Game Plan

PROLOGUE

"At saan naman ang punta mo?" My tracks were put to a halt when I heard my father's question. 

"Game, sa Sta. Cruz." I grabbed my cleats and shoved them in the shoe compartment of my backpack. 

"Sports complex? Ang init-init oh! Bibilad ka pa sa arawan." He said before flipping to the next page of today's newspaper. 

"Wow, like you're not a football coach yourself, huh?" I replied sarcastically. "At bakit hindi ka pa nakagayak? Your team is playing." 

"Susunod ako, dadaan lang muna ako sa bank." He closed the pages of the paper and grabbed his motorcycle keys. "Anong category sinalihan niyo?" 

"Women's open, of course." I answered with a fake sarcastic tone that made him laugh. 

"Aba, ay magkakalaban pa pala tayo eh." 

As if I didn't know that already. "Pasabi sa players mo, good luck na lang." 

That made him laugh even louder. "Yumayabang ka na ah. Oh, s'ya, gayak ka na ba? Hatid na muna kita." 

"Buti naman. I'm already running late." He wore his blue adidas jacket that he always wears when coaching, handed me a helmet, then we went on our way. 

It was supposedly a 35 minute drive, but my father always prefers to drive as if we're on the road to heaven. He stopped just beside the sidewalk, near the entrance to the large field that was divided into four. 

I went down the motorcycle and was about to bid farewell, but then three boys greeted my dad. 

"Coach! Mag-start na daw po." One of them remarked. 

I interrupted. "Dad, una na ako. Sunod ka na lang." 

"Anak niyo po, Coach?" The same guy asked. I turned my back to walk away. 

"Ay, Arrie!" I faced them again, waiting for what my father was about to say. "Shin guard mo?" 

"Oh, fuck." I forgot. Hindi naman kasi talaga ako usually nagsusuot ng shin guard kapag naglalaro ako, but this tournament is a big deal. It's Governor's Cup, which usually has stricter rules than normal tournaments. 

"Tsk," the disappointment was evident on my dad's reaction. I was about to ask him to buy a new one from me in a nearby mall, but one of the guys interrupted. 

"I have an extra po, Coach." 

"Ayun! Arrie, kuhain mo na lang kay Ven ha. Babalik ako." 

So, Ven is the name. He looks... alright. 

And by alright, I mean exactly my type. 

Though he's a bit pale for someone that plays football.