Chapter 28

Ginger's ginger girl

My head were still in cloud nine when I wake up. I couldn't forget how our conversation ended last night. I know it wasn't that much but it is something for me. Today is their game and I've seen the hardworks they put into their pratices and would've been better because they are positive enough that they can play the game well off.

My phone rings for its third time. I pick it up and answer the call. It's just my parents.

"Alex, are you heading now? The shop were loaded of customer, we need you here."

Napabuntunghininga naman ako, thinking that tonigt is the game and I should've been preparing myself but oppose of it, kailangan kong pumunta sa shop. It is weekend and for most of customers ay weekend talaga ang pagpapalaba nila kaya ngayon kailangan ko talagang pumunta sa shop to assist my parents. We actually have some staffs pero nagkataon pang nag-day off kaya parents ko ang nagbukas for today.

"Yes, I will be there in five." Aniko.

"Okay, see you, honey." Mom said, ended the call.

Kinuha ko naman ang shoulder bag ko and headed down the stairs. I locked the door and booked for a car. It didn't look long when it came and hasn't gone to eat my time, I got on the laundry shop on time. Pagkapasok ko pa lamang ng shop, I could really see the busy environment anywhere. Hindi sa nakakapanibago, it is always like this tuwing weekend pero nakakagulat lang that our customers blow up to show in the shop.

I make my way to the counter, nakita na naman ako ng parents ko and they were busy enough to give more attention. My mom were busy assisting the customers, and my dad were busy checking the log books. Nilapitan ko naman ang dad ko at tinabihan sa kanyang kinauupuan.

"Dad, we should closed early ha."

"Hmm?" he mumbled, and didn't even look at me.

"Korg's game, tonight. We should see it all together!" aniko, nakuha ko naman ang atensyon niya at lumingon siya sa akin. Tinanggal niya ang suot niyang eyeglass. Napakunot-noo naman ako, "have you forgotten about it?"

He massaged his temple and he nodded, "sorry, your Mom and I really occupied at the moment."

Napabuntunghininga naman ako, "but please, I know we are busy but we should close early... please?"

Saglit lang din naman ay dumating si Mom at pinakuha sa akin ang ilang detergent powder. Inabot ko naman sa kanya iyon pero nagtanong din naman ito dahil naabutan niya akong kinukumbinsi si Dad na pumunta sila ngayon sa game

"What are you up to, Alex?" Mom asked.

I rolled my eyes, "how can you forgot when the redhead told you about this," I grunted and still, hindi pa rin nito naiintidihan ang sinasabi ko. Dad would do the talking pero agad ko naman siyang pinigilan at natawa na lang ito. "Mom, Korg's game tonight, don't you remember, he invited us?"

Mom really had a long pause of processing the message. She nodded after while.

"The shop's really busy, honey." Bumagsak naman ang balikat ko sa sinabi niya. "But we'll talk about it later okay—" she was interrupted when the customer called her, "I'll be right back." Mom hurriedly attended the customer.

Lumingon naman ako kay Dad and he just nodded, "your Mom had the final say, just wish customers left early."

Instead of begging them to come, I help them to assist the customers. It is my only way to spend my time. My phone were popping notification from time to time. When I checked where are all those coming from, it is from our groupchat. Bella and Pee shooter. Kinuha ko naman ang phone ko saglit at sinagot ang mga tanong nila sa akin but the video call popped up kaya iyon na lang ang sinagot ko.

Bella and Pee shooter's face flash on the screen.

"Girl, ano wala kang balak sagutin replies namin?" bungad ni Pee shooter.

"Stop harassing her, dude!" Sinaway naman siya ni Bella.

Pee shooter roll his eyes, couldn't still believe how this pretty guy were more girly than me, "I'm not harassing her, duh." He said.

"Okay, guys, stop." Pagtigil ko naman sa kanilang dalawa, and obviously they stopped arguing, "I'm at our shop now. I'm busy, we have too many customers right now, sorry for not keeping you posted."

