Dear Rival

{Chapter 16}

Tanya’s POV.

The entire Spark Academy was glowing with excitement. Every hallway was covered in ribbons and colorful banners that said Happy Founding Day!. The smell of popcorn and lemonade filled the air. You could hear music, laughter, and the sound of sneakers squeaking on the gym floor. It was the kind of day everyone looked forward to.

Keisha was beside me, holding two cups of fruit juice. "I swear, if we lose to 10-Amber again, I’ll never recover," she said, pouting.

"Relax," I told her. "This year is ours. We have strong pairs."

"Strong? You mean you and William," she teased, nudging my arm.

I rolled my eyes. "He’s my cousin, Keisha. Stop starting rumors."

She grinned. "Tell that to everyone else. Half of the girls in our class were staring when he walked in this morning."

I groaned, sipping my juice. William had only transferred a few weeks ago, but he already became one of the most talked-about boys in school. He was friendly, confident, and apparently good at sports. The complete opposite of how I usually handle attention.

"Where’s Shan?" Shell asked, joining us. "I heard the new transfer girl got paired with him."

That made me freeze for a second. "What transfer girl?" I asked, trying to sound casual.

"Isabelle Francesca Rivera," Cath answered. "You didn’t see her? She joined this morning. She’s pretty, confident, and rumor says she used to be part of her old school’s volleyball team."

"She’s also kinda flirty," Keisha added, sipping her drink like it was no big deal.

I shrugged. "Good for him."

Shell leaned closer. "You sure? You just squeezed your cup too hard."

I looked down. Juice was leaking from the straw hole because I accidentally pressed it. "I’m fine," I said quickly.

Denise quietly laughed from her seat. "Sure you are."

Keisha spoke as she pointed at me "but we have our last volleyball champion here, right?"

My friends nodded as if agreeing to her.

Before I could say anything, Mrs. Chavez’s voice echoed through the speakers. "All tenth graders, please proceed to the gym for the Founding Day activities."

Everyone started cheering. My classmates rushed to grab their bags and water bottles.

When I walked into the gym, my heart skipped. Shan was already there with his group. He was wearing the red Spark Academy festival shirt, and his sleeves were rolled up slightly. Isabelle was beside him, smiling brightly as she handed him a towel.

I didn’t know why that scene made me feel something. Annoyed? Uneasy? Whatever it was, I quickly looked away.

William waved at me from the other side of the gym. "Hey Tanya, ready to win?"

"Of course," I said, walking toward him.

As we lined up for the pair dodgeball game, everyone looked excited. The gym buzzed with voices, sneakers squeaking, and music playing in the background.

Mrs. Chavez held a megaphone. "Alright, 10-Crimson, you’ll be the first class to play! Remember, teamwork and coordination!"

I glanced across the gym. Shan’s eyes met mine for a moment. He didn’t look away immediately, and neither did I. It was only when Isabelle tapped his shoulder that he blinked and turned to her.

I exhaled quietly. "Get it together, Tanya," I whispered to myself.

"Did you say something?" William asked.

"Nothing," I replied quickly. "Let’s win this."

The whistle blew, and the first game started.

Shan’s POV.

Festivals were never really my thing. But this time, for some reason, I couldn’t focus on anything else except the fact that Tanya was paired with William.

Of course, William. The new transfer guy who everyone liked instantly. The one Tanya always talked to lately.

I told myself it didn’t matter.

"Shan, catch!" Isabelle’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts as she tossed me a water bottle.

"Thanks," I said flatly.

She laughed softly. "You don’t talk much, huh?"

"Not really."

"You’re competitive though," she said, smiling. "That’s kinda cute."

I froze. Cute?

Before I could respond, I heard Tanya’s laugh from across the gym. My head turned automatically. She was smiling at something William said. I didn’t even realize my jaw tightened until Isabelle nudged me.

"Someone you know?" she asked teasingly.

"No," I said too quickly.

"Right," she replied, still smiling.

Mrs. Chavez blew the whistle again. "Next match, Team 10-Crimson versus Team 10-Amber!"

We moved to our side of the court. Tanya and William stood across from us, both looking ready.

When her eyes met mine again, I smirked slightly. If she thought she’d win this, she was wrong.

The whistle blew.

Balls flew across the court. The sound of sneakers and cheering filled the gym. Tanya dodged one throw gracefully while William caught another. She looked focused, determined just like always.

I threw one straight toward their side, aiming for William. He dodged easily, but the ball almost brushed Tanya’s arm.

"Hey! Watch it!" she yelled.

"Sorry, thought you could dodge better," I replied, pretending to sound casual.

The look she gave me could have burned holes in the floor.

The game continued for minutes that felt longer than they should. Isabelle kept trying to get my attention, offering high fives, cheering, and calling me "partner". But my eyes kept finding Tanya instead. Every time William helped her up or laughed with her, my chest tightened in a way I couldn’t explain.

When the game ended, 10-Crimson won by one point. William caught the final ball, earning loud cheers from everyone.

I clapped slowly. "Not bad," I said, but the words came out sharper than I meant.

Tanya just smiled in that annoying confident way. "Better luck next time, Villafuerte."

