A Basketball Match (2)

"Lucian! You heard the rumors?!" Lila asked Lucian while huffing. She ran from the other building to where Lucian is, just to tell him about this gossip.

"What? What rumors?" Lucian asked with a confused face. He was gnawing on a bubble gum as he speaks. Lila sat on the seat beside him, and laid her back on the chair, resting.

"Huff, ha. They say, Sean was in a fight with a junior earlier during lunch. And this and bla bla bla." Lila started her 'storytelling- about what happened with a speed of Mach 20. Of course, that's an over exaggeration.

Lucian listened at her story, nodding and showing several reactions every so often. The students surrounding them was stupefied.

Brother, how the hell were you able to understand that? We don't get it!

"What? You mean they will have match after school?" Lucian asked loudly. There is only a few minutes left before school ended, and he was only informed now?.

Lila grunted.

"I only heard it just now you know?! Not my fault information don't travel until here!" She tsked.

What 'The walls have ears' and 'The Rumors have wings'? Clearly, their building's walls are deaf and the wings were merely costumes!!.

Aah, they almost missed out on such a juicy event.

"You're gonna go right?" Lila asked, shaking Lucian's body roughly. Lucian was swayed back and forth, thus his voice was also swaying, like a volume going low then high in pitch.

"Yes. I will."

Lila stopped swaying Lucian and laughed happily after convincing Lucian. Lucian just grunted, his head getting dizzy after the rough shaking. It's not as if he won't come, Lila doesn't need to be so hyper about this.

But, he really can't blame her. There is barely any entertainment in this campus. And everyone was so prim and proper that they refuse to quarrel unscrupulously. Making this school a bit, boring.

A boring school breeds a boring life! And a boring life breeds a boring person!

Lucian, refuses to become a boring person! And so he will certainly go and watch this entertainment.

Well, that's just a reason to cover up his gossiping tendencies.

Lucian and Lila, along with several others of their classmates went to where the supposed basketball fight will happen. Some were run-away students. As they run away from their cleaning duties.

However, they were not guilty!. According to the teachings, more important things should be prioritized.

Their hearts quietly nodded, agreeing. Whilst their conscience hid in the corner. Not needed at the moment.

After arriving, they saw that the two opposing team had finished warming up.

The Junior Mile, who is a young 'beauty' was standing beside a very cute girl. He had the look of a manager sucking up to his boss to receive an extra bonus. In simpler terms, he was coaxing Peiya.

Sean on the other hand, was calm. He had long pacified his irritation, and is already regretting the words of profanities he had spurted out earlier. Remind him again why he had such a short temper.

But he can no longer go back, it was a man to man deal. A man should not back away after challenging someone so fiercely.

Arice saw him contemplating quietly like this and went behind him, his sly hands creeped inside Seans uniform. Making Sean so surprised that he almost punched him. Arice evaded, his body moved swiftly, and his mouths hooked with mirth.

"Calm down, calm down. What's with you? So violent." He pouted, like he was wronged. But he was clearly not taking this seriously. Sean just avoided his gazes, irritation evident in his face.

" I've told you many time----"

"'Don't touch me carelessly' or 'Don't evade my private space' ? Which one?" Arice asked, his chin propped on Sean's right shoulder. Sean scurried away, putting a huge distance between them.

"Neither!. Stop being a freaking minx!" Sean emphasized on every single word. But Arice being Arice, didn't take him seriously and just laughed. Sean was so irritated with his actions and just ignored him. It's useless talking with Arice. What this guy needs is a good beating!.

Mile, on the other hand, eventually stopped apologizing on Peiya and decided to just give her some time alone. If he keeps on forcing her to accept his apology, she might hate him even more! Of course, he wouldn't want that.

And so he went back to the cockalorum who bullied Peiya earlier. He wanted to fight that old guy in the cafeteria right at that moment, but the both of them was stopped by a scary-looking guy. That guy seems like that old guy's friend. But compare to the old guy, that man scared Mile even though he only uttered very few words.

Of course, he wouldn't say that out loud.

"Let's fight!" Mile shouted. His voice vibrating inside the old court. They agreed on playing basketball in the old court a distance away outside the campus after school. This old court was once use by basketball players before the new court in the central town was created.

Sean glanced at Mile, with a mood still sour. He had no one to vent his anger on earlier, but now a willing junior came.

"Fine." Sean said. The two of them will fight one on one. And the first one to get at 3 points will become the winner.

Everyone whose watching, including the ones involved, had long forgotten that this was originally Martin's matter. And was so immersed with the upcoming fight.

"Head or Tail" Mile stretched out his hands and a coin was placed in the palms of his hand.

"Head."

Mile flipped the coin up in the air, and catch it with a smack.

"Tails. I'm first."

And so the heated basketball match started. The two of them had a fierce look on their faces. Like they were about to fight with samurais than with balls.

The onlookers were betting on who will win. Most of the girls who doesn't really know anything about basketball placed their bets on Sean, with the only reason that he was extremely handsome. While those basketball junkie, considered Mile as their front-runners.

The two people who were the center of attention soon immersed themselves in the game. Like they were the only people in the world. The voices and cheers became mere backgrounds.

