Courtside Connections

Chapter 13: Men's Basketball Tryout Part II

Chapter 13: Men's Basketball Tryout Part II

As the tryouts began, Aria wasted no time in whipping out Marcus' phone and starting to record.

Every time Marcus scored, Aria and Emily cheered loudly from the sidelines, their support unwavering despite Marcus's visible struggle to keep up with the competition.

"Ipakita mo kung sino ka, Marcus Morales!" Emily shouted enthusiastically, clapping her hands together.

"Go Jersey #06, Marcus Morales!" Aria chimed in, her voice filled with encouragement as she focused on capturing Marcus's every move on camera.

As Aria continued to record Marcus's attempts, Emily, Orion, and herself couldn't help but notice Aiden's remarkable performance on the court.

"Wow, kita niyo yun? Ang galing ni Aiden!" Emily exclaimed, her eyes widening in awe.

Orion nodded in agreement, a surprised expression crossing his face. "Yeah, siya yung guy who tripped last time sa open court, right?"

Aria nodded, recalling the incident. "Yes, grabe ang taas ng basketball iq niya,"

"Parang makukuha si Aiden sa varsity ah," Emily remarked, her tone filled with admiration. Orion, Rico, and Aria all nodded, staying focused on the game.

As the final buzzer sounded, signaling the end of the game, the participants gathered around the coach to hear the outcome of the tryouts.

The atmosphere was tense as the coach delivered the news."We have two spots available on the team," the coach announced, his voice echoing through the gymnasium.

"After careful consideration, we've chosen Aiden Lehmann for one of the spots."

Aiden's face lit up with joy as he received the news.

The coach then revealed that the second spot would go to a player from the civil engineering course, leaving Marcus visibly disappointed.

Despite the disappointment of not being chosen, Marcus chose to put on a brave face, hiding his true feelings behind a cheerful facade.

Marcus came closer to Aiden, "Congrats Aiden, proud classmate here," he smiled as he congratulated Aiden and the other selected player, offering them words of encouragement and genuine support.

"Thank you Marcus, this outcome is expected from me," Aiden said with confidence as he wiped his sweat with his jersey.

"But then again, you did great Marcus," Aiden continued and then walked towards the sideline where a new girl is waiting for him. The girl then proceeded to wipe Aiden's sweat with the small towel she brought.

'Wow, bagong biktima na naman,' Aria thought as she glanced over Aiden and the girl.

Marcus went to Aria's side and sat down to the seat next to Aria.

"Grabe, ang gagaling nilang lahat," Marcus said as he breath heavily from exhaustion.

"Real, eto tubig oh," Aria said as she handed a bottled water to Marcus. Marcus accepted it and drank the water in a gulp.

"Thanks Aria," feeling refreshed, Marcus thanked Aria.

Aria, Emily, Orion, and Rico watched Marcus closely, knowing that behind his cheerful demeanor, he was undoubtedly feeling the sting of rejection.

They exchanged sympathetic glances, silently acknowledging Marcus's disappointment while also admiring his resilience in the face of adversity.

Aria nodded, offering him a supportive smile. "Anytime, Marcus. Galing mo nga doon sa court eh," Aria continued, "Tingnan mo itong vinideo ko sa'yo," she gestured to the phone that she was holding.