Chapter 6 Joshua(1)

Joshua's POV

"Should I drop you at the front gate sir?" Our driver suddenly asks as he slows down on the curb in front on the school.

"Yeah sure, I'm okay with it" I said excitingly

The car parked on the sidewalk within a few meters from the school that I'm transferring.

"Have fun lil' bro, take care!" Says my big brother as he holds my shoulder firmly.

"I will, thanks. Sir, please take care of brother for me. Drive safely" I quickly hopped of the car and waited for them to leave. Once they did, I walked right in front of the gate and paused.

"Well, I guess this is it, a new life to start." I sighed for a sec before I finally enter the campus

I decided to go straight to the information's office so I could know the information of my room number and my homeroom teacher.

"Uh excuse me. May I know where my room is? I'm a new student here uh...I am Joshua Valdez" I excitingly asked the teller

"Oh yes... um let me look it up for you, just give me a second, okay?"

"Okay thank you"

"You can wait and sit over there Mr. Valdez" As she points the sofa behind me, and I followed obediently. For a school they do have pretty accommodations.

After a few minutes, there was a teacher who came in and went to the teller and looks straight at me where I was sitting and said...

"Mr. Valdez? Hi, I'm your homeroom teacher, just call me Mr. Poblacion"

"Oh, Hello Mr. Poblacion" I stood up and we shook hands

"Have you seen the whole campus yet?"

"I haven't unfortunately"

"Well. It's lunch time, you can go to the cafeteria or roam around if you like. We still have over an hour"

"Sure, I will take my time sir"

"That's great, meet me at room 4a west wing building 4 after lunch time"

We both went out of the office, and I took a little walk around the campus. hmm well. this campus looks better than what I expected. There are even walkways between the buildings for easier access, and a lot of students are running on it.

I found myself sitting in the cafeteria after walking and ate the grilled cheese sandwich that I packed at home. I don't have my debit card yet, so yeah. I wanted to try and taste the 'beef stew' they are serving today.

And suddenly, I heard the other students around me. It seems that they are talking about a new student or something, did they anticipate my arrival? Better lay low hahaha

In the end I just put my head down and not giving them notice.

Hmm I see someone familiar just a few tables in front of me. M-Maine? It can't be right? I'm just daydreaming, I guess.

Lunch time was over, and people ran back to their designated classrooms, I waited everyone to leave first then I followed.

I was in the middle of looking around searching for my classroom to meet Mr. Poblacion. I walked up the stairs and as soon as I turned around the corner, there was a girl and we collided with each other, since we both bumped into each other, we fell on the floor and her milk spilled on my polo, and hers, I guess?

She was looking at me, and I reacted and asked "Mi-Miss are you okay? Are you hurt somewhere?"

She tilts her head as I questioned her. I kept asking her if she was fine from the fall and her face was turning red.

"Miss are you okay? Your face is red, are you sick by any chance?" I reached out my hand to help her get up.

"No no no, I'm fine" As she stood up shoving and rejecting my hand and ran straight to the restroom and closes the door behind her. That embarrassing moment just happened, oh well. Where was room 4a again? Oh yeah...that way I think.

It took me some time before I finally found my room, and my adviser is right in front of the door waiting. "Am I late Mr. Poblacion?" as I greet him calmly "There was an accident a while ago."

"You're don't not worry. What happened to your polo though? It got spilled."

"Yeah, what a bummer. I'm just going to close my coat instead, if you don't mind."

"I don't mind at all; it was embarrassing to have that happen on your first day." as he puts his hand on my shoulder "Wait for me to call you in, okay? I need to introduce you to everyone." and there he goes and closing the door in front of me.

I leaned on the wall beside the door waiting for my teacher to call me in. I kept hearing noises inside, especially shouting. Are they wild? Hahaha, I think this class would be a fun one.

"Okay okay calm down kids, even I was shocked that we have a new family member. Should I call him now?

"Yes sir!" Wow everyone sounds excited to see me, I guess.

"You may come in please." Alright here I go, good luck to me, I guess.

I entered the room and went beside the adviser in front of everyone.

"Will you introduce yourself to the class please?"

"Hi guys, I'm Joshua Valdez, I came from the States at Cali...short for California. And I hope we get along quite well. Thank you" It's embarrassing introducing myself in front, even though I'm in college. I see people who are talking about me I guess, they are just smiling

"So, Mr. Valdez this is your first time here, right?"

"Yes sir"

"Did you meet someone here already or have some familiar faces?"

I looked around the room to see familiar faces, at the back of the room I see...is that? Maine? No way. As I made eye contact with her, she raised her hand and...