Pee shooter grunts, "what about tonight, makakapunta ka?" he asked.

I nodded, "yes, I am sure but I'm still asking my parents to come."

"Thought you'll bail on us." Bella said.

"I won't do that." I defended myself.

Pee shooter smirked, "yeah, we know, Korg is in the game, sure you won't miss it."

I couldn't hide my smiles, they picked on me but I didn't mind, "anyway, guys, I'll update you later."

Before I got to end the video call, someone poke on me kaya agaran kong in-end ang call. Hinarap ko naman kaagad ang customer namin, and at first, natigilan pa ako pagkakita ko sa kanya but then I realized this is a public store and anyone could be here.

"Miss Keltz, wasn't expecting to see you here." Hindi pa rin maalis ang pagkakagulat ko, but I could also sense her surprise reaction seeing my new features.

"I wasn't really sure if it's you, Alex but then here you are... with new hair color." Aniya, pansin naman niya ang pagkakahiya ko dahil hindi ako sanay na makita sa ganitong ayos. Pinigilan naman niya akong gawin ang pagtago ng kamay ko sa buhok ko, "don't do that, you were pretty n those hair."

"Really, Miss?"

She nodded, "thank you, that means a lot to me."

"You were like Korg right now, huh. Rocking the ginger hair." She chuckles.

Napangiwi na lang din naman ako, "are you here for the laundry, Miss Keltz?"

She smile on me, "my boyfriend wasn't able to do the laundry today kaya ako na ang nag-asikaso, and to my knowledge your family own this laundry shop, right?"

Tumango naman ako sa kanya. Didn't even know she had a boyfriend, well hindi naman nakakagulat iyon, she really a very definition of every man's dream for their girlfriends. "Thank you for coming today Miss Keltz but the shops were full, okay lang po bang maghintay kayo?"

She nodded, "yes, waiting is one of my skills." She giggles, "well, have you thought about joining the decathlon team?" Napakunot-noo na lang din naman ako sa kanya. This were still around in my brain and I couldn't still think of it. And I can still see on her face that was hoping I would joined them. She patted my shoulder, took me long enough to have an answer. "But anyway, there still have time to think about it, Alex."

"Woah, Heide, good to see you here!" sabay naman kaming napatingin sa tumawag kay Miss Keltz, and saw my father coming towards us and stopped right on us, "you know my daughter?" he asked, he might have noticed our conversation earlier.

Miss Keltz nodded, "yes, we go in the same school, Savvy."

Father laughed, as if he forgotten about that, "oh, sorry about that. Yes I know that, of course. Savvy right..." Pansin ko naman ang pagiging luting niya, sisikuhin ko na sana siya pero agad naman itong bumawi. "Is Greg with you?"

Greg? Must be Miss Keltz boyfriend?

She shook her head, "nope, he's busy somewhere."

"That somewhere must be accompanied by someone." I mumbled and they look at me both. Mabilis naman ako umiling para depensahan ang sarili ko, "no, just don't mind it, iba ang tinutukoy ko."

Napangiwi naman si Miss Keltz sa akin, "anyway, would you guys attending the game tonight?"

I raised my hand, "I am." And immediately looked at my father.

He sighed and nodded, "we'll try when we can close the shop earlier."

"Okay, see you guys there, for now I have to excuse myself 'cause the clothes won't wash themselves..."

"Right... right." Father mumbled.

Miss Keltz headed her way to the vacant washing area. Hinatak ko naman si Dad palayo doon. He look at me with furrowed brows. "What it is Alex?"

"Mom's watching and you shouldn't have done that."

Napakamot naman siya sa ulo niya, his smiles were sneaking, "well, I can admire her but your Mom would still be the only one in my heart."

"It should be, Dad." Aniko at napakibit balikat na lang din naman siya. I watch him attended the other customers at gano'n din naman ang ginawa ko.

