The True Finish was You

It was around mid-March, the school was lively, and the students were inside their classrooms. Like your normal day in school, it seems like the day will just pass by as usual. The homeroom teacher, however, has an announcement to make that will ensure the students have fun.

“Alright, listen up, class!” 

Everyone listened to the homeroom teacher as he wrote down the announcement. Everyone’s eyes grew big. It was something that happens yearly.

“Sports festival?!” 

Everyone raised their voices loudly, which slightly annoyed the teacher. The students kept quiet, yet the teacher giggled because of it. 

“Sorry, sir.” They all said in unison.

“It’s alright, just keep your voices down, next time.” 

The teacher continues the discussion with the students. One thing about the sports festival, it lasts the whole day. With so many games that the students participate in, there is only one game that everyone is eager to participate in.

“The 2000-meter relay dash. Who are we nominating?” 

The class raised all of their arms. Everyone would want to win due to a point system. To represent your section means a lot. However, the teacher couldn’t decide on who to pick. The solution? Draw lots. For the homeroom teacher, he would always make a pre-made box at the beginning of the year for drawing lots purposes. He gets the box and starts to draw 5 small papers from the lot.

“First runner, Sam.”
“Second runner, Nash.”
“Next, Quincy.”
“Next, Allen.”
“Last runner, Trinity.”

Everyone likes the runner lineups. They are confident that with the lineup, they can guarantee first place. Eugenio was impressed that fate chose two of his friends to run.

“Now that’s a lineup.” James crossed his arms. Smirking that the runners are actually good choices from the box. “What do you think, Gene?”

“Same.” 

He was chill about it. However, something didn’t feel right. Was it Trinity? He looks at the five runners, and he notices that someone doesn’t seem to appreciate the fate around Trinity getting picked. He locks eyes with the person, thinking they may sabotage Trinity. All sat down. Building anticipation for the sports festival. The teacher announces more information about the festival. While it was a long day, the students kept going with the day, still thinking of the festival.

It’s past five in the afternoon, and everyone is about to leave school. By the garden circle, Trinity sits with Sam and Eugenio. As for James, he left early for some important matters.

“I think I’m ready?” 

Trinity was nervous. She hasn’t attended such a festivity in her life.

“Don’t say I think, you should be.” Sam, determined to win, motivated a gloomy Trinity. “Show some enthusiasm, could you?”

“I didn’t even think Sir would get my name from the box.” She stood there shaking from head to toe. She felt like a heavy spotlight flashed towards her. 

“End me now, Sam, Eugenio.”
“Oy, don’t be so unmotivated.” 

Eugenio lightly shakes her out of her slump. Somewhere near the court, Quincy and her two other friends looked at them with a disgusted face. Was it jealousy that they weren’t fated?

“Quincy, don’t even think what you’re gonna do?”
“Pfft, her? And Sir didn’t even pick you guys?”
“Relax, it’s a random draw after all.”
“Random draw?” 

She laughs at the statement. 

“If anything, draw lots can be rigged.” She was cranky about it, and the two were startled by her attitude.

“Let’s see if she can even cross first.” 

Quincy and the rest leave for home. Planning on something that could potentially harm everyone else. The day of the planned festival was implemented weeks later. Everyone was having the time of their lives. The games were competitive for each graded section. Trinity, however, was sitting somewhere in the court. Thinking of what may happen. Her thoughts slipped away, wasn’t aware of her surroundings. Staring blankly at the floor.

“Trinity?” An echo was heard nearby.

“Trinity? Tri~nity!”
“Oh, Kelly?”

“You were zoning out for a minute, you good?” She was actually having a relapse in the middle of it all, and her senses came back to a quiet Sagada—the rain stopped eventually. Everyone was worried about her well-being, so they wanted to stop. “Maybe, we should—”

Trinity’s hands stopped her words. Determined to make sure her thoughts are okay. “Again, if I don’t talk about it, I will not forgive myself.”

“Didn’t know this was a trauma dump,” 

Oliver whispers to Gregory, to which he slaps his head to stop it. It was that serious. Aka, on the other hand, was already concerned for Trinity that she was ready to hand out the tissue.

One more big exhale from Trinity, and she continues.

“Ah, Sam.”

“What’s wrong?” She stood next to a shaken Trinity and wrapped her arm around her to comfort her.

“Should I run?”
“Don’t be silly, we’re gonna win for sure.”

“That’s right!” 

