Down The Highway

Chapter Twenty-Two

Sports fest just came in the town to be celebrated by us. For the past few years, it's been our school who was the host but that year, it was not us. The host was the rival of our school. Union Highschool University. I don't know the difference between their school to ours but probably the students and most especially the players. "GO! YELLOW TIGERS! GO YELLOW TIGERS!" The cheerleaders from our back screamed for the team.

Jannet and I looked back and smiled at each other while holding popcorns. We entered the unfamiliar school. It was my first time entering that school. As in, I have never been there. It was a little early so there were only a few people there yet. We even caught the teachers still decorating the school and the varsity teams weren't there yet.

A guy in a different uniform smiled at us and gave out a piece of paper. I looked at it, it was a program. "Men's volleyball is the first thing today" Jannet confirmed while I nodded in agreement. We looked around the school. The white shiny tiles were good, especially the red lockers and the bright lights above us. Including the party decorations and some posters.

We scanned the whole school until we both found a guy standing on a blue polo and cream pants with brown vintage shoes. "Good morning sir, excuse me. Can we ask where the stage gym is?" He looked back at us with a smile. That was just when I realized that he was a teacher. "Oh, go straight, then go right" Jannet and I both nodded and held each other's hands. We did what the teacher told us to.

Walked straight in the hallway until there were two paths in front of us. Her's and my eyes met as we both agreed to go right, wondering if we were in the right direction. We kept walking until we have reached a blue door which was saying "Stage Gym!" Smiles on our faces appeared as we both entered. The tiles from the outside were still the same as the inside. But the lights weren't. Lights in the stage gym were longer and brighter. Thus, it was so huge. "Wow!" But the size of the gym was not as big as ours in our school. We scanned that place first to look for a place to sit at.

Until we realized that there were a lot of spaces for us to sit at. It was an advantage for us to get the perfect spot to watch the show. Then walked when we found the perfect spot. The seat in front of the main playing part. The one closest to the stage. We sat in there. Even if it was the lowest one, we hoped that we would see the players clearly in there.

After a few minutes of just sitting in the chair, the arena got filled by a few people and delegates. Some were from our school, some were strangers, some were players, and some were cheerleaders. Then I felt someone tap my back which made me look at my back. "Oh, hi!" I greeted as I saw Travis sitting behind us, wearing a red jersey shirt and shorts. Jannet sarcastically frowned with a smile as she watched our conversation go on.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, funny how he noticed me out of all the people in the room. As time went on, more and more people filled the arena. "Umm, nothing. Just going to watch our school's team play for this year's sports fest. You playing?" I asked and looked at him from head to toe and scanned his outfit. "Umm, yeah. volleyball" I nodded. Yeah, right like what he told me when he was asking for me to join their team. "Oh, I got to go now," he said after looking at his watch.

I nodded in response as he walked away. "Who was that?" Jannet asked me teasingly. I rolled my eyes in insult as she kept on tapping my underarm to tease me. "Travis!" After I couldn't help it anymore, I said his name without even thinking of it. "Wait, he's Travis? The one Xanny has been talking about in her letters? Whoa, he is cute. Tall, hot, handsome, and he looks nice" I wish I was smarter those days that those attributes that Jannet mentioned would the ones to bring me in misery.

The players of our school entered. Together with Dylan who was a player of volleyball too. As his team ran around the court, his eyes gazed at mine. And from the past few years of sports fest, when that thing happens, he would look in my eyes with a rude smile and will wink at me. I used to hate that flirty thing he does whenever they're running around the court. But the opposite thing happened.

He looked at me as our eyes met. He didn't smile and didn't even wink at me. He looked so serious. His expression was so different from the past few flirty expression he gave me. "What's wrong with Dylan? He used to wink and smile at you right?" Even Jannet noticed that thing and noticed that he didn't do the thing he usually does. "Maybe he doesn't like you anymore. Congratulations, you're free!

I knew that there was something behind that face he showed me like he was begging for my forgiveness. He concentrated on running around with his teammates and warming themselves up. As time passed, we and the whole arena got filled in a short period of time. "No littering" a guy behind me said. I frowned, not knowing what he was talking about. "Umm, what?" He didn't say a single word. Instead, he looked down and pointed down his index finger to the cardboard on the floor.

I looked down and grabbed it, "sorry," I said but he didn't respond. I opened it and read the message.

Cheer for Travis, he likes it when girls cheer for her. It might make him fall in love with you more. Jade, thanks for the efforts you're putting in to help me get my revenge

XOXO,

Xanny

I looked around and found no one looking at us. I showed the card to Jannet. She looked at the letter and read it immediately. She raised her shoulders and frowned.