Through my looking glass

It is now 4AM and it's as if my stomach is on a rollercoaster ride. Please cooperate stomach. I
take a sip of hot coffee from my favorite mug. It sure does its job in my digestive system. It
seems as if my stomach has a life of its own now, thanks to the coffee, so I spent more than an
hour in the restroom. It's now 6AM! Shit! I say to myself, I have to get a move on.

The ride to my new school is taking too long. It's been thirty minutes already and we haven't
even reached my supposed station which is D. Jose. The LRT is packed full of people - all I can
see is lots of napes - sweaty ones, and dirty ones. And the smell of sweat was everywhere. I
remember the diffusion of gases - gas particles tend to move faster in higher temperatures. And
that particles go from a region of higher concentration to a region of lower concentration. I have
my cologne on. The smell of sweat is everywhere. The inside of LRT coach is very hot and
humid, no AC. I’m going to smell like these people when I get to school, I think to myself.

Time check: 8:30 AM

I knock on the door of Room 205 of the Science Building three times. I creak the door open and
all eyes are on me. Sweat slowly trickled down my back. Agony. Suffering. Damnation. Let the
floor swallow me whole now.

"And you are?", asks the Professor.

"Sorry Ma'am I'm late. I'm Maria Isabel Corpuz po madam".

I slowly hung my head down low in embarrassment.

"Take a seat", said the Professor.

Everything was in slow motion but my head was spinning around. I shuffled from one class to
another, hoping to be familiar with my blockmates. They seem to belong now in different
factions. People making friends, being friends. Having friends. I am invisible. Welcome to
college.

Recess time. I look around for someplace to eat my 'baon' - rice and fried daing na bangus
sitting inside a Tupperware. I see a vacant place along the 'higad' area in front of Science
Building, so I sit there and silently eat my lunch. I look around while I eat. Soaking everything in.
So many people passing by. Students talking, some reading books, and others playing
volleyball in the open court. I see an organized chaos before me.

It is 4PM and I am supposed to be in my PE class. Nicanor Reyes Hall it says in my COR, I

check the building signage just to make sure. I go up the stairs up to the fourth floor, not
knowing that there is actually an elevator that can be used for easier transport. I’m going to be
late again. Never did I like any of my PE classes. Ever. I hope the professor is absent. I reach
my classroom. Is this it? I see gym equipment.

"Tao po!" I shout, expecting to see my PE professor.

Instead, I see four well-built, half naked guys who are covered in sweat come walking towards
me. Varsity players! Oh my God! I scream inwardly. I can feel my face turning red. Arwind
Santos is in the house!!!

"Dito po ba yung PE class ng J13?"

With the looks on their faces I could tell I am in the wrong place at a wrong time. Fortunately
one of the guys told me the right classroom for my PE subject. I walk to that room but I see no
one. There’s a note on the wall - the name of the Professor. Good job to me.

I look at my wristwatch and see that it is 5:30 PM. Last class of the day and I am absent.
Awesome. I still have the whole week to look forward to meeting people and making friends
inside the FEU campus. It’s just the first day of class anyway.