The shop filled with different attitude of customers. 'Yong iba ay nagmamadaling matapos ang kanilang mga damit. Some of them brought some discussion to my parents and in the end, it is their cost. It all comes with patience but we really love our kind of business. We met a lot of people—and hope, hindi kami pasukin ng mga holdaper because it would be the death of me. Knock on wood, three times. Godbless our store.

—

It's almost five and the game is about to start in few minutes and until now, nasa shop pa rin kami. We announced that we will close our shop earlier than the usual kaya mga bandang hapon ay hindi na kami tumatanggap ng customers. Dalawang customers na lang din naman ang hinihintay naming umalis and we're good to go.

"Should I go first or not?" tanong ko sa parents ko, halos natataranta na kasi ako.

Nagkatinginan naman silang dalawa, "ikaw bahala Alex, we still to check everything before we go." Dad said.

"Can we do it now?" I asked.

"We can, absolutely, but the customers are still here." Dad said.

Bumagsak naman ang balikat ko, nilingon ko ang paligid at nakita ang dalawang customers na sobrang bagal sa pagtutupi ng kanilang mga damit. Halos hindi rin naman matigil ang phone ko sa notifications nila Pee shooter at Bella, pinagmamadali na nila ako dahil dumarami na ang mga tao doon and they were also talking about the guys from other school—ang gu-guwapo daw.

"You should go now, Alex, susunod na lang kami ng Dad mo." Mom said.

"Don't fail me Mom, susunod po kayo ha?"

Tumango naman sa akin si Mom, "yes, just leave us some seats, okay?"

"Sure, see you there."

They gave me the choice, nauna na nga akong umalis sa kanila. I couldn't help myself dahil hindi ako mapakali kakaisip, baka kasi mamaya wala akong maabutan sa game. Alam kong hindi naman agad iyon matatapos pero hindi ko papalampasin mapanood si Korg, which is the only reason I wanna watch—and also to support Savvy.

I booked my car. It is driving so slow. Iyong tipong nagmamadali na nga, nagawa pang magbagal ni kuyang driver and the worst thking could happen, ang dumaan sa gasolinahan but I get a relief na nilagpasan niya iyon. When I reach Savvy, pansin ko naman kaagad ang dagsa ng mga tao. They were going to the game obviously.

Pagkababa ko naman ng sasakyan ay napansin ko ang mga players from other school na naglalabasan from their school bus saying Veronica International School. And I think they are the competing school. And I must say that all of them are good looking—well, Savvy had good looking athletes and hard to compete.

I hide my face in my ginger hair. Agaw atensyon din ito at ayokong makita ang mag reaksyon nila. I couldn't handle myself being talk of the town. I check my phone to know where Bell and Pee shooter are now, they said they were both at the entrance. I hurriedly come to that direction and not hard enough to sight them.

When I get to stop in front of them, they didn't even noticing my presence. They were still looking around for me. Hindi nila alam kaharap na nila ang inaabangan nila. I laughed timidly kaya naman napalingon silang dalawa sa akin and to what I'm expecting, they give me their surprise look. Their eyes are widen enough to look at me with judgment. They evenly got their jaw dropped. I couldn't stop my giggling.

Pee shooter touches my hair, it is like he examines how in the world I ended up to have a this kind of orange hair. Pinalo pa ako nito sa braso matapos niyang suriin iyon, akala niya kasi hair chalk iyon but then it is not.

"Do you even have to had an orange hair para mapansin ni Korg?" aniya.

"Ha? I didn't have to had it, and you would be so mad if you knew what happened." Sagot ko sa kanya.

"Kahit na girl, I don't like you with that hair. How come we can call you desperate now?"

I rolled my eyes on him, "you can't because I'm the ginger's ginger girl now."

"What?!" he exclaimed and laughed, "I can't..." he couldn't hold his laugh, even the incoming people were looking at him with weird reactions. "I really can't Alex. You called yourself what?"

