Teka Lang

Chapter 5

"Bakit mo kami sinampal?" Dorothy seemed to be out of her mind, asking me that nonsense question.

"Ah, dapat ba sapak?" Ngumiwi ako para ipakita sa kanila ang pagkadismaya, "Matanong kita, Dorothy. Malinaw ko naman sinabing nakikipag-ayos ako 'diba?" 

"Ha! Sa tingin mo magiging maayos tayo pagtapos mo kami sampalin--" 

"Manahimik ka Mia. Sasapakin kitang tuluyan, 'di ako nagbibiro. Hindi pa 'ko nakakaganti sa pagtulak mo sa'kin." 

"Ano, sige! Gumanti ka na!" 

Napangisi ako nang sumugod ito sa akin, nag-aaya ng away. So I just looked down on her, while she raised her head up to me.   

Muli ko 'tong sinampal, kaya napaikot ang kanyang muka sa kanan, kasabay ng malakas na tili na nanggaling sa mabaho niyang bunganga.

"Veron, tama na 'yan! Sumosobra ka na yata," Dorothy said as she approached Mia, assisting her to get back to the spot my hands wouldn't reach. That's right, take her away from me. I wouldn't be guilty if I ever grazed her foul mouth. 

When she's done, "Hindi na tama 'tong ginagawa mo, Veron. Mapapatawag tayo nito sa DC kapag nagkataon." 

At tama ba 'yong pagtulak niyo sa'kin kanina?

"Bakit? May magsusumbong ba?" A goofy smile supported the warning I let out. I even eyeballed every persons standing on this court, except to the freshmen who were gaping, the boys and other players had their heads stoop. 

The expression of their faces changed to being startled when I jumped repeatedly on my standing point. "Ano? 'Diba sabi ko lalaro tayo one-on-one? Tara na," I called to her I as bent my knees for a warm up, even streched my arms and shook off the wrists of my hands in circular motion. 

"Huh? Seryoso ka ba?" 

"Oo," tipid kong sagot. "Paki-pasa nga ng bola." Tinanguan ko ang babaeng nakanganga na may hawak na basketball. "Salamat," saka ko itong nginitian nang totoo. Hindi niya naman alam kung ano ang magiging response niya roon. 

I palmed the ball in one hand. 

"Kapag nanalo ka, hindi na 'ko babalik sa gym na 'to. Pero kapag nanalo naman ako,  magso-sorry kayong lahat sa'kin. Sounds fair, right?" 

She seriously stared at me and shook her head in consternation when I just winked at her.

After asking the confirmation from the mean girls if it's okay to play with me, she finally jogged her way to the half court line. So did I.

One-on-one in basketball is exactly played the way it sounds. One player starts with the ball, while the other opponent player guards him.

"There's no backing out, okay?" Nakangiti kong tanong kay Dorothy na nakakunot ang noo. 

"Nga pala, bago tayo magsimula, may gusto akong baguhin sa deal mo."

"Ano 'yon?" 

"Kapag natalo ka, aalis ka na sa school na 'to at hindi na babalik,"  kalmadong anito sa akin. "Unang araw palang naman ng Hunyo, pwedeng pwede ka pag magtransfer sa ibang school." 

"Sure. Partida ha, naka-converse shoes pa 'ko. Tignan mo," sinubukan ko magbiro.

"Shh, tama na ang satsat. Break my ankle." 

I sweetly smiled when she said the last line, making me pumped up. "Now you're asking for it." 

Almost every person of this gym went to sit around the court we're playing, surrounding us with a smile on their faces.