Sorry for the late upload. though here it is. :D
Chapter 9: Finals
Andro's POV
Yes! YES! After ng game na to makikilala ko na rin siya!!!
Kailangan ipanalo itong game na to for the sake of the school at syempre para may date din ako pagkatapos.
"Let's go team and win this game for the school! Ipakita natin sa kanilang hindi tayo magpapatalo!" sabi ko saka tumayo.
"Sure, Andro. Para din may date ka after the game." Lyndon teased.
"Kayo ang mananagot sa akin kapag wala akong date after this." Banta ko sa kanila na hindi humaharap. I heard them gulp and Tristan's snicker.
Hindi ko na sila pinansin at lumabas na ng locker room. This is the big day. We must defend our championship. Yah, OA na kung OA pero championship 'to mga 'tol at hangga't nandito si Andro Gin Volkov, no one gets the championship but our team.
Kordell's POV
(an hour before the game)
Fudge, wala akong maisuot.
Ano ba yan? Suddenly something red caught my eye nang makuha ko sobra namang pang party, yung bang pang night club ang dating. Ugh! Kay Ate siguro 'to or maybe one of the gifts mom sent.
Haaaaaaay. Buti na lang nakapili na ako ng sapatos.
Kung magpapalda ako, parang over naman..... HAAAAAAY! Ang kalat na tuloy ng kwarto ko. Nagwalk-in closet pa ako kung ganito lang din gagawin ko sa mga damit ko!
Ugh, nawawala ako sa concentration!
*TOK* TOK*TOK
Lakas makakatok. Sino ba yun? -___-"
"HOY KORDELL TRENTA MINUTOS NA LANG MAGSISIMULA NA YUNG GAME HINDI KA PA BA TAPOS DYAN?" Malakas na sigaw ni Tony, loka talaga yun!
"WALA AKO MAISUOT!" I whined to them. Yes I, Kordell Viel, whined dahil wala akong maisuot. Agad nabuksan yung pintuan ko.
"Ano ba Kordell? Hindi ka naman ganito nung mga nakaraang games ah!?" naiinis na sabi ni Tony while he (she) arranged my clothes.
"Hindi ba ngayon sila magkikita ng personal ni Volkov" paalala ni Charlotte. Sige 'Lotte ipaalala mo pa. ninenerbyos na nga ako eh! Wag na lang kaya. "Huwag kang magbaback-out, Kordell dahil ang kilala kong bestfriend ay hindi ganito."
"Wh-what if malaman niyang ako si Aeiou? Sige nga ano kayang magiging reaksyon niya. Mamaya mapahiya pa ako." Sabi ko kay Charlotte.
"Do not be an idiot, Kordell. Walang nakakakilala sa'yo sa basketball team at if ever may magsabi na ikaw nga si Aeiou, sa tingin mo ba hindi ka muna niya pakikinggan. Besides, you told us that you'll tell him once na makilala mo na talaga siya ng buo." Charlotte reasoned out, all the while throwing clothes at me.
"Buti na lang at maayos na ang buhok mo." Komento ni Tony habang tinitingnan niya ang suot ko. Ano kamo suot ko?
(sabi ni author tingnan niyo na lang daw sa itaas HAHAHHA.)
Plain white almost oversized shirt, with ripped black jeans, black shoes and black leather jacket at saka some kind of chained necklace. Oh diba, astigin ang dating. Nilagyan lang ako ni Tony ng konting eye liner at since ayos na ang buhok ko wala na kaming problema maliban sa 15 minutes na lang at magsisimula na ang game.
Charlotte was still texting something habang kami naman ni Tony masyado nang natataranta.
"Charlotteeeee! Ano ba tara na malelate tayo." Hiyaw nanaman ni Tony.
"Fine, andyan na." She replied. Pumasok siya ng kotse habang nagtetext pa rin.
After niyang isend yung message ay bigla siyang napangiti ng napakalaki. I felt shivers run down my back. What the hell did she do? I have a bad feeling about it.
"Sino katext mo?" tanong ko habang nagdadrive. Syempre akin yung kotse!
"Someone important." Sagot niya lang. that peaked Tony's curiosity.
"Sino?" tanong ni Tony, eyes shining in curiosity.
"None of your business, Tony, none at all." Sagot lang ni Charlotte, smiling at the both of us pero may mali talaga sa smile na iyon eh.
After 15 minutes ng biyahe ay nakarating din kami. Phew buti na lang hindi traffic. Kaso nga lang punong puno na ang gym at wala na kaming mapuwestuhan kung di sa may malapit sa pwesto nila Andro.
Bali yung bench nila Andro nasa baba lang naming samantalang kaming tatlo naman ay nandoon at nakakapit sa rails.
