Chapter 3

Since the match between Sarah and Maria started, their fans have divided the court to cheer for their idol players, the two current best volleyball players in the campus to the fans' own opinions.

Each time Sarah's or Maria's team, managed to score or successfully defended the ball. The crowd would erupt in cheers and chants "GO, GO, GO TEAM MARIA!!!" or "FLY HIGH TEAM SARAH!!!".

Each team was a match for each other, there were no advantages or shortcoming on each team, only teamwork and experience were the ones making the difference in this match of the best.

The captains, Sarah and Maria, have coordinated their team according to the best suited maneuvers and each captain has their own way of coordinating their own tem. Maria's way is to signal and verbally tell her team where to position and when to attack.

However, Sarah's team worked together like a well oiled machine. Their verbal less coordinations out wits Maria's. They only managed to do this because their Team Captain, Sarah, prepared a series of single signs or commands of maneuvers and player placements beforehand.

It was just a matter of time when Sarah's team took the lead, 18 - 13. Yet the match seems to be closer than what it looks like.

...…

"Score! The win goes for Sarah's team!" Ma'am Lovely announced as the star struck audience went wild for that match. The crowd cheered and clapped as both teams shared an arm shake after a well fought match.

"Woooh! Nice job Sarah, that was such a fun match up! You were soaring in the air like a fierce bird! And spiking in multiple areas at a time!" Maria said in overjoy as she swung Sarah's hand each time she mentioned an awesome moment in the match. Maria swung Sarah's hand so much that she could not talk back and was also getting dizzy.

"U-uh, T-thanks-" Sarah tried to talk in between swings, but it came out like she was fatigued and running while saying something.

On the sideline where the next team was waiting. Meague sat with her team and looked at Sarah with a gaze piercing look, her wants to play against Sarah had already shown in her eyes.

"Sarah…" Meague uttered her name devoid of any emotions or feelings like Sarah killed her father or something. Then Iverson walked towards her with assassin-like movements and decided to mess with her for a bit.

"Hmmmmm, you've been looking at Sarah a lot lately… Are you finding her attractive?.." Iverson whispered like a scammer suggesting something to a client.

"Nah… She's just- Ahhh! Vers! What the fuck?!" Meague exclaimed when she finally noticed Iverson's faint presence.

"Hehe just kidding, just kidding." Iverson Laughed and Meague just glared at him.

"Sheeeesh, It's just a joke. Eas off the death glare or your eye would pop off. " Iverson said as he tried to brush off Meague's piercing eyes. Meague rolled her eyes and continued on minding her business, not minding Iverson anymore. "Awwwh~ Come on Meague, why so hateful towards everyone bruh."

"Nah, I don't hate everyone I just mostly hate you since you are quite easy to hate." Meague said with a huff and dramatically flinged her hair.

"Oft, luhhhh, Damn bro why must you bully me like that…" Iverson played on being hurt by her words and clutched his chest like her words had stabbed his heart.

Meague only rolled her eyes at Iverson's childish antics then laughed when Iverson just stood there motionlessly while looking at her with that punchable stupid look of his and his mouth was slightly agape.

"Hahahaha close your mouth or a damn fly would fly in." Megue laughed and Iverson just chuckled, they don't want to admit it but they do have this sister and brother type of bond.

Meague sighed after laughing and looked at Iverson who was raising an eyebrow. "It's nothing really. I'm just observing her and preparing for our upcoming match." Meague answered his earlier question.

"Hm, but is that really all? You're awfully giving her a lot of resentful glares, do you hate her? Did she do something to you? Like hmmmm, did she steal your crush's attention?" Iverson bombarded Meague with questions one after another.

"WTF?! Hahahahaha, fuck no! That's some stupid ass reason. It is just a small thing, is all. She does look kinda cool and cute.." Meague lied about the last parts just to get Iverson off her neck and move on, however it led a wrong direction to Iverson's mind.

Iverson looked at Meague with shock and doubt, then contemplated her prefered sexuality for a partner. Meague then realized just how weird and a tad bit adoring the way she just said those last parts and looked at Iverson's knowing face while shaking her head "No, no, no, don't you dare-"

"Le gasp, you have a crush on her!!! I see, I see, it all makes sense now." Iverson nodded sagely and Meague stared at Iverson with disbelief.

"Don't worry Meague! We'll still support you. RIGHT EVERYONE?!!" Iverson shouted to their team and everyone was confused yet still responded.

"Yeah let's go!" "We can do this guys!" "We are team STEM!"... Confused cheers were yelled and Meague got more embarrassed, and her urge of wanting to smack Iverson square to his face was becoming evident.

"WHAT?! NOOOO!!!" Meague tried to shut Iverson's mouth from exposing more wrong things that could make wrong thoughts and assumptions pop to mind to those who hear it. Iverson dodged Meague's multiple attempts of silencing him while also blocking and dodging some haymaker punches from Meague 'Damn she sure can pack a punch, literally.' Iverson pushed back Meague and made some space for him to inhale and shouted once more.

"Guys! Meague has a crush on someone from HUMSS and she wants to look cool and impress her! Let's help her team STEM!!!" Meague stopped dead at her tracks while closing and opening her mouth, too shocked and stunned by Iverson's shamelessness and wrong proclamations about her 'crush'.

