Chapter 13 - Switched Up

"GOOD morning!!" Miggy and Lance greeted gleefully in unison when they arrived at Belen's cafeteria. It was still 5:45 in the morning and Hero was carrying a tray of fried eggs when he turned to see them.

"What are you doing here? It's still early," he asked in astonishment as he arranged the tray in the display counter.

"Didn't we tell you? Your aunt agreed to let us work here before the second sem," Lance replied.

"Isn't it right, Auntie?" Miggy asked his approaching aunt who was carrying another tray of viands.

Belen put the tray next to his before she replied. "Yes. I thought you and Max needed more time to focus on your studies so these friends of yours should come in handy."

"Alright! Come on. You, two, help us here. We'll be opening soon," he said.

They entered the cafeteria and went straight to the kitchen where Belen was still cooking.

"By the way, who's Max?" Lance asked in curiosity.

"The daughter of this," Hero answered as he joined them. "The girl you've talked to at school before."

"That beautiful but snobbish, fierce-looking girl?" Miggy's tone raised a notch that Hero immediately hit him with his elbow and gestured to tone his voice down. "Aw!"

"Trust me, you don't want to anger that tigress," he warned them as he carried a pot of cooked food to the cafeteria.

His two friends just looked at each other but said nothing. Each of them carried a pot and brought it to the cafeteria, too.

"Wow! Max's house is really beautiful, isn't it?" Miggy exclaimed when he came back and peeked into the living room.

"Oh, please don't wander inside," Belen reminded them as she was slicing some vegetables. "I don't want her parents to think I'm letting just anybody in their house."

"Don't worry, Auntie. We won't step beyond the kitchen," Lance promised. Miggy also agreed.

When Belen finished cooking her menu for the day, the three of them helped in cleaning the kitchen before proceeding to the eatery. Customers started coming in and the tables were soon packed with people. Miggy and Lance performed their job so well that Hero could no longer see the old gangsters in them, too.

"Hero, why aren't you getting ready for school yet? Don't you have class today?" Belen asked about seven o'clock.

"Max and I only have afternoon class today," he replied.

"Oh, I see. That explains why she hasn't come down yet."

"Uh, Auntie. Can we borrow Hero after the breakfast rush? We want him to help us with the Cas-U entrance exam," Miggy asked.

"All right, no problem. You're good to go around eight o'clock."

"Thank you very much!!" the two answered in unison again.

At eight o'clock, Hero joined his two friends in their room at the adjacent boarding house. That was the first time he saw the interior of that establishment.

"Why are you asking me to teach you. Our exam is for senior high school students. That's different from college exams," he complained to them.

"You're right," Miggy agreed as he patted his forehead in realization.

"What about Max? Her family looks influential. They could have bought some reviewers for her to get into Cas-U."

"She didn't need one," he defended. "She's an intelligent person, and her uncle is a DSA director. They're a family of brainy people."

"There you have it! You can ask her to help us," Miggy exclaimed excitedly.

"Me? No! Uh-uh! She doesn't like me talking to her casually. So...it's a big fat NO."

"Are you that scared of her?"

"You know I'm not scared of anybody. I just don't want to..."

"Look, Bro. You were able to tame Dana before. You were also cat-and-dog back then, so I see no diff..." Miggy stopped in the middle of his sentence, abruptly covered his mouth upon realizing that he crossed the line. "Oops! Sorry. I didn't mean to..."

"It's okay," he answered quickly. "And it's true. She sometimes reminds me of Dana and my old self."

"But there is nothing wrong with trying, is there?" Lance replied. "Don't you want us to pass so we could go to the same school together again?"

"Dude, we're serious. We know you've changed. We want to, as well," Miggy convinced him.

He saw the sincerity pn their faces and couldn't just ignore it. So, as his conscience dictated, he gathered up his courage and went upstairs to Max's room. It's almost lunchtime and she still had not come down. He heaved a sigh before knocking softly.

"It's not locked, Nanny!" she yelled in a sweet, gentle voice that he had not heard from her before--that sweet little darling his aunt had been talking about.

He cough before he spoke. "Uh, it's me. Can I come in?"

He heard footsteps towards him. Suddenly the door opened. "What do you want?" she asked, her voice now as cold as ice and her gaze as sharp as a knife.

There's really nothing wrong to try, and he already expected her to reject him. All he had to do was to get it over with and report back to his friends.

