The hallway leading to the classroom was filled with noise and laughter. Telly and Shaun were still with me, both busy talking about the professors they had already encountered.
"Oh, Jeth," Telly said, "just don't be late for Prof. Miranda's class, or he might make you stand in front for the whole period!"
Shaun laughed. "Yeah, and you might even develop a crush on the terror prof. That's where your love story will start."
I shook my head. "You guys are crazy," I muttered, but I couldn't help but laugh too. Even though I was still nervous, I suddenly felt better because they were here.
As we walked and Shaun said we were almost there, I smiled. Finally, I'd be able to sit down because I could already feel the weight on my feet. But suddenly Telly's face became serious and he whispered, "Jeth, all you need to do here is avoid your cousin and his two buddies."
I frowned. "Huh? Why—?"
But before I could ask directly, Shaun interjected. "Your cousin Dexter Tan—22 years old. He's always with Miles Dela Cruz, 21. They're both known as playboys and troublemakers. But their main leader is Justine Melvez. He's the son of the owner of this school. Arrogant, cold, and most people say he's a bully. And they also have a gang that's always getting into fights with others."
I felt cold when I heard my cousin's name. It's true, Dexter and I had agreed not to let anyone know we were cousins. But I didn't realize he had this kind of reputation here. What will happen when others find out the truth?
I thought to myself, it's probably better to stay quiet and observe for now.
When we arrived at the classroom, I was a bit surprised—it was big and almost all the seats were taken. So many new faces that I didn't know. We spotted six empty seats at the very back, and I immediately took a seat at the end, near the window. I prefer a spot where I can see outside, it's like it relaxes my mind.
There were two more empty seats next to me—the middle and the end. Meanwhile, Telly and Shaun sat across from me. Shaun was by the window, and Telly was in the middle. There was one more empty seat in front of Telly.
We were talking about our schedules when the door suddenly opened. Three guys walked in, and I couldn't help but look.
I immediately recognized my cousin Dexter. He was with two friends—and it was immediately obvious from their posture and the way people looked at them that they were the type of students who already had a name on campus.
It suddenly felt cold in the classroom, or maybe it was just me.
One sat next to me, and then Dexter himself sat next to him. I immediately felt the tension, like his presence was heavy even though he hadn't said anything yet.
The other one with them, Miles, immediately sat next to Telly. "Hi, I'm Miles, by the way," he introduced himself with a smile.
We just nodded. Honestly, I didn't know if I should smile back or just stay quiet. But I chose not to make a scene.
After a while, our professor, Mr. Miranda, arrived. "Okay class, before we start, we have a new student." He called me, and I had no choice but to stand in front.
I was nervous, but I forced myself to smile. "Ah… good morning. I'm Jeth Ramos, a new transfer. I hope you'll get along with me."
I heard faint whispers from other classmates. I just ignored them. I'm used to being mistaken for someone else because of my appearance.
"Okay, Jeth. You may sit," Mr. Miranda said. Then he smiled at the whole class. "You don't have anything to do for now. And in other subjects, it seems like you don't have class either. Enjoy your first day."
After the professor left, the noise in the surroundings returned. But I was quiet. As I looked out the window, I couldn't help but think: On my first day, I can already feel it. My college life here won't be ordinary.