03x32: Breakng their Hold

Longing for his old happy self back, Austin takes active action to get over his current condition. Meanwhile, the elections for the team leaders in the 2011 Intramurals takes place.

BREAKING THEIR HOLD

 

     Austin decision to take active action in the “moving-on department” was immediately but subconsciously retracted.

     He spent the morning listening to Creep by Radiohead on his headphones whilst staring out of the balcony of the CV Room at dawn. It was an overly dramatic scene for a situation that shouldn’t have mattered anymore.

     During the twenty minutes of free time in the morning which was effectively homeroom, as called by Sir Geck, he enumerated some reasons why students looked like crap in the morning. Either they slept late, are too stressed, or some other reason.

     He then took notice of Austin’s depressed state. He gave Austin a few tips.

     “First, you should confront your problem. Otherwise, you’ll stay in this funk for a much longer time than necessary. Afterwards, you have to find a solution to your problem.”

     Austin tried to embed Sr. Geck’s words in his mind but his love annoyingly pushed through.

     “I don’t want to love her anymore. Just let me go, please!” he told himself.

     “Sometimes, I just scream. You can’t keep that inside, sometimes, letting it out can be the best remedy,” Sr. Geck said.

     “Now that, I can do,” Austin said to himself.

     During English, they were supposed to watch Amistad already but the schedule was abruptly interrupted by the annual Teacher Evaluation.

    

After the evaluation, Austin tried to ignore Janella. For the most part, he succeeded.

     During AP, Sr. Leo was still shipping Austin with Janella. He made a vow to Mo-on, Marise, Ernst, Bianca, and rest of the so-called “Veterans of Leoian Period” to keep the “break-up” a secret from Sr. Leo.

     They began to watch the Passion of the Christ later that CCF time.

     As for Music time, they began planning for the Musical Play. Owen, Ymara, Sang Woo, Aika, Clutch, Marise, and Pat were cast as the main student characters and Basti, Mo-on, and Arianne were cast as the main teacher characters. They were doing a parallel of real life in the plot. Basically, CV has to create a presentation for Sr. Leo (instead of Sr. Chris and Sr. Mike). They have disagreements on the way but push through.

     That day marked the day where Austin talked to Janella the least post-June 11, 2009. Austin began to even out his mind and realize the errors in her. For one, they had almost nothing in common. The personality he loved her for disappeared when he began feeling her slipping away. All the reasons he loved her slowly faded away starting August. He held on for the sole fact that he didn’t want to hurt her. He cared too much and that led him to a disadvantage….

     BUT STILL, he could not let go.

 

The next day was particularly tragic.

     “I don’t know. Not talking to her, not even acknowledging her presence, it’s killing me. I just can’t let go. All the facts are there, all the reasons to let go are evident and yet I still, WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH ME?!”

     “Dude, calm down,” Bianca said.

     “Yeah, take it slow,” Ernst said.

     “I need to be free. I am tired of the shackles I have bestowed upon myself… Bestowed upon myself? Look at my vocabulary, man. I sound like a tragic Shakespeare hero.”

     “I doubt that and I don’t even read Shakespeare,” Ernst said.

     “D****T! This friggin’ sucks. Somebody get me through this nightmare, it’s killing me!”

     “You did it once, you can do it again. Go through this day just like yesterday and you should be back to normal in no time,’ Bianca said.

     “I’m half of a whole… I’m peanut butter without my jelly… I’m Mickey without my Minnie… I’m Pinocchio with strings to pull me down.”

     “Get over it, bro. One more day, give yourself one more day.”

     The CCP Participants were called out early in the morning.

     Ms. Becky once again left them so Austin took this opportunity to undergo forceful treatment.

     “Everything’s just so confusing. It’s like, one minute you’re bound to the pole, then you realize that the pole is just your arm. I don’t know if that made any sense but… you know what I’m talking about right?”

     “Sort of…” Marise said.

     “I’ll just nod…” Bettina said.

     “Anyway, drummers, aren’t they awesome? I wanna learn how to play the drums.”

     “Really? I feel the same toward drums.”

