THE DAY HE BECAME RUTHLESS: The Metaphorical Series #2

THIRTEEN

"Manonood ka? But sports isn't your style." Hinaluan ko iyon nang kaunting panunuya.

Ilang sandali rin kaming nagtagal ni Dean sa canteen saka kami tumungo sa gym. Inaakit ng beat ng speaker ang puso kong dumagundong habang naghahanda na ang paligid para sa parlor games. Sumasapaw rin ang announcement para sa mga players.

"I'm a guy, Ruth. Guys love sports." He smirked in full blown arrogance like I should know about that fact. Pumantay siya sa aking mga hakbang.

"Girl's badminton 'to." Muwestra ko sa mga naglalaro.

"Yeah, so?"

I'm in the tug of war between cheering him to keep on doing that brow-raise he just managed and forbidding him to stop doing it. That simple gesture always gets me.

Words fail, so action speaks. Kaya iling ang tanging naitugon ko't umakyat na sa bleachers.

I've been living with the thought that the sports guys love to watch the most is basketball. But badminton? Nah. Pero sino bang niloloko ko? Of course! The reason is so palpable it became an additional pulse as to why he's going to watch me play. Lalo tuloy akong na-pressure.

I expected him to have other commitments tulad ng sa banda ngunit napagalaman kong may sinalihan silang mga games. Will and Sky are in volleyball while Cash is in basketball. I even thought Dean is going to join basketball. His height is obviously an advantage.

"Oy, Dean. Lumipat ka ng section?" rinig kong tanong ng isang kakilala sa baba ng bleachers.

Abala ako sa pagkuha ng susuotin sa laro kaya hindi ko nakita ang reaksyon ni Dean. I was only able to snatch a glimpse on his hands drumming on his thighs. Sumabay rito ang kanyang ngisi.

Natatawang umalis ang nagtanong. That bloated my curiosity kaya buong binalingan ko si Dean.

Mukha siyang napaka-proud na coach para sa mga trainees niya habang tinatanaw ang kaganapan sa gym.

Had I not known that he's Dean Ortigoza who prefers to hold guitars than sports balls, I could have thought that he was contemplating about joining the game since he doesn't have any. Gusto ko ring isipin na naiinggit siyang may laro ang iba.

But knowing Dean for a while, hindi siya ang tipong naiinggit. Siya ang kinaiinggitan!

I was too engaged with my thoughts na labis kong ikinagulat ang bigla niyang pagpalakpak.

"Supremo went to town!" Saka siya sumipol at tumawa. Ang hilig talagang mang-alaska ng Amerikanong 'to. "Galingan mo 'tol! Whooh!"

The guy he called 'Supremo' gave him a fat dirty finger. Mas lalo pang natuwa si Dean! I'm sure that's a classmate of his just by the color of his shirt. Hindi lang din kasi iisang beses ko silang nakitang magkasama.

"Daya mo! Dito ka sa pula!"

"Team orange ako!Ulol!"

Hindi lang sa batch namin maraming nakapansin sa pagiging ligaw ni Dean sa aming team. The people who know him were confused. Nadatnan nga siya ng adviser nila ngunit hindi naman ito nagkomento at ningitian lang kami ng makahulugan.

"Go, Supremo!" muling sigaw ni Dean at pumalakpak.

Tumawa si 'Supremo' na agad kong nakuha kung bakit iyon ang bansag sa kanya. He reminds me of the bouncers in the bar evidenced by his bouncing belly. Ngisi niyang tinuturo si Dean sa mga kantiyaw nito.

Kumunot ang noo ko at tumigil sa paglalabas ng mga damit.

"Ang sama mo. Ikaw nga walang game," sermon ko kay Dean.