Mile dribbled the ball, his mind formulating a way to completely trample this old guy. Sean on the other hand, was focused on just blocking. He was no professional in basketball, but he had a fair number of times when he had won in this game.

The two of them played with all they had. Sweats formed in both of their foreheads and their breathing had become ragged. The score had become tied, and this final round will seal the deal.

Sean's body is already tired from the excessive movements. But his mind is as clear as spring water.

He moved his body towards the basket aiming to shoot the rock at the rim. But Mile was fast, and he immediately blocked him. Sean did the in-and-out dribble, and fooled Mile that what he was about to do was a standard crossover.

Sean bounced the ball with one hand, and faked the movement of his head and shoulders, making it look like he was going in the other direction. He then moved the ball inside and then backed out by changing the position of his hand on the ball, then he moved forward in the same direction.

Mile was fooled by this and had switched his weight to the wrong leg. Because of this mistake, a driving lane to attack opened up. Sean didn't let this opportunity go and scored a point. The ball hit its goal flawlessly.

Cheers erupted and those that betted on Sean had a smug look on their faces. Most of them were girls who only came here to watch two handsome men playing. Who would have thought they'll end up with their money doubled?. Lucky!.

Mile panted heavily, his teeth sinking into the flesh of his lips. How could he get fooled by this? He's so pathetic!.

Sean saw him like this and frowned. He kicked Mile's leg lightly.

"Brat!" He had already retaliated and was quite satisfied. So he would not make this junior of him cry and will do him a favor of letting him off. Mile frowned at him and grunted.

"Ugly!" Although his face shows displeasure, he doesn't feel like he's truly mad. Mile unknowingly respected Sean who had defeated him in basketball and was no longer 'extremely' irritated at him. Now it was only just a little.

Arice clapped in the corner, his face shows how proud he is, or rather, smug.

He then went towards Sean and wiped the other with a clean towel.

"I'll do it---i told y-"

"Nah ah. I'll do it. I'll act like a boyfriend so just shhh hahaha." Arice said while his one hand held Sean's waist. He had his usual grin. Sean was already tired, and no longer had any energy to argue with him. So he just sighed and let Arice do whatever he wants.

Arice was surprised after seeing him so obedient, but didn't show it in his face. A timid Sean like this, looks so delish.

Arice went behind Sean after he finished wiping his face. He proceeded on wiping his back with another towel. Arice stared at Sean's bare nape that had turned reddish, and his hands softly brushed against it, leaving a ticklish sensation. Sean flinched from the sudden touch, his nape growing even redder.

Arice became silent, but his eyes had long burned with tempestuous desire. The desire to conquer this man had grown even stronger.

Sean felt chills running down his spine. And like a prey that had sensed an upcoming danger about to befall, he broke free from Arice clutches.

"I-i'll get going." He said, and scurried away like a scared rabbit.

Arice stood there motionless. But his eyes made those that glances at him feel scared.

He won't let him go. He won't ever let him escape.

"You're mine." He had a grin on his face. He was no better than a crazy man.

"Martin yow!" Lila called. The both of them was close before, but they barely talked after they got separated in sections. But nevertheless, Lila always had that personality where she can always mix inside a group of people despite the few number of times they had ever interacted.

Martin glanced at her, and immediately recognizes her. Lila, the very first girl he had a normal conversation with!. He doesn't have that 'talent' to eloquently converse with girls like playboys, and he never tried to have one either. But after conversing with Lila, he no longer had to worry about that. After all, he, secretly, thinks Lila is more like a boy than a girl.

Of course, he wouldn't tell that to her, since it's rude.

"Hey hey! Long time no talk!" Lila raised her hands and slapped it in Martin's back. Martin coughed from the pain.

His gaze landed on the man beside Lila, and realized he seems familiar. He subconsciously pointed his finger on that guy.

"You... You" Martin thought hard on who might this guy be.

"He's Lucian. My friend." Lila interjected. Martin heard his name, and a bright bulb appeared inside his head. Right! Lucian.

That was his name. But aside from that, what makes him seem familiar was because Sherdan approached him last last day during the rain.

"I see, you're Lucian." Martin nodded his head. Lucian was puzzled, but didn't pry on this. The both of them weren't close, so he can't casually ask.

But Lila is different. Lila and Martin is close. So after seeing this exchange, Lila asked Martin shamelessly.

"What? You know him?."

"Well, during the typhoon when the four of us was about to go home, Sherdan told us to go ahead and went towards this guy who was sitting alone in a shed."

The two of them gossiped about Lucian. Making the latter uncomfortable.

Uh, he's right there in front of them.

"And so, I was bla bla bla. Lucian was in Cohen's house! I was so envious really." Lila talked. As if her stories wasn't about someone else but about herself.

Martin was surprised after finding out that Sherdan had someone not so close to him sleep over in his house.

That guy?

He always refuses to let them sleep over inside his house but lets strangers stay there for what, for 2 days? Martin felt betrayed, how many times has this been in this day.

"Why that guy! That Sherdan wu wu wu!" Martin cried, with his invisible tears.

"What about me?" Sherdan asked.

[A short comic strip of Sean and Arice to make your day betteeer ehe]