Ace (ON HOLD)

Chapter 14 - i need my cheerleader

As soon as lunch came, Antonia dragged her feet fast to the Canteen because she could no longer hold her hunger.

When she entered, her eyes immediately fell on the empty table that belong to the popular-rich-students of Stanford.

Curiousity filled her mind of what could have happened to them because they were  always there, since the beginning of school-year.

In the end she just shrugged it off and went to her favorite table.

Soon, Sabrina and her friends enters the canteen and waved at her which she returned the gestures with smile on her face.

"Hey Nia, have you heard the news?" Sabrina told her even her ass didn't reach yet her chair. She's so eager to tell her the news that she even forgot to order her own food.

"What news?" She asked while eating her ham and cheese sandwich in large bites.

"That Jake, and his four friends were still in hospital and probably wouldn't make it to play at the game night. It will be a disaster because we will play with our rival school." Sabrina muttered with her eyes filled with curiousity.

Antonia on the other hand have her eyebrows pulled together about what she said.

"What happened to them, exactly." She tilted her head so that she could see Sabrina's face.

"According to the news, all of them were badly injured, one of them has broken ribs, the three got bruises on their body and face and Jake got injury on his shoulder, and someone said that it came from a knife."

And just like that, Antonia nearly choked from her food upon hearing Sabrina's reply.

"Hey Nia, are you alright?" Sabrina asks with concerned look in her eyes and give Antonia a gentle stroke at her back.

Soon, Gabriel open the door and his eyes scanning the area like a hawk and once his eyes landed on Antonia, he started to move his long legs towards her.

"Hi, can I have a seat with you?" He politely asked and all the girls ,except Antonia, didn't answer him because their eyes couldn't believe that a literal Greek-God-handsome-looking man like Gabriel was in front of them.

"Sure." Antonia answered him instead because her friends were incapable to talk, and offer him the vacant chair beside her.

And back to Antonia's dilemma, and since she felt so guilty about it, she offers her food to Gabriel and to others because she feels like she lost her appetite.

"What about you?" He asked because he knows that she has a big appetite and from what he saw, she just ate one sandwich and few grapes.

But Antonia just shook her head and urged them to eat her food. While they were eating, Antonia made a mental note to call Pierre as she needs his help as soon as possible.

"So Sab, what happens then? Do the coach has some solution for that? Because the game will be tomorrow night, right?"Antonia asked with innocent eyes, but deep inside, she feels like the main villain in the movie for what happened to them.

"I think the coach will going to evaluate new students and ask them for a try out today as well, and I think we just need 2 or 3 new players that can play as reserve and substitute." She explained while eating the sandwich that was given by Antonia.

"Hmmm, I hope they resolve that." She muttered while staring at nowhere, which didn't go unnoticed specially by Gabriel.

He sensed that something was wrong with her.

And before he could open his mouth to ask, someone slams the canteen's door and everybody knew that he's the basketball coach.

Soon, he started to inform everyone that any names that he will called out, need to be at school's basketball court and do the basketball try out, asap.

And as soon as Gabriel's name has been called, all the girls gasps and started to say incoherent words.

"Good luck, Gabby." Antonia said softly, while looking at him. The rest are also looking at him in fascination.

"But I don't want to." He said in stern voice, Antonia frowned because of confusion of why Gabriel said that.

In fact, Gabriel was so good in playing basketball but due to some personal matter, he stops playing and focus on his studies and fights.

"But why?" Antonia whispered and all of the sudden Gabriel stood up but asked Antonia to come with him.

So the two left,  leaving all the students with their mouth slightly open.

"Why you don't want to try? If I may ask."

"It's not that I don't want, it's because of my Father, he told me when I was 11 that I have to be unnoticed, blend with the crowd as much as possible, be invisible and he didn't explain to me why. A lot of modelling agency seeked for me to do model for them but my Dad refused, and until now it's a mystery for me." He explained in a bitter tone.

Antonia couldn't say anything because even her can't believe that his father would do that.

It's really a great opportunity but he let it slip away, but the question is.

Why?

"Look Gabriel, I don't know but I need to tell you something." She said while they are walking towards the basketball court.

"I think it's my mistake that this predicament happened."

"How?"

"I'm positive that the 5 masked-men that attacked you and I'd beaten up were Jake and his friends. And it's absolutely my mistake that the school faced problem because of me." She sounds so sad that she absentmindedly bit her lower lip, that made Gabriel to touch it and said 'stop biting your lip'.

'Because that's mine to bite'. he said mentally.

"But are you sure?" He asked with raised brow.

"Yes, Sabrina made it clear that they suffered broken ribs, bruises and lastly, Jake got his shoulder injured due to knife, which was done by me." She said with eyes that could melts anyone's heart, Gabriel couldn't say anything for while because he's having an internal battle.

He wants to make her happy and not like this.

And for that he made a decision.

"Okay, come on I need my cheerleader if I will go on try out."