Unspoken

Mission

It was a new day, and the classroom was alive with energy.

Students were chatting loudly, their voices overlapping as they shared stories from the weekend. A few were tossing paper balls across the room, while others scribbled doodles on the blackboard.

Adriana and Valeria were giggling in the corner, laughing at a silly drawing of a cat with a moustache someone had left behind.

Carlos and Elena were busy arguing over whose desk space was bigger, their debate drawing laughter from their nearby classmates.

"Can you two just admit it's a tie already?" Pablo called out, rolling his eyes as he leaned back in his chair.

Near the windows, Rafael and Daniel were tossing a small eraser back and forth, trying to see who could catch it with one hand. "Come on, mate, is that the best you've got?" Rafael teased, snatching the eraser mid-air with a grin.

"Yeah? Let's see if you can catch this, genius," Daniel retorted, throwing it higher and laughing when Rafael barely managed to grab it.

Just as Selena shook her head, amused by the chaos around her, the door flew open, and Mr. Navarro strode into the classroom, clapping his hands loudly. "Alright, settle down, everyone!" he called, his booming voice instantly silencing the room. Chairs scraped as students scrambled to their seats, though a few giggles and whispers lingered.

"Good morning, class," Mr. Navarro began, glancing around with a sly smile. "I hope you've all got energy to spare because I've got an announcement." He paused, letting the suspense build as the students exchanged curious glances. "The inter-house football competition is coming up soon! So, tell me—are you ready to bring the trophy home this year?"

The room erupted into cheers and shouts. "Yes, sir!" came the loudest voices, as Rafael, Daniel, Mateo, Juan, and Marco shot up from their seats, fists in the air. "We're ready to crush it, sir!" Mateo added enthusiastically, practically bouncing on his feet.

"That's the spirit!" Mr. Navarro said, nodding approvingly. "Now, all participants, grab your water bottles and meet me at the field in five minutes. It's time to start practice!"

"Let's go, team!" Daniel shouted, high-fiving Rafael as they darted for the door, followed closely by Mateo, Juan, and Marco. The rest of the class broke into animated chatter again, some teasing the football players."Hey, Rafael, don't trip over your shoelaces this time!" Carlos yelled, earning a round of laughter.

"Don't worry, Carlos," Rafael shot back with a grin. "We'll win this, and you'll be asking me for autographs."

Meanwhile, Ana turned to Selena, smiling. "You think they're going to win this year?"

Selena shrugged, watching the boys rush out with determination written all over their faces. "With all that energy? I think they just might."

As Mr. Navarro herded the players toward the field, the rest of the class settled back into their usual antics.

Some pulled out notebooks to draw, others began whispering about weekend plans, and a few groups drifted into casual games of hangman on the blackboard. The air buzzed with anticipation—not just for the football match, but for the excitement and pride it might bring to their school.

Ana, Selena, and Olivia sat close together, casually flipping through their notebooks while the rest of the class was still buzzing with chatter about the upcoming football competition.

Suddenly, Olivia leaned closer, her brow furrowed in curiosity. "Hey," she said, her voice dropping just enough to catch Selena and Ana's attention. "Is it just me, or does it seem really weird that Rafael and Daniel were talking so... nicely to each other today?"

Ana immediately perked up, setting her pencil down. "Oh my gosh, yes! I noticed that too. Aren't they, like, sworn enemies? They never miss a chance to take jabs at each other."

Selena raised an eyebrow, recalling the playful banter between the two boys earlier. "Yeah, they usually act like they're competing for some imaginary title of 'Most Annoying Guy in Class.' What's going on with them?"

Olivia shrugged, smirking. "I don't know, but it's definitely suspicious. What if..." Her eyes sparkled mischievously. "What if they made some sort of secret deal? Like, Rafael finally admitted that Daniel is better at football, and now they've declared a truce."

Ana snorted. "Rafael? Admit that Daniel is better? Yeah, right. That guy has more pride than a peacock. No way he'd say that."

"Okay, fine," Olivia countered, laughing. "Then maybe Daniel promised to share his family's secret taco recipe, and Rafael couldn't resist."

Selena chuckled, leaning her chin on her palm. "Oh, come on, Olivia. If that were the case, Rafael would've been bragging about his cooking skills already."

"Fair point," Ana said, grinning. "But seriously, what if something dramatic happened? Like... Rafael saved Daniel from choking on a chicken nugget in the cafeteria yesterday, and now Daniel owes him his life."

"Or maybe," Selena added, joining in, "Daniel's football got stuck in a tree, and Rafael climbed up to get it for him. A heroic act of brotherhood."

Olivia burst out laughing. "Oh, please! Daniel would never let anyone see him in such a helpless situation. If anything, it would've been the other way around—Rafael getting stuck in a tree, and Daniel rescuing him while pretending not to care."

Ana covered her mouth, giggling. "What if they bonded over something completely random? Like, I don't know, both of them realizing they hate pineapple on pizza."

"Or," Selena said, her eyes twinkling, "maybe they both got in trouble with Mr. Navarro and had to clean the football storage room together. Shared suffering builds bonds, you know."

Olivia wiped away a tear from laughing so hard. "Okay, okay, but let's be real for a second. If anyone did something nice, it was definitely Rafael. Daniel? That guy doesn't help anyone unless there's something in it for him."

"True," Ana agreed, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "But what could Rafael have possibly done to get on Daniel's good side?"

Selena shrugged, still smiling. "Whatever it is, it's got to be good. I mean, they were practically acting like best friends today. It's so out of character for both of them."

Olivia sighed dramatically, leaning back in her chair. "Ugh, now I need to know! This is going to bug me all day."

"Same," Ana said. "Should we ask them? Or do you think they'd just deny everything?"

"Oh, they'd deny it for sure," Selena replied, shaking her head. "And probably make up some ridiculous story to throw us off."

The three girls exchanged glances, their curiosity growing stronger by the second. Whatever had happened between Rafael and Daniel, it was definitely something worth uncovering. 

Olivia leaned forward again, her tone half-serious, half-joking. "Okay, new mission: we have to figure this out. I don't care how long it takes."

"Agreed," Ana said, nodding firmly.

Selena laughed, already imagining the possibilities. "This is going to be fun."