Defendant: in a civil case, the person or organization against whom the plaintiff brings suit; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.

I woke up extra euphoric today. It’s the day where I will receive my first award as a college student.

I just got the highest rank among the hundreds of students in Pol Sci… What can I say? Being pretty is one thing, brilliant another. Chos yabang!

“Rina, baby. Eat your breakfast na. You don’t wanna be late sa first awarding in college!” I think mas excited pa si daddy kesa akin kasi he is dressed like your-rich-ninong-who-would-give-you-iphone-on-Christmas. He just has this tendency to overdress every time na may awarding sa school.

“Dad, please put it in a tupperware na lang, kainin ko on the way to school.” I replied as I prepared my things and went straight sa kotse.

Most of the people around me know that I am not fond of being late. It’s like disrespecting other people’s time who also made an effort to accommodate the planned schedule.

While on the way to school, I was scrolling through my phone.

Yes. Alam ko, it is bad for your eyesight to use gadgets while riding a vehicle pero tao pa rin naman ako. Nobody's perfect! It is what it is!

Okay balik tayo, while I was checking my socials. The school account na ginagamit ng students to share informations, their words not mine, though i believe it is more like chikas, were getting wild. Like, really getting bizarre with their usage of words.

"Guys nakuhanan ko ng pic yung transferee kanina. Grabe parang fave ni Lord *attached photo*"

"pwede ka ba luhuran? PLS PLS WILLING AQ"

"Ang ganda nya mama TT huhu anakan mo ko"

"Ms. Aussie ikaw ata yung cupcake sa ibabaw ng icing ko ><"

"STEP ON ME QUEEN QUEEN FR FR"

"may aso po kayo? kaya ko pong tumahol"

"guys, siya ata si user @/kmjwntr"

Oh, for the love of everything that is holy. Forgive them... Ano ba?! Mapapadasal ako ng wala sa oras.

Sino ba kasi yung pinagkakaguluhan nila?

I was about to click the account that they were gettting crazy about but when I looked at the window, the elegant university of ours welcomed me with its mezmerizing structures. The walls are obviously old but you can see that it is really taken care of and well preserved. There were also the trees who give the fresh ambiance and refreshing breeze who seem to have aged together with the walls of the school.

"Baby, we're here." Dad peeked from the mirror to check if I'm ready na bumaba. Dito kasi ako umupo sa likod dahil dad wants me to have more space kapag gusto ko pa raw muna mag-idlip while he's driving.

"Let's go." I placed my phone inside my pocket and bumaba na ng car.

Some college universities may not hold a recognition or awarding ceremony for their achievers but according to our directress; wala namang mawawala sa school if they recognize the hardwork of the students so, as much as possible, they'll give us a ceremony that would make us feel na we are appreciated and acknowledged – that this is not some hell hole but a place wherein we would grow to be better and strive on becoming the best version of ourselves.

“Rina!” papunta pa lang ako sa gilid ng stage when I heard my friends. Ngumiti ako kasi we all got awards and mind you, they’re just next to my rank!

I’m so proud of them.

Sa friendship kasi namin, never sumagi sa isip namin na mag compete sa isa’t isa kaya as long as we are enjoying our academics, we have no problem.

“Grabe naman! You all look so pretty!” I complimented them as if hindi siya obvious.

“Psh. Says the queen bee, herself.” Yeji rolled her eyes and acted annoyed sa sinabi ko. We went on falling in one line as the program started.

“By the way I heard the news na dumating na raw yung transferee that prof mentioned last time. She’s actually from Australia, taking up Psychology but sad to say walang available slot from the College of Psychology rito and she only wants to study in this university so she decided to take Pol Sci muna.”

Wow, ang bilis makahagilap ni Gi ng chika?! And I think yung tinutukoy niya is the same person na pinagkaguluhan sa socmed kanina? Si Ms. Aussie?

Giselle may be intimidating at first glance pero she is our miss congeniality. Ang bilis niya rin makasagap ng chismis and bigla bigla ring nawawala sa sight namin dahil palaging nahihila ng ibang friends niya.

“Really? This univ must be special for her siguro… Did she take Psych for pre-law din ba? Kasi if not, she could’ve taken a medical aligned course dito." Yeji has a point. If she took Psych for medical education purposes wala siya sa College of Law ngayon.

“Oh, I saw her kanina, I think? She has a cold aura pero nung ngumiti siya parang nag play sa utak ko yung unang araw pa lang minahal na kita~.” I scoffed playfully. Kahit kalian talaga si Lia. May jowa ba talaga 'to?

“Bakla ka. Itigil mo 'yan! Ay wait eto pa ha, she’s also an achiever sa kanila. Siya palagi yung pinapadala ng school nila in every competition. She even bagged the highest award a high school student could ever receive. Ilang beses na rin siyang naka punta here in the Philippines to compete and she won each of it.” Mas mabilis pa sa alas sinkgo yung pag baling ko ng direksyon. I wasn’t really interested sa usapan nila not until this…

I am far from my cat featured appearance. I believe, I am more of a calm, collected, and madalas playful person than someone who would snap at you any moment but I get it, almost half of the school’s first impression of me are “mukha kang mataray” “akala ko nga masungit ka”.

Well, that may be true. Just don’t let my emotions and patience be filled to the brim.

Also, most of the time, hindi naman ako invested in whatever my chikadora friends talk about. I’d rather sit inside the library and spend hours browsing books that provide additional knowledge but r