Finding Ms. Right

Chapter 50: Voices

JANA

I can clearly hear the crowd shouting his name. Tsk. Syempre, siya ang ichi-cheer nila. He's the King of AU. I smirked. The Tiger King of AU to be exact.

Agad akong tumakbo papunta sa isang ring while dribbling the ball and shoot it while I'm in the three-point line. Nai-shoot ito at agad niya itong sinalo before it totally landed on the floor. He runs towards the other ring and I chase after him. Pero sa sobrang bilis niyang tumakbo, it was too late bago ko pa siya maabutan.

Tumunog ang buzzer and I immediately went at my bench kung saan nakaupo si Lucy katabi 'yung tatlo.

Lucy immediately handed a bottle of water to me na agad kong binuksan at ininom. Narinig ko naman ang bulalas ni Jay. "Seryoso?! I still can't believe you can play basketball!" Napairap na lang ako. Ilang beses ko ng narinig sa kanya 'yan at nakakasawa na. Ever since the game started, sa tuwing magkakaroon ng break or time-out ay 'yan agad ang ibubungad niya. Tsk.

"You're playing so well." Inigo said and I just nodded at him. It's been a while since last played basketball. Ilang taon na ba? Three? Four? I don't even know. Simula ng pumunta ako dito sa Pilipinas, hindi na ulit ako nakapaglaro.

And it's also not unbelievable to know that I can play basketball. I only have my brother and my Papa back then. Sila lang ang kasama ko kaya na-adapt ko na din siguro ang ilang bagay sa kanila. But seriously, Papa told me that he already taught me how to play basketball when we were still living here, when I was still 7 years old. Ang kaso, kahit anong halungkat ko sa utak ko, hindi ko maalala ang senaryong 'yon.

"I am your best friend and yet, you all support her than me?" Agad kaming napalingon sa taong lumapit sa amin. Pawisan siya tulad ko habang may towel na nakasabit sa kanang balikat niya.

Darren laughed. "Bakit? Nagseselos ka?" Mapang-asar na tanong niya sa tigre and I just shook my head. Alvarez is wearing a Jersey and me? A plain black shirt and fitted jeans. Bilib na nga ako sa sarili ko dahil nagagawa ko pang maglaro kahit na hindi ako komportable sa suot ko. Inayos ko ang pagkakapusod ng buhok ko and when I got finished, the buzzer rang. I threw the empty water bottle to Lucy na agad namang sinalo ni Jay bago pa tumama sa mukha ni Lucy. Ngumisi lang ako at bumalik na sa court.

"You only have 2 minutes left." Hindi ko pinansin ang sinabi niya at tinuon ang pansin sa bolang hawak ko. Only 2 minutes and the game is over. Tsk. As far as I can remember, I never lost in a basketball game. Naihilig ko naman ang ulo ko habang dini-dribble ang bola dahil parang sumalungat ang puso ko sa sinabi ng isip ko. So natalo na ako noon?

I was surprised when I noticed that I wasn't dribbling a ball anymore. When I looked at him, I saw him running towards the basketball ring and swiftly shoot the ball and looked back at me with a smirk. Umirap lang ako. Masyado akong napaisip kaya hindi ko napansing naagaw sa akin ang bola. You should win this, Jana. You can't lose. Kailangan mong manalo in order to know the truth about Leila and this kicked-out thingy.

The game continues and I only have 40 seconds left to win. Hindi naman nalalayo ang scores namin sa isa't isa. In fact, I'm ahead of him with one point pero alam kong madali niya lang itong mababawi so kailangan ko siyang tambakan. He might be a good player, but I'm better. Tsk. Yumayabang na ngayon, huh Jana? Inirapan ko ang sarili ko sa isip ko and concentrated on the game.

He's dribbling the ball and running towards the ring habang ako ay hinahabol siya. But I know that I can't beat him in terms of speed. I admit, mas mabilis siyang tumakbo sa akin. But one of my advantages is my mind, I am more smarter than him.

Nang tumigil siya sa three-point line at aktong ishu-shoot ang bola ay agad akong sumigaw. I don't know but this word suddenly came out of my mouth. "Zild!" He froze and so do I. Did I just called him in his first name? Everyone gasped because of that at mahina kong sinapo ang noo ko. I was planning to cuss at him pero parang may sariling buhay ang bibig ko at imbes na mura, pangalan niya ang sinabi ko.