His Achilles' Heel: Valderama Series #1

CHAPTER 1 (PART 1)

When I entered the covered court, the screams of the girls and the sound of the players' shoes against the floor enveloped my ears. I also heard some boys cheering for their preferred team, but it was nothing compared to the girls' energy.

I won't even question it. Some of the famous and hottest (according to them) college students are currently playing and are dominating the whole court.

My eyes wandered immediately so I could find my cousin. When I finally saw her, I squeezed myself between excited and furious students at the same time. I have to even fight for my way. After all, they wouldn't even glance at me because they're too busy watching the game. The players, I mean.

"Riza!" I shouted.

I saw her eyes moved like she was trying to find something. When our eyes met, she's a bit shocked but still managed to give me a hand. I don't know why she chose to sit at the farthest part of the bleachers when Jaziel saved us a spot in the front.

"What took you so long?!" She asked, looking at me and at the game at the same time.

I know she wouldn't hear even if I shout using my loudest voice, so I just typed what I was going to say on my phone and made her read it.

We just had a talk. That's what I typed.

She looked at me for a while and nodded her head. We started watching the game. Or is it just me because she's present when the game started?

We heard a loud cheer from the audience when an unfamiliar player shoots the ball. He was wearing the same jersey color as any other players who were also on Jaziel's team and carried the surname "VALDERAMA," written at the back of his uniform.

"He cheated! Booooo! Cheater!" Riza shouted beside me.

My forehead creased. Cheater? He cheated? I even saw him passed through all the players in just a swift and dunk the ball in the ring.

Does being a star player is considered cheating now?

What's with my cousin?

"In what part did he cheat, Riza?" I asked her.

My lips involuntarily smirked when I saw her pouted her mouth. That Valderama did not cheat. He was her brother's opponent, and this girl beside me does not want her brother out of the spotlight.

"Have you seen the way he plays, Naiah? So arrogant! I hate him! He didn't even bother to pass the ball to his teammates!"

My smile widened even more. Of course, he won't pass the ball to his captain. From what I see, he's just a few years older than me. I heard Jaziel, the varsity basketball team captain and a graduating student, has opened the door for welcoming students who are willing to audition and be part of them for this year's Intramurals.

"This is not a real game. This is just a try-out," I made her understand.

I let her whine throughout the game. She noticed every move of that Valderama, forgetting that his brother is also inside the court, playing.

Today's game was a blast. The covered courts full of energy, and the scores between the two teams have a big difference. That means one group is superior to the other.

Jaziel immediately went to us after the game, and after almost everyone left.

He hugged us and kissed our foreheads before ruining our hair.

"Stop it!" We both said.

He just laughed and continued to fix his things. I sat beside him while Riza played with the ball.

We saw his teammates coming out from their quarters. They all had a shower and had their clothes changed. They also have big gym bags with them.

"Captain! You want to come? We'll have a drink with the newbies," one of the players asked him.

They all gave him a high five and shook his head.

"We have an event later," he simply said, and everyone understood it.

They waved at him while finding their way outside. Some of them greeted Riza and me. We always run to them whenever we had to go to Jaziel or during breaks and events inside the university.

"I heard the event's going to be big," I said.

He nodded. "Yes. Most are business partners and trusted friends of the family."

I nodded several times. I don't know how to behave later, but I don't have to worry that much because I'm with the family.

Still waiting for forJaziel, I saw the man Riza was whining all about earlier. He changed his clothes too and had the same bag as the others too. He just came out from their quarters.

"What's his name?" I asked out of nowhere while staring at him.

Jaziel's forehead creased, and he shifted his eyes to the direction where my eyes are.

"Mikael!" Jaziel shouted that made both Riza and I widened our eyes.

The guy looks confused but still went to us because it's his captain's order. Jaziel put his arm around him and faced us.

"This is Mikael Valderama, our newest recruit in the basketball team," he introduced him proudly.

He pointed at Riza and me afterward. "And this is my beautiful cousin, Zanaiah Olivarez, and my naughty younger sister, Irizarry Saavedra."

Riza rolled her eyes as a sign of irritation.

A corner of his mouth lifted and offered his hand to me. I gladly accepted it, but when he turned to Riza, she didn't take it and just looked at it.

"Riza," Kuya Jaz called her in a small voice.

Called out by her brother, Riza forcedly let go of the ball and went near the guy. But when she's about to shake his hand, he removed it in a swift move and hid it inside his pocket confidently like he didn't do it on purpose.

"Thank you for today," he said to Jaziel.

"I'm sorry about my sister..." I wasn't able to know more of their conversation because they slowly walked towards the exit while talking.

Riza and I sat on the bleachers while waiting for them to be finished. Jaziel's bag is beside us, and Riza just won't stop fussing over the guy.

"Personality should be a factor when it comes to accepting newbies," I heard her whispered.

Her eyes are still glued to the guy like she will kill him soon with those.

Mikael glanced at us several times, and his look was just as dark as Riza's.

"Cut it off," I nagged her.

"Tss."

Since Jaziel and Mikael are both taking too much of our time, I looked at our feet and played with them. I kicked Riza first, and then she kicked me back. Our shoes are getting dirt on them because of what we are doing, but I stopped when I noticed a shadow on the floor.

"You lost," Riza said.

I looked in the direction where the shadow is coming from because it can't be my cousin's shadow nor Mikael because they are across us.

I looked back and saw a physique of a man standing near the other gate, fully covering the light coming from the outside because of his body. He entered the court, and that's when our eyes met.

Lumingon ako at nasalubong ko ang mga matatalim niyang mata. His forehead furrowed, and he raised an eyebrow at me, so I looked away because I suddenly felt intimidated.

"Who's that?" Riza asked beside me.

I don't even know.

He wears the same uniform the other college students wear, so I'm sure that he's enrolled here. In fact, he wears the same uniform Jaziel's college department wears, so... is he taking a business course, perhaps?

"Mael."

That's what I heard from him.

I saw Mikael looked back because of what this new guy said. Mael? Short for Mikael?

Mikael said some words to Jaziel before tapping his back and left the court with the random guy.

After they left, Jaziel went to us, so we stood up and ready to leave.

"Who's that? A newbie, too?" Riza asked while I was just listening and not giving much of my attention.

"His older cousin. Graduating, too. I see him at our building, but we don't talk. Why?"

He looked at her, and Riza gave him a lazy shook. He looked at me, and I expressed that I am not, too, but I think I looked a bit defensive.

"No, of course not," I insisted. Because I'm not.