     “Nice. You should totally learn drums. That would make anyone ten times more awesome.”

     “HI AUSTIN!” Mo-on said.

     “Hey!”

     “HI MARISE!” Mo-on continued.

     “HI, MO-ON!”

     “Bahala ka sa buhay mo, Bettina!” Mo-on said jokingly. (I really don’t care about you, Bettina!  (There really isn’t a translation that would interpret Mo-on’s intention as he said that. This is the closest one))

     Bettina glared at Mo-on.

     “On a side-note, twirling drumsticks seems so cool. I wanna learn how to do that,’ Austin continued.

     “I know right?!” Marise said.

     Later during P.E., the boys and girls were together in the Bridge as they made an anti-smoking slogan.

     “How about, ‘There’s one thing common with a cigarette and Ernst: They can both kill you!’” Austin said.

     “I object. There’s another thing common, their height!”     Mo-on said.

     They laughed pretty hard at this. “They” being Austin, Bianca, Johan, Nica, Janella, Rica, and Mo-on. Ernst was indifferent.

     Austin and Janella did not say a single word to each other during this time.

     They had an early lunch because there was no available reservation in an AVR for their CCF time that day. They continued The Passion of the Christ that day.

     Afterwards, they went back to the classrooms, waiting for Sr. Geck. The CCP Participants were still in practice but the remaining CV peeps were still able to rack up a stunning amount of noise.

     “Where’s the order?” Austin asked Jericho.

     “I don’t know!”

     “CV! Calm down!” Austin yelled. No one listened.

     It was 2:10 and Sr. Geck was still missing. Austin went to Marise.

     “Hey, Miss Vice President. Want to pick up Sir Geck?” Austin asked.

     “Sure. Let’s go.”

     “This place feels like a warzone, jeez.”

     They left and went down to the Teacher Center A.

     “I’ll check,” Austin said.

     He knocked on the door and opened it.

     “Good Afternoon! Is Sr. Geck here?” Austin asked.

     “Geck?” Sr. Edmond said.

     ”Yes?” Sr. Geck answered.

     “Your students.”

     “Sir! You’re our next period,” Marise said.

     “Oh, I still have a class? I thought they sent you home due to the CCP thing.”

     “Nope, still here,” Austin said.

     “Sorry! Let’s go!”

     They three of them went back up and they had their math class.

     Austin pondered on why he did that. He was auditor but picking up the teacher was not his job. It was just a spur of the moment for him to go to the teacher but the question was why he asked her to go with him.

     Sr. Leo left them with an activity to answer. Austin got pissed at how boring it was.

     “This is so boring that I have to repeat last week’s complaints!” Austin said.

     “I know!” Marise said.

     “I SECOND THE MOTION!” Mo-on said.

     “Isn’t it supposed to be thirded or something?” Austin asked.

     “No such thing as thirded,” Marise said.

     “My bad.”

      Due to the boredom experienced, they eventually turned their lesson from Neocolonialism to Leocolonialism.

     During English time, Austin, Mo-on, and Marise sat in the front row of the AVR as they began watching Amistad.

     They weren’t able to finish the movie, obviously. They stopped at around the 44:26 mark.

     In the waiting area, Austin hanged out with Nica and Janella.

     “Drummers have been proven to be 900% more badass than normal people. Isn’t that neat?”

     “Do people still use that word? Neat?” Nica asked.

     “In casual conversation? Seldom, I guess. Anyway, I tried twirling a ballpen, and I failed. That’s because the shape, weight, and length of the ballpen is insufficient for drumstick like twirling, therefore, I failed.”

     “What the hell did you drink?”

     “Repeat?” Janella said.

     “Austin, can I see your phone?” Nica said.

     “Sure.”

    He handed it over and she opened the Inbox.

     “Janella… Janella…. Janella… over 1000 texts?! Do you ever delete your texts?”

     “You’re exaggerating!”

     “Janella… Janella… Oh, there’s Sean, Mo-on, Marise, and, wait… Janella… Janella… Janella… Janella…”

     “I think you have proved your point.”

