Chapter 2 : South Region
Erica goes to the South Region. There are many students outside the south Region building but Erica doesn't know anyone there.
Erica frowned as she sees dazzling clothes of girls and boys like they are attending a Gala Banquet.
Only Erica is wearing a South Region Plain Uniform in the first day of school.
"Pffft!" a girl laughed from behind Erica. Erica turned her head around and saw a girl with a fashionable style of uniform. The edge of her shirt are pasted with dazzling glitters which showed her great fashion sense and body curves.
Her curly hair like waves is tied into ponytail. Her skirt is above-the-knee length. The edge is knitted with animal fur which is cute for her white and long legs.
Erica just tilted her head to side as she frowned. She was puzzled of the girl's action just now.
"You choose the South Region but you're wearing a plain uniform? You're a disgrace to us!" the girl shouted as her face showed displeasure. Her voice caught the attention of the crowd. When the girl saw that she cornered a rat in front of everyone, she felt excited!
Erica just 'Oh' after hearing the girls reasonable excuse for targeting her just now. So, she gazed around and just realized that the South Region students are indeed wearing fashionable styles of uniform.
Well, she doesn't know about it and even if she does know, she has no time to care. Isn't it just a fashionable style of clothing?
"But it doesn't mean you only need to wear uniforms with fashion style and it is not written on South Region school rules" Erica responded logically.
She already memorized the general rule of Sacred Heart Academy. When she heard about the five regions from the registry staff earlier, she rummaged her school materials to find something related to the five regions. She saw a book and picked it up.
<<Sacred Heart Academy's Five Region Rules Book>>
She just flipped it faster and already memorized all rules of five regions.
Going back to Erica, the girl's face darkened. Indeed. It is not written in the school rules about not wearing uniform without fashion styles. But she will never admit it!
"So what if it is not written in the school rules? The South Region is likely known for fashion styles around the campus!" the girl insisted as she clenches her hands into a fist.
"Then, it means it is not obliged to wear it with fashion style" Erica replied coldly as she slowly got annoyed but her face doesn't show it.
Meanwhile, five boys just entered the premise of South Region. Well, they are not all students of South Region. They intently companied a friend to South Region because of his insistence but who would have thought that they saw such farce?
"You have such a good cousin" a young man said nonchalantly as his eyes darted on the young woman who faced his friend's cousin.
The friend, they companied here, got black lines on his forehead after hearing his cousin's retorts.
"That's enough, Katrina!" a boy nagged at Katrina. He walked out from the crowd with a company but only he stood beside Katrina. He patted her shoulder to make her calm down.
"I'm sorry on behalf of my youngest cousin" the boy smiled gently to Erica. He is a good-looking young man with curly short hair. He also has his own sense of fashion style; superior to Katrina.
"It's fine" Erica replied emotionlessly.
"Cousin Luke!" Katrina shouted at the boy after hearing her cousin's apology to Erica.
"Katrina!" Luke's eyes glinted when he turned his head towards Katrina. Katrina lowered her head down.
"Are you a new student here in Sacred Heart Academy?" Luke asked as it is his first time seeing Erica in the campus.
"Yes, seventh grade" Erica shortly said.
"Which family are you from?" the young man earlier, asked. He hasn't see this girl in the city. He already knows the young masters and young misses of the wealthy families which is why he asked out of curiosity.
The other three was stunned because of their friend's probing question.
"Hmmm? Is that important?" Erica asked as she blinks twice. She has no idea of what is the young man talking about.
The young boy was stunned as he realized that he asked questions out of his character. Then, his eyes flickered as he scrutinized the young woman.
"Nothing. Forget it" he said.
Suddenly, a voice sounded throughout the Sacred Heart Academy's South Region.
"I think we need to go now. See you next time" the young man said and left the premise of South Region with his three friends. Luke stayed because he is a student of South Region.
