A Queen Among the Jocks (boy x boy)

Part 3

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Wednesday

I woke up earlier than my alarm and decided to get ready for school. I was excited about the upcoming tryouts, but I was also a bit nervous. I dressed up in my favorite outfit and headed to school.

The day began with the first period, and as usual, nobody dared to approach me except for Elliot. Elliot was charming, and I had a bit of a crush on him. He entered the class late and asked me if I had seen the updates about the tryouts. I replied, "Yeah, tomorrow 5:00 onwards right?" and he glanced at me and smiled. Oh, that smile! I couldn't help but blush.

As the day went on, I started noticing that the rumors about my sexual orientation had spread all over the campus. People were staring at me and smirking as if they knew something. I couldn't understand why it was such a big deal to them. In this era, weren't we supposed to be more accepting of each other? But then I shrugged it off, knowing that I had nothing to be ashamed of. I walked confidently down the hallway, ignoring the stares and catcalls.

I stopped at my locker to stash some books and was surprised to find a red letter folded inside. My heart pounded as I took the letter out, wondering if it was a threat. I quickly closed the locker, not wanting anyone to see me receive the letter. I headed to the restroom and read the content of the letter.

"I really admire your courage"

-💛

I was taken aback and confused. Who wrote this letter? Was it a prank, or was someone really admiring my courage? I didn't know what to make of it. But deep down, I felt a spark of hope. Maybe, just maybe, there were people out there who would accept me for who I was.

As I was sitting in the restroom stall, scrolling through my phone, I stumbled upon a message that made me smile. I couldn't believe what I had just read. It was someone admiring my courage for opening up about myself. Finally, someone believed in me. It felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders.

But my happiness was short-lived. As I stepped out of the cubicle, a group of jocks entered the restroom. They immediately started spewing racial slurs, shattering my good mood. I should have known better than to come to this restroom.

I quickly tried to make my escape, but someone called out my name, causing me to stop in my tracks. It was a tall, familiar figure who had assisted me at the mall before. Back then, he seemed nice, even flirtatious, but now his aura was completely different. He seemed like trouble.

"Hey, Apol Capuno? Was it you?" he asked me. I looked at him warily, trying to figure out what he wanted.

"Yeah, why?" I replied, trying to keep my guard up.

"You signed up for the varsity volleyball team, right?" he asked, his voice dripping with bitterness.

I nodded in response, confused as to why he seemed so hostile towards me.

"You're not even gonna make it," he scoffed. "With that body of yours? Tsk. You better back down before it's too late." The others with him laughed, making me feel small and inadequate.

I was taken aback by his rude comments. Who was he to say that I wasn't good enough for the team? They didn't even know me or what I was capable of. I could feel my anger boiling up inside of me. I couldn't let them talk down to me like that.

So, I raised an eyebrow and shot him a defiant look. "What the hell? Who are you to say that I can't make it? I'm gonna prove you wrong. I'll trash you guys on the court."

He smirked as they walked past me, but I didn't care. I had a fire burning inside of me, and I was determined to succeed. As I headed to my next class, I couldn't help but feel a renewed sense of confidence. I knew it wasn't going to be easy, but I was ready to fight for what I wanted.

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Thursday

I woke up feeling energized and ready for the day ahead. Today was the day of tryouts, and I was determined to make it as the libero of the team. As I walked towards school, my heart raced with excitement, and my mind couldn't help but imagine the possibilities that awaited me.

As I entered the school grounds, I noticed that Elliot was already there, probably because of the warning our teacher gave him yesterday. I smiled as I approached him, and he smiled back, which made me blush a little. I couldn't help but think to myself, "Why is he so damn cute?"

"How are you feeling today?" he asked.

"Good, I'm doing good. Got a lot of sleep last night and conditioned myself for later," I told him about my preparations the night before, feeling confident and enthusiastic.

"Well, good. I guess we'll see about that. Just give it your best later, alright?" He seemed just as excited as I was for the tryouts. "Will it be difficult to get to the team?" I asked to relieve my anxiety.

"Well, sure, yeah, it will be tiring, of course. But you know what? If you really have the skills, then there's nothing to worry about. What we need right now are skilled players," Elliot told me with confidence, boosting my morale. I believed what he said, and I knew he must have had a hard time doing the tryouts himself during his time.

The last bell rang, signaling the start of the tryouts. As I went into my locker, I noticed another red paper inside it. Once again, I immediately grabbed the paper and opened it up. I was in a good mood whenever I received letters now.

"I saw your name posted for the volleyball tryouts later. I'm wishing you the best of luck!"

-💛

Okay, so my day was already complete! I couldn't help but smile widely as I made my way to the gym, carrying my bag with my training uniform inside.

As I entered the gym, I saw many other players sitting on the bench and changing into their training uniforms. I decided to look for a restroom and change as well. I wore my jersey uniform from my previous school in the Philippines and decided not to wear my gear because it was just a tryout. I was wearing pure black jersey shorts that were way above my knees, paired with pure black ASICS shoes as well, and white long socks. My legs and complexion were highlighted because of my chosen color today.

I went outside the restroom and headed back to the gym. All eyes were on me as I entered, and I couldn't help but wonder if it was because of my uniform. Well, I always wore very short shorts every time I played, and I mean, why not if it made me feel comfortable, right? I moved straight to my backpack and was confused because there were more bags beside it. I then stashed my clothes inside my bag and waited for the coach to officially start the tryouts.

Minutes passed, and the coach entered the gym, followed by the remaining varsity players. As they scanned the gym, they turned their attention to me and started whispering something. It was obvious how they wanted me out of there, though. TJ was looking at me indirectly, making fun of me, that's for sure.

"Just ignore them. You're here for one good reason, and it's not for them," I muttered to myself, trying to shake off the negativity.

The coach's whistle signaled the start of the tryouts, and we were grouped by the position we were applying for. I found out that there were five of us who wanted to be the libero of the team, and unfortunately, only two would make the cut.

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Author's Note:

Greetings everyone! I hope you're all doing well. I am thrilled to know what you think about the upcoming episode. Are you eagerly anticipating it as much as I am?

Also, I would love to hear your thoughts on the secret admirers of Apol. Do you think they will play a significant role in the story? How do you feel about the potential love interests of our main character? Share your opinions by leaving a comment below and don't forget to vote!

😘