3rd of Spring - A Date? Is This For Real? (P1)

“How are you going to play with that kind of injury, ha, Fontanilla?” Mr. Herrera, the basketball team's coach, asked, his forehead creased.

“I’m sorry, coach,” was Alexander’s only answer. 

“Sorry? How could you hide such thing?” He massaged his temple. He sighed. “Hindi ko pa malalaman na may injury ka kung hindi ko nakita ang reaksyon mo nung mabangga ni Simon 'yang kamay mo. Pa’no na lang kung lumala ‘yan? Ano na lang ang mangyayari sa team?" His coach said continually, his tone hadn't changed.

He didn’t say a word. He let his coach talk, words were only passing by his ears. Besides, he didn’t see the need to explain anything.

“Ang mabuti pa,” Mr. Herrera continued, not even noticing that he was already talking to air, “humingi ka kay Miss Lei ng medical certificate, para maipaalam natin sa administrators na hindi ka muna makakasali sa practice. At para na rin maipahinga mo ‘yang kamay mo,” he said, pointing to Alexander’s wrist. “Mahihirapan kami sa Intramurals kung wala ka du’n. Kaya, magpagaling ka agad.”

“Yes, coach,” he replied and faced his way to the infirmary. 

“Ace, sorry,” Simon, his teammate, said in remorse as he passed by him.

He glanced at him a bit. “No harm done,” he said, then left the gymnasium. 

Alexander dismissed the injury as minor. It was slight compared to the ones he’d hidden from the team in the past just to keep playing. Maybe his luck had simply run out. When Simon bumped the ball into his hand, pain flared in his wrist; he winced, and the coach caught the look.

He never imagined that such a small injury would cause him that much trouble.

***

Alexis was playing differently from the usual. Typically, if there's a chance, he would be the one to kick the ball off the goal. But this time, he would pass the ball to his teammates and let them bring it to the goal. 

His coach and teammates noticed this, so their coach called for a ten-minute break and talked to him.

“Is something bothering you, Fontanilla? Hindi mo sinisipa ang bola papasok ng goal. You missed a lot of opportunities. Injured ka ba?” Mr. Cruz, the soccer team's coach, asked.

He shook his head and said, “I'm perfectly fine, coach. May iniisip lang po ako.”

He was thinking of Selena since their practice started. He felt guilty for leaving the task to her, knowing that she just got well.

Mr. Cruz nodded. “Nag-aalala ka ba sa kapatid mo? Do not let that affect you too much. You have duties to fulfill in this team.”

Alexis creased his forehead. “What do you mean, coach? May nangyari po ba?” He asked. He knew his brother injured his hand, but he didn't know how bad his condition was.

“Injured kamay n’ya, ‘di ba? Sabi ni Mr. Herrera, posibleng hindi s'ya makakalaro sa Intramurals dahil du’n,” his coach answered. 

Alexis became silent and thought of his brother. He knew about Alexander’s injury, but it might be more serious than he thought.

His coach raised his brow. “You didn't know? I thought that's why you couldn’t concentrate?”

He ignored his coach's question and worried about both his brother and Selena.

***

Selena walked back to their classroom with bounce on her steps. She felt like she was floating on the clouds, her heart fluttering in her chest. She couldn’t hide the grin escaping her lips. She might look crazy, smiling on her own but she didn’t care. 

“Hindi rin naman abot-tenga 'yang ngiti mo, ‘no?” Lucy asked her as she entered the classroom. Her brows were raised and a smirk formed on her lips. 

“Weh? ‘Di kaya,” she said, as she tried to contain her smile. She giggled to herself.

“Weh ka d’yan?” Kringle butted in. “Ano’ng nangyari? Involved ba si Prince Charming? Ano na? Dali. Magkwento ka!” She squealed as she bugged Selena to answer her questions, poking her arm.

Selena bit her lip, suppressing her giggles, as she tried to stop her excited friend, shoving away her fingers but Kringle still kept on poking her.

“At ipaliwanag mo na rin 'yung hindi n'yo sinasabi sa amin kahapon,” Lucy added, reminding Selena about the thing she and Sharmaine hid from them yesterday. 

Kringle stopped poking Selena. She bobbed her head, agreeing with Lucy. “Ayaw sabihin sa'min ni Sharmaine kung ano ‘yun,” she said, glancing at Sharmaine.

Sharmaine fixed her glasses on her nose. “Hindi naman kasi dapat sa’kin manggaling ‘yun. Si Selena ang involved d’un kaya s’ya ang dapat na magkwento, ‘di ba?” she uttered while her eyes were on Selena.

Selena was about to tell them everything when the school bell rang, signaling the start of classes. Selena’s friends got disappointed but she promised that she’d tell them everything later at lunch.

***

The door was slightly ajar when Alexander arrived at the infirmary. He walked inside, then closed the door behind him.