    “Let’s check the pictures folder, shall we?”

     She went to the pictures folder. It was empty.

     “No pics? Janella, stand still!”

     “NO! Nica!”

     Nica pointed the camera at Janella. Austin did not object.

     Then, just like a demon ascending from hell, Joel entered the waiting area and sat beside Janella. Nica immediately knew what was in store and gave Austin’s phone back.

     Austin was sent back to square one as he watched the two laughed and were having a good time together. Nica said nothing.

     Austin decided to talk to Nica to ease up.

     “You know Avenged Sevenfold’s first album, Sounding the Seventh Trumpet? The track titles and some of the lyrics perfectly describe my life. To End the Rapture is, well, sixth grade was one giant rapture for me so I kinda ended it. Turn the Other Way is me turning into the person I am now. Darkness Surrounding and We Come Out at Night is probably when I went berserk. Art of Subconscious Illusion also applies. Then Lips of Deceit is when Joel lied to me. Everything was alright, thus Warmness on the Soul. Suddenly, December 1 hits and An Epic of Time Wasted come into play. Right now, I should be Breaking Their Hold. The thing I fear the most is the final track on the album: Shattered by Broken Dreams.”

     “Austin, I have one thing to say to you: you’re such a drama queen.”

     “Maybe I am but that does not make the pain I am feeling right now any less real. Thanks for the time…”

     That night was the longest night of his life. He spent it in the base, trying to do his homework. Derek soon came in.

     “Hey, kid. How’s it going?”

     “Fine, I guess.”

     “Judging by your tone, something’s obviously wrong.”

     “It’s not the Mastermind, if you’re wondering. It’s this girl.”

     “The one your heart belongs to? That one?”

      “Sadly, yes…”

     Austin told him nearly everything.

     “That’s gotta suck. Want me to do something about that Joel guy?”

     “No. Not really…”

     “Shame…”

     “Hey, Derek. There’s this one thing I never really understood… Why did you absolutely hate me a few months back?”

     “Well, for one, I was overwhelmed when I saw Isaac die before my eyes. I was also preventing a… how shall I put it… change in management.”

     “What do you mean?”

     “I don’t know if you know this but… the Mastermind’s genocide plan is just a façade. He wants to get all your powers and create his own world, essentially turning himself into a self-made deity.”

     “I know that.”

     “I had two choices, kill you so he couldn’t get your powers or kill him. I’m sorry I took the easier choice.”
     “Hey, remember, you failed.”

     “But none of that matters now…”

     Silence followed.

     “Look, Austin… I’m sorry about what I tried to do...”

     “I understand.”

     “I think I’m interrupting your homework doing session.”

     “I really don’t know. I’m not in the mood for homework…”

     Austin dropped his pen and slumped on the table.

     “My life has lost its purpose… I don’t know what to do anymore…”

     “So it’s the girl huh?”

     “Obviously…”

     “Well, from what I heard, she’s a total b�"“

     Austin instantly glared at him, even before he said the word.

     “Do what you want to me, alright, but I’m saying it. Being all sweet and cuddly in front of you, the speed in which she moved on, the withdrawal of the truth for two months, she’s a total b***h!”

     Austin didn’t feel like hitting Derek at all. For the first time, he actually agreed.

     “I can’t believe it…” Austin said. “You’re right…”

     “You have to take control of your life, kid. It’s not as long as you think it is.”

     “In all these years, she’s the first person to break me.”

     “What about Spike?”

     “Compared to her, Spike’s the biggest p***y I’ve ever seen. Holy s**t…”

     “Austin, I’m no expert when it comes to giving advice but I’ve gone through similar stuff as you. After a while, I realized that all those girls I spent nights, weeks, or even months crying over, they were all b*****s. Fast forward to now, I have a beautiful girlfriend, her good-natured sister, and a trustworthy best friend. What I’m trying to say is, it’s her loss. You’ll find someone better, someone you can relate to, someone you have more in common with. Give yourself time; you’ll be back to the hyper, happy self I saw… right before I tried to kick your a*s in Power Plant.”

