The Last Rule

Chapter 1- Normal

Eeeennggggg!

"End of the second quarter!"

I walked and half-ran inside the court while carrying the energy drinks for the players. We were all shocked when the announcement came three hours before the game that the last match for the semis would be today. This is a do-or-die game for Papa's team because once they lose here, they are officially out of the league.

"Excuse me! Sorry!"

The court was so crowded that you could barely see what was happening if you were stuck at the entrance. I had to squeeze myself in, push through some people, and I even stepped on someone's foot along the way.

"Wag niyong pinapanood si Wil! Ayan dito ka, Kalo dito ang pwesto mo. Ang ayos-ayos ng set kanina eh libre pa!"

Obviously, Papa's temper was rising. He was already frustrated when he heard about the sudden change in schedule, and now it looked like the game was slipping away from them. The opponent was ahead by ten points. But still, Rule No. 1, Coach!

Usually, games were only scheduled during weekends, and today was Friday. Totally unexpected. Some of Papa's players had errands, others were stuck at school or work. Papa couldn't force them to just drop everything for the game. That left less than half of his team available to play today.

"Thanks, Nana."

Pete grabbed the energy drinks I brought. Since everything was in a rush earlier, no one had time to prepare drinks for the team.

"JUAN ON JUAN! JUAN ON JUAN!"

The crowd on the other side roared. Their team was winning, waving plastic bottles filled with pebbles, shaking them loudly in unison.

"NOVARINO! NOVARINO!"

At hindi rin nagpapatalo ang mga nasa side ko our side of the court cheered back just as loud, but the noise, the heat, and the chaos inside triggered my headache. I stepped outside to breathe, thankful that I always kept my medicine in my wallet. I popped one and decided to stay outside for a while, letting the fresh air calm me down. Even here, I could still hear the crowd screaming from inside.

"Ano na? Tapos na ba?"

It was Kuya Kris, one of the eldest players, rushing down mula sa sasakyan niya.

"Kuya, nasa loob. Dali, tambak na." He's probably from work dahil naka work attire pa siya ng top pero pang basketball na yung shorts niya. He unshamelessly removed his polo in front of me, ako pa ang nahiya kaya tumalikod nalang ako and guess what, paglingon ko wala na siya.

I leaned against the wall, waiting for Papa so I could go home with him later. Honestly, I just wanted to leave. Pero wala akong masakyan. After a few minutes, the crowd started to disperse. I spotted Papa's team walking out, shoulders slumped in defeat.

"Go ahead and ride with your brother. I'll stay behind and talk about the jersey," Papa said before I even reached him.

I really don't want to have a ride with my brother, walang time na magkasama kami na hindi niya ako inasar o inaway. I am a very patient person pero pagdating sa second brother ko ay bigla kong nakakalimutan ang salitang patience.

"Lis sis!"

I rolled my eyes and turned around. Of course, it was Astro. Just by the look on his face, I knew we'd end up bickering all the way home. Fifteen minutes with him in the same vehicle? No thanks.

"Nope." I shook my head, popped the "p," and walked away.

"Ibig sabihin ba tanggal na sila?" Cleo asked. We re currently eating in a food stall sa tapat ng court dito sa barangay namin.

"Edi hihintayin nanaman nila yung bagong season bago ulit maglaro?" Jeirlyn added.

All of my friends loved watching basketball. For them, it was fun and exciting. But for me, I would rather stay home and watch K-drama than deal with the heat, noise, and crowd. But of course, I still came to support Papa and my brothers.

"May bago silang sasalihan. Nagpagawa sila ng bagong jersey," I answered.

It was sad for Papa's team. Last season, they were the defending champions. 

"Uy, pagawa din kami. Sabihin mo kay Tito," Raela said. My friends weren't just fans, they were diehards. Every league, they had jerseys made, and they never missed a game. Well, except this one, since the announcement came so suddenly.

"Sariling sikap nalang. Ang dami namang players, ba't di nalang tayo mamili sa kanila para hindi na tayo gagastos ng jersey. Sola, tara tambay sa inyo."

That was Teby, another friend.

Everyone knew the routine. After a game, if the court was empty, the players were probably at our house already. That's why I was here instead of curled up in my room with a drama series. The boys treated our place like their second home. They entered everywhere except my room and my parent's room.

"Sorry, can't relate," Nixie rolled her eyes. Unlike us, she had a boyfriend in the team.

We chatted for a while until it started getting dark, so we decided to head home.

"HAHAHAHAHA!"

"Ang hina naman!"

"Anyare, Ayan!"

"Huy may hangover ako!"

The moment I reached our gate, their loud laughter echoed through the night. Surprisingly, I wasn't annoyed. Sometimes, I even found myself laughing with them. Actually gustong-gusto ko'ng nakikinig sa mga pando-dog show nila sa isa't isa.

I walked straight to the terrace where some players high-fived me as I passed. I was used to this. This was our normal after every game.

"Hulog," I teased, and a few of them scratched their heads while others laughed.

"Siyempre wala ako kanina eh," Kuya Bry said. He was one of my favorites, always the funniest.

"Minalas," Wil added, one of the youngest members.

"Ayos lang yun, yung kapatid ko talaga yung malas," I joked, trying to cheer him up. He was still new, only in his first season, and sometimes he struggled to blend in with the team's banter.

"Oo nga kasi, kasalanan ni Kuya kung ba't tayo natalo," Astro butted in. Typical.

"Sinisi mo pa yung wala. Ikaw nga yung binabanggit ni Sola, tuleg!" Kuya Bry shot back, and the group burst out laughing. I laughed too, which earned me a glare from Astro.

"Nasaan si Papa?" I asked.

"Sinundo si Mama sa resto."

I excused myself and walked inside. Some players were lounging on the sofa watching TV, while others were in the kitchen cooking. I passed by, exchanged smiles, and headed to my room without any hesitation. This was our life. I was the only girl in a house full of boys, but this chaos? This was normal.