Haaay, I could see him once again looking at the crowd. Pero mukhang sumuko uli siya.
I could see how distracted he is, pero nang magsimula na ang game. Everything change. Hindi ko nakikita ang lalaking mayabang na nagpapakitang gilas tuwing nagtetraining sila sa court ng Uni. I didn't saw the boy who flirts with every girls.
What I saw was a man who wanted to win. A man who has ambition and not a boy.
Nagsimula na ang game. At sa simula pa lang ay hindi na nagpapatalo ang team namin. They never let any point out hangga't makakaya nila. At tuwing makakashoot ng isa ang kalaban ay gagawa sila ng paraan upang makashoot ng dalawang beses.
Minsan nga feeling ko ng fa-foul na lang sila ng kalaban para maubos ang oras. Pero kahit ganoon ay masyadong dikit ang labanan, magaling din kasi ang kalaban at matatangkad.
Andro's POV
Kailangan makashoot pa ng dalawa para hind imaging dikit ang laban.
I looked at Blake and Connor. Sinenyasan silang dalawa na bigyan ng pagkakataon si Tristan upang maka-three points ito. They nodded.
I looked at Lyndon, alam kong alam na niya ang gagawin. Once na makashoot na si Tristan ng bola ay hindi na niya dapat ito pakawalan. Kahit na mapunta ito sa kalaban dapat ay alisto pa rin kaming dalawa.
Once na shoot na ni Tristan ang bola ay naagaw kaagad ito ng team captain ng kabilang team. Hindi ko kilala, wala na akong pakialam.
Lyndon and I looked at each other bago agad na dumipensa. Hinabol naming ito. Sila Tristan ay nakabantay na sa mga team mates ng kalaban. Just 45 more seconds. Lamang na naman kami ng tatlong puntos. Pero iba ang gusto ko. The last time we were here nanalo kami ng tatlong puntos ang lamang. I want to surpass that.
This would be the proof that we are improving. Na ayos lang ang mapagod.
Naagaw na ni Lyndon ang bola. It was no doubt na kukumpulin siya. I was open and the team captain was a bit shock na agad na naagaw sa kanya ni Lyndon ang bola. Lyndon looked at me and at Tristan. Parehas kaming bukas pero mas malapit si Tristan, at mas madali siyang kukumpulin. Akala ng ibang player ay si Tristan ang papasahan samantalang hindi nila ako napapansin. Tumakbo ako palayo at medyo malapit sa ring.
Narinig kong sumigaw yung coach ng kabila. Na hindi dapat ako iniiwanang bukas at pati na rin ang dalawa ko pang kakampi. Agad na binato ni Lyndon ang bola without looking at me. Kaya hindi inaasahan ng kabilang team na mapupunta ito sa akin. Dinribble ko ang bola bago ibinigay kay Blake to shoot dahil nagsisimula na silang magkumpol sa akin. He shot it!
AND WE WON! 6 POINTS ANG LAMANG.
Wala akong nagawa kung hindi ang sumigaw sa tuwa. Nakipagkamayan ako sa kabilang team and they congratulated us. I was so happy, I felt like I forgot something so important.
Kinarga naming si Blake at tuwang tuwang naghihiyaw. Pati ang audience ay tuwang tuwa.
And then I saw this girl. Sobrang pamilyar niya. Ewan ko ba. Pero since nagsimula ang tournament na ito, I always saw her. Palaging malayo sa crowd. And she looked so uncomfortable na para bang naiinis siya sa ingay ng mga tao. Yet she was also happy. I once saw her face marred in worry noong nasprain ako.
I felt like there's something that connects us.
At may kamukha siya. Hindi ko lang masyadong maalala kung sino.
Una siyang umiwas ng tingin and I don't why I felt disappointed.
"Oh saan tayo kakain?" masayang tanong ni Coach.
"Sa Jollibee." Masayang sigaw ni Lyndon.
"Ang cheap. Max na lang si Coach naman ang taya eh." Sabat naman ni Connor.
"Shakey's na lang." komento ko habang nagtatanggal ng sapatos. Nakatingin sila sa akin na para bang tinubuan ako ng pangalawang ulo. Anong problema nila? I looked at them question clear on my face.
"Don't tell me, nakalimutan mo yung date mo ngayon?" tanong ni Blake with an incredulous look on his face.
Once I realized everything, I immediately looked for my phone. Nang makita ko ito ay mayroong isang text message. From an unknown number, nanaman. Haaaaaaaay! Bakit may nakakaalam ng number kong ito, nanaman.
'Malay mo naman nakitext si Kiel kaya unknown number yan.' Bulong ng konsensya ko.
