Rodel was walking with his cousin Neil when he saw her—and he could only sigh.
"Hey." He called out to the girl.
Shaina turned, startled by his voice. She was busy washing a large pile of laundry.
"Our annoying adviser was looking for you today," Rodel said with a sigh.
"I—I'll be coming in tomorrow," she replied quickly.
"Did you really have to lie? Did you really need to forge a signature?" Neil couldn't help but ask.
"What am I supposed to tell them?" Shaina shot back, her voice strained.
"Stop it, Neil. Just make sure whatever you're involved in doesn't interfere with your studies," Rodel said, then turned to Shaina. "And you—it's important that you start telling the truth. A lot of rumors are spreading about you."
Shaina didn't respond. Rodel observed her silently, noting how tired she looked.
"We'll go ahead," he said gently.
She simply nodded and returned to her laundry.
"See you tomorrow." Neil gave him a light pat on the back.
Rodel nodded and walked toward their house. Once inside, he shut the gate and went straight to his room to rest. He still had to cook dinner—his mom wouldn't be home until midnight, and no one else would do it but him.
I should start cooking now, he reminded himself.
He sat up and began tidying up. They weren't wealthy, but they got by. His mother often scolded him for being in the last section of the class, saying he was smart enough to be in the pilot section.
The truth is, I stay in the last section because I enjoy being with those people. It's our fault why our adviser gives up on us. We're lazy—plain and simple.
Still, I admire our new adviser. She's patient. She always scolds us, but she never gives up.
His thoughts returned to dinner. I guess I need to cook more rice too.
Rodel was only able to attend a private school thanks to a government scholarship that covered tuition. He still had to pay for transportation, projects, and activities, though. The scholarship only covered so much.
That's why we can't afford to be frequently absent, or we'll lose our scholarship.
He had already advised Shaina many times not to skip class, but she was usually absent every Monday and Friday. She needed to work to earn money.
He understood. Life was hard, and sometimes you had no choice but to push yourself to survive.
"Son," a familiar voice called.
He looked up, surprised. His mother had come home early.
"Mom, you're home already?" He asked, immediately greeting her with a kiss on the hand.
"Our boss didn't make us do overtime today, so I got off early. I brought food for us too," she said cheerfully, setting their meal on the table.
Rodel grabbed some plates.
"By the way, Shaina will eat with us tonight," his mom added.
He nodded. His mother always had a soft heart for those in need. Shaina had two younger siblings.
He could see that Shaina looked embarrassed.
"Go ahead," he said to her gently.
"Thank you." Shaina gave a shy smile as she carried her younger siblings.
"Mom, let's wait a bit. The rice isn't cooked yet. We'll eat after."
His mom suddenly hugged him. "Thank you, son," she said, ruffling his hair. He just shook his head with a small smile.
XXX
Mariely called Shaina to the faculty office. She wanted to speak to her privately.
"Come on, Shaina." She led her to the confessional room beside the faculty, where they could talk without interruption.
Mariely sat down and motioned for Shaina to sit across from her. She sighed before starting.
"You know why I called you, right?" she asked in a calm voice.
"Y—Yes, Ma'am. Is it because I was absent?" Shaina answered nervously.
Mariely nodded and sighed. "There's a risk you might lose your scholarship. That's why I wanted to speak with you now."
"Is something bothering you? Do you have a problem at home?" she asked gently.
Shaina shook her head. Mariely could tell the student was holding something back, but she didn't want to push. She respected her students' privacy.
She exhaled.
"Shaina, can you give me your parents' number so I can contact them if needed?"
Shaina hesitated but eventually handed her a number. Mariely immediately noticed it wasn't the same one listed in the records. She frowned.
"Is this really your mom's or dad's number?" she asked.
"Y—Yes, Ma'am. I'm really sorry for my absences. I'll try not to miss any more classes," Shaina replied quickly.
"Shaina, you're a smart girl. I know next year I'll see you in the pilot section—or at least the first section," she said encouragingly.
Shaina didn't respond. She couldn't even meet her adviser's eyes. Mariely just sighed.
"Alright, you can go back to your class now," she said, tapping the girl lightly on the shoulder.
"Thank you. Goodbye." Shaina bowed and returned to her classroom.
Mariely nodded and watched her leave. The girl let out a sigh of relief as she exited.
Back in the faculty room, Veron turned to her.
"Did you have a serious talk with Shaina?" she asked.
Mariely shook her head. "I know that child is hiding something, but she's not ready to talk."
"Maybe she's just shy. You know how teenagers are," Veron replied.
"I know, but what if it's something serious? What if we're misjudging these kids for keeping secrets?" Mariely muttered.
"I just hope Miss Mendez doesn't have to be absent again. Almost all our students here are on government scholarships. We need to know the real reasons behind their absences so we can help them," Veron reminded her.
"You're right. Maybe they're still awkward with me since I'm new," she said with a sigh.
The bell rang. Veron had class, but she also had free time afterward.
"Okay, I'm off. Let's have lunch together later, alright?" Veron said.
"I'm not waiting for you. I'll eat without you," Mariely teased with a smirk.
Veron just raised an eyebrow in response.
Mariely laughed. Veron was her closest friend at work—probably because they were both fresh graduates still reviewing for the board exams.
The other faculty members were kind, but Veron was her partner in crime, the one she could rely on.
Her week went smoothly—until Friday. Just as she was checking attendance, another excuse letter arrived from Shaina.
She sighed again and accepted it.