Everything I'm Not (GirlxGirl)

26. I Do

Sepak takraw is so much cooler than soccer or volleyball. How come I've never heard about this sport before? Alvarrez and I are currently watching the players demonstrate how the game works and Alvarrez, being the sporty nerd that she is, is completely fascinated by it.

Henry, one of the coaches, explains them to us as we watch. I see Alvarrez nod from time to time, her eyes gleaming with curiosity and excitement. "Can I try it later after the interview?" She asks enthusiastically. Henry shoots an uneasy look at one of his companions as if deliberating whether to let Alvarrez play. "Please." Alvarrez gives him that unnerving, hopeful look that gets me all the time.

Henry didn't stand a chance. He sighs. "Okay, but you have to be careful. This isn't just some sport, kid."

Alvarrez practically jumps in joy. "Yes! Thank you!"

"Are you sure you want to do this?" I ask her when she comes close to me.

"Yeah, I used to play sipa a lot as a kid. It's just like sepak, but instead of a rattan ball, we make use of a coin-like object with a hole in the middle and insert strips of a plastic straw." She rambles.

Not understanding what she's talking about, but amused by the way she tells me stories from her childhood, I let her ramble on.

The rest of the interview went really smooth—probably because Alvarrez was compliant and helpful—no doubt because she wants to end it as soon as possible and play.

After the usual interview and filming, Alvarrez finally gets what she wants. I watch from the sidelines as the players teach her the basics.

Another thing I noticed about Alvarrez is that she's a fast learner. She can do anything as long as you show her the proper way to do it. It's amazing how easily she absorbs the information that she gets and executes it immediately. Even Henry looks surprised at how easily she understood the game.

When Alvarrez gets the hang of the basic moves, Henry allows her to play one set. I bring out my camera and film her. I love seeing her play. Whether it's basketball, volleyball, chess—anything. She has this cool, happy expression on her face.

However, when she played with my brother, I barely saw her smile. It's a rare occurrence for me, considering she always has that mischievous smile playing on her lips. Not to mention she also looks so damn attractive when she's serious.

Alvarrez scores and her teammates slap her on the back, mouthing 'nice one'. The opposing team scores back and wins. Alvarrez comes running to Henry. "Come on, I can't let it end like this! I have to get my revenge!" She pleads. "One more set please."

Henry sighs. "You're really consistent, you know? If you lose again, there won't be any more. Understand?"

Alvarrez nods erratically. "Thank you, thank you! I'll win this one." She confidently says and runs back to the court. Halfway through the set, the rain pours down heavily. I faintly remember the news mentioning to expect a heavy rainfall tonight because a storm is coming.

Sure enough, they did win the set after that, making them go into the final set. Whoever wins this one will be considered the winner. It's obvious the other players are way better than Alvarrez, but she manages to hold out on her own. She does an excellent job of supporting her teammates and minimizing her mistakes.

The current score is 20-19 in favor of Alvarrez's team. Her teammate passes the ball to her and shouts, "Finish it!"

Alvarrez jumps. For a split second, it looked like she was about to do a backflip. While her left foot was up in the air, she jumps with her right foot and kicks the ball with it. The ball plummets to the other side of the court, leaving the players astounded. They look at Alvarrez with their jaws hanging.