On Thursday, our school was holding a basketball match against a neighboring school and by noon, the gym was packed with students.
The teachers were filing in along with janitors helping us carry chairs for the visitors which were mostly the students from the other school and a few parents; coming to supports the players.
I took a seat among the other students from our school. I craned my neck to catch a glimpse of the players pouring in.
The throng of people in front of me was blocking my view and I’ve been spending the past couple of minutes trying to search for that small hole between them that will allow me to see what’s going on.
Adam’s not coming in today. He texted me this morning telling me that his mom was not feeling well and that he was going to have to take care of her.
I offered to help him out but he turned the offer down and told me he was going to be fine so I dropped it and let him be.
After that trip to the meadow and the storytelling session, we waited for the sun to rise for a bit before deciding to head back. We passed McD’s drive thru and bought some food.
All of them were half awake by then and didn’t even bother asking us where we went or why we were out so early when their eyes landed on the brown paper bag Adam was carrying.
After eating breakfast, we went our separate ways to get ready for school. Yes, school. I need those scholarships that the universities offer because although my parents can fund them, I don’t want to be a burden to them. Trying to lessen the funds for my University sounds like a pretty good start.
The week went on quickly and there was going to be another party this Friday to honor the school’s 27th Anniversary arranged by the student council. It was supposed to be a rave party with alcoholic-free drinks. Teacher would be supervising the party and everyone is ‘obliged’ to come.
I hate parties.
I was pulled out of my thoughts as the game begun, loud thuds of the ball being dribbled across the court was heard and the squeaking of brand new basketball shoes against the smooth surface of the floor filled the room.
No longer than a minute after the game started, the people sitting opposite to us rose from their seat; cheering, clapping and yelling out encouragements.
I guess they scored then.
No shit.
After another couple of minutes of struggling to search for a hole to see through, I slumped in my seat and gave up.
“Hey, you want to switch seats?” An unfamiliar feminine voice asked loudly over the screaming.
My head turned so fast, I felt a strain in my muscle. I looked at the girl beside me in surprise.
“Really?” I asked her with wide eyes that I bet were sparkling, begging her to say yes.
Hey, don’t judge. I love watching basketball games, they’re enthralling at times and very much amusing.
“Yeah, I’m not interested in these stuffs anyways,” she shrugged and rose to her feet, ready to switch seats with me. I looked at her gratefully and shuffled to squeeze in and slid into her seat while she plopped on mine.
After getting comfortable, she stretched out a hand. “I’m Penelope.”
I smiled at her although my conscious was feeding doubts into my poor mind.
Why on Earth would anyone want to be your friend? Isn’t it too late for them to have a change of hearts? It’s a bloody trick, you bloody fool.
I pushed the voice away and took her hand, shaking it firmly.
“Cassandra,” I replied before retracting my hand. She smiled at me and I saw the sincerity behind it. It made me grin inwardly.
You’re going to be proved wrong, bitchy conscience. I thought victoriously.
I sat there and turned my attention to the game that I can see almost perfectly now.
My eyes flew to the scoreboard and noticed that we were leading by two points and my fingers fidgeted on my lap. I fingered the bottom of my top as I twisted, tugged and straightened it again, repeating it numerous times while gnawing on my bottom lip.
Every time the opponent scores, their school would burst out in a series of “Ooh” loudly and I’ll find myself shooting glares at them.
My irritation grew as their player crashed into one of ours and exaggerated the fall.
The referee was an idiot and gave our player a foul.
I wanted to scream at the referee for being such a baboon. Dafuq is wrong with your eyesight?! I swear, if I see that dude anywhere without a uniform, I’m dragging him to an optical store and buying him some thick ass lenses.
The asshole got two free shots and I was on the brink of cursing out the second the ball went in for the first throw.
On the second throw, I couldn’t help it much longer and exaggerated a sneeze into a piercing scream, putting all my anger into it. The player, caught off guard, threw the ball and it didn’t even touch the ring.
Everyone from the opponent side turned their attention to our school crowd with narrowed eyes while the rest of us just clapped lamely, trying to ignore their death glares.
I realized what I did after that shot and flushed. I couldn’t believe I did that.
Bloody idiot.
Beside me, Penelope was having something similar to a heart- seizure, laughing her ass off without a care in the world.
“Y-y-you didn’t. Oh my God-” she guffawed. I blushed deeper, covering my face. I think that was enough embarrassment to last me an entire century.
I shushed her as her laughter grew louder, afraid that people who didn’t notice me doing it will start turning heads and would stare.
She was still clutching her abdomen, bent over on her seat as she tried to catch a breath only to end up laughing again.
“Oh, that was priceless, just priceless.” She forced out and I mocked a glare.
“Shut up.” I snapped weakly with a tinge of joking tone and she giggled.
She wiped a tear that rolled down her cheeks in the midst of laughing and wiped it on her jeans.
“Okay, okay. I’m not going to laugh anymore.” She raised her hands in a mock surrender gesture and looked at me, biting her lip. She seemed like she was holding in a bubbling laugh and ended up looking constipated while attempting to do it. Now, it was my turn to laugh and her turn to flush.
“What?” She asked in confusion and seemed a bit defensive about it. I waved off her question and she shrugged.
“Anyways, are you coming to the party tomorrow?” I raised both eyebrows.
“Yeah..?” It came out as a question but she beamed at me.
“Alright, do you want me to pick you up? We can get ready together in my house and take my car here.”
I stared at her like she grew two heads.
She wanted to be seen with me? I looked at her funny but decided to agree on it. It wasn’t like I was going to go with anyone anyways.
“Err, sure..? Anything will do, I guess.” I shrugged and her grin grew wider and brighter.
Just then, the bell signaling the end of the game rang and all of us rose to applaud both parties and people started filing out of the gym, getting ready to make their way out of the building and head home.
Penelope turned to me before walking towards the exit.
“Great! Here’s my number, text me your address and I’ll pick you up by 4.”
I nodded numbly, my brain not processing anything.
She stared at me in amusement. “Cassandra, I think we’ll get along just fine.”
I looked at her with a smile and it grew when I realized something.
‘I just found myself a friend,’ I thought as I stared after her until she was out of sight, lost in the sea of people.