'That- that fucking bastard said it- no he freaking announced it to the entire school!!!' Meague's hateful death stares landed at a smugly smiling Iverson. 'Payback bitch..' Iverson smirked internally

"YEAHHH!!!" Everyone from Team STEM and the audience shouted with brand new excitement after getting the gist of things. Meague's face became flustered with embarrassment and anger towards Iverson. She then screamed threats at the top of her lungs to Iverson.

"YOU SON OF BICH!!! I'LL FUCKING KILL YOUU!!!" Meague then chased Iverson around the school grounds intending to hurt him till his face was unrecognizable.

...

After landing a couple slaps and punches that definitely left a mark or a bruise, they were forcefully separated and ma'am Lovely scolded them for their childish behavior.

The semi finals were starting, and by popular votes and Meague's confused reactions to her feelings of dismay and delight, it was Team STEM vs Team HUMSS.

Iverson took over the command because Meague was still angry and fuming about her idiotic friend/teammate blurting out a lie and the whole team believed it and were also hyped about it.

The two captains faced each other along with ma'am Lovely. Ma'am Lovely flipped the coin to decide on a 50/50 chance, who will serve first. Heads for STEM and Tails for HUMSS, the coin spins in the air and lands on ma'am Lovely's open palm. It was in the lucky favor of Team STEM. They'll serve first.

Iverson smirked at the result and side-eyed his teammates and nodded, that was their signal. Each team member noticed his gesture and gave him a nod back or a thumbs up. 'Goods, get the crush's attention and piss off Meague is a go!'

Meague, outside of the court's line, tossed the ball upwards and prepared herself to time it. While he waited for the ball to be perfectly aline with her prefered striking distance, something irked her. She doesn't know what it is but her hidden six senses of a woman told her so, and it also told her that it was connected to Iverson.

So with a growl she used her agitation to jump up high and strike the ball precisely with all her irritation put behind it. If this was a video game, that strike could have earned a "Perfect Hit" and sent that ball flying with fire.

"Woah! Nice hit Meague!" Iverson commented, and Meague smirk in pride for that spike.

The ball headed fast to an empty spot, but Keith, a tall male with wavy hair, intersected it by a bump, yet the ball still persisted.

'Ugh. So strong, heh, she has always been this strong.' Keith then flinched after the ball left his arm but not after leaving a mark or a bruise.

Lexter, moreno skin colored, hoodie wearing guy with messy thick hair. Positioned himself below it and set the ball for Sarah to pike.

"Oh no you don't!" Iverson jumped alongside Sarah and impressively kept up with her jump height. Sarah was surprised when Iverson was In Front of her ready to block it. She quickly recomposed and switched direction mid swing. She slapped the ball to the side where the other striker was positioned.

Charles, wearing a golden yellow jersey with a bowl cut, saw it coming to his way and jumped up then struck the ball only for it to bounce off from the tag team guard of Jeon and Gabriel, Jeon has a leaned body with short hair, Gabriel's body was on the skinny side and his hair was curled downwards.

Cristen, moreno colored skin and curly hair, tried to save the ball by diving for it, however it only bounced off from her hand and on Lexter's head.

" Ugh! Cristen!" Lexter scolded playfully while rubbing the back of his head.

"Ops- ehehe, sorry Lex" Cristen raises her hand with a peace sign.

"Ayyyyy, you-" Lexter returned.

The Audience clapped excitedly at the STEM for amazingly scoring first. Ma'am Lovely put '1' on the scoreboard for STEM.

Sarah huffed and then locked eyes at Meague who was grinning at her, challenging Sarah with her look. Sarah didn't show any reaction to it and walked off towards a slightly shorter girl with her hair tied to a bon, she is Eithil, Sarah's close friend and classmate.

Eithil stopped what she was doing when she noticed Sarah approaching her slowly. "Uh? What's up Sarah?" She asked, knowing that Sarah was irritated even with that resting bitch face of hers.

"Can you let me serve for this round?" Sarah was straight to the point, making Eithil raise an eyebrow.

"Yeah sure, but why though?" Eithil asked, and Sarah answered quite dramatically.

"To accept a challenge posted to me by our rival's team captain." It sounds dramatic but Sarah was serious about what she said.

Eithil was shocked before it changed to a smirk, she knows how Sarah deals with her opponents when she becomes serious or was foolishly asked to a challenge. Eithil nodded and handed the ball to Sarah. "Show them what you can do Sarah." Eithil encouraged her team captain before running off to Sarah's previous position.

Sarah looked back at Meague then smirked mysteriously that made Meague narrow her eyes in anticipation. Yet she didn't anticipate what would happen next.

Sarah tossed the ball high up in the air, this made the crowd silenced in anticipation. Sarah's hand then blurred, too fast to perceive it with the untrained eye. The only thing everyone could process was the ball's sound after getting hit.

The ball swiftly crossed the net and their guard before grazing the left cheek of a stunned Meague and hitting the ground just behind her.

"What-what the fuck just happened…" Iverson was stunned and confused, so was everyone else.

The onlookers' awaited anticipation was rewarded by Sarah's swift score and they erupted in cheers and astonishment.

"THAT WAS SARAH'S FAST SPIKE!" A fan of hers shouted in giddy excitement.

Meague stood there stunned, while looking to her behind where the ball landed. The slight pain of the ball grazing her left cheek was numbed out by the shock and confusion she simultaneously felt. She switched her gaze to Sarah's smirking face as if saying 'I accept the challenge'. Meague then went deadly serious after moving on from her stunned state, she then mumbled to herself.

"Oh bitch it's on…"