"Me sir" Maine was under the spotlight of everyone, she never changes.

"Maine?" said everyone around her

"Ah Ms. Maine? Do you know each other?" Asked the adviser.

"Yes sir, I know Maine, we are friends sir." I replied

"Childhood friends to be exact" says Maine. I giggled with her mentioning that. Oh yeah before I forgot there is one more.

"And also, the girl in front of Maine sir, I bumped into earlier after lunch time."

"You mean Ms. Zandoval? Dianna, can you face forward please?" Zandoval? Where did I heard that name before?

"Yes sir?"

"Mr. Valdez says here both of you saw each other. Is that correct?"

"Y-Yes sir" Why is she stuttering though? Did something wrong happen to her during the fall?

"Was it fate?" Asked our adviser. Wait what sir?

Ms. Zandoval goes with a quick reply "No sir"

"Then did you guys planned to come into class with your coats closed?"

And we looked at each other's closed coat. Woah for real? Yeah, we did get spilled milk on us?

"Well sir we 'literally' bumped into each other, and milk was spilled on our polo shirts. Sorry for the disturbance sir."

"That's fine, we all have our first day embarrassing moments. And I hope Ms. Zandoval apologized for what happened. I still remembered she actually sat in the teacher's seat on her first day" Our adviser giggled with the others

"Sir!!! Don't remind them. huhuhu." She is cute, I'll give her that.

"All is well sir, thank you so much."

"You can sit beside Ms. Maine. Would that be okay with you Maine?" I knew it was her, my memory did me right.

"Yes sir" And I just went straight to the desk beside Maine

"Hey Shua, how have you been?" Wow she still remembers my name, she should since they are childhood friends.

"Doing fine, I hope you are as well" We both laughed, it is so good to see her again.

"Of course, why wouldn't I be" Maine still has those chubby cheeks, so cute when she smiles.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot, I looked in front of the desk of Maine. "Ms. Zandoval? Right?"

"Yes. you can call me Dianna instead. Nice to meet you"

"Sorry for what happened earlier, I didn't see that there was a person around that corner."

"O-Okay, it's fine really, I should be the one saying sorry, I'm the one who bumped into you by running in the hall." She just faced forward, and I guess she just wants to move on with what happened. Okay, I can play along.

"Okay class have fun with Mr. Zandoval and with your history class, thank you again sir for the time."

"No problem, sir." Says our professor "Okay class, fun is over, please get your textbooks and turn them to page 132."

"Aww" everyone reacted inside the room. Where's the fun in that?

"Don't expect me to go easy on each one of you, especially you Mr. Zandoval. We go for quality education here and not hierarchy, no offense towards your family. But I doubt that your family is like that."

Woah it has been a while since I saw a teacher like him. This will be fun.

"Okay can someone tell me about the 'Asian Financial Crisis' based on what you know?" I looked around and no one answered, well let me give it a shot.

"Yes Mr. Zandoval? You are raising your hand."

"According to the Corporate Finance Institute, The Asian Financial Crisis is a crisis caused by the collapse of the currency exchange rate and hot money bubble. The financial crisis started in Thailand in July 1997 after the Thai baht plunged in value. It then swept over East and Southeast Asia."

I just heard people giving me an impression lol, it wasn't much though.

"That is correct, splendidly said Mr. Zandoval. Please give him a round of applause." Everyone just clapped along as the teacher does it.

"I hope everyone can be competitive like Mr. Zandoval, good luck to everyone especially for the coming exams."

"Aww exams again." The class was in unison.

"That's how the life of a student's goes, I also faced those hardships. Well, goodluck class."

The class just went on without any difficulty, I would sometimes ask Maine on some stuff since she is the only one, I pretty much know. It was tiring to be a student, but it is what it is.

Dismissal

Finally, the day ended, can't wait to get out of here. As I was fixing my stuff Maine comes and asks...

"Do you want to come with us and eat first? You know just to be full before going home." Food is good, I replied "Well I can't say no to that now, can I?"

She went to the other girls and asked, "Can Joshua come along with us?" It is a little bit embarrassing to join in like that. But I do hope I get along well with them.

"Of course, why not. as the saying goes the more the merrier right?" Aww that was nice

"No problem here, don't have a reason to say no" Says one girl "You Bess?"

Everyone looked at her and replied, "It's fine" and she went on with fixing her stuff.

"See that was not so hard" Maine confronts me "They are all nice when you get to know them."

"You think so? Okay I'm just going to trust you on this one...Let me call my driver first to pick me up later." As I get my phone out of my pocket and went outside the room to call the driver.