I remember that tall guy na iwa-one-on-one dapat ako last tryout sa gym, and I didn't even give him a chance to do so. Ngayon ko lang nalaman na tagarito rin pala siya sa village.

They said marami raw guwapo sa basketball team. I reckon the opposite, bitch.

He was tall, but I think he was just five to six inches taller than me. He wore a black cap backwards, black loose sando, dark blue jersey shorts, and running shoes.

I had my types, so my barometer of guwapo was all in the volleyball and swimming teams. Never kaming tumambay nina Peb para manood ng basketball players sa gym. I dunno, mukha kasi silang maaasim for me.

Maraming bading sa volleyball, and if may bading means mas malilinis sila sa katawan, if not all, at least most. Kapag malinis at hygienic, plus pogi points. Basta marunong maghugas ng bayag at hindi allergic sa moisturizer, go na si bakla. Something na hindi makaka-relate ang mga nasa basketball team.

"Kuya Mes! Laro na tayo!" Jimmy called, and that also caught the attention of this tall guy.

I was glaring at him, and he stared back. Soon after, he smirked. I guess he remembers me.

He slowly dribbled the ball with his left hand. "Ikaw yung bading sa tryout, right?"

Maarte kong hinawi ang dulo ng wolf cut kong abot hanggang balikat sabay eye-roll. That was my answer.

Jimmy threw me the ball from the clubhouse. Nag-dribble na ako habang paisa-isang naglalakad sa gitna ng court.

"Dapat kayo ni Daddy Jed ang nagpa-practice, e," sabi ko kay Jimmy.

I dribbled and ran past Jimmy. He tried to block me and steal the ball, but I did a crossover and stepped to the left. Jimmy followed where I made a step at nag-attempt na kunin ang bola sa kaliwang kamay ko. I instantly dribbled the ball behind my back and caught it with my right, then I ran toward the basket and did a layup afterward.

Hindi na ako hinabol ni Jimmy. Nanood na lang siya sa free-throw line.

"You better move those feet, Jimmyboy," I said. Ibinato ko agad sa kanya ang hawak kong bola para ako naman ang dedepensa.

Grade 4 pa lang si Jimmy, and I wasn't expecting anything more for a four-feet-three kid. Between the two of us, mas focus siya sa basketball training camp na may sponsor pa ng famous malt drink.

Wala akong training camp for basketball. Wala akong matinong technical training apart from our PE subjects na part ng written and practical exam ang basketball since Grade 5 to Grade 10. The only physical training I had was with my brothers. Si Adon ang naipasok sa training camp for basketball, and is currently a varsity player din ng kabilang school na kalaban din namin every league.

Half an hour kaming nag-one-on-one ni Jimmy before I told Dad na magpapahinga muna para hindi ako matagtag mamaya sa practice sa school gym.

And when I thought that tall guy had left, I found him sitting on the concrete bench watching me walk toward his direction kung saan iniwan ni Daddy ang mga water flask namin. Pinapaikot niya sa daliri ang bola habang nakangisi.

"Pinapatawag ka ni Coach, a?" sabi niya.

"Mamaya pang one. Excited?" pairap na sagot ko. Paglapit ko sa dulo ng bench kung nasaan ang mga flask namin, kinuha ko ang royal blue flask ko saka uminom.

Daddy Jed and Jimmy practiced ball handling. That tall guy left along with two other guys na di familiar sa 'kin.

Training pa rin sina Jimmy nang magpaalam akong babalik na sa bahay kasi bibiyahe pa 'ko papuntang school by lunch.

At two, marami na sila sa gym nang maabutan ko. My training bag was hanging on my right shoulder habang hawak ko ang strap. Naghahanap na ang mata ko ng paglalapagan ng bag. Puno na kasi halos sa gilid ng side court. Nagsasalita pa si Coach sa kanilang nagkukumpulan malapit sa bench nang may isang nagturo ng nguso sa akin. Napalingon tuloy si Coach sa direksiyon ko.

Ang sabi, 2:30 p.m. daw ang call time. Seven minutes past two pa lang. Kahit nga yung matangkad na kasama namin kanina sa court, wala pa rito.

"De Rossi, faster," malakas na utos ni Coach, and I'm sure he was talking about me.

Paglapit ko sa kanila, nag-explain agad ako. "De Chavez, Coach. I'm not de Rossi."

Kunot ang noo ni Coach nang tingnan ako. "What do you mean by de Chavez?"

"I'm Messiah Phineas de Chavez. Stepdad ko si Jared de Rossi. If you call me de Rossi, I won't respond. And if I were to have my jersey, that would be de Chavez, not de Rossi."

Napakamot agad ng batok si Coach at biglang ibinato sa sahig ang hawak niyang maliit na whiteboard. One of the players picked up the board.

"Bakit ngayon mo lang sinabi?!" galit na sigaw ni Coach. Everyone flinched except me.

"You should've asked, right?!" I yelled back.

"Hey." Someone grabbed me from the shoulder for me to step back.

Biglang itinuro ni Coach ang dulo ng gym. "Whoever you are, ten laps! NOW!"

Oh, wow!

THE FUCK IS THIS SHIT?!

I didn't move. Ayaw ng pride kong pagalawin ako, but when Coach attempted to slap me, one hand grabbed my left arm, and I had no choice but to run along with the owner of that hand.