"Ginger's ginger girl... what's wrong with that?" pagtataka ko naman.

"It is funny, diba, Bella?"

Bella sneak out a chuckles, and shrugged off her shoulders. "There's nothing wrong with it naman, Philippines. You only said that because you are no one's girl."

Pee shooter were annoyed by Bella's statement. "Whatever, girl." He said, rolling his eyes... again.

"You're brave to own an orange hair, Alex, huh?" Bella said, "but it suits you, nasanay lang siguro kami na blonde hair ka kasi doon ka namin nakilala but wearing different color isn't that bad at all... how did you come up with it, huh? Really inlove with Korgian?"

"You can say that... but what really happen is—"

"Alex!" I didn't get to finished my words when someone called my name and I've got to look around to see who is it and to find out that it is Mia and she's running towards us. And speaking of the person who were guilty of changing my hair color. My friends just look at her, she also greeted them but her attention were only goes into me, "I've got you something!" she said and handed over a white cartolina poster.

"What is this for?"

"You might wanna know it later, when the game started."

Tumango na lamang ako sa kanya, "oh, okay, thank you for this."

"No problem," she said and her smiles weren't going anywhere. "But I'm glad you didn't dye back to black your hair."

I smile shyly, "yeah... I kinda like it now."

"I'm happy you do!" aniya at kinagulat ko na lang na sunod niyang ginawa ay niyakap niya ako. I can see the face of the two in front of me. Panigurado'y nagtataka sila kung bakit sobrang clingy ni Mia. When she lose herself, hinawakan naman niya ang magkabilang balikat ko, "I gotta go find my seat now, okay? I'm overtly excited to see my Gi."

"Gi?" Pee shooter murmured.

"Okay, see you inside." I bid my goodbye to her and we watch her going inside.

Mabilis namang lumapit sa akin si Pee shooter. He was really intrigued what's happening, "can you tell me how Mia knows about your hair and we didn't, and how is he still so fond with Korg even if they were exes now? Asang-asa siya 'te?"

Natawa naman si Bella, "she really must be the one to call desperate," aniya, saka lumingon si Bella sa akin na taas ang kanyang kaliwang kilay, "what really happened last night, Alex?"

Humugot naman ako ng malalim na hininga, "it is classified."

Pee shooter responded angrily, "did she do that on you?"

But I stay in silence.

"Silence means yes." Bella said.

"Now, I really hate you, Alex."

Napangisi naman ako sa sinabi niya, "you must really hate me all the time, so you can call me Alex." Natawa na lang ako habang papasok na rin kami sa loob.

We headed to the bleachers and find our seats. Nag-reserve pa ako ng two seats for my parents which are on their way na. Pee shooter weren't talking to me. Bella said he was too jealous dahil si Mia ay nagawang kulayan ang buhok ko, mas trip na gawin ni Pee shooter iyon sa akin.

The field were almost ready for the players to rugged the ground. The loud cheers coming from the both schools are overwhelming and because we are the hosting school, hindi nagpakabog ang bawat estudyante to show their supports on our schoolmates.

Hindi rin katagalan ay dumating na ang parents ko. Good thing dahil hindi pa naman nag-start ang game kaya mapapanood nila ang game ng buo. My friends were happy to see my parents at the game and the first time they were having some conversations. They evenly joke that the Sawyers get to be invited first at our house before the two of them.

"Alex!" when I hear that voice, hinanap ko kaagad kung saan iyong nanggaling. She waved her hands kaya mabilis ko siyang natanaw.

Tinawag ko naman ang parents ko at tinuro ang kanyang direksyon, "look its Gell!"

Kumaway naman pabalik sa kanya ang parents ko, and they were happy to see her again. Bumalik naman sa akin ang atensyon ni Gell sa akin at nagtaka sa hair color ko. She will not hear my response dahil sa sigawan ng mga katabi namin. Ikinibit-balikat ko na lang din naman. Gell's a redhead and I wanted to see her in that hair color but being brunette is also hot.