Miss Lei greeted him first before he could say anything. “How are you, Mr. Fontanilla? I just finished signing your medical certificate.” She pulled something from her files. “You need this, right?” She faced him and placed the paper on her table.

Alexander only stared at the school doctor and wondered how she came to know he’d go there and ask for a medical certificate. 

Lei stifled a laugh. “It’s part of my job to know my patients’ needs, Alexander,” she said, smiling. 

Alexander reached for the certificate on the table and then bowed slightly, bidding goodbye to the doctor. He turned his back and walked towards the door. 

“Still hiding what you feel?” Lei asked out of the blue. 

He turned to face her. He couldn’t understand what she just said. 

“Maybe you should learn how to express yourself at times. It won't hurt,” she said with concern in her tone.

Alexander bowed, thanking her. 

As he was walking outside the infirmary, Lei’s words were ringing in his head.

***

Class 2B was dismissed early. They already finished the topic for the period so their professor allowed them to have free time, on the condition that they would not be talking too loud, then left them afterwards.

Selena and her friends huddled in a corner of the room and told her to start telling them everything. She took a deep breath and started from yesterday's events.

“Ano?! Magkasama kayo ni Alexis kanina?” Kringle asked Selena, almost shouting, as the bell signaled lunch break at the same time. 

“Sssshhh!” Selena pressed her pointer finger to her lips. She glanced around the room, searching for someone who might have heard Kringle. 

She sighed in relief as she confirmed no one heard her friend. “‘Wag kayong masyadong maingay. Baka mamaya, may sumugod sa’kin na fangirls nila,” she told them.

“So talagang ‘kayo’? Si Kringle lang kaya ‘yun,” Lucy chided, her brows creased. 

“Bakit ako lang? Curious ka din naman ah,” Kringle countered. 

Lucy raised her brow. “Hindi naman kasi kailangan ipagsigawan, ‘di ba?”

Sharmaine butted in to stop the two from fighting. “Tama na nga ‘yan. Kayong dalawa talaga, lagi na lang kayong nagtatalo."”

The two kept their mouths shut, but continued glaring at each other. 

Kringle inquired once more, “Ano nangyari pagkatapos? Dali, bilis!” and began to stomp as if she were a child awaiting her reward because she was too curious about what would happen next. 

Lucy stared at Kringle with a stern look in her eyes.

Kringle stopped what she was doing and pulled the invisible zipper on her mouth.

Selena sighed and went on with her story. 

“Sayang talaga ‘no. Hindi pala si Prince Charming mo ‘yung nakasalo sa’yo. Jackpot sana ‘yun.” Kringle said as Selena finished, telling them everything that had happened, her voice dripping with disappointment.

Selena shook her head and smiled. “Okay lang ‘yun. Ang importante, nakausap ko s’ya kahit sandali lang. Ayos na sa’kin 'yun.”

“Kunwari pa ‘to. Pinapangarap mo din na si Alexis sana ‘yun. Aminin mo,” Lucy teased, elbowing Selena.

Selena nodded. “Pero masaya na akong nakausap s’ya kanina kasi…” She didn't finish her sentence, which piqued the interest of her friends. 

“‘Wag mo kami bitinin. Sabihin mo na,” Lucy said, drumming her hand on the wall. 

With her voice barely audible, Selena continued speaking. “Sabi n’ya, ‘Take care.’” She looked down, feeling the heat rise in her cheeks. 

Sharmaine poked Selena on the waist and said, “Ang swerte naman ng BFF namin.”

Selena and her friends continued to tease and tickle one another. 

The other girls in the room suddenly giggled. A guy stood by the doorway of their room and appeared to be looking for someone.

Following their gaze, Selena came across a familiar face. In a quiet voice, she uttered, “Axis.”

Kringle said, “Si Prince Charming pala ‘yan e. Lapit na,” and then shoved Selena, which almost made her trip.

“Uy. Ayos ka lang?” Alexis asked her.

Selena felt blood rise to her cheeks. 

Ano ba 'yan. Napahiya na naman ako sa kanya. Nakakainis talaga. Ang tanga-tanga mo, Leng! She thought and mentally slapped herself. 

She seemed to have forgotten about Alexis that he had to regain her attention. 

He called out, “Selena?"”

She snapped out of her thoughts and responded to him, “Ah. Ayos lang ako. Ano nga palang ginagawa mo dito, Axis?”

“Gusto ko lang bumawi sa pag-iwan ko ng gawain sa’yo kanina,” he replied, his usual princely smile in his face. 

“Ah, ‘yun ba? Wala ‘yun. ‘Di naman ako nahirapan,” she said, though she was giggling on her insides that he was concerned about her. 

“No. It’s not,” he insisted. “I’ll treat you. After class, sa next Friday. May gagawin ka ba?” He asked, that charming smile still on his face.