3 Ferrydell University (1/2)
”Girls, state your business here,” he says bluntly once he finally closed the door to his office.
He dragged us all the way from the locker area to his office. I know. I understand. It would have been better off to go to the office ourselves rather than cause trouble and get us dragged in here. It still ended the same way. What changed?
”All I can see are foolishness and nervousness,” Eloisa says with a slurry manner. ”Alas, two years can do a lot to a person. This one retained the glasses but became more serious. And this one, by my side, became successful but still remained the fool. Alas, poor me. I never changed.”
By God, Eloisa! I thought. You are only making things worst!
”Young lady, have you been drinking?” he asks. He takes a close look at her as if he is trying to remember her. ”Ah, now I remember. Why am I surprised about her insolence?” He turned to face me and all I could do is silently pray for strength. ”Alright, I'll ask you. What are you doing here breaking a student's locker open?”
He asked that to me without any humor. He is serious. Alas, I can never lie to him. Why must infatuation betray me up to my working days? Eloisa is right. She can see through me. She sensed that my love for is both foolish and senseless. That is why I am nervous.
”Well, I suppose none of you would talk, or will you Miss Aguinaldo?” he asks.
He looked at me directly in my eye. I cannot break away. Eloisa is too high (or drunk) to talk to him. She might have drunk some alcohol when I was asleep. I knew taking the wheel was a great decision. For all I know, she could have gotten us involved in a car accident.
”Sir, we mean no harm here,” I say nervously.
”Then what?” He rose from his seat and he began circling us as if he is trying to scare us into disclosure.
”We only want to reclaim our friend's belongings. Apparently, my drunken friend thought it was a great idea to break her former locker at the chance that it might still be there. I knew it was a foolish idea, and we were about to go to the admin office, but a student caught us in the act. We would like to apologize for the trouble.”
He looked at me grimly as if he looks into my mind if I am telling the truth. Somehow, this only intimidates me. He wasn't like this before. Eloisa is right, by the way. He became serious. He used to be a fun-loving professor, but now, all I can see is a typical image of a Ferrydell Professor – serious, humorless, strict, et cetera.
”Very well,” he says while he breaks his look and walks back to his chair. ”I believe you. What is the name of that friend?”
”Emma Concepcion, sir. I was hoping that the school admin might have kept her stuff instead of throwing it away.”
”Girls, Ferrydell University is not allowed to do that unless it is the student or alumni that come to claim it. It can also be done if the representatives are permitted to do so. Can I be certain that you have Miss Concepcion's permission to claim it?”
”Sure, of course,” I lie to get away from him.
He gave a moment to think about it. What happened to him? He became more logical and rational. He is actually marking an authority. He used to act like your typical college friend, but now, he's grown more mature. Two years changed him. How is that even possible?
Suddenly, he rose from his seat. ”Come on. I'll show you where the leftover belongings of alumnae are stored.”
We followed him to a dark storage closet. He opened the lights and we saw piles of boxes all stacked up to each other. This is a lot of stuff. How can so many students leave behind so much stuff?
”This is how the storage system works. A locker number is written on the box as well as the year the student graduated. I suppose you still remember both. I shall wait for you here until you find that box. I can't let you go around snooping other boxes. Do you understand?”
”Yes, sir.”
I am the only conscious one between the two of us that can talk to him. Eloisa isn't exactly in herself right now. She keeps saying random stuff that might harm the two of us. The locker number was 753 and she graduated in the year 2013. I searched for the box by following through the years of the boxes. I saw a group of boxes from the year 2013. There, I found the contents of Emma's locker. Thanks be to God! I took the box and presented it to him.
”Sir, I found it,” I say to him. ”Thank you for your help.”
”It was a pleasure,” he says coolly. ”What does your friend need in that box anyway?”
”A book, sir. Anyway, sir, it was nice seeing you again.”
I pulled Eloisa from her awkward position and lead her outside the storage closet. She is humiliating herself again!
”Alright, how many bottles did you drink last night without my knowledge?” I ask instantly.
”I don't know,” she says hazily. ”All I can remember was dizziness, vomit, and fainting. Alas, I apologize for the words I cannot control today. Give me the keys, I'll drive.”
”No,” I say strictly. ”Driving after drinking is not exactly the best action. For all I know, you might get crashed and get arrested for reckless impudence.” I pulled her through her arm and dragged her outside to the parking lot. ”Come on. I'll drive.”
”Where exactly are we going?” she asks. ”And would you let me go. I am twenty-two years old. I can perfectly take care of myself, thank you.”