This is it! The game one of UAAP 80 Mens Basketball starts today. This is my first time in my entire life to watch a sports game live. Hanggang t.v lang kasi talaga ako.

In the past days I had, I've done and experienced so many first with Ricci. Gaya ng lumabas at namasyal ako with a man. Mag-lunch, manuod ng sine, tapos magkaroon ng chaperone habang namimili. Those things I have done were unforgettable because the one who made that special for me is him. And the other day na kasama ko si Cci and my friend Dal, that was another special day of mine. That day, Ricci and I ended up in a coffee shop. We barely talked at that moment. Binigyan niya ako ng tickets for this game kahit sinabi kong I'm not sure if I can watch live.

Medyo hindi naging maganda yung paghihiwalay namin that day. I mean, after niya kong ihatid sa terminal since I refused na magpahatid sa bahay, we just said goodbyes and then he left. Sobrang tahimik niya noon and I'm not used to it. Well, still, I'm happy pa din because he continue messaging me after that day. We seems to be okay kahit alam kong hindi naman talaga and I didn't know why. I don't want to open up what's the problem. Baka kasi maging awkward na naman kami sa isat-isa. He talks to me like the usual he do. Pero I know, I can feel na may nagbago. Hindi ko lang sure kung ano ba talaga yun.

So now I'm with my friend Charlotte na may kasama ding friend niyang gay, si Louis. Ricci gave me three court side tickets. Ubos na daw kasi yung sa VIPs. Hindi pwede si Dallia at Jenny, pati si Aliyah. Kaya si bakla ang kasama ko. Sabi ko magsama pa siya ng isa kasi I have three tickets naman. At heto, tuwang-tuwa ang bakla! Ang dami daw papa. Titig na titig kay Brent ang loko, inagaw ko daw kasi si Ricci eh. Haha baliw!

I found my eyes staring at Ricci and he does too. We stare at each other. Nasa first row kasi kami, sa bench side ng La Salle kaya ang lapit niya. He smiles just a little which makes my heart thumps loud and I'm not used to it. Hindi ako sanay na nagiging irregular ang heartbeat ko whenever he's around. I noticed that there's a bit of sadness in his eyes. Why? Yumuko na lang ako. I don't know how to cheer him up.

Nagsimula na yung first quarter. Of course sa simula, medyo boring pa pero after few minutes, gumaganda na yung laban. Lamang kasi ang La Salle so yung Ateneo, todo habol sa score. Yung mga katabi ko especially Charlotte and Louis, tili ng tili everytime the green archers score. Nakakatuwa nga eh, tinitignan kasi sila ng mga players ng La Salle na nasa bench, natatawa sila sa dalawang baklang kasama ko. Si Brent at Andrei nakilala yata ako, feeling ko kasi ako yung nginitian nila kanina. Well, feeling ko lang naman.

So me on other hand, cheering for La Salle quietly. Hanggang palakpak lang ako. Nakakaconscious kasi kapag tumili ako. And also, I'm not used to this kind of event na sobrang daming tao. Kaya naman sobrang tahimik ko talaga.

Third quarter na, yung court ng La Salle, dito na side namin. Medyo sumasablay si Ricci sa mga shots niya. Inaasar tuloy ako nila Charlotte.

"I-cheer mo kasi baks! Para ganahan ang baby mo! Dali na Lynn!" Loko talaga tong si Char. Haha!

Hawak ni Cci yung bola. Nagulat naman ako sa dalawa, biglang nag-cheer ng pang-slam dunk cheering squad, yung kay Rukawa.

"GO RICCI! GO RICCI! L-O-V-E SAHIA!" Todo bigay nilang cheer. Natawa tuloy yung mga bench players.

Pagkashoot ni Ricci, napatayo sila tapos hiyawan. Kahit ako napatayo habang pumapalakpak ako. Nagulat ako kasi nakasmile si Cci sa akin. Yung genuine smile, hindi na pilit gaya ng kanina. So I smiled back then umupo na ulit ako. Baka may makapansin eh. Sh*t kinikilig ako!

Ilang beses naulit yung cheer ng dalawang bakla. Tuwang-tuwang talaga yung mga Green Archers eh. Iniba kasi ng dalawang kasama ko yung cheer.

"GO LA SALLE! GO LA SALLE! L-O-V-E GREEN ARCHERS!"

Yan, ganyan yun. Napapakanta nga ako everytime na magchicheer sila and even yung mga La Sallian dito sa court side.

Ang saya because they win! One more, champion na sila.

"Papicture tayo baks, tara!" Anyaya ni Charlotte.

"Mamaya na, after ng hymn." Sabi naman ni Louis. Atat kasi si eh.

I am looking at the Green Archers. They are emotional. Of course, they were one more win away to defend their throne. Now I regret of hating them. I mean, I don't like them before for some reason but now I am happy for them. I felt an overflowing joy because they win. And this time, I cheered all of them and not only for Ricci. So I'll hope, they'll win the championship. I know, they deserve to have that.

"Tara na baks, papicture na tayo!" Sigaw ni Charlotte sabay hila sa akin.

