Chapter 13: The Sports Fest
~August~
"August! Catch!"
I just slump down on a bench when I see a bottle of cold water zooming in midair towards me. I catch it in a quick motion of my hand, uncap it, and hurriedly empty it in one gulp.
"Nice catch." Tristan grins.
"Thanks, anyway." I smirk as I throw the now empty bottle away, making it zoom in the air once more before it lands with a thud precisely in the nearby waste basket.
"I can't believe that you can get more amazing! It's our team's first time to have so many victories ever since we entered this school," Tristan continues as he sits next to me.
"It can't be a lot yet. We still won the swimming, chess, track and field, volleyball, tennis, football, field hockey, lacrosse, and baseball sports. There's still one more to go," I remind him, wiping my sweaty face with a towel.
"Still, those victories are all thanks to you." Tristan smiles.
"Most of those sports are done by teams," I contradict.
"But you have the most participation in them and the most contribution of scores, mind you," Tristan pushes on, "And we are already sure champions for you made us win all of the sports so far. This last one won't make any difference."
"It still makes a difference to me. I want complete victory. I can't say that I'm a champion once I lose one sport despite winning the rest," I tell him.
Surely our team's the champion as long as I'm in it. Today is, by the way, the last day of the sports festival week.
Grindes Institute's sports festival goes this way: The whole school student population must be divided into two, that obviously means two teams. The theme for this year's sports festival team names are wild cats, so our team is entitled 'Tigers' and the other team are the 'Lions. The two teams will be rivals for the title of the champion which is for the team with most sports won. The sports festival lasts for five days, on a Monday up to Friday. There are ten sports and those sports must be divided into two for each day, which means only one sport in the morning and one sport in the afternoon. The first day sports are mostly started late because of an opening program that precedes the start of the sports fest. The sports on Monday are swimming and chess; on Tuesday are track and field and volleyball; on Wednesday are tennis and football; on Thursday are field hockey and lacrosse; and lastly, on Friday are baseball and basketball. By the way, the sports on the last day must be started early, obviously otherwise the first day sports. It is because the battle of the bands and the awarding ceremony are to be held in the evening so students, most especially participants, can have more time for last practices and other stuff.
The battle of the bands also serves as a tie breaker whenever the total games won by the two teams are equal; the winning band's team will be the overall champion. Of course, that tie breaker will not be needed in this year's sports festival, for just like what Tristan said, we are already the sure champions.
I am able to join and win all the sports so far, it is simply because Grindes Institute's sports festival, like Royalce Elite University's, have fair gender outlooks. Most sports can be participated by both guys and girls.
This makes me wonder how my team at Royalce Elite University will do in this year's sports festival when I, their best athlete, am not there to play. I shrug off the thought; Royalce Elite University's students aren't only academically inclined but also athletically. They'll still do good even without me.
Of course, Royalce Elite University's students are better athletes than Grindes Institute's, but that doesn't mean that Grindes Institute's students can't be a good match for them. Royalce Elite University is just simply exceptional in almost everything, but being here at Grindes Institute is more fun. Even my four guy friends are also great sport players. They joined some games in the sports festival and they are really good.
Speaking of, Tristan suddenly speaks making me snap back to my senses, "Earth to August. Did you hear what I just said or were you having your 'spacing out' habit again?"
"Um... I know you're already used to it by now. It's some kind of a thinking thing really. What were you telling me, anyway?" I ask.
"Don't tell me anything about thinking. No comment. I'm not interested." He shakes his head. I know Tristan hates anything regarding mental functions. He's not really a genius.
"I was just asking you if you are aware that you can't participate in the last game," Tristan repeats his question.
"What?" I reacted.
"It's obvious you aren't." Tristan sighs.
"But why—" I start before Tristan cuts me off.
"Well, the last sport, basketball, is always the only all-guy sport in Grindes Institute's sports festival," Tristan explains further.
"Then how can I help win that game? Who will take charge for our last victory now that I can't join?" I ask despairingly.
"Don't worry. Bryde, Ives, Jude and I are players. We'll win this for you. You gave all your effort for this sports festival, it's time for us to do our part. You can just sit back and relax as you watch us," Tristan tells me confidently.
"Which reminds me, doesn't the basketball match start in around this time? When exactly will it start?" I inquire.
"Oh, yeah. The game starts in about ten minutes. We must prepare," Tristan says, jumping up from the bench and starting to walk.
"Where are you going? I do know that the basketball game is to be held in the gymnasium. Isn't the gym that way?" I tell Tristan as I point to the east because he's walking towards the opposite direction.
