piece of bread roll from her lunch bag.
“Aren’t you too young to hang out with someone who smokes?”
A spontaneous laughter escaped her lungs.
“And you’re too old to think about those irrelevant things. I’m not here to judge and we’re all here to survive. Our choices are defined by ourselves and not for other people to scrutinize. Smoke as much as you want, and I’ll eat as much as I want.” Her face beamed with a mischievous smile.
He glanced at her with genuine amusement plastered all over his face.
“To each his own, Rico. To each, his own.”
They never really exchanged meaningful conversations with each other aside from the usual exasperated musings about the class. There were a lot of moments that could’ve led to that, but both of them weren’t really that keen on speaking more than necessary.
But the lesser the words they exchanged, the more he took notice of her actions.
He would already anticipate the sound of her footsteps as he stood by the stairs and taking a puff from a wrinkled cigarette while waiting for her outside the building. His head would slightly lean towards her side when she uttered something to him under her breath during class. He would ask her to repeat what she said even though he heard her clearly. Sometimes, he would catch himself staring a bit longer at her fingers and how they moved against the strings of her guitar in effortless rhythm whenever she played beside him. Somewhere down the line, he found himself slipping from his prior reservations.
He was waiting for her by the stairs, their usual meeting place. His hands holding a bag of freshly baked bread rolls from a street vendor. He smiled to himself while imagining her reaction to his simple token of appreciation. It’s about time to return the favor after all those unquestioned empty lab reports every time they meet before class. Then the familiar footsteps came. This time around though, they have
She was laughing to her heart’s content while this other guy was probably sharing a joke with her. Their paces were in sync despite their height difference. He was holding her guitar for her as they walked together along the covered boardwalk. He took notice of how her eyes smiled at him, how she reached out and touched his arm gently while dropping a witty comeback at him. He didn’t miss that playful banter the guy was doing with her while having that same spark on his eyes for her. He didn’t miss that part when his heart sank a little with the unknowing scene before him.
He saw Maya bade goodbye to her friend and started walking towards him. His lungs heaved and tried to settle for a rhythm to calm himself down. With a deep breath, he raised his left arm and waved to her, the bag of warm rolls still clutched by the other.
“So, who’s that guy with you? Your boyfriend?” He forced to draw a smile, while hoping the tease wasn’t true.
“Him? Nah. He’s just a friend. But…”
“But?” He prepared himself for the worst.
“He annoys me so much. I hate how he always makes fun of me. You shouldn’t do that to your friends, right?”
He failed to stifle his laughter.
But, of course.
“What’s funny?” She asked with such unblinking innocence in her eyes.
“Don’t mind me. Here, I hope to calm your suspicions on your friend with these.” He handed her the bag of rolls after regaining his composure from all the laughter earlier.
“Thanks! This is my favorite! How did you know?”
“It’s hard to ignore you munching on those whenever we meet before class.”
Her face radiated with such joy, and that was enough for him to accept his circumstances with her. She still has a long way to go. While he has somewhere else to go after college. He must be silly for thinking that they might be something else along the road.
“Okay, now that the bribe is settled. Where’s today’s lab report?” He grinned at her.
“I knew that there was a catch. Anyway, I really don’t mind so here you go.” She handed him her lab assignment.
It was better this way.
1652 words
