To Follow You

CHAPTER 4: FIRST COMPETITION

Two weeks passed in a whirlwind of activity at Westfield High School in Metro Manila, Philippines. Erick Liam Smith and Elara Rose Smith had settled into school life perfectly Elara was already the star of the track team and had landed the lead role in the drama club's upcoming play, while Erick was quickly becoming the best player on Westfield High's basketball team.

Dave Martinez and Elara had become inseparable they spent every free moment working on projects together, whether it was for school or just for fun. Dave had even joined the robotics club just so he could spend more time with her. Last week, they’d spent an entire afternoon designing a new scoreboard system for Westfield High’s gymnasium, with plans to roll it out for all sports events in Metro Manila.

As for me and Erick... we spent as much time together as we could. He'd walk me to my classes through Westfield High's tree-lined hallways, we'd eat lunch together every day at our usual table in the cafeteria where my mom often dropped off extra food she’d made, knowing how busy we were with school activities and he'd even joined the art club so we could spend afternoons painting and drawing together in the sunlit studio on the third floor. Every moment with him felt natural like we'd been doing this our whole lives.

"Hey May, are you coming to the game tomorrow?" Erick asked me one afternoon as we were cleaning up the art room, carefully wiping down the wooden tables we used for our projects.

"Which game?" I asked, carefully putting away my paints in the metal cabinets my mom had helped organize when the art club got new supplies earlier in the year.

"The basketball game against Riverside High our first official competition of the season. It's a big deal they're our biggest rivals here in Metro Manila," he explained, leaning against the table and looking at me with those green eyes that made my heart race. "Westfield High hasn't beaten them in three years."

"Of course I'll come! I wouldn't miss it," I said with a smile, tucking a stray brush back into its holder. "I’ve already been helping Elara make posters we hung them all over school this morning."

"Good because I was hoping you'd be my lucky charm," he said, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. His hand lingered for a moment, warm against my cheek.

I felt my cheeks turn red, and I looked down at my feet to hide my smile. "I'll do my best to bring you luck then. Maybe I’ll even wear my Westfield High jersey the one my mom bought me when I first enrolled here."

The next day, the whole of Westfield High School was buzzing with excitement about the game. Elara had made dozens of bright blue and white posters to hang around school each one featuring a drawing I’d done of the basketball team in action Dave had organized a student cheering section called "The Westfield Warriors," and even our teachers were talking about which team they thought would win. During lunch, my History teacher Ms. Santos had even placed a friendly bet with Riverside High’s coach, with the loser having to wear the winning team’s colors for a week.

"I can't believe how nervous I am!" I said to Dave as we walked to the gymnasium together, weaving through crowds of students wearing Westfield High merchandise. "I've never cared this much about a basketball game before not even when my cousin played for another school here in Metro Manila."

Dave laughed and slung an arm around my shoulders, handing me a foam finger he’d made the night before. "That's because you have a crush on the star player! It's okay I won't tell anyone. Besides, everyone already knows you two are practically attached at the hip."

"I do not have a crush!" I protested, even though we both knew it was a lie. I’d spent half the morning trying to pick out the perfect outfit, eventually settling on my favorite jeans and a Westfield High hoodie my mom had embroidered with my name on the sleeve.

"Sure you don't," he said with a wink. "Come on let's find good seats so we can cheer them on properly. Elara saved us spots right near the bench she said it's the best place to watch all the action."

The gym was packed by the time we arrived, with students from both Westfield High and Riverside High filling every seat. The air was thick with excitement, and the sound of chanting echoed off the walls. Elara waved us over to where she was sitting with the drama club and track team, saving us spots right near the front row. She’d even brought a small banner she’d made that read "WESTFIELD HIGH METRO MANILA’S BEST!"

"Look! They're coming out!" she said excitedly as the Westfield High School basketball team ran onto the court, led by Erick who was bouncing the ball as he jogged.

The crowd erupted in cheers, and I found myself cheering louder than anyone when Erick ran past our section, waving up at me with a big smile on his face. He’d dyed a streak of his hair blue and white Westfield High’s colors and had told me earlier that he’d done it just for the game.

The game started off intense Riverside High was a strong team, and they scored the first basket within seconds. But Erick quickly took control of the game, making shot after shot and helping his teammates set up plays. Every time he scored, he'd look up at me and smile, and I'd feel a burst of pride in my chest. During one particularly impressive play, he dribbled past three defenders before making a perfect layup the crowd went wild, and even some of the Riverside High students were clapping.

