Regaining Peace (2)

All her plans went down the drain a few seconds after she had thought them out.

It was because when a running acquaintance, who happened to be the red team's manager suddenly and mysteriously tripped on the pavement hence causing a bag of refreshments and energy drinks dropping on the ground, she could not pretend to not see anything.

Since basic compassion still exists in her heart, she couldn't help but panic and run to the girl's side. "Are you okay, Lilia?"

The other girl whimpered in pain and tried to stand up. Sofony hurriedly bent down to pick up the plastic bag containing the refreshments. She also chased after some of the cans of drinks that rolled away before putting them back in the plastic bag.

Since there were people everywhere, a few others hurried over to help the girl. One of the maturer boys examined the girl and said, "Miss, I think you need to go to the clinic. You sprained your left foot."

"Eh? But I need to bring these to our team."

Sofony worriedly looked at her distressed classmate. This Lilia was a cute looking girl part-timing as the school varsity's manager. Sofony and this girl were not really close, but since they're from the same class, they were still acquaintances. Right now, as an eleventh grader, Lilia must have volunteered herself to support the red team. Obviously, what she had bought was for the red team to drink before the start of the last quarter. How unlucky for the girl to trip just a few dozen meters away from the mini-stadium. It must be due to worry that she wouldn't make it on time.

Sofony pondered a bit then stood before the girl in red jersey sitting pitifully and spoke, "Lilia, I think you should let our clinic's nurse look at your injury."

"Sofony." The girl widened her eyes at the pretty long-haired and fair complexioned campus beauty. But then, she shook her head and replied, "It's okay. I'll do that once I deliver what coach asked me to buy."

Lilia ignored the pain from her sprained foot and attempted to stand up. She managed to do so. Except, not a second even passed and her knees immediately softened from the pain coming from her ankle. It was already lucky for her that the two girls and one guy, who ran over to help earlier, extended their hands to her before she fell to the ground again.

"Miss, let's just go to the clinic," concernedly advised by the short-haired freckled-face girl from Lilia's left.

Sofony hurriedly followed up and raised the hand holding the plastic bag. "It's okay, Lilia. I'm free. I'll just deliver these for you. It's for the red, right?"

With no choice but agree, Lilia nodded to Sofony and gave everyone a grateful look.

Sofony then turned around and walked back, a sigh escaping from her lips.

Once inside of the noisy stadium again, her sight wandered to the scoreboard above showing how the senior's blue team was still ahead of their grade's red team. The difference had been shortened to 14 points. But still, only 2 points had been deducted from the opponents' lead before the end of the third quarter.

As she marched to the player's benches, her eyes kept on roaming around. The opposing side had a long line of girls probably going after Wilfred Gonzaga's or Franz Jordan's autographs. She even saw Clea crazily smiling as she conversed with the handsome transferee. The atmosphere there was joyful as though they have already won. The spectating seniors were cheering and jumping while singing praises to their team and coach.

"Just wow." She exclaimed after seeing how big the contrast between the two sides was. Instead of encouragements and cheers, the red team was raking in so many insults and badmouthing from the juniors that she could perfectly relate why the players' faces were so downcasted and grim. They're faces were basically telling everyone that they already lost their entire future and was just a tiny bit away from crying their sadness or frustrations out.

It's the first day of the School Fest, yet it looked like a funeral for their own team. Aren't they just too pitiful?

Sofony walked faster and then stood in front of the bench full of gloomy players. In her mind, all she wanted to do was complete the request and not associate herself with this melancholic bunch. After reaching them, she put down the plastic bag on a vacated spot. The sound made by her action startled them all, prompting them to raise their heads to her. She saw them blinking at her as if waiting for what she had to say.

Feeling awkward due to their stares, Sofony hesitantly opened her mouth, "Ahm, hello. I'm Sofony, a friend of your manager, Lilia. She sprained her ankle earlier so I volunteered to deliver these to you guys."

