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Chapter 8: Perfect Match, even their names rhyme!

8  Perfect Match, even their names rhyme!

It was Monday afternoon. It was time for the last period and Nicky was already anxious to get home. She had enough for the day. She was upset she had not perfected their Physics’ quiz that morning and she missed answering the second half of their Filipino chapter exam. She thought at first she was just so good and fast that she finished the exam way ahead of others. Besides, the exam was just too easy for her. So she didn’t pay mind what took others so long. She assumed they were maybe just a bit slow. It was after Filipino, when she talked about it with June as they were walking to their Music class that she learned there were Part III and IV at the back of their test paper. How could she have missed that?

She thought of going back to Mrs. Abing and asked her if she could continue the exam. She would have just to miss their Music class. I would not really be cutting Music, she tried to console herself. I’ll just be late. She readily headed back to their Filipino teacher, but Mrs. Abing wouldn’t let her continue the exam. She had another class.

“It was not my fault you were careless, Ms. Dimasuhid,” Mrs. Abing told Nicky sternly. The sophomore class all turned to her. A gawky guy who sat at the back was staring at her curiously. She recognized him. He was the sophie boy who had the ridiculous smile on his face after getting married to a pretty sophie girl during the founder’s day.

Nicky tried to grovel but to no avail. How could I be so stupid?

When she got to their Music class, Mr. Cortez asked her what made her late. She lied and told him she had a stomachache and had to go to the bathroom really bad. That was the first thing that came to her mind, and she thought that alibi was legit.

Her classmates were obviously grossed out as they chorused, “Eewww.”

She ignored them and went to her chair but someone else was sitting on it. It was then that Mr. Cortez said, “Nicole Ann, you sit beside Ynigo. I’ve paired the class, boy and girl for your duet assignment.”

Nicky was rooted on the spot. She glanced up at their music teacher who pointed her to another seat, an empty chair beside Iggy.

Slowly, Nicky headed to the seat. She smiled awkwardly as she sat next to Iggy. She regretted telling she had a bad stomachache. Now, Iggy would have really thought her hands were soiled.

“Again, let me repeat myself,” Mr. Cortez's loud booming voice filled the room. “You all have to sing a song together, do a duet next Monday. You can talk it out among yourselves what song you’re gonna sing and pass me your song choice by the end of the period. We have to make sure no two pairs will sing the same song. So everyone, get to it.” Their music teacher then went to his table, right at the back of the class. His hands and eyes were now on his laptop.

“So, what will it be?” Nicky then asked Iggy after gathering enough strength to turn and face him.

“Anything,” Iggy replied. “Just that I know how to sing it.”

Nicky had already heard Iggy sang. During their sophomore year, each of them had been tasked to sing a solo in front of the class. Nicky thought he did okay. But now, she could already see that they would sing great. Nicky reckoned she had a good voice, her mother once told her she sounded like Lea Salonga, but then again, her mother also thought their next-door neighbor’s daughter (Aunt Gracia’s daughter, that is), Georgia, was a great singer, too. Georgia had been joining many amateur singing contests and, she’d always won. But Nicky thought Georgia was a terrible singer and the judges to every contest were just as terrible, too. She thought Georgia sang too old-fashion-like, very karaoke-ish and had a crazy wild range that was a pain in the ears. She figured Georgia would easily be booted out if she’d audition in singing contests in TV. Nicky didn’t join any amateur singing contests, though. She already figured she’d lose to Georgia as she assumed the audience and the judges might be somehow also after looks, and Georgia had quite an advantage in that department.