Since that day, naging consistent na ulit ang communication ni Ly and Den.
"Okay, Ly, see you soon?" Den said.
"Sure, Den, bye!"
"Bye, take care."
"You, too," Ly said then hang up. Nakangiti naman si Den na tinago yung phone niya.
"Saya natin ah?" sabi ni Ella na kanina pa nakatingin kay Den habang kausap si Ly.
"What?" Den asked.
"Wala," sabi na lang ni Ella na napailing, "kailan daw siya uuwi?"
"Sa April 1 ata, early flight."
"Wow, so ibig sabihin niyan manunuod siya ng game mo?" pang-iinis ni Ella.
"Aba malay ko?" Den asked pero nangingiti.
"Alam mo Besh, you suck at lying, you're fucking blushing!"
"Stop it, hindi kaya."
"You are," sabi ni Ella tsaka hinarap yung phone niya na nakaopen yung front cam kay Den.
"Heh," sabi ni Den tsaka inalis yung phone sa harap niya.
"Iba rin talaga tama mo kay Ly, noh?"
"I'm just being her friend, Besh. Kailangan niya tayo sa mga gantong pagkakataon."
"Sus! So hindi ako nagpapa-kaibigan kay Ly kasi hindi kami araw-araw magkausap?"
"Ella naman, why do you keep on asking things?"
"Hindi ba obvious, hinuhuli kita," sabi ni Ella, "anyway, how's Ly?"
"She's good naman daw."
"E sila ni Kiefer?"
"Same, naguguluhan pa rin siya."
"She should not, a cheater will always be a cheater, besh, hindi na magbabago yan si Kiefer, Alyssa should know well kasi alam niya lahat ng kalokohan ni Kiefer dati nung magkaibigan pa sila."
"You can't tell a person who loves so much what to do, besh. Nagtatalo syempre yung isip at puso niya, from doing what's right or following her heart."
"Even the Phenom's stupid when it comes to love, eh?"
"Everyone does, besh."
"Oo, kasama ka don, wag kang mag-alala," Ella said, inirapan lang siya ni Den.
--
April 1
May game si Den ng 3pm. Di naman siya ina-update ni Alyssa kung nandito na siya sa Pilipinas, all she got from Ly was just goodmorning and goodluck. Den won't deny it, she's happy. Somehow, the gap between them was gone. Pero hindi pa rin maalis sa kanya na mag-isip, kaya ba ganto sila ni Alyssa ngayon dahil nasasaktan ito at kailangan ng kausap? What if maging okay na ulit sila ni Kiefer, maiiwan ba siya sa ere? Den has so many doubts, and fears. Pero, she follows what her heart says.
1st TTO ng first set, it's 8-5, lamang ang kalaban. Medyo distracted si Den and she don't know why, or maybe she does pero ayaw niya lang aminin. Nagkatinginan sila when the crowd suddenly shouted. Napatingin sila kung saan tumitingin ang mga tao.
"Si Alyssa," sabi ni Michelle while looking at someone, napatingin agad si Den kung nasan si Ly, and it's true, it was Alyssa.
"Uuuuyyyy," sabi ni Wensh sa kanya.
"Sira," sabi niya lang. She saw Ly walked to her father at nakita niyang nagmano ito, she feels her heart will explode. She's so happy, she's never been happy like this for the past 3 months. Napatingin siya sa oras na natitira para sa timeout, 10 seconds na lang, she's waiting fot Alyssa to look at her, she needs to see her eyes, she badly misses her.
"Look at me, woman," Den thought, she looked at the seconds left, 6... 5... 4... "Alyssa, sasapakin talaga kita, look at me!" she shouted in her mind, 3.... 2....
Ly finally looked at her, gave her a thumbs up while smiling.
"Fuck! I'm so happy! Tangina! Walang lalapag na bola sa side namin!!!!!" sabi ni Den sa sarili, she waved her hand at Ly tsaka pumasok na ulit so court.
And true to her words, nahirapan ang kalaban dahil parang minamagnet si Den ng bola, lahat nasasalo niya. at the end, her excellent digs and received helped the team to get the first set. When they're walking papunta sa kabilang side ng court, naakabang na si Ly sa gilid to welcome Den.
Ayaw ipahalata ni Den na excited siya kaya normal lang yung lakad niya, pero inside her, she fucking wants to run papunta kay Alyssa to hug the latter, but she can't, maraming mata ang nakatingin sa kanila.
"Ly!" sabi ni Michelle tsaka nakipagbeso-beso kay Alyssa, "welcome back!"
"Thank you, Ate Mich," sabi ni Ly.
"Pwede bang i-recruit ka namin now na sa Cocolife?"
"Pwede ba? I'm more than willing!" sabi ni Ly. And both of them laughed.
"Good to see you," sabi ni Mich tsaka bumalik na sa teammates nila. Pero naggive way lang talaga siya kay Den.
"Ba't nandito ka?" Den asked.
"Taray mo ah! Missed you, Den!" sabi ni Ly and quickly hugged Den.
"Missed you, too, Ly, pero mamaya na catch ups, we have a game to win."
"Naks! Yan ang confidence! Go Den!" Ly cheered. Den gave her a smile.
"Bitin yung hug, kainis," Den said in her mind.
"Girls, Den's blushing," sabi ni Wensh and everyone in the team teased Den.
Sobrang naging inspired si Den throughout the game, isama mo pang she can hear Alyssa cheering for her. What could go wrong?
Yes, what could go wrong?
Ito.
When Ly and Den was left sa dugout, saktong Kiefer entered. Nagulat pa silang pareho to see Kiefer.
"Uhm, labas lang ako," sabi ni Den.
"No," sabi ni Ly tsaka humawak sa braso niya, "don't go," wala namang nagawa si Den but to stay.
"Ly, babe," sabi ni Kiefer, "please, forgive me, I promise, hindi na ko uulit, I'm so sorry, please, kausapin mo na ako," the man said but Ly didn't answer, tahimik lang na nakikinig si Den na nasa gilid.
"So, nakapunta ka na ba ng Laguna?" Ly sarcastically asked.
"Ly..."
"You cheated on me, Kiefer. Do you think ganon kadali sakin to forgive you? All of you know na once I lost my trust to someone, hindi na mababalik yon."
"Even to me? Mahal mo ko di' ba?"
"I do, but how can I still love you when I can't trust you anymore?"
"Can't you give me another chance?"
"I wish I can, Kief, I wish. But I know what I deserve. And I surely know I don't deserve someone like you," sabi ni Ly tsaka lumabas ng dugout. Naiwan si Den at Kiefer sa loob. Kiefer sighed.
"Follow her," Kiefer said.
"Gagawin ko naman talaga," sabi ni Den tsaka tumayo, saglit pa silang nagkatinginan ni Kiefer then Den went out.
Alyssa's just standing outside, "Ly," she said. Ly said nothing, she just hugged Den.
"Do I deserve any of these, Den?" Ly asked.
"No," Den answered.
"Then, why do people always do this to me?"
"Cause they don't know how to value you, Ly. They can't see your worth, trust me, you are more than enough to someone. You are worth it, Ly."
