Christmas break for the kids was just around the corner, and in a week, they would be having their Christmas party. Mariely decided to let her students chat for now, since the lesson was almost done anyway.
"Alright, I'll allow it. I'll just sit here and listen to your suggestions on how you'll use the money you've collected," she told her class.
The students nodded eagerly. Naturally, they were noisy when something excited them, but what was nice was that they actually listened to each other's ideas. Mariely just sat back and observed what was on their minds.
She couldn't help but chuckle at their silly yet creative suggestions.
"Think about the money, and whether our budget can really cover that," she reminded them with a smile.
"Write everything down first, then discuss it properly so you won't end up arguing later. Also, assign someone to bring the food and other things for your party," she added.
The students nodded at her reminders. Moments later, the bell rang, signaling the end of class.
"Alright, arrange your chairs properly. I'll give you more time to talk again tomorrow, maybe." She stood up after saying that and headed out.
She had given activities to her other sections too, so she went back to the faculty room when her students went on recess.
"Hey, Faith," her friend called out.
"Let's go eat."
"Sure," Mariely replied, quickly grabbing her wallet and phone.
"Have you gotten your ticket for our oath-taking yet?" Veron asked.
"Not yet. Let's get them together—just let me know," she answered.
"Alright, that way we can go to the venue together," Veron said.
"It's in January or February, right? Then we'll get our licenses after, but we'll need to file again."
"That's fine, as long as we passed. So, what's your rating?" Veron asked with a mischievous grin.
"I'll tell you later," Faith teased.
They reached the canteen, which was bustling with students buying snacks. They agreed to head back to the faculty after buying food.
"What's your rating?" Veron asked again, grinning.
"Let's say it at the same time?" Mariely suggested.
"No, I'll just show you my screenshot," she said.
"Fine, me too. Let's just exchange."
Like two kids comparing test scores, they swapped phones and peeked at each other's results. Faith's eyes widened when she saw Veron's scores—General Ed: 80, Prof. Ed: 81, Major: 87, Final Rating: 84.25.
Wow, impressive, she thought, genuinely impressed.
"You're smart, huh," Veron commented after seeing Faith's own scores. "And to think you're supposedly brokenhearted—83.65! Are you still drunk?" she teased.
They burst out laughing, both pleasantly surprised by how high their ratings turned out.
"What matters is we'll take the oath together, line up together to get our licenses, and get our board ratings," Veron said.
"Exactly," Mariely agreed, taking another bite of her food.
"By the way, let's shop for stuff for the Christmas party together too," Veron added.
"No problem," Mariely replied.
***
They were now at the mall, shopping for gifts. The Christmas air was unmistakable—festive music, twinkling lights, and seasonal sales everywhere. The kids' Christmas party had already wrapped up, so the next day, they'd be celebrating with the institution.
"Besh, what do you think?" Mariely asked, holding up a gift for her exchange gift recipient.
"It's nice, besh. Is that for me?" Veron teased.
"Idiot, it's not for you," Mariely laughed. "Come on, you're good at choosing gifts. I bet my recipient loves shoulder bags."
"Wow, fine. Then you pick a dress for your person," Veron replied with a wink.
"What? Why? Do we have the same body type?" Mariely asked, confused.
Veron eyed her friend. "Yes, exactly the same."
"Hey, what if my recipient doesn't like what I pick? You might blame me," Mariely said.
"Nope, I know you're great at choosing clothes. I'll handle the shoulder bag," Veron said confidently.
Mariely chuckled and went off to the women's clothing section while Veron headed to the bags.
"Besh, does your recipient like sexy clothes?" Mariely called out.
"I don't think so. I've never seen her wear sexy outfits," Veron replied, still scanning the bag displays.
"What kind of bag does she usually carry?" Veron asked again to her friend.
"Oh, she likes classy shoulder bags—classy yet elegant," Mariely replied.
"Is it okay if I go over the price range?" Veron asked.
"Yeah, just not over 3k, okay? I can't let my 13th-month pay vanish in one go," Mariely joked.
Veron laughed. "Alright, under 3k."
"If we can't find anything here, we can check the boutique," Mariely suggested.
"No need, I already found something classy and elegant—just like you said. What about you? Found a dress yet?" Veron asked.
"Is it okay if it's over budget? I found one that's not sexy, but the fabric is gorgeous—just a bit pricey," Mariely said.
"Let me see," Veron replied.
"Wait, I'll grab it."
When Mariely returned, she held up the dress. Veron stared at it.
She's actually really good at picking clothes. Wow, this would look amazing on her, Veron thought.
Little did Mariely know—Veron had drawn her name in the exchange gift, and she was thrilled about it.
"It's a bit pricey, besh," Mariely said.
Veron checked the tag. It was just over a thousand pesos.
She's way too frugal, Veron thought, smiling. "That's fine."
"Whoever picked you is going to cry over the expense," Veron teased, showing the dress back to her.
"You're really good at this," Mariely grinned.
Mariely checked the price again. "Okay, it's still in my budget."
"You're really budget-conscious, huh?" She laughed.
"You have to learn how to budget," Mariely replied.
They headed to the counter, also picking up boxes for their gifts.
"Besh, are you sure the person you're giving this dress to will like it?" Mariely asked.
"If she doesn't, I'll just give it to you. I bet you'd love it," Veron replied.
"Hey! Of course I like it, but what if she doesn't?" Mariely said, still worried.
"Relax. Come on, let's go," Veron said, putting an arm around her.
They grabbed food at the food court, hungry from walking and shopping.
Veron hung out at Mariely's house afterward, since they'd go to school together for the event anyway. They also secured their tickets for the oath-taking, set for mid-January.
Time was flying—it felt like just yesterday when they first met.