During halftime, the score was tied at 32-32. The crowd was on their feet, cheering for both teams as the cheerleaders from both schools performed on the court. I decided to go get some water from the vending machine just outside the gym, and as I was walking through the hallway outside past the trophy case that held all of Westfield High’s championships from over the years I nearly bumped into Erick.

"May! I was just looking for you," he said, breathing heavily from the game. He was still in his white and blue uniform, and his hair was messy with sweat. A small bandage was on his forehead where he’d bumped heads with a Riverside player earlier in the game.

"You're doing amazing out there!" I said, handing him a bottle of water from my bag the same one my mom had packed for me that morning, along with some of her famous chocolate chip cookies. "Here you need to keep your energy up."

"Thanks but I've been playing better because I know you're watching," he said, taking a sip of water before quickly eating one of the cookies. "These are great your mom makes the best cookies in Metro Manila."

I smiled my mom had specifically made extra just for Erick, knowing how much he loved them. "She says to tell you she’s rooting for you. She even took the afternoon off work so she could come watch the second half she’s sitting with some of the other parents over there."

Erick’s face lit up at that. "Really? I’ll have to go say hi to her after the game. Hey, can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

He took a deep breath, running a hand through his damp hair. "After the game win or lose would you like to go out with me? Like... on a real date? There's a new café downtown that just opened up – I heard they have amazing cakes, and I know how much you love trying new places here in Metro Manila."

I felt my heart skip a beat, and I had to take a moment to make sure I was hearing him correctly. "I... I'd love to. That sounds perfect."

Just then, his coach – Coach Reyes – called him back to the court for the second half. He leaned forward and kissed my forehead quickly before running off, calling over his shoulder: "See you after the game then! And tell your mom I said thank you for the cookies!"

I stood there in shock for a moment, touching my forehead where he'd kissed me. A real date... with Erick... It felt like a dream come true.

When I got back to my seat, Dave and Elara were grinning at me, clearly having seen the whole thing.

"Did we just see what we think we saw?" Dave asked, wiggling his eyebrows playfully. "Our May has got herself a date with the star of Westfield High’s basketball team!"

"Looks like my brother finally worked up the courage!" Elara said happily, clapping her hands together. "I knew he liked you he talks about you all the time, even when we're at home. He says you're the most talented artist he's ever met, and that you make Westfield High feel like home for him here in Metro Manila."

The second half of the game was even more intense than the first. Riverside High had brought in their star player, Marcus Torres a tall, intimidating senior who was known for his aggressive playing style and had been scouted by several colleges here in the Philippines.

Every time Erick went near the basket, Marcus would bump into him or try to block his shots in ways that were clearly against the rules. The referee called several fouls on Marcus, but he just kept playing rough, muttering under his breath every time Erick made a play.

"This guy is playing dirty!" Dave muttered angrily as Marcus pushed Erick to the ground for the third time, sending him sprawling across the court. "Someone needs to say something he’s going to get someone hurt!"

I gripped the edge of my seat, my heart pounding with worry as Erick slowly got to his feet, shaking off the impact. He looked up at our section his eyes meeting mine and I gave him a small nod and a thumbs-up, trying to send him strength. He nodded back, took a deep breath, and got back into position, rolling his shoulders to work out the stiffness.

With five minutes left in the game, Westfield High was down by four points. The crowd was on their feet, chanting "WESTFIELD! WESTFIELD! DEFENSE! DEFENSE!" at the top of their lungs. Even my mom had joined in, standing up with the other parents and cheering loudly.

Erick took control of the ball, dribbling past two defenders with ease. As he approached the basket, Marcus stepped in front of him clearly planning to block him again. But this time, Erick did something unexpected he spun around Marcus and passed the ball to his teammate Jake Santos, who made a perfect three-pointer from the corner.

The crowd went wild! Students jumped out of their seats, screaming and cheering as the scoreboard updated to show Westfield High was only down by one point with three minutes left to play. Elara hugged me tightly, and even Dave was on his feet, pumping his fist in the air.

On the next play, Erick intercepted a pass from Marcus and ran down the court, jumping high in the air to make a layup. But as he was in mid-air, Marcus pushed him hard from behind sending him crashing to the floor with a loud thud.

"ERICK!" I screamed, jumping to my feet along with everyone else in the gym. My mom was on her feet too, looking worried as she watched the scene unfold.

The referee immediately blew his whistle and called a flagrant foul on Marcus ejecting him from the game on the spot. Several of our players rushed over to help Erick up, but he waved them off, slowly getting to his feet on his own. He brushed himself off, flexing his fingers to make sure they were okay, and looked over at me again even from across the court, I could see the determination burning in his eyes.

The free throws were awarded to Erick. He stepped up to the line, took a deep breath, and made both shots easily his hands steady despite everything that had just happened. Westfield High was now leading by one point with just over a minute left in the game.