Lakad. Takbo. Lakad. Takbo. Si Charlotte kasi super excited mameet si Brent. Nang makalapit kami, nagtago lang ako sa likod nila. I really hate crowd.

"Hi Brent! Pwedeng papicture?" Malanding tanong ni Charlotte.

"Sure!" Walang pag-aalangang sagot ni Brent.

They took pictures. Ako naman nakatanaw kay Cci na pinapalibutan ng mga fans. Mga nagpapapicture syempre.

"Hey, Lynn. Nandyan ka pala, hello!" Biglang bati ni Brent. Nagulat naman ako bigla na lang siyang lumitaw sa harapan ko. Naharangan tuloy si Cci. Tss.

"Uhmm. Yeah, Hello din!" I smile a bit.

"Ay taray! Close pala kayo?" Tanong ni Louis. Napangiti na lang ako.

"Nakuwento ko na sayo di ba baks. Na friend ni Lynn si Ricci? So probably, kilala din nila si Lynn. Tama ba Brent?" Feeling close din tong si Charlotte kay Brent eh. Dumadamoves eh!

"Yeah. We met before. Pinakilala ni Ricci." Then Brent smiles again. "And speaking of him, Cci!" Bati ni Brent kay Cci na di ko man lang napansing papalapit na pala sa amin.

"Bro." Bati naman niya kay Brent. "Kamusta panunuod?" Baling naman niya sa akin.

"Huh? Okay naman. M-masaya. Your team won. Congrats!" I hesitantly greeted him. I feel uncomfortable. Maybe because, ngayon lang ulit kami nagkita after what happened the last day na magkasama kami. Hindi rin ako makatingin ng diretso sa kanya. Pero I can feel, he keeps on staring at me. That's why I feel uneasy right now.

"Huy Cci! Congrats daw!" Sabi ni Brent.

"Yeah, thank you." He said softly but I felt that he's sincere saying thank you. So I glanced at him and gave an awkward smile. Then balik agad sa iba kunwari yung paningin ko.

"Uy baks, ipakilala mo naman kami." Aish! Hihingi ng pabor tapos sisikuhin ako. Kainis tong si Charlotte.

"Uhmm. Cci, friends ko nga pala. Sina Charlotte and Louis."

"Hello Ricci, nice to meet you!" Bati ni Charlotte.

"Charlotte?" Pag-aalinlangang tanong ni Cci. I looked at him. He seems confused. I laughed a little which makes him to change his gaze to mine. And that made me shut.

"Well, Charlie talaga name niya but then, you know. Everything change." I said while looking at him then I mumbled 'like us now'.

He look at me intently as if he heard me. Wait, did he? No way! I looked away.

"Pwede papicture?" Tanong ni Louis kay Ricci. Good grief! I'm save by the bell. Sana di narinig ni Cci yun. Kaso siya kasi yung pinakamalapit sa akin.

"Sure."

Then they took pictures. Afterwards, iniwan ako ng traydor kong mga kasama dito at magpapapicture pa daw sila sa iba. Mga loko yun. Di man lang ako isama. Umalis na din si Brent. Kinindatan nga si Ricci eh. Baliw lang?

"You okay?" Ricci suddenly asked.

"Hmm." Tango ko naman.

"You're not. Uhmm.. we're not. We're not okay." He said then chuckled a bit.

I just smule. I don't know what to do. So I decided na magpapicture na lang to get rid of the tension.

"Nga pala, picture tayo. Para may maipost naman ako. Haha!" Okay, relaxed Khaira. Kaya mo to. Kinuha ko yung phone ko then kinuha naman niya sa akin. Napatingin naman ako bigla sa kanya. Sabi niya, siya na daw. He turns on my phone. He knows my password kasi. He was about to hold me on my shoulder ng biglang may sumingit. Muntik na ko matumba. Natulak kasi ako nung girl.

"Hi Ricci! Papicture po!" Hala siya, ang aggressive niya. I looked at Ricci. He looks annoyed. So I mouthed to him its okay, go ahead. Tapos gumilid na lang ako sa tabi. Kaso bigla namang may humila sa akin. Akala ko kung sino. Sina bakla lang pala.

"Tara na girl! I need to go home na. Patay ako sa tatay ko." Sabi ni Charlotte.

"Ngayon na? Akala ko nagpaalam ka?"

"Hindi baks, tumakas lang yan." Sabi naman ni Louis.

"Huhu! Sige na, tara na." Then pilit niya akong hinihila palabas.

"Teka lang kasi. Wait lang. Hindi pa ko nagpapaalam kay Cci." I looked at him. Patay! Ang daming nagpapapicture!

"Ichat mo na lang siya, dali! Tara na!" Tuluyan na nga akong nahila ni Charlotte.

Wala akong magawa kundi ang magpahila. Malapit na kami sa exit nang maalala ko yung bilin ni mama na itext ko daw siya kapag pauwe na kami. So kinapa ko yung pocket ko. Wala yung phone ko. I searched it on my pouch bag pero wala din. CRAP! I forgot my phone! Ricci had it.

He had my phone for pete's sake!

I'm dead!

***