EPISODE 2

Despite the intense confrontation between us, it felt like the conflict was far from over. Every time I encountered Phil, he acted like a jerk, trying to embarrass me and draw attention from the other students. But I wasn't about to give in easily or let him get under my skin. It was incredibly frustrating, but I was determined not to let him get the better of me.

As I was walking down the hallway, I ran into Ms. Alexandria Alvarez, our General Mathematics teacher. She greeted me with a warm smile.

"Good day, ma'am. It's nice to see you again!" I said.

"Hello there, dear! It's nice to see you as well. How's your first day going? Have you made any new friends?" Ms. Alvarez asked.

"Well, it's been quite challenging and nerve-wracking," I replied nonchalantly. "Instead of being excited about meeting new friends, I ended up being bullied and treated like trash."

"I'm so sorry to hear that," Ms. Alvarez said sympathetically. "Can you tell me who treated you badly? It's uncomfortable to hear, but it's important to know who was responsible and why."

"Um, it was actually Phil," I admitted.

Ms. Alvarez's eyes widened. "Oh, Phil? He used to be one of the most popular and handsome students here, but he can be quite annoying when it comes to be interested making fun of others he loved the most. The way you described it-being treated like trash-sounds severe. However, if you can maintain self-control and stay focused, things might improve."

Ms. Alvarez smiled warmly. "Maintaining a self-control mindset can really help solve your problems, especially when dealing with people who just want to laugh at you. If you don't react, they're less likely to bother you."

"But...," I started to protest.

Ms. Alvarez giggled and reassured me, "Yes, Ken, just give it a try. Phil will eventually lose interest in teasing you if he doesn't get a reaction."

As I considered her advice, I began to see the logic in it. Maybe she was right-maybe if I ignored Phil's antics, he would eventually stop. I decided I would try it.

After lunch break, a few hours later, I headed to the cafeteria. As expected, Phil and his friends were there, laughing and joking loudly.

Cezar was telling a story. "So, I was at the park, and I saw a squirrel trying to climb a tree but kept slipping. I thought, 'Why not give it a little push?' So I gave the tree a tiny nudge, and the squirrel flew right into the nearest bush! I've never seen a squirrel look so confused in my life!" They erupted into loud laughter.

As their laughter subsided, Phil's gaze fell on me sitting quietly by the window. He nudged his friends, and they started up again, making fun of me. Despite their taunts, I remembered Ms. Alvarez's advice and tried my best to stay composed, focusing on my own business instead of reacting to their jokes.

Phil laughed and said, "I bet someone's staring because they're craving attention." He made a show of wiping his abs, as if to taunt me further.

"Why don't you just stare at your own abs if you're so hungry for attention?" I retorted with a smirk. "It seems like you're just trying to feed your own ego."

Phil's smile faltered, and he looked slightly offended as he moved closer. "What did you just say? Are you trying to mess with me? You don't even know who you're talking to."

"Well," I said calmly, "you were the one who told me to join the fun or get embarrassed, right? I don't think your jokes are affecting me anymore. You might look like a popular celebrity who wants everyone's attention, but you and your friends are just a bunch of jerks."

Phil's expression darkened. "Stop calling us jerks."

"Why not?" I shot back. "You and your friends always crave attention and act like the whole school is your fan club. It's pretty obvious to everyone. You know what, Phil? It's only the first day of class, and you're already trying to stir up trouble. Maybe you should act more mature, because the student you're messing with isn't as easy to handle as you think. Keep that in mind!"

I left him in the cafeteria, where he looked a bit guilty. It seemed like the battle between the nerd and the jerk was far from over. I wasn't interested in lowering my standards to his level.

When I returned to the classroom, Phil and his friends were back too. Phil took a seat next to me, and we both chose to ignore each other. The day continued with more introductions from the teachers, but the tension remained.

Phil broke the silence, leaning in to speak to me. "You know, Ken, you really surprised me with how you handled things earlier. It's just like a booger stuck to my toe. You still don't realize who you're dealing with."

He spoke softly but with an air of superiority, as if he wanted me to see him as the king of the school. He might be attractive, but his attitude wasn't something I wanted to emulate.

As he finished speaking, I swallowed nervously, trying to hide my unease. The teasing wasn't over yet, and I could tell that the day would continue to be challenging.

I don't buy into the idea that "the more you hate someone, the more you love them." It's ridiculous, especially since we're both guys. There shouldn't be any "love" involved-just gross. I might have mixed feelings, but this isn't what I had in mind.

Phil and his friends kept at it. Phil taunted, "Hey Ken! Want to see my abs? They're rock-hard from doing twenty push-ups just for you!"

Another friend chimed in, "Hey Ken! You might think science makes you a genius like Einstein, but maybe it'll just turn you into a loser like you!"