The players are coming out at hudyat na iyon na magsisimula na ang game. We were so excited to see Savvy wins. When I saw Korg, I couldn't help myself but to stare at him. His redhead standouts being the only one on the team. Sobrang smooth ng dating niya. He's eyes were searching on the crowds and somehow it was stuck on my direction. I really don't know what to do. A half smile formed on his lips and I'm squeaking inside if I was really the one he's looking. And suddenly to satisfy my curiosity, he waved on me... and so I did the same.

Napansin din pala iyon ng mga kaibigan ko, even my parents were smiling beside me. Hindi naman ako tinigilan ng dalawa kong kaibigan sa pang-aasar.

"Was that you, Alex? Baka naman assuming ka lang ah." Pee shooter said.

Hindi naman ako umimik, I wasn't rule either. Kumaway lang din naman ako sa kanya. I even look at her sister and she give me a thumbs up. Inakala ko talaga noon ay isa siya sa mga mean girls na kapag nakabangga mo, you will never found peace again pero ngayon sobrang gaan na nang pakiramdam ko kay Gell—though we still not know each other other than she's Korg's sister—not his girlfriend.

From my peripheral vision, I saw one who waved to the players. Nang inusisa kong makita iyon, si Mia pala. She is waving to Korg and him, doesn't give any respond. Ni hindi na rin siya lumingon sa direksyon namin. He's mind were focus on the game now, not on his desperate ex.

The national anthem goes on the track and afterwards, the game were set off.

The first quarter started that the Savvy's Dragon team really beaten the competing team. I was really happy to see that they were really doing all their best to win this game.

Until Mia called me and go down the stairs at binulatlat niya ang dala niyang poster. She raised it up and cheer for the team. Tinawag niya muli ako para gawin din iyon. My parents told me to do it kaya naman sumunod ako sa pwesto ni Mia sa hagdan. It is not to block any view from the people behind. Titingnan ko pa sana ang nakasulat sa poster ko pero agad naman akong pinigilan ni Mia at itaas ko na lang daw. What written on her poster is Go Captain Korgian! Win the game!

I follow what she told me, inangat ko ang poster na iyon at sinabayan ko siya sa ginagawa niyang pagcheer.

"Go, Savvy! Savvy Let's go!" it raises the loud noise from our schoolmates and gives a better performance on our players but on the sudden scenario. When Korg took the ball from his team, he glance to our direction that make him stop to run his way. He must have been reading what's written on the poster. Everyone, included me, gasped when Korg has been tackled by the rival team.

"Go kuya! Get your ass right there!" sigaw ni Gell sa kapatid niya, but on the other side she look on our direction and saw what disctracted Korg.

Korg shook his head and accompanied by his other team mates.

Gell comes to me and pull down my hands. She gets the poster and she face it to me, and I was stopped, realizing what's written on it.

You are the best, Alec! Go Savvy!

And when I look on the field, I saw Alec, looking at my direction, smiling like he never did before. Tumapon naman ang tingin ko kay Mia at binigyan pa ako nito ng tingin na nagtataka siya sa nangyari. Tinupi na lamang ni Gell ang poster at binigay iyon kay Mia.

"Wait... I shouldn't be the only one cheering them, right?" Mia said pero hindi ko siya pinansin.

"Sorry..." I muttered to Gell.

She nodded, "that's okay, Alex..." she patted me and goes back to her seat.

Muli naman akong kinalabit ni Mia at hinarap sa kanya, "the game's just started, Alex." Aniya.

Umiling naman ako sa kanya, "I wont do it again, Mia... sorry..." and I just walked away back to my seat.

Isang malalim na buntonghininga na lamang ang pinakawalan ko at sumandal sa balikat ni Dad. I hope Korg wouldn't be distracted for the whole game.