The boys, including the middle-aged bearded coach, stayed still, rendering her undecided to what she should do from then on. Her eyelashes fluttered as she mentally wrestled whether to leave or not. That would be much more awkward though, quite disrespectful as well. Just why the heck was she in this situation?

While mentally sighing, Sofony opened up the plastic bag wide and fetched it up again, then she approached the nearest guy to her. She had to smile with her head slightly nodding off with her eyes giving signals before the dumbfounded guy realized that he has to grab a bottle or can from the bag she's holding.

Thankfully, after that first guy whose probably the captain, the rest didn't make things difficult for her. They didn't let her go to them one by one and instead immediately and excitedly surrounded her to get theirs. They repeatedly gave their thanks to her, which made her feel a little bad as she was not really the one who bought the drinks. She mentioned that it was Lilia who really purchased everything for them and that all she did was transport the bag here.

"Really thanks."

Sofony, after confirming that every player got their sports drink or water, threw the balled up plastic bag on the nearby trash bin. She then turned to the captain before replying, "You're welcome. I'll go now. Do your best, I know you can do it. The red team still has a whole quarter to chase their score and win."

After giving everyone one last polite smile, she walked away under the heated and fired up gazes of every eleventh-grade player. They watched how she gracefully strode towards the exit and got caught by the hands of another equally beautiful girl before getting dragged to the sides. The captain looked down to the can of energy drink on his left hand, something threatening to explode welling up from his chest.

When the red team's captain, George Li, raised his head, his eyes were no longer dull and lackluster. Instead, they were full of hope and energy as they scan his team members' faces one by one. In a voice full of passion and excitement, he suddenly shouted, "Juniors!"

Every pair of eyes belonging to the red team suddenly turned his way.

Next, they heard him bombard them.

"Just what the heck are we doing!? Look at our stinky score up there!" He angrily pointed a finger at the scoreboard.

"Get yourselves together. Stop thinking of defeat. We should not be feeling inferior to our seniors!"

"Who cares if they have a celebrity-like captain?! Who cares if they a battalion of girls cheering for them at the stands, lining up for their autographs?!"

"We should not care!"

"We don't have to give a f*ck, because even if they have another goddess from our grade traitorously hanging out there," he slightly paused to give a certain traitor a glare. "Even if they have tons of girls cheering for them, we have our own gentle goddess not only cheering for us but also PERSONALLY getting us drinks and encouraging us with her smile!"

"Tell me, you useless bunch. Are we inferior to our seniors now?!"

George's boys loudly roared their answer. "NOOOO!"

A savage grin appeared from the captain's face as he raised the can gripped by his hand. "We have the skills, the drive, and most importantly, the gentlest goddess behind us waiting for us to deliver a victory to her. Now, you dumbasses and bastards, are we going to fail her?!!!!"

"NOOOOOOOO!!!" They once again shouted.

"Very good!" George nodded in satisfaction after seeing the enlivened mood of his team. Afterward, his right pointing finger extended to their bench's opposite direction. "Now that I know you're all with me in this, it's time to work our asses off. Red boys! Remember, we have to win for our cause, we can't be eliminated! Our Miss Sofony is expecting a trophy from us! You know what we must do, right? If you do, shout it to me!"

"WIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNN!!!"

"That's right. WIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!"

...

After more or less fifteen minutes, the game ended in a way that dumbfounded almost everybody in the mini-stadium.

.....

In the next few days that come, the red team turned into a controversy. They actually became associated with Sofony Mendez, something that successfully made the girl very confused and embarrassed.

It all started with the red team's unexpected and unwelcomed triumph over the blue team. This had turned into a campus sensation because many known school celebrities like Wilfred Gonzaga and Franz Jordan were involved. The two male gods now belonged to the first team eliminated by Sofony's fanboys. Yup, they're just the first, since due to something called 'miracle of youth', this red team managed to reach the finals on the fifth day of the Fest. They even became champions.

And that was for the basketball accomplishment of the juniors which they, in great fanfare, had associated with Sofony.