Sunday, February 23, 2014

So High School

I was in the middle of doing an Accounting homework when I scrolled down my Twitter timeline. I was just intending to check if I had any unread "mentions" but then I stumbled upon AdI Seniors being sentimental about their last day (ever) of regular classes tomorrow. It was around this time last year when we (The Nexus) were doing all our comical trippings in the campus- we drew fake moles on our faces, we wore obnoxiously huge earrings, the boys wore girly headbands. And, on the very last day of regular classes, we brought trolleys to school instead of regular backpacks as we had to clear our lockers. Then, it hit me.

It hit me that around this time last year (2013), I was one of those Seniors feeling anxious because the (bitchy) reality that high school is coming to an end was finally dwelling upon us.

It hit me that it has been 11 months since I last listened to Goddess Arianne Lao's steamy discussions about mythology's greatest. It hit me that it has been 11 months since Herman Lagon gave his usual "Never waste time and space" and "Indi kamo mag minango" mini speeches in between lectures about velocity, speed, acceleration, stress, gravitational pull, and other Physical Science what-nots. It hit me that it has been 11 months since I last contemplated on the complexity of Math equations during Math A and Math B classes. It hit me that it has been 11 months since I last teared up upon hearing Mike Guevara's quotable motivational speeches and words of wisdom to the whole Nexus family just before every major school event. It hit me that it has been 11 months since the fabulous Lally Jane Calagunay asked me "Jennifer, why are you late again?" and made chika about El Filibusterismo while being a part of the whole class' inside jokes. It hit me that it has been 11 months since I last had a random "fashion, literature, and arts talk" with Sir Anthony along the Blue and White hallways (more like Cream and Chocolate Brown with Countless Railings hallways, actually) of the Ateneo. It hit me that it has been 11 months since I last sat wide-eyed as the ever-philosophical RM Tamayo did his thing on the classroom platform, drawing bathtubs and faucets on the blackboard to illustrate economic flows, making Economics a relatively enjoyable subject. It hit me that it has been 11 months since I last absorbed Primo's holistic theological lectures.

Of course, it also hit me that it has been 11 months since the Nexus last thrived together-all 45 of us- inside our safe haven, the Justice classroom. Ah yes, THE Nexus. Well, I'm gonna have to make another blog post entirely dedicated to my Nexus memories but for now... I am reminiscing all the "Cornetto moments" we had after lunch, all the cramming we did for homework and 200-item quizzes, all the tricyle rides we took to SM, all the marathons we did just to find computer shops (with a printer that had ink) when we had to rush the printing of a forgotten project. Then, there was that one time when we skipped CAT class and instead stayed inside the 4th floor restrooms just to finish our Science Investigatory Projects in Physics. We felt like such badasses that time hahahaha! Oh, of course, THAT moment when Sir H finally signed the approval sheet for our SIP- I've never felt so fulfilled just because of a signature.

It hit me that it has been 11 months since I left high school. I suppose.

But, does one ever really "leave" high school?
Does one ever really get over the magic of Prom night?
Does one ever really stop hearing the echoes of their verse choir?
Does one ever really forget the jeers and yells of the whole class during a basketball game?
Does one ever really not feel anymore the adrenaline rush that once ignited a jaw-dropping stunt during a cheer dance competition?
Does one ever really unlearn the life lessons imbibed by mentors and teachers in the institution?
Does one ever really "leave" high school? NO.
I may have left the Ateneo campus which I've called home for 3/4 of my lifetime, but never have I left behind, nor shall I ever leave behind the memories of high school- both bitter and sweet ones. Take me back to the Ateneo campus any day and I swear, I can go on for hours vividly storytelling to you each and every eventful moment I've had (or simply witnessed) on all of the corners of the Blue and White halls from General Blanco to San Rafael, Mandurriao.

After classroom lockers have been cleared, after high school textbooks have been shelved, after high school uniforms have been hung in the closet, all that's really left are the memories- 4 years of memories trailing behind me as I go on each day trying to get over high school... which will never ever probably happen.