Game Plan (COMPLETE)

17

As expected, I didn't hear from Ven the following day. I stared at my phone for what felt like hours. There were messages half-typed. Deleted. Typed again.

Sorry for what I said.

I didn't mean it.

I was just overwhelmed.

I would draft something... then backspace everything. Again and again. Pride and guilt were playing a tug-of-war inside my chest.

I wanted to reach out. I wanted to fix things—I should fix things.

But what if he's still mad? What if I made it worse?

Maybe tomorrow at training, I'll have the courage. Face-to-face. Maybe then, I could explain everything better. I could tell him that I'm sorry.

"Same time pa rin ba training niyo?" I asked Dad who's sitting across from me. We were eating lunch.

He threw me a glance first but gazed back again at his phone. "Oo. Punta ka?"

I nodded.

"May date kayo?"

My eyes widened for a bit, and Dad caught my reaction.

"Ano akala mo sa 'kin, Arrie, tanga?" He was laughing. "Kung may date man kayo, sabihan mo ako anong oras uwi mo. At kung ihahatid ka man niya, sabihin mo na rin sa kaniya na sa tapat ng bahay ka na lang niya ibaba para hindi ka na maglalakad."

I bit my lower lip. He definitely knew.

I'm not even sure if we'll go out to eat. Hihingi pa nga lang ako ng tawad sa mga nasabi ko eh. There's no assurance that he'll accept my apology right away.

After my training with Agila ended, I didn't waste any time. I quickly changed, packed up, and asked Ace for a ride to UPLB.

"Sure ka pupunta ka pa?" she asked, raising an eyebrow while handing me my bottle.

I shoved my bottle inside my bag while answering, "Saglit lang ako doon."

She shrugged. I know what's on her mind: Malaki na ako. Kaya ko na 'to.

Pagkarating ko sa field, nakita ko agad na tapos na pala sila. Some were stretching, others packing up their bags and equipment. Dad was a few meters away, talking to the assistant coaches.

My eyes wandered, searching—feeling excited but also terrified.

And then I saw him. He was standing near a tree, laughing at something. His body was slightly bent forward, his hand brushing through his hair in that familiar, casual way.

Beside him was a girl I didn't recognize.

She was smaller than both of us—petite, barely reaching his shoulder. Her straight hair framed her features, her smile wide and easy, her eyes chinky. She clutched her water bottle close to her chest, laughing along with Ven.

It was the way he laughed... like he was completely fine.

Like nothing happened a few days ago.

I stood there, frozen, feeling my heart slowly crack in a way I couldn't explain. I quickly pretended to rummage inside my bag, desperate to look busy, desperate to look invisible.

The apology I had prepared crumbled right there and then.

Ako nga, napansin kaagad nina Ace na hindi ako okay...

Maybe he didn't even care.

Siguro wala lang sa kaniya na nagkaroon kami ng sagutan.

I tightened my grip on my bag and bit the inside of my cheek to stop myself from showing anything.