rivals

Chapter Sixteen

(Gregory's POV)

IT has been a long way for us to be finally here in the last stage of being the champion for the basketball tournament for UVC's Foundation Day Celebration - Game 3. Just like how it always goes every year, we managed to be one of the two teams battling for the cup together with CHK. We almost let it slip by failing to win the first game but we managed to get back up and win the second game. Now, it seems like back to zero for both of us again. We're tied at 1 game-all and this game is do-or-die for both of our teams. This game will decide who between us will end up being the champion for this year's Foundation Day Basketball Tournament. I really hope it's us.

Our team has been exerting extra effort in every game. We're doing our best because we are very determined to win lalung-lalo na ako. We need to win this game. I must win this game.

I have always had this drive ever since. You know, winning and being the first have always been a big deal for me. I don't know, maybe that's already a part of me I can't get away from. I've been raised by a family of achievers where being less than the first doesn't count. But it's a story I really do not want to talk about.

Lampas dalawang minuto na ang ginugugol namin para sa ikatlong quarter ng game 3 at ilang minuto na lang ay malalaman na namin kung sino ang mag-uuwi ng kampiyonato.

Kasalukuyan kaming nasa bench namin sa ngayon. Sunod-sunod kasing pumuntos ang aming koponan at labindalawa na ang aming lamang kontra sa kabila kaya naman biglang nagpatawag ang kanilang Coach ng 30-second time out hindi lang para masabihan ang kanilang team ng paraan para mapigilan ang ratsada namin kundi pati na rin upang istorbohin ang aming momentum. Hay! Minsan magulang din talaga si Coach Efren eh. Pero that's all part of the game kaya that's fine with me.

Sabagay, I doubt it naman kung may makakapigil pa sa amin sa ngayon. Lahat kami sa team ay determinadong manalo. Kahit ilang time-out pa iyan, kahit ilang fouls o kahit ano pa. Nothing can disrupt our momentum. No one can stop COE from winning this championship match.

"Oh uminom ka muna. Hindi iyan malamig", sabay abot sa akin ng isang bote ng energy drink ni Maddison. Ugh! I wonder kung bakit 'di na ako masyadong naiinis sa kanya nitong mga nakaraang araw. Is this just part of my OPLAN: Befriending the show-off freak scheme? Or is this because I am now considering being friends with her because of what she did for me the other day and for the team yesterday? Ugh! Maybe just because of my scheme. Mukhang pati ako ay natatablan na ng mga taktika ng babaeng ito ah. If I know, these are all part of her scheme. Mukhang kailangan kong parating paalalahanan ang sarili ko na siya ang natatanging dakilang epal at nuknukan ng pabidang kakilala ko kaya kahit kailan ay hindi dapat ako magpa-apekto sa mga schemes niya. If she got her schemes, I also got mine kaya huwag siyang paka-sisiguro.

"Salamat", tipid kong sagot na sinundan ko ng kiming ngiti na siya ding ikinangiti niya.

Oh come on Maddison! You don't have to smile back. What are those smiles for? Are they even real? Cause they look really...

"Uy pumipito na yung referee! Tapos na yung 30-second time out ng kabila", bigla niyang sabi.

"O-oh, I-I g-gotta go!" Damn! This can't be happening. What was I thinking? Oh dear! That's just because I am tired. Yeah! My mind and my thoughts have been drifting somewhere because I am tired. That's it. No need to worry.

Pansamantala ko na munang inalis sa isip ko ang bagay na iyon at muling nagfocus sa game. I need to concentrate if I want to win this game.

Bola ng kabila at si Hizon ang tumanggap ng bola mula sa back court. Ako ang kasalukuyang nagbabantay sa kanya. Hindi naman ako ang dapat ka-match up ng ugok na ito eh. Pinagpapahinga kasi si Toribio dahil madaming minutes siyang pinaglaro ni Coach Efren sa first half kanina samantalang itong ugok na ito ay puro bangko at ngayon lang pinapasok kaya no choice ako kundi tapatan siya.