decoding the boys ✔️

2 - aftershock || edited

Loud cheers filled the stadium. Simula nang tumunog ang buzzer indicating na simula na ng game, lalong lumakas at hindi na tumigil pa ang mga hiyawan at kanya-kanyang chants ng dalawang universities. Grabe. Everything was intense.

Even the game was intense.

The other team held their ground well. They were undeniably good. Lalo na yung captain nila. I wasn't that much of an expert in basketball like how my friends were, but I knew from his moves he was no easy opponent. And there was also that other guy — Justin Mercedez.

My hands gripped my seat in excitement as our team placed in another basket.

We were doing well too. Except for some misses, bawat shot ng kapatid ko, pasok. Even the threes. Damn.

Most of our scores came from him. Totoo nga ang pagmamayabang niya na magaling siya. Not that I doubted him. S'yempre madalas ko siyang makitang maglaro kasama si Kuya Andrei at mga pinsan namin sa mga liga at lagi ko rin naman naririnig sa mga ka-block ko.

But seeing him in an actual game was different, felt different.

The first half of the game was okay, more than okay. Lamang kami by several points. Sa third, nakahabol ang kabila at nag-tie ang score. Now, fourth quarter na and we won some baskets. We were ahead again. By four points.

Tinanaw ko ang oras.

Four minutes pa.

I didn't know why but I felt extremely nervous. Alam ko na kayang i-maintain ng team yung gap but four minutes was a bloody long time. Anything could happen.

Pero hindi. Hoshet. Tiwala lang. Mananalo kami.

"Ipasa mo, Stan! Bukas si Jacob!" sigaw ni Lhyle na completely absorbed na sa laro.

Sure enough, the ball went from Stan to Kuya Jacob. Long pass. Kuya was now on the go, dodging the two guys marking him. Then he posed to shoot. Sisigaw na sana ako to encourage him nang biglang may nang-block sa kanya.
Shit. How did he get there so fast?

My brother reacted quickly. He passed the ball to Drew. Kaso hindi makagalaw si Drew. His guard was tight. Ang tindi no'ng number four. From blocking to marking.

"Damn. Ang bilis ni Racel," Anjo muttered under her breath.

"Ang ganda ng defense ng kabila. Mabilis sila at maganda ang teamwork," added Ahron.

She was right. Sobrang dikit ng laban, I could literally taste the tension. Mas kabado pa nga yata ako sa mga players mismo.

The ball went from Drew to Carlo, then back to Stan. What happened next was quite a blur. Kahit ako na sanay naman manood ng games, nahirapan silang sundan. Mabilis na gumalaw yung kalaban. Before we knew it, nakuha na nila ang bola. Someone from the Centaurs shot.

Score—three points!

Napabuga ako ng hininga sa kaba. Kinikilabutan ako sa intensity ng laban.

"Go, Eagles! Go, Eagles! Go, Eagles!"

"Cen-taurs! Cen-taurs! Cen-taurs!"

"Kaya pa 'yan. Three minutes pa," sigaw ni Lhyle.

Naghiyawan ang lahat. Kuya Jacob got the ball again and passed. In under a second, the ball went back to him and he shot—three points. I heard the sounds of distress from the Centrex students when the ball went in. Napahiyaw ako sa tuwa. Ang galing! Mabilis niyang nabawi yung three points.

Lumingon sa 'kin si Lhyle, nakangisi. "Tangina. Ang galing ng kapatid mo, J."

I couldn't agree more. Maliksi si Kuya, a clear advantage against the other team. The game continued at mukhang nahihirapan na silang makapuntos ulit.