MARCH 14, 2024
AROUND 3PM
LILIA'S POV
I've got an hour before the team meeting starts. We don't have practice, but Coach Staley asked to meet us because she has to announce something. I am currently heading to the school's cafeteria. Then I heard someone call me, "Lilia!"
I knew that voice. I turned around to see Jewel, "Uy, hi!" I greeted her. Jewel's my friend back in the Philippines, we met in 7th grade. At 11th grade, she moved here to the States. And since fate was nice enough, we met again at this school.
"Congrats on your win!" She happily said to me.
"Thank you!"
"So, where are you heading?" She asked as she followed me.
"Cafeteria. My teammates and coach are going to kill me if they find out I didn't eat." I told her. I wish I was exaggerating, but it's true. They all know I have an unhealthy eating habit that's why every practice they always make sure to quiz me about what food I ate.
"Going back to your 2020 self?" She asked. My 2020 self was the worst era I had. At least, according to my friends. For me, it was my best era. My insecurities were so high. I only ate three times a week. I over exercised. My friends don't like that era of me because they claim that it was "very unhealthy." But to me, it was very effective. I got my dream body. Might've hated my face, but at least I loved my body. And other than that, I was really weak back then, physically speaking.
"No. I wish I could, though. But my team wouldn't let me." I told her.
"Good. It's for the best."
Needless to say, I'm better now. According to them. I'm healthier despite me not having my dream body build. I eat more now through force. Although, I wouldn't say that I'm also better mentally. In a sense of mental stability, I'm actually very weak. My physical body might be healthy, but all my friends are aware that my mental health isn't. My insecurities never left. I sometimes try unhealthy ways to bring back my old dream body. I'm a pessimist. That's why most of my teammates got their eyes on me. Also, most probably, why they treat me like a child. I did some unhinged things both in the past and present. I'm assuming all of them are traumatized, thus why they keep me guarded.
Me and Jewel arrived at the cafeteria. I just ordered a burger and a soda. Then, we went to find a seat. "You're not going buy?" I asked Jewel.
She shook her head, "No, I got my own food." She pulled out a lunch box from her bag. She opened it and showed lumpiang shangai with rice.
"Wanna know what I don't like here?"
"No rice?" She guessed, I nodded. "Yeah, no rice." I agreed.
"I miss Filipino foods. And I'm talking about homemade, not my own cooking." I ranted to her.
"Oh, yeah. Your aunt's in New York." I nodded to her statement. "How come you didn't go to a university near there? Why come here in South Carolina?" She asked.
"One, I don't wanna be a burden to my aunt. And two, the program here in Psychology is great." I answered her question.
"You're right." She shrugged. "Come to our house sometimes. My mom cooks Filipino food all the time." She invited me.
I smiled, "I actually will."
"Just tell me when. My mom knows you, anyway."
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So Far Yet So Close | HVL Fanfic
FanfictionLilia Suarez, a newly freshman transfer from the Philippines. She currently goes to the University of South Carolina and was lucky enough to make the basketball team. But because of her lack of game experience and has only been playing street basket...
