THE UNIVERSE THAT MISSED US (1st look)

Part Fourteen

GAMBLE

BY MALCOM

"Go Malcom, you can do this!" I can hear Amethyst cheering for me from across the gymnasium while Emily is sitting beside her anxiously watching us.

My tryouts with the orcas was supposed to be between me and Austin only, but both of the girls decided to tag along anyways.

Such a great time for them to witness how my opponents bury me alive playing this game! I just hope all those NBA references would pay off after a week of watching it while sacrificing academics.

"Timeout!" Biglang pumito ang coach sa kalagitnaan ng laro.

"Water break muna babalik ako after five minutes." Sabi nito habang dala-dala ang isang clipboard. Seems like something came up from the faculty that the coach had to leave.

Austin and I jogged our way to the girls' direction and decided to sit with them. Amethyst shook her head in disappointment. "God, you guys are dying out there."

"Asan yun pupunta?" Austin referring to Emily who just took her leave.

"Bibili lang ng tubig saglit kasi naubusan ka." Sagot naman ni Amethyst.

"Ang lakas ng defenses ng mga kasama ni Mckenzie, hindi ako basta-basta makapasok." Austin said in a shaking voice catching his breath.

I'm kind of glad that they chose to sit on a bench located at a corner too far away from the basketball court so I can hide my humiliated face from playing this game.

Amethyst then turned to me with those pitiful eyes. "You should give it up Malcom, ano ba ang gusto mong patunayan? Hindi talaga kita gets minsan."

"Well, I..." I wanted to answer her directly, but when I looked into her innocent eyes I couldn't dare to hurt her with the truth.

"I don't want to lose this deal with your father. I know it's not much but this is the only way I can keep up."

"You're what?" She asked again.

"Never mind, I have my own reasons..." I said as I took my tumbler out of my backpack and drank water since this conversation made me parched.

Now, the amount of insecurity and panic inside me starts to grow by the second.

"Siya!" Austin yelled pointing to a guy across from where we are sitting. "Kilala niyo ba siya?"

Amethyst and I turned to that guy's direction. He was being friendly to the girls across us. From the way I see it, the girls he is interacting to, tends to get attracted by the way he talks and he casually how he pats their head and mess their hair laughing.

He's definitely what the girls call a pretty-boy. His body language even tells us that he's a pro at this kind of situation.

"Ah, Si Dylan? Classmates sila ni Gracie sa Arctic section. Bakit ba?" She answered.

Ah, no wonder. I could tell that a guy like him could belong there. Kids like them are concious about their aesthetics rather than academics. The probability of them braging about their body count and the people they ghosted are high. Narcissists.