The Brighter Side of Things

Chapter 26

"Why didn't you tell us about the exhibition game?!" Jade's voice was accusing, a big frown marring her face when our group met for lunch come Monday. "We would have cheered for you!"

"Uhuh, you couldn't even make it to SM Tarlac that one time," I deadpanned.

"The jeep we were riding that time broke down in the middle of nowhere," Zero defended. "Besides, Sto. Domingo is closer to us than SM Tarlac."

Jade continued to sulk. And to appease her, I handed her the friendship bracelet that I made with strings in different shades of orange. She was too elated that she hugged me and immediately wore it. Zero's was next and like a lunatic, he ran around our table while he held the green bracelet with both hands.

"But it's good that you weren't there," Lexi said when the pair got over their exaggerated gratitude. "This girl," she motioned to Jade whose eyebrows lifted at being called, "...would have attacked Brandon for that foul."

"What foul?"

I let Lexi fill them up with the details while I reminisced the last ten seconds of the game when Brandon aimed for a sure rainbow shot. I remembered running towards him and extended my hand over him just in time when he released it. As soon as I felt my hand on the ball, I forcefully slammed it down and it hit Brandon in the face, causing his nose to bleed.

While L snatched the ball and dribbled away for a buzzer shot, Brandon was crying foul and was complaining to the referee, demanding that the clock should have stopped and he should have been given three free throws because he was outside the three-point area when I denied his shot with a clean block.

How satisfying it was to do that to Brandon. It was the highlight of my game more than getting the small trophy to commemorate our win.

And the news was all over the campus that random students from all levels would step up to me and congratulate me for the defensive stop I pulled off of Brandon. To top that off, three tenth grade girls came up to me with the intention to learn how to play basketball like I did. I told them exactly what I told Jazz before—to meet me at the gym after class.

"I'd love to see a meme or gif of that block. Did anyone catch it on video?" Zero asked.

"My dad did. But I haven't seen the tape yet." And I wondered if he even caught anything good because half the time, he had his hands clasped together, the video forgotten.

"I did. But these are just Seven's clips though. 'Coz I'm her fan," Lexi smiled widely and we all flocked around when she took out her phone.

"Kuya North played for the Comets?" Zero blurted out in utter disbelief. "This is Kuya North, right?" he pointed to the person who was blindingly fair even when caught on cam.

"Speaking of Kuya, where is he? I haven't seen him in weeks."

I felt my skirt's pocket where the remaining red bracelet I made for him was tucked inside. Truth be told but I had wanted to speak to him when the game ended. But he took my words seriously and disappeared even before the crowd dispersed.

Maybe I had really shoved him away this time.

I should be relieved if that was the case. Since he had an uncanny knack of spouting stuff that often embarrassed me. But I wasn't relieved that he wasn't hanging out with us. If anything, I felt guilty and a tad lonely.

Belatedly, I realized that all he did was try to make me come out of my shell and shine. I just misunderstood his intentions. North Vergara wasn't as bad as I had initially thought.

The chance to speak to him presented itself when all students and athletes under Yellow Team had gathered at the gymnasium to start practicing the cheers.

"May we call on our muse, Felicity Vergara," the Yellow Team leader announced over the megaphone and the thunderous cheer erupted when I reluctantly stood up next to her. "Would you like to take on the nominations for Captain Ball?"

My head whipped towards Team Leader. "Wait. I thought the Captain Ball is North?"

With a disappointed frown, she dropped the megaphone and whispered back. "He stepped down—"

Not letting her finish, I grabbed the megaphone out of her hands and it let out a loud screech before I was able to make it work. "North Vergara. How dare you leave me hanging here. Come take back the Team Captain-ship or else I won't ever give you your friendship bracelet." After announcing that, I pulled out the said bracelet from my pocket and let it dangle from my hands in the air like bait.

Everyone looked back to where he was seated or rather, now stood. And in ten long strides, he grabbed the bracelet out of my hands with a huge grin on his face. "I thought you'd never give it to me," he pouted, his lower lip protruding as he tried to wear it on his own.

Shaking my head, I took the hand-crafted strings and tied it around his left wrist.

"Thanks," he whispered, his grin unwavering.

"Friends?" I asked.

"Just friends?" he challenged. "I could volunteer to be more." He even had the gall to wink sending the girls around us squealing in delight.

My face heated up and I knew I looked a shade darker because the whole Yellow Team started to tease us. "That's a lot like earning a friendship bracelet."

"Deal," North decided and stuck out his hand at me, the crowd getting wilder.

Once more I questioned myself but this time, with a laugh as I shook his hand. What did I just get myself into?