The final minute felt like an hour as both teams fought desperately for control. Riverside tried everything they could to score, but our defense held strong, with Jake and the other players working together to block every shot. With only ten seconds left on the clock, Erick stole the ball from Riverside’s point guard and dribbled it all the way to the basket, jumping high in the air and making a powerful dunk as the buzzer sounded.

The gym erupted in cheers! Students rushed onto the court, lifting the players up on their shoulders and celebrating wildly. Streamers and confetti – which Elara and the drama club had prepared beforehand fell from the ceiling, and the sound of cheering echoed through the entire school. Erick broke free from the crowd and ran over to where I was standing, picking me up and spinning me around in his arms as he laughed with pure joy.

"We won!" he shouted, his face bright with happiness. "We finally beat them Westfield High is the best in Metro Manila!"

"We won!" I repeated, wrapping my arms around his neck and laughing too, tears of joy pricking at my eyes. "I knew you could do it!"

After the celebration died down and the gym started to clear out, with students heading home or to the parking lot where a victory party was already starting, Erick found me sitting on the bench where we'd been sitting during the game. He’d changed out of his uniform into jeans and a Westfield High t-shirt, and his hair was now dry and combed back neatly.

"So... about that date," he said, sitting down next to me and handing me a small bag inside was a single chocolate chip cookie my mom had given him earlier. "I know the game ran late, but if you're still up for it..."

"I'm still waiting," I said with a smile, taking the cookie and breaking it in half so we could share it. "I wouldn't miss it for anything."

"Good because I was thinking we could go to that new café downtown. It's called 'The Chocolate Spoon' I heard they have amazing chocolate cake, and I know how much you love chocolate. Plus, they're open late on game nights for all the students from Metro Manila's schools," he said, reaching over to take my hand. His fingers intertwined with mine, warm and familiar.

I raised an eyebrow at him, smiling playfully. "How do you know I love chocolate? And how do you know about that café I only just heard about it yesterday from my mom."

He grinned, squeezing my hand gently. "Some things are just meant to be known. Plus, your mom might have mentioned it to me when she came over to say hi during halftime she said it's her new favorite place to get dessert here in Metro Manila."

We walked out of the gym together, hand in hand, as the last of the students filtered out of the building. The sun was setting over Metro Manila, painting the sky shades of orange and pink, and the streets were filled with the sounds of people heading home or out to celebrate. Dave and Elara caught up with us before we could leave the school grounds, with Elara carrying a huge bouquet of blue and white flowers she’d been given by the drama club.

"Hey lovebirds!" Dave said, grinning widely as he slung an arm around Elara’s shoulders. "Great game, Erick that final dunk was epic! Everyone’s talking about it already you’re going to be a legend at Westfield High."

"Thanks man couldn’t have done it without the team," Erick said, clapping Dave on the shoulder. "You guys did amazing with the cheering section that chant you came up with really got us fired up."

"Listen, we were thinking why don't we make it a double date?" Elara suggested excitedly, bouncing on her toes with energy even after the long game. "Dave and I can come too! We can all go to the café together, then maybe watch a movie afterward at that new cinema downtown they're playing that sci-fi film we've all been wanting to see!"

I looked at Erick, who just shrugged and smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "Why not? The more the merrier. Plus, it’ll be nice to celebrate with our friends we couldn’t have won this game without all of Westfield High behind us."

So the four of us headed downtown together, walking along the busy streets of Metro Manila as the lights started to turn on in the shops and restaurants around us. We laughed and talked about the game rehashing our favorite plays and making fun of the referee’s questionable calls and made plans to come back to Westfield High early the next day to help take down all the decorations.

But as we passed an alleyway between two buildings just a few blocks from the café I felt a strange chill run down my spine, making the hair on the back of my neck stand up. I looked over and saw three shadowy figures standing there, their faces hidden in darkness as they watched us pass. When our eyes met, they didn’t move – but then, as quickly as I’d seen them, they disappeared into thin air like smoke, leaving nothing behind but an empty alley.

"Did you see that?" I asked, stopping in my tracks and pulling my hand away from Erick’s so I could point at the alley. My heart was beating fast again, but this time it was from fear, not excitement.

"See what?" Erick asked, looking where I was pointing and frowning when he saw nothing there. Dave and Elara stopped too, looking around curiously.

"Nothing I must have imagined it," I said, shaking my head and trying to smile even though the strange feeling wouldn’t go away. But as we continued walking toward the café, I couldn’t shake the sense that we were being watched that something was waiting in the shadows, and that our perfect night was about to change forever.