Nakailang hakbang na kami patakbo nang makita ko kung sino ang humatak sa 'kin.

"Don't do that again," he warned.

"His assumption is not my fault!"

"Kahit pa. Don't do that again. Mali mo, mali ng lahat."

Natatandaan ko na siya. Siya yung nice guy na akala ko, makaka-one-on-one ko last tryout.

Sinabayan ko siya sa pagtakbo. Nasa kabila na kami ng court nang makita kong pinatatakbo na rin ang ibang player.

"Give me your bag."

We were still running nang iabot ko sa kanya ang bag kong nakasabit pa rin sa balikat ko.

"Don't stop. Hahabol ako." Sinundan ko siya ng tingin. Dinala niya ang bag ko sa isang upuan na may bag ding laman. Ipinatong niya ang gamit ko sa bag na naroon saka siya bumalik sa pagtakbo. He ran fast enough hanggang maabutan akong nakaka-two laps na.

"Thanks," I said with a slight smile and a hint of exhaustion.

"No worries. Messiah, did I hear that right?"

"Yeah." Then I let out a deep breath to manage my airflow.

"I'm Sulley. Captain."

"Oh!" Pinalobo ko agad ang pisngi ko para magpigil ng ngiti nang malaman ko agad ang position niya.

"Mag-sorry ka na lang kay Coach later. Two laps na lang tayo. Hindi niya naman bibilangin 'yan."

"Bakit parang fault ko na assuming siya?"

"In this court, i-assume mo na agad na may fault ka kahit wala. Just to set your expectations."

"Fuck that shit. Whooh!" Nagsisimula na akong hingalin. Hindi ko na rin nabilang kung ilang ikot na ba ang nagagawa namin sa court.

"Are you gay?"

"Huh?!" Gulat ko pa siyang nilingon. "Seriously? The fuck is that question?"

"Don't take that offensively. I respect the they/them movement, though. I'll be setting the team after this."

"Ah." I chuckled. "I'm a he. But I'm bisexual. I do both ways."

"Ah, bisexual, hmm . . ." I glanced at him, and he looked like he was still considering my answer.

Hindi ko type ang mga Chinito, pero bet ko siya. He looked like a nursing student.

"Nursing ba program mo?" chika ko agad.

He smiled sweetly at me. "That's not the first! Mukha ba akong nursing stude?"

"Yeah. Mukhang twice a day kang naliligo."

"Hahahaha! Facts. Pero hindi ako nursing. Sa accounting ako."

"Wow!" Nagulat ako sa sagot niya. "Nakaka-attend ka pa ng class?"

"Dean's lister ako. I need to maintain my grades para sa scholarship."

Oh my gosh. May ganitong player sa basketball?! At ngayon ko lang nalaman?!

SEATED!

We were still in the middle of our sixth lap when he pouted to the side court, tinuturong doon muna kami.

Kahit confused pa, huminto kami sa gilid ng court at naghabol ng hangin.

"We're done," he immediately said and combed his barely wetted hair. "Last lap na nila 'yan."

"I thought ten laps?" tanong ko.

"Hindi naman 'yan bibilangin ni Coach kapag hindi siya nakatingin." Itinuro na naman niya ng nguso si Coach na busy sa phone. Namaywang siya at nag-stretch ng leeg kaliwa't kanan. "Anyway, walang bakla—or bisexual—sa team, so you're the first by far."

"Sure kang wala?" malisyosong tanong ko at pinagtaasan siya ng kilay habang nakangisi.

Humagikhik na naman siya at nawala na naman ang mga mata niya. "Wala pang umaamin, so far. So there. We had been deliberating kung ipapasok ka talaga sa team kasi marami namang substitute for that, kaso . . ."

I rolled my eyes. "I know. Daddy Jed and Coach. I feel you, bruh."

"Yeah." He playfully nodded. "By the way, ang iba diyan, aasarin ka. Wala namang homophobes sa mga 'yan. Hoping wala pang lalantad. But we're inclusive naman. Although, for me, parang mas may potential ka sa volleyball."

"May potential o gusto mo lang akong ilagay sa tamang margin?" challenge ko sabay taas ng kaliwang kilay. "Maraming bading sa volleyball team."

"Both," he honestly said, and I appreciated his honesty. "But don't think of that as a bad move. Environment-wise, it's easy to move and be yourself lang sa tamang group without the worry na baka kung ano'ng isipin ng iba. It's hard to be someone else you're not just because you're the odd one out, correct?"

"Parang hindi ka bagay rito," naiinis na sabi ko. "Hindi ako fan ng basketball, pero sige, for you, I'm sold! Akin na lahat ng bola, pakikinisin ko lahat!"

"Hahahaha! Silly." Tumawa na naman siya. And to be honest, it felt like he came from a decent family. Nagre-resonate 'yon sa words and actions niya. Hindi siya siga at mayabang. Wala akong nararamdamang hangin sa katawan niya.

"Yung bag mo pala, nasa ibabaw ng bag ko. Doon muna tayo sa locker room. Hahanapan kita ng locker mo," sabi niya.

Oh my gosh. Magsosolo kami sa locker?

Aaaahhh! Magkakaroon na ba ako ng college steamy moments sa locker room?!

SEATED!