Phil added, "Hey Ken, struggling with that novel? Let me read it for you. But wait, maybe I should just end up like you-obsessed with pointless stuff!"

It's clear Phil loves to annoy people for no reason. I remembered what Ms. Alvarez said earlier: "He loves making fun of everyone. If you don't let it get to you, he might lose interest."

Maybe she's right. If I don't let his teasing bother me, he might stop. But honestly, I'm just exhausted from his constant need to mock me.

By the time I got home, I was completely drained from the frustrating day. It felt like the first day of school had already taken everything out of me. I went upstairs immediately to change into something comfortable and try to relax.

After I changed my clothes, I joined my family downstairs for dinner. I was the only sibling at home because my sister was studying in Cebu and staying with our relatives. During dinner, our conversation moved from their work to school and our plans for the coming days.

Mom began by saying, "You know, honey, it's been six days since my boss approved my performance. The company has been incredibly generous, and my earnings have increased from three thousand dollars to four hundred and fifty."

Dad responded with excitement, "Wow, that's amazing! It's great that your salary will go up by 20%! We definitely need that money this month, especially with Ken starting Senior High School."

Mom agreed and added, "Of course, honey, we shouldn't forget about that. But Ken, how's school going? Have you made any new friends? I've been thinking about someone you might know. My boss' son, Phil Morgan? He sounds like an interesting person."

I hesitated for a moment before replying, "Oh, yeah, Phil Morgan. He's... well, he's something."

Mom said she was glad I knew about Phil, as her boss often talked about his achievements. She mentioned he was a football leader, an achiever, and had even been a singer. "Have you heard anything about him? Did you know he's involved in other activities too?" she asked.

Dad chimed in, "Yeah, just tell us, son. It's better to have friends with multiple talents! You should try to be friends with him and-"

I interrupted, "Okay, okay. You know, he's so annoying! I don't like his attitude! He makes fun of me whenever we see each other, and he treats me like I'm gay. I don't want to be embarrassed!"

Mom responded, "Hold on, sweetie. It's just part of the fun. And who knows? It's only the first day of class; there's nothing to worry about."

Dad agreed, "Exactly. You shouldn't let yourself get easily annoyed. You won't make friends if you don't try to join in."

I said, "I know, but-"

Mom cut in, "Haven't you ever heard the saying, 'self-control'?"

Her mention of "self-control" reminded me of what Ms. Alvarez had said earlier. I nodded and said, "Yeah, I think so. I'm sorry, Mom and Dad. I hope that maybe someday I'll get the hang of it."

It seems that my attitude towards my fellow students is delusional. I'm often too sarcastic, and I should really come up with a better plan for resolving conflicts.

As I lay on my bed, staring at the ceiling in my dark and gloomy bedroom, I couldn't help but overthink the situation and our fight. The words I said earlier kept replaying in my mind: "Maybe you should be mature because the person you're messing with is not as easy as you think. Keep that in mind." I kept asking myself, "Why am I doing this? Phil is... Ugh! It's just the first day of class!"

Later on, I decided to reach out to Phil privately. I messaged him, "Hey!... What's up?" He saw my message but took a few minutes to reply. When he finally did, his response was blunt: "What? What do you want, asshole?"

I replied, "You know, about earlier. I just wanted to apologize for what I said. It was too offensive, and I don't want to embarrass myself."

Phil replied, "Huh? You realized, huh? You know, just like real men do, it's best to not mind someone's jokes. Unless, of course, you join in." Then, he stopped replying.

I realized my actions were not easy to handle. My sarcastic attitude and overreacting tendencies had made things worse. I often got carried away with jokes made at my expense.

The next day, I planned to apologize to Phil and his friends. As I approached him in the cafeteria, anxiety gripped me. I repeated to myself, "You can do this, Ken. You can do this!" Taking a deep breath, I walked up to him.

"Hey, Phil," I said.

Phil looked up with a smile. "Oh hey, Ken. What's up?" he replied casually.

My eyes widened at his reaction. "Actually, about last night, I forgot to reply to your chat," Phil said, still smiling.

I wasn't expecting this. "Well, it's alright. It's actually my fault for everything that happened yesterday. I decided to apologize privately," I said, glancing at his friends.

I continued, "And sorry for calling you guys jerks. I got carried away with my emotions and didn't handle things well. I promise I won't do it again."

Phil laughed and said, "Ha ha... Don't worry, Ken. Just sit with us and let's continue talking."

I was taken aback by the sudden change in his attitude. It was confusing and I wondered if he was still pranking me or if this was a genuine shift in his behavior. I hoped that this newfound friendliness would last and that things would stay positive between us from now on.

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