By 7:30 a.m., Lucretia finally reached school, feeling a mix of nerves and anticipation for the day. As she stepped into her classroom, her gaze landed on Philip, already seated and flipping through his notes with a focused look. She raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised to see him here so early, but didn’t linger. She took her usual seat with a sigh.
"Hey, you doing okay?" Jayden asked, noticing her sigh as he slid into his seat beside her.
Lucretia mustered a small smile. "Yeah, just... you know, exam jitters."
Across the room, Mimie caught Lucretia’s attention, her expression exasperated. “Pssst, Lucretia…” she whispered, waving her hand dramatically.
Lucretia turned to Mimie, her smile widening. But before Mimie could spill whatever was on her mind, Mrs. Lordina walked in, clutching a stack of exam papers, and the room fell silent.
"Oh, crap…" Mimie muttered, slumping down with a groan.
“All bags and books to the front, everyone,” Mrs. Lordina instructed firmly.
Reluctantly, the students shuffled out of their seats, piling their things at the front, the sound of whispered complaints rippling across the room.
“Now,” Mrs. Lordina continued, “settle back down and prepare for the exam.” She moved down the rows, passing out the papers with a calm, no-nonsense expression.
“You have an hour and a half to complete this. Begin,” she announced, her voice steady.
The room fell into tense silence, the only sound the quiet scratch of pencils and shifting papers. Mrs. Lordina moved up and down the aisles, her watchful gaze ensuring no one dared cheat. Time crawled by as everyone focused, the weight of the semester's work pressing on their shoulders.
Then finally, Krrriiinngg! The bell rang, jolting everyone back to life.
A collective sigh of relief swept through the class as Mrs. Lordina went around collecting the papers. “Enjoy your summer, everyone. You’ve earned it,” she said with a rare smile, exiting the classroom.
As soon as she was gone, the students erupted in cheers, excitement buzzing in the air. Mimie threw her hands up in joy, looking at Lucretia with sparkling eyes. "We’re free! Lucretia, I can't believe it. Summer is finally here!"
Lucretia laughed, feeling the weight lift from her shoulders. “Me neither! So… what are your big summer plans?”
“Well,” Mimie began, her face lighting up. “We’re going to visit my grandma in Brazil! Kikie, my parents, and I – it’s going to be amazing.” She beamed, looking forward to the trip. “What about you?”
“My friend from Australia is visiting! It’ll be great to catch up and show her around.” Lucretia’s smile softened. “I’m really looking forward to it.”
“Ah, too bad I won’t be around to join in,” Mimie sighed dramatically. “But hey, I’ll miss you!”
Lucretia chuckled, shaking her head at Mimie’s dramatic flair. She turned to Crystal. “What about you, Crystal?”
Crystal's eyes lit up with excitement. “My mom and I are finally visiting my dad in Tokyo! He moved there for work, and I’ve missed him so much. Mom promised we’d go this summer, and now it's really happening!”
“Tokyo!” Lucretia and Mimie gasped in unison.
“It’s going to be incredible!” Lucretia exclaimed. “I’ve always wanted to visit. You’re so lucky!”
Crystal just nodded, grinning at her friends’ enthusiasm. “Yeah, I can’t wait!”
They all turned to Jayden, who was busily packing his things with a faint smile.
“Hey, Jayden, what are your plans?” Mimie prompted, her eyes gleaming with curiosity.
Jayden looked up, taken aback by the sudden attention. “Uh… well, I’ll be working at my dad’s hotel in Korea. Lots to do.”
The girls all exchanged impressed glances.
“Wow, that’s pretty cool!” they chorused.
Jayden just chuckled, waving off their admiration. “Trust me, it’s not as glamorous as it sounds. It’s just… work. But yeah, let’s go.”
The group gathered their things, strolling out of the classroom while chatting and laughing, still giddy with excitement over their summer plans.
“See you all outside,” Jayden said as he split off toward his locker.
“Okay!” they called back, then made their way to their own lockers.
As they walked, Mimie turned to Lucretia with a sly smile. “At least we won’t have to see Daisy’s annoying face for a while.”
