Mulan wiped the beads of sweat from her brows. Sadly, she looked up to see that, as usual, Esmeralda was no where to be found.
For two weeks and up, her roommate had been acting really weird. Making daily trips to the 'library's, being more depressed than happy, constantly listening to Adelle's songs, pushing even Phoebus away.
Phoebus was also distressed about the whole thing, though he was trying his hardest not to let it show.
"Good game!" Tarzan playfully punched Phoebus in the arm. Mulan watched as all the boys laughed and talked about the game they'd just played.
Mulan rolled her eyes. Ever since she'd been allowed into the team, she'd played only twice, and never as a defender or anything.
High and Mighty Captain Shang had only allowed her take endless laps round the gym. Which made her feel pretty weird, being the only girl running around some group of boys.
She had even ended up missing out on entering the Talent show because she desperately wanted to be a basketball expert.
Standing up fiercely, she felt she'd had enough.
"Uh...captain?" She began calmly, forcing herself to muster up the only courage she could think of that she still had.
Shang, however, whether purposely or not, kept on talking to the other guys on the team. Laughing about some guy-laughable-thing.
"Captain?" Her voice had more steel this time.
Adam, Hercules, Charming and Shang all stopped abruptly.
"It's General." Shang almost sneered. Mulan forced herself not to pout.
"Right. Sorry. General Shang. Um, I wanted to ask you a question. If you don't mind."
Shang studied her under stern gaze for a while before pinching the bridge of his nose. "OK...Mulan...what seems to be the problem?"
She looked at the hefty men behind him, wondering if it was advisable to carry on with them around.
"I know it sounds crazy but--when do I actually get to play?" She looked down at her sneakers, her hands rummaging her short black bob.
At first, Shang stopped, one brow going higher than the other, the he sputtered a laugh. "Excuse me?"
Mulan sighed again. "I said--"
"I heard what you said! And if I must add, you're quite ungrateful. Even after giving you a spot on the 'boys'' team, you still feel like we haven't given you enough?!"
"Well, I'm not being like that. It's just that I thought being here would mean I could shoot baskets, dribble and all that. All I do mostly is run around. I'm hardly given any task..."
"Of course you are! Two days ago, you brought in the water.
"That spot's for the water boys. I'm a player, aren't I?"
Shang looked back at his guys and for a moment, They just kept on exchanging glances, as if passing a secret language amongst themselves.
Finally, Shang looked back. "Listen here. Don't think being a player is all about playing..."
"It's also not always about not playing..."
"Don't interrupt."
"Sorry."
"As I was saying. You said you wanted in. That's what you got. Don't question the tactics."
"I'm not. I'm simply wondering when I get to play?"
"You play when you master the tactics. Yo, guys! Back to the game!" With just that, she was left alone. Again.
Placing her hands on her hips, she tried to count to ten. She didn't get it.
Both she and Shang looked like they both came from the same country. He was supposed to be a bit tribalistic here.
Raising her hands up in surrender, she returned back to the bleachers.
..........................
"We are so going to clobber the kids of Marvel. With a strong playing base like ours." Phoebus smiled as he put on a clean shirt after showering.
"And our cheer squad as well." Charming piped in.
"Yeah. The cheer squad." Phoebus frowned a bit, his mind trailing back to Esmeralda.
"Have you told the girl about the big match coming up on Friday, Shang?" Flynn asked reaching down to lace up his sneakers.
Shang slammed his locker almost too hard. "Why should I?"
"Uh. Duh. Cause she kind of deserves to know. She is a player after all."
"Yes. She plays well, I must admit. But, that's the problem. She. We'll get disqualified once they see some girly chick on our team. She stays in our team, quite alright but she doesn't need to know a single thing about the Match."
"A bit too harsh, aren't we, Shang?"
"Harsh? I let her on the team..."
"You never let her play, though." Charming added.
"Yeah, why? I mean, Coach Hades already gave the permission. You really do treat her like crap. If you ask me." Hercules shrugged.
"I don't think I do."
"Yup, you do. And she knows it. Tell me, General, what'd she do to you? Give you a nightmare?" Tarzan joked.
"Does she look like your ex Chinese girlfriend?" Phoebus laughed.
"Poison your tofu?"
"Push you off The Great Walls?"
"You guys are all nimrod. I just believe I'm being right by putting her in her place."
"A little bit too chauvinistic, don't you think?"
"Oh my God. You're all unbelievable. Who's ready to go?"
"Calm your horses." The guys laughed. Shang frowned.
Really, he couldn't be all that bad, could he?