JEU

GAME 1

AC's POV

"AHHH! PWEDE BA?! CAN'T YOU SEE I'M STILL SLEEPING FOR PETE'S SAKE!" I shouted. Someone's jumping around my bed. It's too early, 5:15 am, as I checked the digital clock on my bedside.

I decided to go back to sleep by covering myself with comforter.

"Hey! Di ba, you promised me yesterday that we'll jog together? Nakakatampo na yan, love. You'll choose sleep over me." She said as she vacated my bed. "As usual."

I removed my comforter and let out a deep sigh. "Fuck, Bea! Kung di lang kita mahal."

I stand up to do my early routine. She's now sitting on my sofa.

"See? I knew you can't resist my charms." She's now grinning while holding the remote of the TV, searching for a good channel.

Feel at home and so conceited as ever.

"Yuck! Sabihin mo pasalamat ka, best friend kita!" I'm inside the CR so I need to shout.

I was about to wash my face when I remember I don't have my towel with me.

"Yeah right, best friend mo lang ako." Mahina ang pagkakasabi niya, but I heard it since I went out to get my towel from the rack.

"Arte nito." I fake a laugh as I slap her biceps.

"Ouch! You're so sadista." She exclaimed. Pero hinayaan ko nalang siya.

Binilisan ko ang ginagawa ko kasi alam ko any minute magrereklamo na naman yon. After my morning routine, I wear my sports bra, leggings and a pair of rubber shoes.

"Let's go?" I close the TV so I can get her attention when I'm all set.

"Ano yang suot mo?" Tinaasan niya pa ako ng kilay. She's like a mom who's not approve of her daughter's outfit.

"Gown?" I asked sarcastically. "Parang di ka nagsusuot ng ganto. Minsan nga short shorts pa." She just ignore me at lumabas na ng kwarto.

I rolled my eyes kahit na hindi niya ako nakikita then I followed her. What's with her? Ang init ng ulo ngayon, she's not like that naman.

By the way, I'm Avery Charlotte Besnier Montefalco, but they usually call me AC. And that fiery girl is Isabel Beatriz De Leon, my best friend since we were kids.

We're living in the same village, 2 blocks away from each other. Her dad and my dad are high school buddies, leading us being close.

At first, hindi kami magkasundo because she rather play with our brothers than playing with me. She has 1 brother and I had 1 also. But my brother passed away two years ago.

As time passes by, si Bea na yung naging to-go person ko. Between us, ako dati yung mainitin ang ulo at suplada. Three years old palang ako ang laki na ng galit ko sa mundo pero that age din nagsimula ang pagkakaibigan namin.

We used to live in France. My mom is a Filipino-French while my dad is a Filipino-Spanish. We just go here every summer vacation para maexpose sa culture na kinalakihan ng parents namin.

The main branch of our business is base in France, but they chose to live here eventually because that's my brother's request before he died- to live in the country where my parents were raised and where they met.

Sweet as others may thought, but for me that's the most stupid requests he ever did.

"Hey! Slow down!" I shouted. She's too fast kaya hiningal agad ako. "We're doing jogging not running!"

She slows down until maabutan ko siya. "Bagal mo kasi."

"What's with you? Bat ang init ng ulo mo?"

"Wala." She simply muttered.

"Time of the month?" I hold her butt to confirm it.

"Eyyy, what are you doing? You're gross." Tinapik niya ang kamay ko for me to remove it.

And I'm right, she's wearing a napkin. I'm such a real beast friend. Alam na alam ko ang mood swings niya.

"Wow ha, parang it's not normal between us. Arte nito." She rolled her eyes to what I said kaya mas natawa nalang ako.

After few lapses, we decided na magpahinga nalang sa park. I ride the swing while she chose to sit at the bench lang.

"Spill." I ordered her.

"What?" She asked as if she's innocent. She grabs the bottle of Gatorade then offers it to me.

"C'mon! Don't try fooling me." I reached the bottle and sit beside her.

I heard her heavy sigh.

She's looking at her shoes as if that's the most important thing here on earth.

I took a gulp pero sa kanya pa rin ako nakatingin.

"Dad wants me to quit volleyball." Finally, she started opening up.

"What's new with that?" Ibinalik ko sa kanya yung drink and go back to the swing. I'm acting like I'm not interested.

Wala naman kasing bago dun. He always tell her to quit ever since she joined the Poveda volleyball team.

I don't know, he supports Bea with everything naman, but not with this one.

"This time I know it's for real." She said, still looking at her shoes. "Wala daw akong mararating with this. Might as well I switch sport nalang ulit or better yet magfocus nalang on my acads."

She played competitive badminton before, but nung nagustuhan niya yung softball she stopped and focus learning the new sport she discovered. But eventually nainlove siya sa volleyball that's why she switched again.

"Prove them wrong then." I simply said as if it's that easy.

"How? He's right naman. I'm not as good as my teammates. My UAAP dream? I guess, it will just be a dream nalang." The hopeless Beatriz said.

I mentally rolled my eyes. "Quit ka nalang."

"You think?" I nodded. She looks hopeless.

"Di mo naman mahal yung volleyball, di ba? Never ka naman nagseryoso sa volleyball. You never gain something from volleyball. Yo..." I didn't able to finished my sentence because she cuts me off.

"Stop! You know how much I love the sport. You know how much I value volleyball. You know what can I do for this one." Her defense makes me smirk. I know her too well.

"Then what's with the quirks? Do everything and prove to your dad that volleyball is worth your time and effort." I said. Minsan talaga reverse psychology is all she needs.

"I wanna hate you for knowing me so much than I know myself." She stood up and started pushing the swing where I'm sitting.

"AHHHH! BEATRIZ! STOP! FUCK YOU!"

"What? Isn't fun up there?" She's laughing as she reach for the chain to stop the swing from moving.

"It's not. Kasi alam ko rin naman na baba ako any minute. Ayokong nasa taas ako ng panandalian lang." I said and started walking.

Totoo naman. I rather stay at the bottom than to have an upside down world.

"Too early for your hugot, Avery." She runs next to me at inakbayan ako.

"Ewan ko sayo. Uwi na tayo. It's starting to get hot here and I'm hungry already." I said at naglakad na kami papauwi.