Lucretia just smirked in response, feeling a sense of freedom settle over her. Soon, Jayden rejoined them, and they all boarded the bus, their spirits high as they waved goodbye to school for the summer.
------
It was around 5 p.m. when Lucretia finally made it home, her heart light with excitement. She raced up the stairs, burst into her room, and tossed her bag onto her bed. Eagerly, she settled in behind her laptop, flipping it open and waiting for the screen to light up.
Just then, her mother knocked gently and slowly pushed the door open. “You’re late today, dear. What kept you?” she asked, leaning against the doorframe.
“Sorry, Mum. I went with my friends to the ice cream shop after school,” Lucretia replied with a smile.
Mrs. Angelica smiled back, nodding. “All right. I just wanted to let you know that Linsey and Anita’s parents called to confirm their travel plans. We’ll be meeting them at the airport tomorrow.”
“Really? That’s great! Are they coming with their parents?” Lucretia asked, her eyes lighting up.
“No, just Linsey and Anita. They’ll be traveling alone.”
“Got it, Mum,” Lucretia said, practically bouncing in her seat with excitement.
“Alright then, dear. I’ll be in my room if you need anything.”
“Okay, thanks, Mum.”
Her mother left with a warm smile, quietly closing the door behind her. Lucretia turned back to her laptop, waiting for the connection to load. Soon enough, Linsey and Anita’s faces appeared on the screen.
Linsey grinned, practically bursting with excitement. “I’m so excited, Lucretia! I can’t believe it’s finally happening tomorrow!”
“Same here!” Lucretia squealed. “I can hardly contain myself!”
“Just thinking about it is giving me sleepless nights,” Anita added, laughing.
“At last, we’ll get to see each other in person again,” Lucretia said, her heart swelling at the thought.
“You can say that again!” Linsey chimed in.
They spent the next few hours talking, sharing stories and planning everything they’d do together. The joy and anticipation kept them awake and chatting until it was nearly midnight.
Finally, Lucretia stifled a yawn. “I should probably get some sleep, or I’ll be too tired to enjoy tomorrow.”
“Good idea,” Linsey said, waving at the screen. “See you tomorrow, Lucretia!”
“Bye, girls!” Lucretia logged off and stretched before flopping down on her bed. Her mind raced with thoughts of tomorrow, and it took a while for her to drift off to sleep.
---
The next morning, Lucretia was jolted awake by a loud knock.
Bang… Bang… Bang…
“Lucretia! It’s almost time to go!” her mother called.
Groggy, Lucretia blinked at the clock, her eyes widening. “Oh no!” she gasped, scrambling out of bed. “Okay, Mum! I’ll be ready in a minute!”
Dashing to the washroom, she washed up as quickly as she could, then hurried to her wardrobe. She picked out a sea-blue skirt paired with a crisp white top, the blue edges matching perfectly. After a light touch of makeup and running a brush through her hair, she slipped into her brown flats, grabbed her small handbag, and raced downstairs.
“I’m ready, Mum!” she called.
“Perfect timing,” her mother replied, joining her at the door. “Your dad’s already waiting in the car.”
“Thanks, Mum!” Lucretia said, rushing out to the car. She slid into the backseat, her heart fluttering with excitement.
Her father smiled at her in the rearview mirror. “Excited to see your friends?”
“Yes, Dad, super excited!” she said, grinning from ear to ear.
“That’s what I like to hear,” he chuckled, giving her an encouraging nod.
After about an hour’s drive, they finally arrived at the airport. They parked and made their way inside, with Lucretia eagerly scanning the crowds for her friends. She couldn’t sit still, her gaze darting around every time the doors opened.
“Maybe the plane hasn’t landed yet,” Mr. Gilbert said, checking his watch.
“Alright, Dad,” Lucretia replied, trying to keep calm. But every few seconds, she’d glance toward the arrivals area, waiting.
“Take it easy, sweetheart. They’ll be here soon,” her mother reassured her, smiling at her enthusiasm.
Nearly thirty minutes passed, and Lucretia was still waiting, though she was happily chatting with her parents to pass the time. Then, amidst the noise of the crowd, she suddenly heard her name.
“Lucretia!” called a familiar voice from behind.