Chapter 8

Andrew goes to his new school.

Andrew rode a motorcycle to his new school. When he disembarked in the parking lot, he took off his helmet and dark shades. His curly jet-black hair was blown by the wind. He gently shook his head to keep his hair away from his face.

He looked at his surroundings. This school had a plethora of trees, flowers and other plants. So, this is my new school. It looks like a zen garden, he thought. This is going to be great!

He searched for his classroom. Room number 211. When he found it, he went inside. The teacher was a strict-looking fat guy.

“Good morning, sir.” Andrew said. “I’m sorry I’m late.”

“You may sit down, boy,” the teacher said gruffly.  A few seconds later he smiled and said, “Alright class! Everybody, sit down and listen. My name is David Alcantara. I will be your homeroom and Chemistry teacher. I am a graduate of Education from Philippine Normal University. My father is a retired soldier; while my mother is a stenographer. I have two siblings�"a brother and a sister. I am the eldest. As a kid, I grew up in a poor family. When I was in elementary, I worked as a newspaper boy to contribute with our daily expenses. In high school, I was a part-time waiter and in college a part-time cashier. I was a working student for quite a long time. My grades were always high even when I barely had the time to study. Every morning I studied in jeeps and buses as I commute to work and every night I studied before I slept. My notes and books were under my pillow.”

“You’re lucky because your parents let you study in a good international school like this. You don’t have to work and you have plenty of time to study. I expect you to make the most of your time studying. Now that I have introduced myself to you, it’s your turn to introduce yourselves. Please tell me your full names, nicknames, a bit about your family, and your hobbies and mottos.”

The students obeyed. When it was Andrew’s turn, he simply said: “Hi, my name is Andrew Cervantes Castillo. You can call me Andrew or Drew, for short to make your life easier.”

Laughter.

“That’s all you need to know from me.”

“That’s it?” the teacher said. “What do your parents do for a living?”

Andrew cleared his throat. “I had a dad who is an architect, but he left us because he was a stupid son of a bi---!”

“Language, please!”

“Alright, I won’t talk about my dad because the thought of him makes me say expletives. Anyway, my mom is a teacher just like you. She’s a brilliant teacher.”

“But not brilliant enough to teach you some manners, is she?”

Andrew glared at his teacher and clenched his fist. He tried to control his anger. How dare you say bad things about my mother!

Mr. Alcantara waved his hand. “I don’t want to hear anymore from you. Sit down.”

Some of Andrew’s male classmates snickered. What an awesome day. He sat on a chair.

 

Andrew decided to make up for his mistake. He knew that cursing in the class was a big no-no. At night, he studied his lessons and did his assignments to make a good impression on his Chemistry teacher and classmates. I will make sure they see me as a bright kid. Not a loser who curses like a sailor.

The following day before his classmates arrived he apologized to Mr. Alcantara for saying a bad word. Mr. Alcantara said, “You know what, kid? It’s so easy to apologize for something you have done wrong. But that doesn’t change my impression of you. You seemed like an ill-mannered boy. I know that you are. You will remain the same for the rest of the year.”

Andrew did not answer back. He sat on a chair and remained quiet.

While Mr. Alcantara was lecturing, he asked the class some questions. Andrew raised his hand a million times for he knew the answers to those questions. But Mr. Alcantara never called him. Mr. Alcantara really hates me, Andrew thought. Oh well, he’s not the only teacher in this school. I’ll just show to the other teachers and my classmates how smart I am.

And that’s what he did. He did his best in recitations and quizzes in all his subjects. His classmates and other teachers were impressed. In their eyes, he was a brilliant student. The teachers in the faculty room talked about Andrew.  They all agreed that Andrew was intelligent.

“Yes, he is indeed intelligent,” Mr. Alcantara interjected. “But he lacks manners.”

“How did you say that?” one of his colleagues asked.

Mr. Alcantara told them that Andrew cursed when he was asked about his father on the first day of class.

“Oh, Mr. Alcantara. Maybe the kid was just having a hard time since his father left their family. Maybe the mere mention of his dad still makes his heart ache. You should give him a chance.”

“Hmp.”

 

Andrew became one of the most popular students in junior high. His grades were high and he topped in class. His teachers encourage him to join quiz bees and academic clubs, but he did not join in any of them. He was more interested in music. He formed a band with a few of his fellow batch mates. He was the lead singer in an alternative punk rock group he named Flight of the Purple Dragons.

School fair week arrived. This is one of the best things about being a student. Class hours are fewer than usual for both teachers and students were busy organizing some events. The school offered a cornucopia of food, music, clothes and accessories, toys and other cool stuff students would massively enjoy.

During free hours, the students of Saint Anne College thronged the food trucks, clothes stalls and tattoo booths. A radio booth played songs from the 80’s to the late 2000’s, as requested by students and teachers. One person paid five pesos per song. Every night, a famous local band played in the gym.

Flight of the Purple Dragons played as front act for the famous Filipino band Sponge Cola. Andrew’s punk rock band played wild and danceable music. The crowd sang and danced along.

Dianna and Kristine were in the crowd. They bobbed their heads and danced.

“That band is really good,” Kristine said.

“The lead singer is so talented and cute!” Dianna said.

“Huh? Are you blind? He’s not even handsome.”

“Your imagination is not working at the moment, Kris.”

Kristine shook her head. It was the first time Dianna admired someone that’s not attractive. She thought, where’s my best friend? What happened to Dianna?

As Andrew sang and strummed the guitar, he noticed that a beautiful brown-skinned girl was checking him out. He winked at her.

Dianna’s heart fluttered. She was lucky no one saw her blushing because it was dark.

Kristine nudged her. “Hey, are you okay?”

“Yes, of course!” Dianna replied. She regained her composure. Who is that guy?