Sofie's POV
If yesterday was a mess, today was a storm.
Half of Section C squeezed on one side, while Section F took the other half like sworn enemies in a war no one declared. No more space. No more air. Only tension, murmurs, and accidental elbow contact.
Someone whispered behind me, "Why are they always noisy?"
Someone from the other side answered, "At least we're not boring."
The mood was set.
Everything quieted when Ma'am Cruz entered.
She wore a crisp white blouse, slacks, and the kind of expression that made people sit straighter. Her heels clicked like punctuation on the floor.
"Settle down."
She wasted no time.
"I know this isn't ideal," she began. "This room's too small, the class merge wasn't planned well, and some of you are clearly allergic to silence."
A few chuckled. She didn't.
"You're both under me for Anatomy and Physiology. The merge is permanent unless admin changes it—which they won't. So get used to it."
She wrote on the board:
Grading System
Major Exams – 40%
Quizzes – 30%
Attendance/Participation – 15%
Projects – 10%
Professionalism – 5%
Passing: 75%
"But don't aim for that," she said.
"75 is crawling. Most who aim for it don't even reach it."
She looked around sharply.
"This subject will challenge everything—your memory, your patience, your time. If you're not ready, this is your sign to transfer courses."
No one moved. No one even breathed loudly.
"To begin," she said, "let's do introductions Again because right now you're merge. I want names. Where you're from. And why you chose this course."
One by one, we stood and spoke. Some gave essays, some just said one line. When it was my turn:
"I'm Sofie. I'm from Brgy. Siera Bambang. I… like reading and writing."
Simple. Safe. I sat down fast.
By the end of the session, the air was thick with reality. This wasn't high school anymore. This was real.
"You are future nurses," Ma'am Cruz said. "Start acting like it."