"Welcome to Sacred Heart Academy's South Region! I am Lucio Diamante, the speaker of the day...", as Lucio Diamante keeps on blubbering about the birth of South Region since ten years ago.
The Sacred Heart Academy didn't have five regions ten years ago. It was a private christian school and was opened for all who could afford tuition fees. The teachings of the old are not better than today until many shuffling and revising of the school structural management changes five times.
When they saw the high achievement of each students after the building of five regions, they continue to push forward many appropriate rules for students protections and needs.
Lucio Diamante's speech lasted for an hour, just like other typical formal speech. When the students thought that they are now about to go to their designated classrooms, another voice sounded throughout the premise of South Region.
"Hello, I am Eduardo Pintig, the director of Sacred Heart Academy. As you see, our Academy is not following the typical activities compared to the other schools. The seventh grade ranking started on the first day of the school year"
"Meaning, we started evaluating students' skills at the first day of the school year. The first evaluation is just for temporary ranking of seventh grade"
"Your final ranking will be every monthly examination and that's your final ranking of the month. Meaning, if you don't work hard for the monthly examination, there's a possibility of you being pushed down from the top ranking"
"If you maintain your ranking above the cut off ranking, then you are promoted to eight grade. Those students who are below the cut off ranking will be automatically transferred to another school with our recommendation letter"
"Your grades will be based on the cut off ranking. Remember that the school values skills, innovations and intelligence"
"But don't worry. If you're eligible for the other regions cut off ranking, then you will be transferred there and will be evaluated again to determine your ranking"
"Do you have any questions?" Director Pintig asked. All students quietened, not because of Director Pintig's cold voice but because of the ranking.
"Yes!" a blonde young man raised his arms and asked.
"How will we be evaluated?" asked the blonde young man.
"Simple, the South Region's specialization is based on dancing, singing, painting, lyrics or music creations, acting, and etc. Each specialization will have a competition for all and the teachers will evaluate your products to give you a competition ranking. After evaluating all competition ranking, the teachers will evaluate again based on your results from each competitions. That's your final ranking. The top ten rankers are eligible for fighting against the eight grade top ten rankers at the end of the school year. That results will be your eight grade ranking next year" he added.
The crowd gossips here and there while Erica just listens but it didn't process in her mind as she doesn't want to use her brain.
"Then, how many days will it takes to finish the competition?" a young woman, nearby the young man earlier who asked a question, asked.
"It will take one week to finish all competition. The final ranking will be announced on the second week" Director Pintig replied.
"Any questions again?" Director Pintig asked as his eyes gazed around the crowd to look for potential students but disappointed because none of them are outstanding enough.
Erica just stood there without talking to anyone but her eyes are lazily opening and closing as she holds back herself from sleeping.
"Ahh. I want to sleep" she said and yawned.
This is why she was not detected by the Director Pintig because of her behavior which doesn't show respect at all.
In the Philippines, yawning is not disrespectful but if you are yawning in front of other people or the person is speaking, it is a disrespect towards the other party.
"Take out the materials for the competition!" Director Pintig with a serious tone.
The teachers started distributing the materials. Since they always didn't notify the new students about the competition at the first day of the school year, they have no choice but to provide the materials.
"Here's your materials" a handsome teacher smiled at Erica but Erica paid no attention at all. The handsome teacher's cheek twitched as it is the first time someone rejected him.
Erica just picked up the materials handed to her while yawning. She's sleepy, not because she used her brain to the extreme but because she forgot eating her breakfast.
She sighed and looked around. She saw everyone holding a brush and paper for painting.
"The first competition for today is Painting. The topic is SILENCE" he stated and left the podium.
However, there are many teachers from South Region teaching faculty supervised the competition. They must finished it for today because another competition will be held for another day.
CHARACTERS:
• Katrina M. Lanticse (Luke's Cousin)
• Luke R. Lanticse ( one of the Crown Princes)
• Lucio Diamante (Speaker)
• Eduardo Pintig (School Director)