Even though his mother had told him not to come to the school or the office, Zean still went there whenever he wanted.
"I told you before not to come here anymore. Can you please tell me why you're here again, Zean?" His mother asked, raising an eyebrow as she looked up from her desk.
"Mom, I just wanted to make sure you got here safely," Zean replied, trying to sound sincere.
Becca simply shook her head. "Don't try to fool me, Frank. I know you—and I know your behavior. Go to work. You have a meeting, don't you?"
He flopped down into the visitor's chair. "The meeting's later. Clover is already there, anyway," he said casually while fiddling with his phone.
"Promise, Mom, I'll just stay here. I'll watch over you until 10 o'clock," he added with a wink.
"You really are just like your father," she muttered, exasperated.
He only laughed.
Just then, the door opened.
"Yes, Veron?" Becca said, looking up.
"Ma'am, did you call for me?" Veron asked.
Zean already knew that Veron had a boyfriend—and she was loyal, too. She wasn't the type you could easily flirt with. She was beautiful, well-shaped, dressed with elegance, and clearly came from a well-off family.
"Oh, your son is here again, ma'am," Veron said, shooting Zean a sharp look of annoyance from head to toe.
"Hey, Veron. Ever considered breaking up with your boyfriend and becoming my assistant instead?" Zean teased.
"Whatever, Mr. Frank! Ma'am, I swear I just want to slap this man! I want to punch him right now!" Veron glared at him.
"Hey, don't be mad at me. Want to join me? I'll take you to heaven," he joked.
Veron was visibly fuming. "You!"
"Veron, calm down," Becca interrupted. "Here are the documents we'll be discussing on Friday. Please make sure Faith gets a copy and knows about the meeting."
"Yes, ma'am." She gave Zean one last glare before turning to leave.
"Oh, Veron," Becca added as she reached the door, "please tell Miss Celestial I'd like to speak with her later. I want to know how her students are doing."
"I'll give it to her," Zean offered quickly. "I want to see that woman again."
"No, I'll handle it," Veron replied sharply. "Do you even know Miss Faith?"
He only smirked. "Of course, I do."
"Whatever. I'm leaving now, ma'am," Veron said with finality, then walked out.
Becca could only sigh. "Oh my goodness, Frank."
Zean chuckled and got up, deciding to take a walk around the school. He wandered the halls, wondering if any teachers were slacking off or if the students were getting the lessons they deserved.
******
Mariely noticed Veron seemed unusually tense when she returned from the office.
"What's wrong with you?" she asked her friend.
Veron sighed heavily. "Nothing, Faith. I just saw a face that ruined my mood."
Mariely looked puzzled. "Are you mad at Ma'am Becca?"
"No, not her. Her son."
Her son? Mariely paused, trying to remember. Then it hit her—what her brother had once told her.
"Ah," was all she said.
"You know Ma'am Becca's son?" Veron asked, clearly curious.
"Yes, but I forgot his name. He was my older brother's classmate."
"Really? Were they close?"
"I don't know. My brother didn't talk much about his classmates. He went to a private high school, and I was in public school, so I didn't really know who his friends were."
"Just be careful with that guy, Faith," Veron warned.
"Why? Did he try to court you?" Mariely asked curiously.
"He tried. Thought I was like all the other girls who fall for his charm," Veron rolled her eyes.
"Oh? Don't worry. I won't lower myself to that level. He has a bad attitude."
"Really bad," Veron agreed.
Mariely laughed a little. "Anyway, I have to get back to my students before they start another brawl."
"Wait, Faith. Ma'am, Becca said to drop by the office during your free time. She wants to make sure you're doing okay and can handle your class."
"She thinks I'm going to quit?" Mariely chuckled.
"She's just concerned," Veron replied.
"Don't worry. I can handle it. I need this job to help my parents—and to pay for my board exam review."
"You're so positive, Faith. I admire that," Veron smiled. "Oh, and don't forget, we have a meeting on Friday."
"Thanks, Veron!" Mariely smiled back before walking off.
As she approached her classroom, she could hear shouting. Another fight. She rushed in.
"Stop it!" she yelled.
Everyone froze. She was out of breath.
"What's going on now?" she demanded, staring down the two students who had almost come to blows.
"Go on, fight again!" someone in the class teased.
"I dare you," she said, pulling out her notebook.
"Just write our names down," they laughed.
Calm down, Ely, she told herself silently, trying to steady her breathing.
"You're really not going to listen to me?" she snapped. "All of you—clean outside!"
"We don't want to."
"If you don't, I'll call all your parents."
That got their attention. The class fell silent, and the two fighters stopped glaring at each other.
"Clean the tall grass near the restroom," she ordered firmly. "Everyone, out."
Then she turned to the two boys. "You two, stay. We need to talk."
They both looked annoyed.
She stepped outside for a moment and called over one of the female students. "Hey, come here."
"Yes, Ma'am?"
"Please get the first aid kit from the clinic—two ice packs and some medicine. Tell the nurse I'll return it later. And keep an eye on your classmates. Let me know if they're not cleaning, okay?"
"Yes, Ma'am."
"Thank you." She smiled.
Back inside, the two boys were sitting stiffly. Both were bruised—one had a black eye, and the other still had a bleeding nose.
"What are you fighting about?" she asked.
Silence.
"You won't tell me? Niel, Rodel—you're cousins, right? Why are you fighting?"
"If he hadn't stolen my girlfriend, we wouldn't be fighting," Niel muttered bitterly, glaring at Rodel.
"Stolen? I didn't steal her. Your girlfriend's flirtatious behavior is what drove her away," Rodel shot back.
"So, this is about a girl?" Mariely raised an eyebrow.
"She flirted with other men even though she was with him," Rodel explained. "She let other guys touch her. I warned her to leave him alone. It's for his own good."
"She's not like that!" Niel shouted.
Mariely held back a sigh. Young people these days...
"You, Rodel—did you actually catch her with someone else?"
"Yes, Ma'am. Even though she had a boyfriend, she was always with other guys—flirting, sometimes even sleeping with them. She's not a virgin anymore. I couldn't stand to see my cousin suffer, so I told her off. But he didn't believe me."
Mariely took a deep breath. "And you, Niel? Did you catch her doing anything inappropriate?"
He stayed quiet, then bowed his head.
"Yes, Ma'am. I caught her. She told me the guy forced her. That's happened more than once. But I believed her. Even when others told me the truth, I chose to stay. I even saw her kissing someone else once, but I still accepted her."
Mariely saw a tear roll down his cheek. She suddenly felt sorry for him.
She gently ruffled his hair. "Calm down. Someday, you'll meet someone more deserving of your love."
"I'm sorry, bro," Niel whispered, still crying.
Rodel reached out and patted his shoulder. "Let it go. There are plenty of girls out there who'll love you right. I'm sorry, too."
Mariely was quietly relieved they had reconciled.
"You two won't fight again, right?" she asked.
They both nodded.
"Excuse me, Ma'am," one of the girls called.
"Ah, thank you, dear," Mariely smiled. "Are they cleaning properly?"
"Yes, Ma'am."
"Good. I'll treat your wounds now," she told the two boys.
As she patched them up, she reminded them gently, "Your 'one and only' will come at the right time. For now, focus on your studies and your future."