He swallowed his own saliva to clear his throat first. "Uhm...my...my friends asked me to ask you if you have some reviewers for the College Entrance Test of Cas-U. They want to enroll next sem so..."

She opened the door wide and let him in. He was hesitant but still stepped in before she changed her mind. He was just standing there watching her search on her bookshelf. While she was busy, his sight caught a piece of paper falling on the floor. He picked it up to return it to her study table, but his eyes widened when he recognized it. "What's the meaning of this?"

Max turned to him.

He raised the paper in front of her. "Why do you have MY Science test paper?"

She immediately withdrew it from him. "Don't just pick up someone's belongings!"

"My name is there and I know my penmanship so I'm sure that's mine."

"You know what? You better go back to your friends," she suggested, handing some reviewers to him forcefully. "Those are my uncle's so take care of them."

He wasn't able to say another word until she drove him out and closed the door.

--

"ARE you excited to know who are the top five in our quiz yesterday and will be our representatives for the Science Quiz Bee?" Mrs. Tuazon's enthusiasm was as high as the afternoon sunshine when she entered the room.

But Max was not in the mood to join in with the excitement. She was still annoyed with Hero, and even more with herself. If only she had thrown away his test paper, then he would never have to see it again.

"Lindsay Torres," called the teacher.

"Yes!" Lindsay came forward as Mrs. Tuazon called the rest of the names for the top five.

"Manuel Suarez. Brenda Guerrero. Darwin Echavez ..."

"Woah! Look at that!" Darwin boasted as he glanced at her. She just raised an eyebrow at him.

"Hercules Ronald Gaston."

The class fell silent.

"Hero Gaston," the teacher called again. "Hero?"

Everyone looked around and was surprised to find out that Hero was still not around. Only then did Max notice that he had not yet arrived.

"Do any of you know where Hero is?" asked Mrs. Tuazon. "Max, you are next to him. Do you know anything?"

"Nope," she shrugged.

Moments later, Hero came rushing in.

"Oh, Mr. Gaston! Where have you been?"

"I'm sorry, Ma'am. I didn't notice the time. I was helping my aunt out in our cafeteria," Hero explained.

"I see. Well, come over here."

"Why?" he asked in astonishment as he walked forward.

"You are one of the top five in our quiz bee yesterday. The five of you will be our representatives for the upcoming Science Quiz Bee. I will be your coach and we will take some time for the review. I am expecting your full commitment. Is that okay with you?"

"Yes ma'am!!!" five answered in chorus, but Hero's answer was not as enthusiastic as his four classmates especially when he looked at Max.

"Miss Mejares!" the teacher called her after everybody had settled down.

"Yes?"

"Can you accompany me to my office?"

"Of course, Ma'am," she replied, ignoring the curious stare of her classmates.

"You, guys, stay quiet. When the bell rings, you can go out for your next subject," Mrs. Tuazon instructed the class before leaving. Max followed her.

"Miss Mejares, about your test paper..."

"What about it?"

"I am not sure where I lost it but I haven't recorded your score. In that case, I need you to retake the test, however, whatever your score will be, you will not be able to join the top five to represent for the Science Quiz Bee. The deadline for submission of the list was this morning and I passed your classmates' names..."

"No problem," she interrupted.

"I am so sorry about it, Max. I know it's not fair for you..."

"No, it's fine. I don't have any intentions to join, anyway."

"Oh, okay." Mrs. Tuazon handed her a test paper and a ballpen. Her teacher pointed to the vacant table that she could use.

Just as she was writing her name, Hero suddenly arrived.

"What are you doing here?" she asked firmly, piercing him with a deadly stare.

"Mr. Gaston, is there a problem?" Mrs. Tuazon asked.

"No, Ma'am," she answered quickly. "He just came here to return something to me. He's leaving, anyway." She quickly grabbed his arm and dragged him out. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm setting things right," he answered before withdrawing his arm and getting past her, going straight to their teacher. "Ma'am, you need to know something."

"What is it?" the teacher asked.

Max was getting impatient. "Hero, will you go out while your face is still intact or will you choose not to go out of here alive?"

Instead of getting scared, he confronted her. "You can get angry all you want, but I won't accept this. These are not my answers and not my real score."

"Wait, what are you two talking about?" interfered their teacher.

"Max switched our test papers yesterday," Hero replied looking at her. His eyes met with her fiery gaze.

"What?"