Rivalry between us

Chapter 5

"Hi, Kai!" Most of them greeted me when I arrived on the gym.
I just bob and give them a smile then I direct my way to the benches.
I spotted the star players of Ateneo here but I didn't really mind though I'm not in the mood.
I took my shirt and change up. Then I sat down and went to my phone.
"Hi ganda," Dominique greeted.
"Kanina kapa?" I replied as she kisses my cheeks.
"Five minutes ago lang." she said.
Someone cleared her throat so we both face it—it was Deanna.
"Uh-.. I baked some cupcakes for you." she's handling me a tupperware.
"Actually she really studied that on kat's kitchen." Since the Ateneo are one of the famous people in the Philippines, I mostly all know them. It was Ate Maddie who said that while smiling.
I look to Deanna, "Really? Thanks."
"I hope you'll like it." she sneer,
"Of course she's going to like it, diba you said she likes sweets?" Deanna's brows furrowed and tapped Ate Bea.
"I'm Bea pala." she introduced and the others followed.
"I'm maddie,"
"Ponggay,"
"Kat."
"Uh-hi?" I said.
"Deanna's been talking about you a lot." Ate Ponggay shared.
"Ah talaga?—..maybe it wasn't me?" I let out a small chuckle.
"It is you." she inserted. "Just you."
I pout my lips and reacted. She came closer to clip my hair at the back of my ears. I missed Deanna doing that. Then she look to me.
The whistle sounded so I let go.
"Thanks for the cupcakes." I said,
She beam. "Anything for you."
We all gathered around but before I went down on the court, I heard her saying. "Thanks guys."
That made me smile.
"Okay, so for these days—we have a guests." Coach said.
"They are going to help us with some plays." he added.
"They'll be joining us?" I ask.
"Yes, captain!" Dominique said, obviously teasing.
I look to Deanna as she spoke up, "Kung ayaw mo, pwede naman kaming-.."
"Hindi!"
Damn, the tone I used.
Everyone looks to me while Deanna tries to hid her smile after on how I reacted.
"I mean-..mas may experienced kayo. You can help us with it." I tried to cover up.
"Okay! Let's work work work!" Coach stan claps his hands and we all did a warm up.
I caught Deanna staring at me while she's talking with coach and the rest of the ateneas.
Paano kaya ako makakaconcentrate nito?
I continued warming up while she is just a distance away from me, she gave me a smile but I ignored her and went to continue my stretching.
Right after we finish all the warm up exercises, coach stan arranged us for the receiving. I pass onto Deanna to go to my line, but she secretly pulled my cycling down to extend it on my legs. "May mas maikli pa diyan?"
"Meron, gusto mo?" I said to her.
"Sige sakin na lang. palit tayo." she replied immediately.
I rolled my eyes and sigh while she smiled and went directly to the other direction.
Why does she always has answers to everything?
I received the ball, and she's staring while smiling. It gives me beast mode feeling though.
Why is she here in the first place?
"Okay girls, gather around." Coach demanded,
We all lineup vertically in front of him and the ateneans. Deanna is such a tease as she keeps on gazing at me while I also tried my best to reject her at all costs.
"Alam niyo ba kung bakit sila nadito?" Coach ask.
I kept quiet, "ikaw, Kai?"
My eyes widen.
"Huh? Ba't ako coach?" I ask in full confusion.
"In your own prediction, why are they here?" He continued.
I shrug my elbow, "Recruit players? Vacation?-ewan.."
My teammates started to tease.
"Well, they are here because tutulong sila for our trainings and plays." He spilled.
"What? Seryoso?" I reacted. Everyone look to me.
I sounded OA, shit.
"I mean—sorry coach.." I covered,
"Since they were veterans, they can trained you up to enhance your skills and to improve your plays and target. It'll be a very big help to your performance in the championship." Coach delivered.
It's a bad to ask for an injury for myself but I would rather have spend my day in the hospital rather than facing my unfinished business ex.
"Coach parang labag sa loob po ni Kailyn." Deanna spoke up.
I made face at her then I smiled to a coach. "Di po coach."
"May problema ka sa plans and strategies ko kai?" Coach stared at me.
"Luh? Wala po, ever since po di ako nag doubt sayo coach," I sigh.
"Good." He said, "Always remember that this is for your team. Don't let your emotions take you."
Everyone gaze at each other, that was awkward.
Coach knows about me amd deanns and he knows as well for the break up. Eh siyempre he's always here. Kasama namin. Always.
"Set na po tayo ." I change it up before it can lead elsewhere.
I took a ball and started to get ready as everyone followed too.
"Okay, Deanna will be the setter for now." Coach stan stated.
"What?" I ask in disbelief.
Coach stan was already leaving but yet he came back again for me, "is there any problem kai?"
"Bakit siya pa? Pwede naman si ate fen ah?" I told him.
"So that fen can learn how deanna plays, kaya yun rest muna siya and study up Deanna's game." He replied.
"Bhe, mas comfortable nga mag set si deanna eh." Ate Fen inserted.
"Pero sayo ako mas komportanble teh.." I nearly raise my voice.
"Laki talaga ng problema mo kay deanna nu?" Ate maddie joined in while laughing.
Kung alam mo lang teh.
"Sorry po talaga..pero gusto ko po si Ate fen." I said. "Sa kabilang court na lang po siya."
"Ayaw ko ngaa.." Deanna's childish tone showed up.
Then he looks to coach, "basta coach dito lang po ako."
I look to her, annoyed. "Oh sige coach, ako na lang po sa kabila."
"Ako din coach.." she immediately replied while smiling.
I breath out, "ano bang problema mo?"
She gaze at me, "Wala."