She walked past me, hair swaying slightly, and I realized my pulse wouldn’t slow down. Isabelle waved her hand in front of me.

"Shan? You okay?"

"Yeah," I lied. "Totally fine."

But I wasn’t. Not even close.

Tanya’s POV.

After the pair dodgeball round ended, Mrs. Chavez called everyone to gather in the center of the gym. “Up next is the girls’ challenge. Only one representative from each class will join. The winner earns ten points for her class.”

Shell nudged me. “You’re joining, right? You’ve got the skills.”

I smiled. “If they need someone, sure.”

Before I could even volunteer, Mrs. Chavez looked straight at me. “Ms. Dela Cruz, you’re representing 10-Crimson.”

Keisha clapped. “Go Tanya!”

Across the gym, I saw Isabelle stretching. Of course she was joining too.

“Let’s give our competitors a round of applause,” Mrs. Chavez said. “Tanya Dela Cruz from 10-Crimson versus Isabelle Rivera from 10-Amber.”

I stepped forward, keeping my head high. Isabelle looked confident, her hair tied in a perfect ponytail, a smirk already on her face.

“Try not to cry when you lose,” she whispered.

I smiled slightly. “I’ll try not to laugh when you do.”

The whistle blew.

The first few rounds were easy. Isabelle moved fast, her stance sharp, but I had learned self-defense since middle school. Every time she struck, I blocked, countered, and waited for an opening. The crowd cheered each time one of us landed a clean move.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Shan and the boys watching from the bleachers. They were shouting encouragement, though I couldn’t make out the words over the noise.

I focused again. Isabelle lunged, and I sidestepped, landing a gentle tap on her shoulder the point marker for a hit.

“One point to Tanya!” Mrs. Chavez announced.

The cheers grew louder.

Isabelle’s smile faded a little. She attacked harder this time, faster, using a series of kicks that made the air whistle. She was skilled, I admitted, but too impatient. I kept my distance, blocking her strikes one by one.

When she tried a sweeping kick, I jumped over it and landed another clean hit on her arm.

“Two points to Tanya!”

Her expression tightened. I could tell she wasn’t used to losing.

She stepped back, pretending to adjust her stance. I relaxed a little a mistake.

Suddenly she moved forward again, faster than before, but this time she didn’t follow the rules. She pushed me hard in the shoulder, sending me stumbling back.

The crowd gasped.

“That’s not allowed!” Keisha shouted.

Mrs. Chavez raised her whistle but hesitated, waiting to see if I’d recover.

I did. I took a deep breath, brushed my hair from my face, and straightened. “Is that how you play fair?” I asked.

Isabelle smirked. “I call it being smart.”

We continued. This time, she tried the same trick again, stepping too close. When she reached to push me, I caught her wrist and twisted just enough to unbalance her. She fell backward, landing with a loud thud.

The gym went silent for a second, then erupted into cheers.

Mrs. Chavez blew her whistle. “Foul on 10-Amber for using disallowed force. Isabelle Rivera is disqualified. Victory goes to 10-Crimson!”

I blinked, catching my breath. Isabelle sat up, glaring. “She—”

Mrs. Chavez cut her off. “The decision stands.”

The cheers grew louder. Keisha, Shell, and Cath ran to hug me.

I smiled but stayed calm. “Good match,” I said, offering Isabelle my hand. She ignored it and walked away.

Typical.

But when I looked at the bleachers, Shan was watching me. His expression wasn’t teasing or smug like usual. It was something else. Pride maybe… and something he didn’t want to admit.

I quickly looked away.

Shan’s POV.

I never realized how tense a school match could feel until I watched Tanya fight.

From the moment the whistle blew, I couldn’t take my eyes off her. She was fast, focused, and every move she made was clean. Isabelle was skilled too, but she was reckless.

When Isabelle tried that illegal shove, I stood up before I even thought about it. “That’s a foul!”

William grabbed my arm. “Calm down, man. Mrs. Chavez saw it.”

I clenched my jaw and sat back down, but my hands were tight fists on my knees.

Jc whistled. “Bro, relax. You look like you’re ready to jump in there.”

Aiden laughed. “Protective much?”

“Shut up,” I muttered, eyes still fixed on the court.

When Tanya caught Isabelle’s wrist and flipped her, the entire gym erupted. I didn’t cheer at first. I just stared, a little shocked and… proud. She looked strong. Confident. Like she belonged right there in the center.

As Mrs. Chavez declared her the winner, William and the others started clapping and calling her name. I clapped too, quietly, trying to look casual.

But inside, I couldn’t ignore it anymore the way my chest felt lighter when she smiled, the way her victory made me grin without meaning to.

Isabelle stormed off, muttering under her breath. Tanya turned, looking around the bleachers. Our eyes met again. For a second, everything else faded.

She looked away first, pretending to talk to Keisha, but I caught the small smile she tried to hide.

Jc leaned toward me. “You’re so obvious.”

I frowned. “About what?”

He grinned. “You figure it out.”

I looked back at Tanya, still surrounded by her friends, laughing, brushing a loose strand of hair away from her face.

Maybe I was obvious.

Maybe I didn’t care anymore.