"I'll be changing into my basketball jersey. The guys' restroom is this way. Just go ahead of me. And I promise you, we'll win the game," Tristan says as he waves at me, turns his back and leaves.
I just sigh, get up, and head to the gym. I notice that I asked the five Ws and one H in my conversation with Tristan. How come I don't know anything about all this? Maybe because I skipped reading the whole part of the sports festival guidelines and rules in the student handbook after I read that girls are allowed to play in most of the sports. But I'm a great basketball player, so it's really such a waste that I can't participate in the game.
When I reach the gym, I struggle to find myself a seat in our almost-filled team's side of the bleachers. Many people greet and congratulate me as I make my way past them; I recognize most as my teammates in the previous sports I participated in while the others are unfamiliar to me, though I guess that they must have known me from seeing me play in some sport or something. Honestly, I'm not used to all of the attention. In my knowledge, only my four guy friends are noticeable while I'm the invisible one.
In Royalce Elite University, no one even congratulates me if I win a sport or such. Even if I'm the MVP and the top achiever, they just ignore me. I know that most of the Royalce Elite University's student body know me, they just don't acknowledge me; maybe because their too competitive or they just hate someone being greater than them.
As I'm sitting there alone amidst a lot of people, doubt consumes my thoughts. What if we don't win this game? I don't want to lose at this! I guess I'll just have to trust my friends, but I still wish I can play for the team too.
"Good afternoon, everyone. Welcome to the last game of Grindes Institute's sports festival, basketball!" The commentator's voice booms through the speakers and echoes around the whole gym. Loud shouts and cheers from students follow his introduction.
"I will not make you wait any longer. Let's welcome the defending champions, the Lions!" At the commentator's introduction, claps and yells issue from the other side of the gym while our side jeers at them.
I just remember about Jude saying that the two rival teams always have a hard fight in the basketball championship. Unfortunately, in the previous years the other team always won because of Graye's performance.
Speaking of Graye, he and his teammates emerge from one side of the gym. He is smirking at me from the court below like his message was, 'You can't beat me now'. I glare at him in response.
Graye joined and participated in more than half of all the sports and every time his team got beaten by ours, which is all the time; he glared at me, scowled, messed up his hair, knitted his eyebrows and clenched his teeth. His expressions were just priceless! I find his defeat funny and entertaining. Whenever he looked irritated, I wanted to laugh. My team members, however, cowered when he shot us daggers by his glares. Me? I didn't mind; besides his team also got frightened with even just a glance from me. Ha! That's why I participate in every sport and don't want to lose even a single one. I won't accept defeat to Graye even just a single time; I just won't.
My mind slams back into the present when the cheerleaders of Graye's team starts cheering: "Go, Lions! Go, go, go Lions! We are the kings!"
The cheers are followed by more shouts and claps. I also notice that the captain of their cheerleading squad is Karen. I do not even know that Graye's pet is also studying here. Well, of course she will not part with her demon master.
"Now, put your hands together for the Tigers!" The commentator announces.
Our side bursts into applause. The other side gives us catcalls, but that only makes the cheering go louder- especially when the team walks onto the court. Our side chants with our cheerleaders, drowning the jeers of the other team's supporters. I myself even chant quite aggressively with the rest.
"Let's go, Tigers! Let's go, Tigers! Hear us roar!"
"I love you, Jude!" A girl's shout is heard above all the noise.
I see Jude wave at the girl who yelled. I can also see that the girl giggles at Jude's gesture, and the other girls around her, which I presume to be her friends, throng around her like she became an instant celebrity.
"We support you, Tristan!" a group of Tristan's fan girls yell at the top of their lungs.
When Tristan winks at them, they look like they're about to faint.
"Go, Bryde!" Bryde's supporters shriek.
Bryde gives his fans a flying kiss which equals to more cheers for the team.
"Ives, you're our prince!" Ives' fans squeal.
Ives just stares with irritation at his supporters for a second then avert his eyes back to the court, but that gesture is already enough to make his fan girls scream in delight. I can't believe they find Ives' reaction romantic when it looks to me like he just ignored them.
I can't imagine how many fan girls are around me, showing their devotion to my friends. No wonder our side of the bleachers seems too crowded than that of the other side. Oh well, more people is still equivalent to more cheers and support.
A referee goes to the center of the court, holding the ball. The team captains go forward, facing each other. Graye, of course, is the Lions' basketball team captain. Our basketball team captain is no other than Ives. The referee blows his whistle and tosses the ball upwards. Both team captains jump for it. The game is now on!
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