Fatima's Diary Entry
Date: June 16, 2026
Mood: Hustle / Stress to the Highest Level
Dear Diary,
I take it back. Hindi lang pala living hell ang Grade 12. It’s the literal pits of Tartarus. Guess where I am right now? Kakalabas ko lang ng Principal’s Office at gusto ko na lang magpalamon sa lupa. Or better yet, gusto ko na lang ihagis si Jericho Sandejas sa pinakamalapit na active volcano.
Akala ko ba naman, ipinatawag ako ni Ma'am Peralta para pag-usapan ang nomination ko para sa Outstanding Student Leader Award.
Grabe ang ngiti ko pumasok sa opisina niya, Diary! Todo bati pa ako ng "Good morning, Ma'am!" tapos handang-handa na ang binder ko para mag-take notes.
Pero pagbukas ko ng pinto, nakita ko ang lalakeng sumira ng youth ko na nakaupo na doon, uminom pa ng C2 na parang sa kanya yung aircon na opisina.
Long story short: Serenity Academy is celebrating its 25th Grand Intramurals this year. Big event, malaking budget, at kailangan ng "perfect representation of student excellence" para mamuno. And according to Ma'am Peralta, ang pinakamatalinong desisyon daw ay gawin kaming Co-Chairpersons ni Jeco.
CO-CHAIRPERSONS, Diary! As in, magkasama kami sa iisang lamesa, nag-aapprove ng proposals, nag-aaway sa bawat piraso ng decoration.
I tried to object! Sabi ko, "Ma'am, baka po conflict of interest dahil sa studies namin."
Pero alam mo ang sagot ng bwisit na yun? "I'm completely fine with it, Ma'am. I like working with Timmy."
KAPAL. NG. MUKHA. I have to survive the next two months working with a literal demon.
The Principal's Mandate
"The two of you are the pride of Serenity Academy," Ma’am Peralta had said, her glasses resting on the bridge of her nose as she looked at them over her mahogany desk.
"Fatima, your organizational skills in the Student Council are unmatched. Jericho, you have the leadership and the respect of the entire sports community. This silver anniversary of our Intramurals needs to be flawless. I don't want any excuses."
Timmy had kept her hands neatly folded on her lap, but underneath the desk, she was practically shredding her handkerchief. "Ma'am, with all due respect, the General Academic Strand has a lot of heavy research defense this semester. I might not be able to give my one hundred percent focus if I’m co-chairing such a massive event."
"And STEM doesn't have research, Timmy?" Jeco had interjected, his tone infuriatingly polite and completely fake.
He turned to the principal with a professional smile that made Timmy want to gag. "Don't worry, Ma'am Peralta. If Fatima feels overwhelmed with the workload, I can handle the heavy lifting. I’m quite used to balancing the varsity schedule and my academics."
Timmy’s head snapped toward him so fast she almost got whiplash. Anong sabi niya?! Na pabuhat ako?!
"Is that so, Mr. Sandejas?" Timmy smiled, though her voice was dripping with venom. "I was actually thinking about your capacity to lead. Drafts and administrative logistics require meticulous attention to detail. Hindi ito parang basketball na basta-basta mo lang ipapasa ang bola kapag nahihirapan ka na."
"All the more reason for us to work together, then," Jeco replied, leaning into her space with that lazy, confident grin. "You do the paperwork, I do the field work. Perfect match."
Ma’am Peralta clapped her hands together, effectively cutting off the silent warfare.
"Excellent! It’s settled. You two will co-chair the committee. I expect the initial event proposal, including the budget breakdown and theme concept, on my desk by Friday morning. You may go."
The War in the Corridor
The moment the heavy wooden door of the Principal’s Office clicked shut behind them, the polite facades dropped instantly. Timmy turned on her heel, her black leather school shoes clicking loudly against the polished tiles of the hallway.
"Jericho, ano ba talagang problema mo?!" bulyaw ni Timmy, hindi na inintindi kung may ilang lower year students na napapalingon sa kanila.
"You know very well na hindi tayo pwedeng magkasama sa isang project! Noong Grade 10 Group Economics project natin, halos magkasakitan tayo dahil ayaw mong sundin ang format ko!"
Jeco chuckled, walking casually beside her with his hands buried deep in his slacks pockets. He didn't look bothered at all by her outburst. In fact, he looked like he was thoroughly enjoying it.
"Format mo? Timmy, thirty pages ang hiningi ni Sir, nagpasa ka ng seventy pages na may kasama pang hardbound cover. Sobra-sobra ang workload mo, masyado kang control freak," sagot ni Jeco, huminto sa tapat ng water dispenser para uminom.
"It’s called being thorough! Mas mabuti nang sobra kaysa sa kulang-kulang na gawa mo!"
"Whatever you say, Madam Secretary," Jeco crumpled his paper cup and tossed it cleanly into the trash can from three feet away.
*Shoot.* He looked down at her, his expression softening just a fraction, though the teasing glint in his eyes never left.
"Look, whether you like it or not, tayo ang nakasalang dito. Kung mag-aaway lang tayo araw-araw, hindi matatapos 'tong proposal. Friday na ang deadline."
Timmy crossed her arms, looking away. As much as she hated to admit it, Jeco was right.
The Intramurals proposal was massive. It required a complete program flow, budget allocation for uniforms, food permits, and the grand opening ceremony design. Doing it alone would kill her, but doing it with him might actually kill them both.
"Fine," Timmy grumbled, fixing her uniform vest. "Pero sa mga terms ko. We need to meet after school today para masimulan ang draft. Walang male-late."
"Sure. Saan tayo?"
"Sa library. Tahimik doon, walang istorbo."
Jeco groaned, dramatically throwing his head back. "Library? Sobrang init ng aircon doon tapos amoy lumang papel. Boring. Let's do Starbucks outside the campus. My treat."
Timmy narrowed her eyes. "Starbucks? Sinasabi mo ba 'yan para makaiwas sa pag-aaral at makipag-landian sa mga taga-ibang school?"
Jeco leaned down slightly, bringing his face level with hers. For a split second, Timmy caught the exact shade of his dark brown eyes, shadowed by his thick lashes.
"Hindi. Sinasabi ko 'yan kasi alam kong hindi ka makakapag-isip nang maayos kapag walang caffeine ang sistema mo. Mukha ka na kayang multo sa puyat."
Bago pa man makasagot si Timmy, tumalikod na si Jeco at kumaway nang hindi lumingon. "4:30 PM, Timmy. Sa Starbucks sa tapat ng Macapagal High. Huwag mong kalimutan ang laptop mo!"
Timmy stood frozen in the middle of the hallway, her face burning. Did he just... notice my coffee habits? No, impossible. Nanlalait lang talaga siya.
She quickly pulled out her pink diary from her tote bag and frantically scribbled:
Update: Magkikita kami sa Starbucks mamaya. Diary, paki-dasal na lang na hindi ko maitapon ang mainit na Americano sa mukha niya.
Meanwhile, Jeco walked toward the lockers, a small, genuine smile creeping onto his face as he pulled out his black notebook. He opened it against the locker door and wrote:
“Co-chairpersons. Salamat kay Ma’am Peralta, hindi ko na kailangang mag-isip ng dahilan para makasama siya araw-araw. 4:30 PM coffee date—well, meeting. Same difference.”