James and Eugenio popped up from behind them, and the two girls squealed in shock because of them.

“Could you give us a warning next time?”

Sam lightly slaps Eugenio on the back, yet she was disgusted by something.

“What the… why is it wet— Eugenio, you’re sweating!”
“What? I’ve been playing the whole day.”
“At least change, you dummy!” 

The argument went on for another minute, and James and Trinity giggled at the free entertainment they were watching. James, however, went near Trinity.

“Hey, if anything, Gene and I will support you, no matter what.” 

That assures Trinity with herself. That everything will be fine. Her nervous sweats were no more. She was ready to seize the competition. The time has arrived for the final event. The sun brought the heatwaves into the mini runners oval. The runners huddled. Allen, who was the leader of the pack, decided to change the runners' order.

“Do we let Trinity run first?” Allen asks everyone; they seemed hesitant about it. However, one might agree that it is the safest choice.

“I think we should.” Quincy agrees to the position. “I’ll run next—”

“No,” 

Allen rejects the idea of Quincy running next. He may or may not already know what’s going to happen, but he doesn’t in fact. 

“I’m running next.” 

Allen said. Quincy had a look that her plan would not come through, a smile that twitches, and so does her eye, but she agreed anyway.

“Sam, you’re running last. You know what to do.” 

Sam’s game face was on that for the rest of the runners, minus Quincy and Trinity, who knew what she was capable of. The whistle sounded for the runners to prepare. Just like in the huddle, Trinity is at the starting position. As she prepared, Quincy went towards her. She leaned towards her ear.

“Hey, if you mess it up, I’m gonna do what they did to you in your previous school.” 

She walks away with a devious smile. Trinity seemed to have brushed it off. Allen, who saw what was happening, let out a big sigh and called for Nash. Meanwhile, Eugenio and James were bothered by what was happening. The former, however, had his intuition correct. His face was already prepared to fight someone. James held him back.

“Let the cards play.” 

He calmly says, still looking at the event. The noise of the crowd, the sweat dripping off the runner's face from the heat, and the pressure from the section. Trinity’s head echoed only two things: what Quincy said and the noise from the section. All runners at the position line, ready to take the run. However, the thoughts echoed louder and louder.

*Bang*

The runners flew off, but Trinity was behind by a second. She recognizes now and runs as fast as she can. The crowd was cheering her on, but some of her classmates said some inappropriate things. Eugenio was ticked off.

“Hey! At least cheer for her, you bunch of…” 

James covers his mouth; he knows that a ticked-off Eugenio can be the most unfiltered person in his friend group. As he was struggling to take his hand from his mouth, he glanced at the race, and it was already Quincy who was passing the baton to… Allen?

“Allen? Wait, wasn't he supposed to be the second runner?”

James knew something was off; however, what they didn’t know was that Allen switched places with Nash, who is currently the top 3 fastest students in the school’s track-and-field history. Allen sprints as fast as he can towards Sam, Nash’s teammate in Track-and-Field. Already behind, Sam made an effort to at least catch up.

Meanwhile, at the stands, while they cheer on Sam, Eugenio was looking for Trinity, to which she isn’t on the field. He exits the crowd and begins to search for her. The crowd roared; that may have been the finish of the race, but Eugenio looked for her. 

Every corner he knew of the school, she wasn’t there. 

Until he reached the back gate. 

There she was, near the gym equipment storage room, her head pressed against the wall. He subtly approaches her, and he notices some light bruising on her knuckles. He knew what she did to that wall.

“Eugenio,” She looked up, her face startled. As if she wanted to win that, but the words still haunt her to this day. 

“I… I…”
“Shh.” 

Eugenio didn’t want her to continue the blaming game. 

“Don’t.”
“But…”
“No, please.” 

She backed up to the wall and slid down to a sitting position, silently crying in front of him. She didn’t know what to do. She messed up her own self; she may have let others down.

“I want to leave. Let me leave out of this hell…”

He sat beside her. No words were spoken; he considered patting her head, but he couldn’t do it. Yet, for Trinity, just his presence and his care were enough for her. She hasn’t had a friend like him. He was a warm person. Her hands were shaken, too. She breathes rather off. He notices it, too. He inhales and exhales slowly; she follows him. Minutes passed by the afternoon, and they’re still there.

“Say, why were you looking for me?” 

Trinity asks him, looking down, still devastated. As Eugenio was about to answer,

“Trinity! Eugenio! Where are you guys?” 

