"Why should I?" I retorted tersely. "Did I do something embarrassing? For all I know, you're the one who should be feeling shy or embarrassed at this point." I rolled my eyes as I spoke, looking away from her. "I'm just here to enjoy a meal with my friends, and you stroll in acting like a street miscreant. Tsk!" I tugged Joy away from the chaos, ready to distance ourselves from the drama that unfolded.
"You mess with the wrong person!" she yelled after us, that little firecracker, but frankly, I didn’t care.
"OUCH!" Joy exclaimed suddenly, the harsh sound of a stone hitting her catching my attention.
I quickly pressed my handkerchief to her arm to stem the pain, glancing around the noisy cafeteria to see who was involved. There were no attackers in sight, only bystanders chuckling at our misfortune.
*SPLAAASHHH!*
"Oh, for Pete's sake!" I shouted in frustration as a bucket of water cascaded down on us. How could they be so cruel?
"HAH! Hilarious!" the crowd erupted in laughter, and I tilted my head skyward, utterly exasperated.
They had doused us with three buckets of water! It felt like the stuff from a mop bucket—who knew what kind of filthy water they had used! "You think this is funny? We might as well smell like sewers now!" I complained as I tried to wring out my clothes.
"Just a yellow card for you, wait till you get a black one. Then you’ll be booted out of this school and won’t be able to study anymore," a girl remarked, her laughter echoing in the air, and her friends joined in.
Me, expelled? Absolutely not! I firmly shook my head, muttering a sarcastic, "Really?"
"Hmm, yeah. Do you even know who I am?" she boasted, puffing her chest.
"I'm Harlie Querobin," she said, crossing her arms defiantly.
"Is that supposed to mean something to me?" Joy shouted back, frustration evident in her tone.
"Come on, bestie! I’m seriously grossed out right now!" Joy added, looking utterly disturbed, as if she wanted to scrub herself clean.
We hurried to our lockers, feeling the gazes of our classmates piercing through us like daggers. 
"What are you staring at?" Joy barked at the onlookers, her annoyance palpable.
"Let them stare, just hurry up! Miss Pamintuan is about to start the class, and she’s notoriously strict," I advised her as I fumbled with the locker door.
Just as I opened it, I flinched as a bucket full of flour came crashing down, a round of laughter erupting from the crowd once more. 
"Wow, that was perilously close!" Cheska remarked, smirking.
"HEY! YOU GIRLS FULL OF ATTITUDE, YOU BETTER STOP BEFORE YOU REGRET IT!" Joy yelled at the teasing group but all they did was smile further, feeding off her rage.
"You poor thing, you can’t even stand up for yourself. Look at you, always relying on your best friend," Cheska sneered at me.
"Defending myself from someone like you is just a waste of time. I'm not relying on Joy. She cares, and isn’t that more than what your friends do?" I snapped at her, refusing to take her judgment lying down.
I grabbed Joy's hand, pulling her away from the crowd of antagonizing onlookers. Honestly, the urge to unleash a few well-placed punches on them was overwhelming!
"Ayiiieee! I can’t believe this! I’m so thrilled a Rhanjie defended me? How sweet of my best friend," Joy cooed playfully as we made our way back to the classroom.
"Hmph!" was my response, but it only made her laugh even more.
Once we entered the room, we found Cheska waiting with a triumphant grin plastered across her face, and it irritated me to no end. I could barely suppress my irritation; I could practically feel an explosion brewing inside me.
Students hurried back to their seats as a sudden hush fell over the room. 
"STAND UP!" Miss Pamintuan’s voice pierced through the silence, a familiar and demanding tone.
"Why, Auntie?" Cheska answered with a hint of sass.
"No relatives exempted! Quiet down, Miss Morgan," Miss Pamintuan admonished her sharply. "ALL OF YOU GET OUT!"
Honestly, she had been acting as if we were on a field trip, as if they had committed a grievous sin in this moment. It was ridiculous. 
"Miss has a lot of drama in her life, huh? Why does she even need to do that 'GET OUT' bit?" Joy mocked mimicking her earlier, and we couldn’t help but snicker at the absurdity.
"MS. TONACCI, GO INSIDE!" Miss Pamintuan’s voice again rang out, and I froze, startled. 
"Ugh," Joy grumbled, barely turning to face me before walking out into the corridor while I stuck the landing just inside the doorway.
The silence continued.
*After ten minutes*
"MS. TONACCI, GO INSIDE!" Miss Pamintuan bellowed once again, her patience thinning.
I pushed away from the wall and entered the room, my posture stiff with annoyance.
"SIT!," she commanded.
Did she think I was a dog? Seriously?
"Why does the zombie run in The Walking Dead?" was her odd question that took me completely off guard.
"W-What? HAHAHA! Are you kidding me, Miss?" I exploded with laughter, shaking my head in disbelief.
"I'm dead serious! This is philosophy class! Answer the question," she urged, her face unwavering.
Realizing she wasn’t backing down, I struggled to contain my laughter. "Um, because they don’t walk?” I replied, trying hard to keep a straight face, even though it sounded ridiculous.
“Good, next question: Do mermaids menstruate? If so, are they responsible for the Red Tide?" she asked, her voice serious but her eyes sparkled with mischief.
I almost lost it, the absurdity of her question making it impossible to hold back my laughter. “Hah! Oh my goodness, I can’t even get over how ridiculous that is!” I almost howled.
Around me, my classmates were stifling their giggles, their faces buried in their arms or turned towards the wall to hide their laughter.
"Give me an answer now," she ordered, her voice sharp.
“Yes, Miss! Because their menstruation is, uh, color red, so it causes the Red Tide?” I stammered, realizing how silly that sounded.
She simply nodded and made a note on her index card, her amusement evident.
"For your last question, why doesn't Penshoppe sell pens? And why doesn’t Bench sell chairs? Please explain!" she continued, utterly serious.
Seriously, was this a joke? Were we in a philosophy class or an improv show? I couldn't help but voice my bewilderment, “Because they’re brands, not actual products that they put on sale like 'PEN FOR SALE' or 'BENCH FOR SALE,'” I replied.
Again, she nodded, as if satisfied with my answer.
Just like how love works, if the person you adore loves someone else, it’s all pointless. 
*AFTER 1 HOUR*
“Oh my gosh! That was actually a surprise quiz! That was so painful for my brain with those questions,” Joy exclaimed, her laughter contagious, and I joined her in giggles.
"Later, we will have our dance practice," a deep voice announced, cutting through our merriment, catching us off guard.
“Right now? Can’t it wait until tomorrow? We still have some time before the dance competition in two weeks!” Joy pouted while packing her things.
"I'm busy," Venn replied coldly, walking away.
I felt irritated as I began packing my things, wondering why he was in such a bad mood. He was fixated on his laptop and really wasn’t that busy! 
As I gathered my belongings and stood up, I decided to keep my distance from Venn’s sour disposition. Joy and I walked together, but as I turned to talk to her, I noticed she was gone. 
Scanning the area, I found no sign of my best friend. I decided to head towards the parking lot, checking for her near her motorcycle. Nothing but disappointment awaited me there.
Just as I was nearing my Ducati, a familiar figure caught my eye—a woman standing nearby.
Could it be...?
“M-Mommy?” My heart raced, a flurry of emotions coursing through me as I approached with urgency, but suddenly, someone yanked me back into an embrace. 
I turned to see Venn staring at me, his expression a mix of surprise and concern. Why was he here? Suddenly, everything felt complicated.