Someone Like You

Chapter Eight

I arrive to school before the sun fully rises. My eyes are puffy, my hair is a mess, and I'm sleepy. I look more like a zombie than a human right now.

My peaceful and redundant daily routine has changed.

Before, I wake up at seven in the morning to prepare for my nine am class and go home every three pm. But now, I need to be at the school before seven am and go home at already eight in the evening. What's worst is that I need to wait for two hours every afternoon to be at the practice which starts at five pm.

During those times, I am force to kill my time alone in the library because Erika and Tony are busy with other things more important than accompanying me. I always spend my free time sleeping since I am sleep deprived for these past few days.

It's exhausting. I wonder how the past managers managed this kind of schedule. If only I was aware that to be the basketball team's manager I need to push myself close to breaking point, I would have not taken the role in the first place.

It's not that I can't handle this job it's just that this position needs a lot of time and labor and it makes me so exhausted that I don't have enough time and energy for other things aside from this.

To make things worse, for the past days, I never had the time to talk to or even get close to Alexander. I always spend my time alone in the office during my duty hours doing nothing but paper works and arranging schedule. There were even days that I did not even get to see him at all. If I could not be with him, what else is the purpose for me to be here?

It has only been a week since this new routine started and so far, I don't think I could do this much more.

I first go to the maintenance office to ask someone to open the gate of the basketball gym for the morning practice.

"It's already open. Someone from the basketball team is already there." The maintenance guy simply answers when I asked him to open the gym.

Who is it? Those guys are lazy giants. There is no way for them to be here this early. I guess it is Coach Mark. He is the only capable person to be here in this time.

As I get closer I get to the basketball gym, I hear the sound of ball bouncing, shoes spiking, and basket swooshing as the ball shoots the basket.

I enter the gym and my heart immediately goes crazy. It's sensing something – someone. Lo and behold! Alexander is here!

I stand stiffly silently hiding in the corner mesmerize by the view. He's in his jersey shirt and short yet he still looks hot. His muscular arms are showing off from his jersey. His tousled hair draping on his forehead wet from his own sweat. He looked too different in his usual waxed and combed hair. Ungroomed Alexander is hotter that groomed Alexander.

His skin shines when light strikes him. He's wet allover – sweating everywhere, glittering like a magical illusion. I have this urge to hug him right now to absorb all his sweat and never wash again. I know it sound gross. Let's forget I said that.

I stare at him even more getting lost in the thoughts that only I should know.

Alexander looks at the corner on where I am hiding. I immediately hide myself deeper into the shadows but I am already too late.

"Get out. Don't be creepy." He says as he gets near me.

"I am not hiding." I say defensively. I step out and look at him shyly. To my surprise, he screams as if he's seeing a ghost. "What?!" I scream and hide behind him. He turns around and once again screams his lungs out pointing at me. I almost scream with him then I realize what's really happening.