They both heard their classmates looking for them near the back gate. They weren’t discovered yet. They are well hidden near the side of the storage room.

“I think we should—” 

She tugs his shirt as he almost stands up. His head almost peeked out of the outer walls. He sat down, continuing to look after her for a moment. 

“You don’t want?” 

She shakes her head. Her embarrassed face says it all. He lets out a big sigh that he just wanted to get this over with, but he still stayed by her side. He continues to answer her question.

“You know... I'd... still look for you, Trinity.”
“You could have just let me be…”
“I refuse.”
A moment for Trinity hearing that. She looks at him.
“Huh? W-Why?”
“Because you matter... to me...” 

She has never heard that phrase in her life. She looks at him, who was staring into the clouds. Her classmates shouted their names in the background; it didn’t matter.

Startled by his words, she slowly puts both of her hands onto his shoulder, and rests her forehead on it— she didn’t mind the bruised knuckles.

“Eh? Trinity?”
“Don’t move.”

He doesn’t move for another half-second. She lets her do her thing. He doesn’t know what it means, but for her, it means she has found her true peers within the school.

“I should also thank Sam and James.”
“Yeah, I think you should.” Suddenly, a voice came from the side. Sam sees them alone together on the side. Both jumped out of their spots and stood up immediately. Fortunately for Sam, she doesn’t tell her classmates that they were there. She hides from the rest and joins them. “Trinity, who was it?”

“Huh?”
“Did someone tell you something?” She nods her head.
“Who?”
“Quincy.”

“I see.” Eugenio knew what Sam was capable of handling bullies. Trinity, on the other hand, felt scared. “I should tell this to Sir.” 

Eugenio agrees to Sam’s idea. Trinity stayed silent.

“Hey, we should go, they’re dead worried for both of you.” 

As they leave the outer complex of the storage unit, Sam pulls Eugenio beside her, who was behind Trinity.

“Did she do anything?”
“Bruised knuckles.” He points with his eyebrows to the bruised to which Sam sighed quietly. “I don’t even want to imagine she did.”

“Well, it’s a good thing you were there, or else it would have gone worse.” 

Sam gave him his flowers for being there at the right time. Eugenio didn’t even react. He was just doing his job as a friend. However, Sam just couldn’t be bothered to tell him.

“You know, you two make a good pair.”
“Huh?”
“I said what I said, Gene.”
“Isn’t that a bit overboard?” Eugenio didn't want those words to echo into him.

“You know,” She pats him on the back. In the meantime, Trinity reunites with her classmates, suddenly worrying about her well-being. Some hugged her, some comforted her about the race. 

“I longed for us four to be in the same Uni.”
“That’s such a long time from now.”
“Yeah, but I wish to be with you and Trinity and James, if possible.”

As both reunite with their classmates, they walk towards the open field. Allen pulled Trinity aside, as did Eugenio and Sam. There is Quincy, looking ashamed, and their homeroom teacher.

“Quincy, what do you say?” 

Allen looked serious, and we’re all terrified by his aura.

“I’m sorry… for saying that.” Trinity just nods at her. It wasn’t because she was mad at her. The damage has been done, and she couldn’t fully confront her. “I really am.”

“Quincy, go back.” 

The teacher dismisses her. She looked down, going back to their classmates. All that was left were the teacher and his students. 

“Are you okay, Trinity?” She nods again at her teacher. He knew she wasn’t.

“Eugenio, thank you for being with her.” 

Eugenio smiles, knowing he did the right thing.

“Sam, thank you for finding her.” 

Sam initiated the search when she saw Trinity not in her position.

“Allen, thank you for defending her, and you should come with me to report this.” 

James actually told him about what’s happening. Allen is known to be the most non-biased classmate in their section. He actually told their homeroom teacher and gave a friendly but stern talk to Quincy. As they left for the principal’s office, the three— Sam, Trinity, and Eugenio were left there.

“It’s been a long day, shall we reunite with our classmates?” 

Sam asks them, to which both agreed. As they walked towards them, Trinity whispered into Eugenio’s ear. It made him smile that he rubbed her head. A first affectionate action Eugenio has done to Trinity, to which she felt grateful. As the festival came to a close, that time, the past still haunted her. However, in the present, it was a symbol of how she grew grateful for Eugenio and Sam, too. As to what she said to him from her whisper,

“Thank you for saving me…”