I shrugged and open the message
"Hi, Charlotte, at ur service. I'm a friend of Kiel.and knowing her, alm kong my posibilidad n nde ka nya siputin after d game. Mdyo kinkbhn kc sya. Oh well. You just need to find her."
Paano ko kaya hahanapin si Kiel eh ni itsura nga di ko alam eh. Naiinis ko sabi sa sarili pero palabas na rin ako ng locker room, habang palabas ay panay naman ang kantyawan nila sa akin. I once looked at the text again.
"Here's a little help from us.
At the side, where she shall there be
Doubting herself of the decision
Shall she go on or forget these
Ripped apart by her decision
Face as pale as snow
Determining shining through the show."
What the heck is this!? A riddle. Bullshit! Akala ko pa naman .... Hay no choice
Pero ano yung mga naka-underline na words. Hmmmmm.
At the side..... maybe she's still here waiting. I looked at the crowd na unti-unting kumokonti. I saw a few girls that looked as if they were looking for someone. May girls din na binate ako but I ignored them. Okay ano ba yung second word.
Doubting..... kinakabahan. Worry might be the first emotion in her face. I once again scanned the whole gym. I saw 3 girls waiting at each corner of the gym. They all have a worried look. Ayy ano ba naman yan.
And then I saw another girl. Wala siya sa gilid pero natataranta talaga siya as if she were to meet her doom. This girl really caught my attention. Pero saka nay un.
The last three words were ripped, snow and shining. Hmmmm. Ano yun?
"Description yan ng damit." Sabi ng boses sa likod ko. Hindi ko mapigilang magulat. I looked at my back to see Tristan smirking at me. Sinamaan ko siya ng tingin which only made his smirk widen.
"Anong description ng damit ang sinasabi mo?" tanong ko.
"The last three underlined words." — Tristan.
"How could they be?"
"Snow means White. Ripped can be a part of her clothing that is ripped. Maybe ripped pants or something a like. Shining can be a description for any jewelry she's wearing, possibly silver. And from what I can read from the 'clue' that person gave, she's wearing something black."
Iba rin tong lalaking ito eh. Minsan na nga lang magsalita ang dami pa.
Haaaaaay maybe he's right.
"Thanks bro."
"No problem." At umalis na siya. I looked around me to attempt to find her. Yung babaeng nakatawag ng pansin ko nandoon na lang sa isang tabi at akalain mo nga naman. She has the same outfit as Tristan described. Hmmm. Mamaya ko na lang siiya kausapin. I looked at my right knowing na may isa pang girl doon na kaparehas ng outfit. I was about to go and asked her ng biglang lumabas mula sa locker room yung three point shooterng kabilang team.
Girlfriend nya pala yung girl. Napakamot na lang ako. Yung isang girl na lang ang pag-asa ko. Kung hindi siya si Kiel then ayaw talaga ako makilala ni Kiel ng personal.
"Hi miss. Ummm... I just want to ask if you're Kiel." Tanong ko dun sa babae. Nag-alangan pa itong sumagot bago umiling.
Nanghihinayang akong umalis when I felt suspicious of her. I looked at my phone and maybe... just maybe I could call her.
I dialed her number and waited. I heard a ringtone from my back. I ignored it at hinintay si Kiel na sagutin.
"Hello." The voice from the phone and the girl behind me said.
I looked at the girl with shocked as she held the same expression. I then smiled almost sadly.
"Andro Gin Volkov, and it's a pleasure to finally meet you even if you don't want to meet such a handsome young man as I am." I told her still holding the phone in my ears. She looked shock but recovered.
"It is a pleasure as well. Mr. Volkov, the names Kordell. Kordell Viell." The girl said with a sheepish smile. " Although you mostly know me as Kiel."
"Hmm..... so tell me why won't you tell me who you are." Tanong ko still gazing at her with a sad smile.
"Well. At first I was just nervous and then I decided, I don't want to meet a guy who stinks after basketball." She answered a bit amusement was shining in her eyes.
"Oh so that's it. Fine be that way."
"Well, my decision could be swayed if you go on your business as I wait here, what do you think?"
"Hmmmmm. That is if you won't run away."
"If I do run away, I do not think I could get away that fast since my money except for a thousand in my pocket, my keys and my jacket was no where to be found since my 'supposed' bestfriends told me to meet you, personally."
"Fine, I'll be back in 30."
"Sure" she said smiling.
I ran towards the locker room and do my business while I was at it, I can't help but think how beautiful could she be. Then I remembered her. They have the same surname. Although they do not look the same and she's far too quiet than Kiel. I mean Kordell.
Maybe, it's just a coincidence.
Yeah that's it.