"We tend not to always have an ideal ending. And that brings excitement to life because it can be unpredictable."
60 days later
Their two-month summer vacation had come to an end. They were back to school again, but here was the good news... they were now in grade 11!
Heavien is enthusiastic to start the semester of this school year. She was getting fired up. She didn't usually look forward to coming back to school, but this one felt different. Her month-long vacation in the province had been filled with lots of fun. Life in the province couldn't be compared to life in the city. Both were wonderful, but there were some attributes that stood out to each of them.
She gazed up at the school's gate before entering it. Many students were walking with her. She welcomed herself to Vosejo High School.
"You grin like you're a college graduate. Mind you, we're only in grade 11, still high schoolers." Nyla appeared not to be excited, unlike her.
They had a chat on social media last night about going back to school. She couldn't help but tell them how much she was looking forward to today.
"At least we're one step ahead." Anj truly understood what she felt. She loved her optimism.
"Hey!" Rishi greeted them and gave them a high five.
"How's the first day?" she questioned the three of them.
"It went well," Anj's short answer.
Anj trimmed her hair but still wore her iconic ponytail. She chose the Accountancy, Business, and Management strand. She aspired to be an accountant after they graduate. That strand suited her best because of her analytical and practical thinking skills.
"Hmm… not much, but they made me the class president," Rishi replied, looking clueless that the only thing he remembered was when he was chosen to be their class's president.
The color of his braces' rubber bands changed from the last time she'd seen him. He took the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics strand. He might not look like it, but this boy was hiding his clever brain in academics, especially in math.
"You're the president?" Nyla raised her eyebrows. "I feel sorry for your classmates. I wonder what will happen to your class in the future. Not that I'm concerned, but I'm glad I'm no longer your classmate."
Nyla decided to be in the Information, Communication, Technology strand because she was interested in computer programming. Her older brother, who was a college student, took a computer-related course that inspired her to follow in her older brother's footsteps, who was now in college.
"Nothing good comes out of your mouth," Rishi scoffed. Here they went again with their senseless arguments. "My Artheo relatives are quite uptight. They expect too much from a dopey guy like me," he shrugged.
So, he was aware that he was a dopey guy, huh. Rishi was becoming mature, maybe because of his 'uptight' parents. She hoped he was doing well.
"There's a cute guy in my class, and since he's my classmate, I'll study hard to get his attention, kyah!" And Nyla even tapped her arm while she giggled.
It seemed like she was now motivated to start the semester.
"How 'bout you?" Rishi checked on Heavien.
"It was okay. I met a lot of new faces. Our new senior high school building is well-built and has a lot of new equipment," she answered.
Heavien was in the Arts and Design strand, where her talent and hobby would be honed when it came to drawing and painting. Their senior high school building was newly built, just in time to start this semester. She was excited to test out the new tools and equipment invested in. She was thankful that her preferred strand was available in this school so that she wouldn't have the problem of transferring schools.
The four of them were no longer classmates this school year because they'd chosen four different strands. It might not look like it, but their differences brought them all together, which strengthened their friendship. She would miss hanging out with them all the time, so she grabbed this opportunity to spend time with her group. Who knew when the next time that they'd gather completely like this? Soon enough, they would be busy with their own class and lives despite studying in the same school.
"Oh my gosh! Is that you? Heavien Luvitos?!"
Heavien turned around to someone who called her by her whole name.
If she was right, she was the girl in her class that she noticed glancing at her. And if she remembered correctly, she was also the one she saw in the cinema whom they scolded for being noisy while watching the movie. She didn't see her face clearly inside the cinema, but she saw her with the other two guys when they fell in line to buy tickets.
"Um, yes, why?" was her puzzling question.
How did she know her whole name when she didn't even know hers?
"What a coincidence. I'm your classmate!" She held out her right hand to her. She accepted her warm greetings and took her handshake. "I'm Jezial Athaliah, a transferee from Sherrin High. You must've noticed me in the classroom. I was looking at you, but you avoided me. I'm sitting in front because my last name starts with the letter A, so I didn't have the chance to approach you earlier, especially since our adviser is strict."
How friendly of her.
Heavien's three friends were a bit confused about what was happening.
She smiled at her. "Nice meeting you, Jezial."
"Oh, by the way, here," She took something from her bag and showed it to her. A book? "I'm your fan! I was waiting for you to come out after the homeroom to get an autograph."
She was a bit hesitant to be excited that someone knew her because of the book she mentioned. And she even asked for her autograph. She handed her a ballpen, and she signed the first page of the book she was holding.
"Hey, piglet, you're here!" A boy approached them. He was tall with long, messy hair.
"Why?" Jezial muttered to the boy.
She had also signed her book.
"This creep wants to eat with us at the canteen," responded the other boy with a wristwatch. They must be the two guys Jezial was with at the cinema last time.
"Can't you eat without me? Geez," Jezial smiled at her. "Lovely meeting you. Thank you for this!" Jezial waved goodbye to her, and the three of them left. They were indeed the three they saw after the moving-up ceremony. Funny how small their world could be.
Rishi tickled her side stomach that made her body twitch. "You never told us that you're famous, huh?"
"Silent but deadly, that's the motto of Heavien." Nyla added.
Anj chuckled.
Heavien felt both confused and embarrassed by what just happened. She didn't know how or what to react, supposedly, but she guessed she did her part. She never thought someone would be interested in that story. Not to mention, she was her classmate, of all the people.
She paused for a bit.
Comics? Book?