     Austin chuckled at this as he wiped the tears from his face.

     “As for Joel, and for the both of them actually, just don’t mind them. Let them feel your pain, channel it to them. Whether they be affected or not, you’ll find out.”

     Austin picked up his pen and looked back at the book he was answering.

     “Hey Derek, thanks for the help.”

     “No prob, kid. It’s the least I can do.”

 

That weekend, he was able to rewatch The Social Network. He didn’t like it that much the first time but the second time was an absolutely delightful experience.

     He also began reading The Kite Runner, one of the books they were supposed to read for English class (they were given a choice from seven books. The Kite Runner was the title that appealed to him the most).

     He also checked on the ENIGMA database Sunday night for updates.

 

He brought the DVD on Monday and Sr. Geck was the first to borrow it.

     He began giving the J&J duo the silent treatment.

     They continued Amistad that day, reaching the 1:24:00 mark.

     Janella attempted to start a conversation during Lunch time but Austin barely continued it.

     Ms. Joan did not show up during TLE class. She was on a leave. Sr. Mike subbed for her and gave them an entrepreneurship aptitude test or something like that.

     Austin nudges his table next to Mo-on and Rica’s as they quickly finished the questionnaire and began singing A7x songs.

     Austin gave in to curiosity.

     “Sr. Mike, do you listen to Avenged Sevenfold?”

     “No. What are their songs?”

     “Do you remember Nightmare from three months ago?”

     “No…”

     “Do you remember Green Day?”

     “Isn’t that another band?”    

     “Not the band, sir! As in Green Day, October 28, 2010. The day where we made junk art and the pocket landscape.”

     Mo-on and Rica were laughing at this epic fail.

      “Oh, I remember now.”

     After a while, Mo-on and Rica noticed the improvement in Austin’s status.

     “Yes, it’s official, I am free,” Austin said.

     “Congratulations. Now, about her...” Mo-on said.

     “Who?”

     “You know. The one you sit beside a lot, PeeVee backwards.”

     “I don’t know, alright? At least not yet. I don’t want to rush into things.”

    

The next morning was devoted to reading the Kite Runner. He was past the halfway mark.

     That day also marked the day when the game Austin taught Ibarra, Charge, began to rise back into popularity among the batch.

     During the breaks, almost everywhere you go, Charge was being played.

     During English class, they headed to AVR 4 to finish Amistad. Austin sat beside Marise in the middle row of the room near the left edge.

     During John Adam’s climactic speech, Austin made a passing comment.

     “Don’t count now but the following speech is ten minutes long,” Austin said to Marise.

      “Ten minutes?”

     “Yes. Anthony Hopkins just infuses it with such passion and character that it barely feels like five.”

     They watched the movie, John Quincy Adams blowing everyone away with his speech. Austin leaned towards Marise afterwards.

     “Congratulations, you just sat through one of the finest ten minutes of cinema of all time… I guess.”

     “Ten minutes?!”

     Austin turned behind him.

     “Hey, Jade, did you know that speech was ten minutes?”

     “Weh?”

     “It was, believe it!”

     When they got out, Austin also told Mo-on about the length of said speech. He was very surprised.

     The only other interesting event was Ernst gaining the new nickname of “Bansot”.

 

The next day was one of the most interesting days of the year. The announcement came that there was going to be Intrams that year and that day was the planning.

     Sr. Geck gave CV a test that day. During the test, he went raving about none other than, The Social Network.

     It wasn’t a distraction, they went from talking about The Social Network (which he very much recommended), to shipping Migz and Ymara.

     Charge continued to conquer the halls. Nearly everywhere you looked, people were playing Charge.

     Fast Forward to ZL time when they began the elections for Team Manager.

     The nominees were Sr. Geck, Sr. Ben, Sr. Edmond, and Sr. Leo. Sr. Geck got a lot of votes. Sr. Ben got a fair amount of votes. Sr. Edmond also got a fair amount of votes. Sr. Leo got an astounding zero votes.

     The nomination for Assistant Student Manager began. The nominees were Sr. Ben, Ms. Becky, and Sr. Leo.