"Ikaw nga tong bitter sakin.." she pout her lips.
Everyone cleared their throats like they have some coughs or something.
Maria Izabelle Deanna Wong is really testing me.
Coach came forward, "Bakit ka ba ganyan kai? Huh?"
Coach stan treats us all as her daughters. But the team does really understand how he treats me differently. Like his favouritism, to be exact.
"Ano ba? May nangyari ba sainyo oh ano?" He ask.
He knows it already. Actually, Coach are one of those who ask me to reconsider of moving on from Deanna. Deanna used to be his favorite player too.
"Kagabi coach?" Deanna immediately answered.
"Hoy! Ano kaba? Umayos ka nga." I slap her arms.
Everyone exchange's looks.
"Magkasama kayo kagabi?" Ate Fen asked.
"Oo," Deanna answered. "Pero promise walang may nangyari samin."
It looks like she really wanna tease me up.
"Ano ba?" I said, very much upset now.
"Totoo naman ah?" she look to me. "Nagusap lang tayo, ganun lang."
"Mag set ka na lang.." I told her.
I look to my teammates who were secretly smiling and giggling. "Galaw na!" They all went to their places right after.
"Oh sige na, let's start!" Coach stan shouted.
Deanna came over to my direction and she goes pinching my cheeks. "Ang cute cute mo talaga pag galit."
For a second, I let myself go with flow with her by letting her do that to me.
But then, "Dalian mona Maria Isabelle." Her brows furrowed, that made me laugh a little.
She spiked the ball to our libero then she set it up for me. I moved backward, getting a nice approach then I swing body and forcedly hit the ball on target 6.
"Grabe yung improvement ah." she said.
"I told you, I have to." That made her quiet. She must've been mistaken it again.
I face her again. "For my team."
"For me na lang kaya?" She smiled,
That damn smile.
That damn smile who can carry you away immediately.
"Isa pa?" I ask her. She laugh and that sinks up to me again. "Yung set huh."
"Oh?" She teased. "Bakit ka nag rereact? Wala naman akong sinabing iba."
"Bakit? May sinabi ba'kong may sinabi ka?" I said.
She got serious, dribbling the ball while looking at me. "Bakit? May sinabi rin ba ako na pwede ka ng agawin ng iba?"
I got tightlipped that time, just staring at her. I don't know what to response and I don't want to response anymore.
I look to Ate Fen's direction. "Ate fen, paset naman oh." I told her.
Ate Fen points to Deanna. "Okay lang po, magpapahinga rin naman po ako." she said.
"Sure ka?" she nod and went to the benches to get her water.
Ate Fen spiked the ball to me then I received it and she set it for me then I spike it off. We continued doing that multiple times but then, my attention got shifted to deanna who is drinking water. It felt it went to a slowmotion.
Damn, she's so hot.
She look to me and continued doing it.
More, Deanns. More.
"Bhe!" Ate Fen shouted as the ball ended on my face and I landed on the floor.
Everyone rushed to check me off.
"Kailyn! Are you okay?" Coach run to me immediately,
Even ate mads and the others came over to me. Deanna rushed and even pushed everyone so she can be at my front. "Are you okay?"
Damn, that's so embarrassing.
"Yeah, I'm okay." I replied, forcing myself to stand up.
She held my hand while coach stan also guided my hips. "Bhe naman kase ih, san kaba kase tumingin?" Ate fen worriedly said,
I look to Deanna as she bit her lips while smiling. "May pumasok lang po kase sa utak ko."
"I told you stay focus while training." Coach stan scolded.
"Sorry, Coach." They let me sit down on the benches and give me water.
Everyone left me to continue the trainings while Deanna choose stay beside me.
"Titig pa more." Deanna quietly said while laughing,
"Why the heck are you even so maarte while just drinking water?" I replied.
"Eh sino ba nag sabi sayo na tumingin ka?" she bring it back to me.
We both just stared at each other, "sus!" she was the one who cut it off.
"Don't ever forget how we both started, Kai." she said.
Yes. We started by just staring at each other. In my perspective kase I'm just curios on her. Pero siya, she immediately ask for my name and number. Marami kase nagkakagusto sa kanya sa school before, that's why it's easy for her to ask anyone.
"Past is past," I said,
She came back facing me, "pero pwede pa rin naman idiscuss diba?" I just look at her,
Why the heck I always end up no left words to response?
She smiled.
"Oh by the way," she started.
"Can I stay on your condo?" My eyes widen.
"What?" I reacted.
"Uh- kami nina ate kat, mads, bea and ponggay." she continued. "Sayang nga di kita masolo." she smirk.
"You have your condo naman ah?" I said.
"Uh-I sold it na." she replied. "Raming memories eh." She wasn't looking that time.
It was an awkward silent right after but I cut it off, "Rami ka namang pera ah? You can just rent."
"You know that I'm saving it up for my Dad, right?" Yeah, I almost forgot about Deanna's dad diagnosis.
"How was he pala?" I ask.
"Yun. Ganun pa din." She replied.
She's so close to her dad so much. Deanna used to cry on me because of his dad's situation and we just both always end up anywhere kase I comfort her by foodtrips and travel lang.
"I remembered how you spoil me up with some plenty foods then go driving crazy at midnight every time I got saddened because of dad." she gave me a sad smile. And that one was pretty obvious.
I sigh and avoided her stare.
I bang my shoulders to her, "Oo na, sa condo na kayo."
I don't know how to say it to mich but all I know is that I still wanna spoil Deanna with whatever she needs. Sounds unfair on my girlfriend side but Deanna is my friend too.
Isa pa, she went out with a vacation naman so she won't make it to have sleepovers there for now.