Chapter 4

It's been a week and luckily I didn't experience any suffering. It's the Intramurals Week of the school. We are required to join any activities of the school. It was divided into sports, academic and socio-cultural competition. All grade levels will compete with each other from Grade 7 to Grade 12, but it was divided again into Primary and Secondary. The Primary Category is for the High School from Grade 7-10 while the Secondary Category is for the Senior High School, from Grade 11-12. The winners will be announced by category but there will be an overall winner with the highest points in all competition in which it can be from Grade 7-12.

We are currently inside the conference room where the president council of our grade level is giving a brief discussion about the IW( Intramurals Week). At the end of the conference, we will list our names to the competition that we want to join. Some competitions required a number of players, so not all students can compete. But, they will be assigned to committees that will help the players such as the food committee, attendance committee, and budget committee. Some can also be a deputy to every event to help monitor and lead the players.

After the discussion, the council let us go to different tables to list our names to a competition we want to join. Students began to stand and walk towards different tables with a specific competition while my best friend and I are still sitting in our chairs.

" So, where are you joining, Cath?" I just shrugged my shoulders. Honestly, I can join any sports and academic activities but not in the socio-cultural. So, I will join either two of them.

"You?" I asked Marielle while observing the crowd.

" I'll join the Speech Choir or the Jingle, I guess" and she shrugged her shoulders. It's been a while before we went to list our names. She decided to join the speech choir while I joined archery. Students may join a competition but we still need to be assessed. We bid goodbye and went to the assessment area depending on what competition you joined. We agreed that whoever finished first must go to where the other one is, to fetch her. Our archery group walked towards the field while Marielle's group went to one of the rooms at the grade 12 building.

As we arrived at the field, we can see three targets. one target is at a 50-meter distance, the second one is 60-meter, and lastly 70-meter distance.

"Hello everyone, I am the one who will assess you all for the sports, archery. Call me Ms. Kate. Some of you know me as I am a physics teacher of the STEM strand. To start please line up according to the list." Ms. Kate started to call names base on the name on the list who wants to join the archery. My section was handled by Ms. Kate. Based on our strand, we have 4 sections and our teacher also are two sets, one teacher for 2 sections and one teacher again for 2 sections. This is because some of our senior high school teachers also teach other subjects both in grade 11 and grade 12. I am very amazed at how flexible teachers are.

" For you to join, I need only 5 students who will score the highest for all the different distances. Let's start"

One by one, each student was assessed. I was just observing them. Most have great forms but some lack focuses maybe because they are nervous. I am last on the line.

" Oh, I forgot to tell you, the one who will obtain the highest score will be the captain of the team." Students' eyes began to spark. We are fifteen who try to join this team but only 5 will remain.

" Next, Ms. Geraldez" The girl began to take a stance. She began to take aim and a few seconds later, she releases her arrow, and its a bull's eye. The student began to wow and clap.

" Nice shot Miss" Ms. Kate complimented. At the next distance, the 60-meter distance, she scored a score of 9, and while at the 70-meter distance she scored 7. It was not bad. She still needs more practice especially on her focus to score 10 for the two distances. Her stance and foundation are already great.

"Ms. Gerarldez scored total points of 26. Congratulations!" Everyone thinks that she will be the captain because, after her turn, the highest score is 8 for the 50-meter distance, and for the 60 and 70-meter distance the highest score was 6 making Ms. Geraldez the top scorer for now.

"Ms. Kingsley, it's your turn. Good luck." Ms. Kate gave me a fighting look and I just nod at her.

I grab the bow and arrow at the table. I begin to make my stance and focus my eyes on the target. I am aiming my arrow to the center but, I think I don't need to do that for now. I aimed for the 9 at the 50-meter, 8 at the 60-meter, and 6 at the 70-meter. After I am done, I walked back to my line.

" Ms. Kingsley scored 23. Congratulations." I nodded and bow as my thank you

"Everyone, please wait for a while as we will announce later the top 5 who will be representing the Grade 12 for the sports, archery"

I checked my phone and texted Marielle for some updates.

To: Marielle

Any news?

From: Marielle

It's not my turn yet.

To: Marielle

Okay. Wait for me. The result will be announced any minute.

From: Marielle

Okay. I know you will be picked.

" Everyone, please gather. I already posted the result on the Grade 12 bulletin board. Kindly check your names there and the members will have a meeting tomorrow afternoon. Some information will also be attached together with the result. If you have questions or clarification, please tell me during the meeting tomorrow. Thank you everyone for participating. Goodbye." Everyone was dismissed. Luckily the results are posted at our building and currently, Marielle is there.

I went to the bulletin board first. I am rank 2 and Florence Geraldez is our captain. We are the only girls. Most who participated during the tryouts were boys and only five of us were girls. Satisfied with the result, I began walking on the third floor of the building where Marielle is. Before going up the stairs, I was stopped in my tracks.

" Why did you do it?" I looked behind me and saw Ms. Geraldez leaning to the building wall.

"What do you mean?" I asked looking at the stairs

" I know you can score 10 to all targets. "

"It's not the time for that. I will give you the leadership as I don't want any responsibilities. I know that you have leadership skills. "

" You're stepping into my pride, Ms. Kingsley."

"It's not about the pride, Ms. Geraldez. It's about winning. I am recognizing your skills that's why I gave it to you. " she did not utter any word. As I began to walk upstairs again, I leave a little message.

"Let's compete at the interschool competition together, Captain" After the intramurals, there will be an interschool competition. All who wins in the sports, academic and socio-cultural categories of the different school will compete with each other. This is a separate one with the highest score winner of the school. Last year, I decided to be on the scoring committee and didn't compete for any of those categories. But, because this year is my last year, I decided to compete. Marielle joined the speech choir last year but the former grade 12 students won and they compete at the interschool competition.

I arrived at the room and looked at the window to see what is happening. I am watching my best friend cry her heart out, kneeling on the floor, and calling for help. After her weeping, she smiled crazily and looked at the audience. The audience gasp and looked scared. From being pitiful, she became a psychopath with her smiles.

"Cut!! That was awesome, Ms. Lapidez!" The teacher said. I am smiling from ear to ear. I am proud of my best friend. After a while, many people auditioned but they didn't leave an impression as my best friend did. I couldn't witness the early audition because of my tryouts but I know my Marielle is the best here.

After a while, the results were announced and she was one of the picked members and been assigned as the leader. Students began to walk out of the room, but the picked members stayed a bit before coming out. Marielle is looking trying to find me and I just waved my hand for her to notice me. She runs towards me and hugged me.

" I was accepted and became the leader, Cath." she proudly said.

" I know. You did good, Mar" I said and caress her head.

We began to walk out of the school. I walked her to the bus station, and we waited for the bus to arrived.

" How was your tryout?" she asked after drinking her water.

" I ranked 2nd."

" Congratulations. You also did well." she leaned her head to my shoulders and I pat her head. And I just nod my head. After a minute, the bus arrived. I waved goodbye to her and started to walk home.