     Sr. Ben got a lot of votes. Ms. Becky got the second most votes. Sr. Leo got… zero votes again.

     For the Student Team Manager, the nominees were Basti, Mo-on, Ymara, Napa, and Abi Cusi.

     Then, all of a sudden, Sr. Leo came in, pushing Sr. Geck the second floor gym.

     They gave him the mic.

     “Okay, I’ll be honest and tell you off the bat that, yes, I am nervous but let me point out that this is no joke. I will help you guys. In fact, all of us teachers, we will help each other. All we ask is that you don’t take this as a joke and don’t give us any headaches. Clear? Is that clear?”

     “Yes, Sir Geck.”

     “Now, I only ask for two things. Ayoko ng maarte at ayoko ng maangas.”

     Déjà vu immediately hit.

     “As for your Student Team Manager, I have no regard for place. As much as possible, I don’t want your STM come from a particular group from within the batch. Okay, I’m going be straightforward: The TWP. I also don’t want your STM from the Sisterettes, or… what else is there? Ah… the Animals.”

     “What? Animals?” they murmured.

     “What? You don’t know the animals? They exist. Also, I don’t want your STM to come from the honors.

     “Why? For the TWP and the other groups, it’s because your groups have been branded with too many negative remarks. The STM will be the representative of the batch. That should be pretty self-explanatory. As for the honors, the reason is simple: I want to give the other students a chance. I want your STM to come from the middle of the batch.

     “I want you guys to enjoy but still maintain discipline so let me warn you as early as now, there is no room for sensitivity here. Expect to hear the worst from me. If you’re doing something right, then good. If you’re doing something wrong, we will correct that. Clear? Is that clear?”

     “Yes, Sir Geck.”

     Sr. Geck gave them the floor to elect their Student Team manager. The nominees were Addi, Laurenz Liwanag, Basti, Justin Regulano, Sashi Timola, or Michelle Napa (which was a loophole since she was part of the Sisterettes).

     Eventually, the choice was between Basti and Napa, having tied.

     They voted again. Austin crossed his fingers for Basti. In the end, he did get the spot and Napa was appointed Assistant Student Manager.

     Sr. Geck took the mic again.

     “Now that we have all our officials, we should all be ready to move together. From this day forth, you are not just the TWP, you are not just the Sisterettes, you are not just the… Animals. From this day forth, you are the Sophomores. You are the Second Years. When you put me in this position, it means you agree to everything good that can come out of this relationship.

     “Now, next to the teachers, you will all go to Basti. He will be the one who will be standing next to me and Sr. Ben… who is not here right now…

     “After him, it is Napa. You will all respect these people.

     “Let me just emphasize that I do not want any disrespect. I don’t care if we win this year. I just wish that at the end of this event, you will all have learned something. First and foremost is Respect, next is following orders, then discipline, next is love… yes, love… and finally, I want you to learn how to enjoy. That should be pretty easy.

     “So, let’s enjoy these following weeks together. So… SOPHOMORES FIGHT!”

     The memories from August swelled back in as they remembered the appropriate response.

     “UNO, DOS, FIGHT!”

     Aside from the Charge Mania that spread through the halls, the rest of the day was pretty uninteresting.

     The only other thing they did was sign up people for the games and think of names for the team. While doing this, Austin administered the Dalai Lama test to Ymara, who was the only person within the vicinity who hasn’t taken the test.

     The way it turned out, he described herself as cute, her love interest as “yuck”, her enemy as smelly, sex as “hot” (cue mischievous snicker), and her life as huge.

     She would never forget Justine Olaivar, considered her sister as a true friend, truly loved Guen (one of her best friends), considered Austin as her twin soul (much to his surprise since Mo-on was his), and would remember Maan for the rest of her life.

     Sr. Geck ended the day with another epic prayer and they all went home. Austin was happy for Sr. Geck that he got the big opportunity he deserved as well as the batch’s opportunity to redeem themselves. Personally though, he was just happy that his moment of depression was over. One thing was certain: Ryan Austin Fernandez was back and better than ever…