sucked in

Chapter 18

Nandito kaming lahat ngayon sa tapat ng building. They told us to wear something comfortable. They probably have an activity planned, and I bet it's something physical. I wonder if they will let me join.

"Listen, students!" Mr. Lao yelled through a megaphone. "See this box?" he asked, pointing at the big box beside him.

"Yes, Sir!"

"There are different colored balls in here. There are red balls, blue balls, green balls, pink balls, yellow balls, and violet balls. Whichever color you get will be your team," he announced. "Who has an idea what we're going to play?"

"Sir!" Lia yelled as she raised her hand, kaya naman napatingin si Mr. Lao sa kaniya.

"Yes, Ms. Illustre?"

"I think we'll be playing Capture the Flag, Sir!" wika ni Lia.

Oh, I think she's right. May mga flag din nga na hawak-hawak ang mga teachers.

"You're right!" Mr. Lao pointed at her with a playful wink. "Now, go here one-by-one and pick a ball to know your team."

When it was my time to pick a ball, Mrs. Crisologo approached me. "Kaya mo ba itong larong ito, Ms. Estrella?" she asked.

"Hmm... I think so, Ma'am. I'll just take it easy," tugon ko.

"Okay." She gave me a little smile and a nod. I just smiled back at bumunot na ng bola sa kahon.

I got yellow. Nice. It's my favorite color.

"Come here." Pinapalapit ako ni Ms. Trivino sa kaniya. Sumunod naman ako kaagad. "Anong kulay ang nabunot mo?" tanong niya sa akin. 

"Yellow, Ma'am," payak na tugon ko naman.

Inabutan niya ako ng kulay yellow na t-shirt. "Wear this," she told me.   

"Okay, Ma'am," I simply responded at bumalik na sa pwesto ko kanina.

"Girl, which team are you on?" tanong sa akin ni Lia.

"Yellow," I answered and showed her the ball and the t-shirt. "What about you?"

"Ayt. What a bummer! I'm on Blue Team!" aniya.

Bahagyang natawa ako. "It's fine, Lia. Marami pa namang activities niyan," I told her.

"Sabagay." She shrugged.

"Alright. Now that everyone has picked a color, let me explain how this game works," Mr. Lao said, kaya naman nagsitahimik ang lahat para makinig. "Every player will attempt to cross into their opponents' territories to grab their flags. The flags should not be guarded too closely. Players are not allowed to be within 10 feet of their own flag unless there is an opposing player nearby. When a player is in an opposing team's territory, they can be captured by that team's players. Captured players will be sent to 'jail' and must be tagged by a teammate to be freed. The team who managed to take the most flags wins," he explained. "Do you get it?"