Chapter 24: Chapter 24
With Al’s proposal, the three of us managed to be in one team. Though this just meant that the redheaded girl, who had previously been a member of the squad, was being booted out.
Of course, that spelled trouble for me the moment that I locked eyes with her and saw the headed rage in her eyes. Thankfully, she didn't say or do anything to me since Al was standing between us - I'm not sure if he did it on purpose or unintentionally, but I appreciated the intervention anyway.
“It all went well, right?” Al grinned with satisfaction as he spoke to me.
I turned to him with a narrowed gaze. “Easy for you to say. That redhead looks like she wants to murder me. I would have been fine alone in the opposing team.” I whispered the last part.
"She can try," Al sneered. “But if she does, I'll shatter her neck."
"No neck-breaking," I informed him angrily.
“Alright. Instead, how about I break her nails? I've heard it's worse than death for ladies like her." Al massaged his chin, perplexed.
"You're being a jerk." Tyrelle let out a sigh and shook his head.
Byran, the team captain, headed over to us, “We got rid of Stacey for her. Make sure that we win this or else.”
"How cute," Al said as he crossed his arms and looked at Byran. “I recognize a hollow threat when I hear one. Little boy, relax. Mutt and I have this." He assured him with his words.
Byran looked skeptical but allowed the issue to slide. “Five balls in the middle of the court and ten players on each side. As soon as we hear the whistle Tyrelle, Sean, Max, Aelfric, and I will attempt to grab a ball. Whether you manage to grab one or not, move back immediately just to be safe.”
“Sounds like a sissy move to back away without attacking. But okay. You’re the captain.” Al yawned and earned a spiteful glare from Bryan.
Finally, the coach directed us to take our positions on each side of the court. I noticed approximately five balls in the middle, which each team would rush to as soon as the whistle blows. In other words, each squad will compete to obtain the ammunition before the other.
I noticed that Al stole a glance in my direction as whispered something in Tyrelle’s ear. Tyrelle looked back at me before nodding in agreement with Al.
What were they talking about? For some reason, I felt like it was about me.
The five players that Byran called for earlier to steal the ball moved in front of us to take their position. Then, as the whistle blew, the five fastest players on either side began to move.
Well, all except for Tyrelle, who took long strides back until he was standing beside me.
“Um…” I pointed to the ball that he was supposed to take, which was now in the hands of the opposing team. “I don’t know if you’ve played dodgeball before but I think that you have to grab it,” I commented.
“Hey, mutt! Incoming!” Al shouted before I noticed him pitching the ball to the player who was meant to take Tyrelle's ball. Al tossed his ball exactly as the player aimed and threw his ball at us, removing a member of the opposition squad in the process.
Tyrelle looked up at the ball flying towards us, “What do you know. He did manage to slow it down.” I heard him mutter before I felt his hands on my shoulder. “I’m sorry for this, Gabriella.” He whispered to me before moving me in front of him.
“Hey, what are you-” The ball slammed to my face, eliminating me in the process.
“Miss Bryce and Jhon, you’re both out!” I heard the coach yelling from the side.
I rubbed the stinging sensating on my face where the ball has hit, silently imagining myself punching the living daylight out of Tyrelle once I get my bearings.
“Oh shit. Sorry about that, Gabriella.” Tyrelle cursed. “It wasn’t supposed to be the face. I’ll escort you out of the ring.”
“You lousy, mutt! Why’d you let the ball hit her on the face! I told you to let it hit her leg or something.” I could vaguely hear the complaint coming from Al as Tyrelle led me to the side where I joined the other eliminated person from the other team.
“Shut up. It couldn’t be helped since I was trying not to be rough.” Tyrelle replied and went back into the court along with the others.
“You alright, Miss Byrce?” The coach asked me. I nodded even though I could still feel the impact of it tingling on the surface of my skin. “Good.” He says once again blew the whistle to start the game.
Balls were thrown on either side and one by one, people were getting eliminated. Half was taken from the opposing team while four were taken from our side. And, I could not help but notice that the remaining guys in the team seemed to be aiming at Al and were trying to avoid Tyrelle. It left a certain impression on me that they might be people in Tyrelle’s pack.
Byran got eliminated because he got distracted for scolding Al, who was harassing and aiming at Stacey for leering at me from time to time.
To be honest, she would have gotten eliminated a long time if the wolves on the other team weren’t so keen on catching the ball to throw it at Al.
“That idiot. I told him to aim at the guy who tripped a while ago. Crazy nut job.” Byran grumbled beside me as we continued to watch the game from the side. “If we lose, I am blaming you for this.”
Well, that’s not fair. But, if that were to happen, I am going to blame Al and Tyrelle as well.
The rest of the guys aside from Tyrlle and Al have been eliminated while there were still four people on the opposing team, including Stacey, which was quite impressive. But still, the odds were against us. Even Byran sensed it too because he glance at me, “Why don’t you try cheering them on. Maybe they’ll listen.” He suggested.
“Why me?” I complained.
“Well, you’re kind of important to them because they wouldn’t join the team without you. Plus, they made sure that you got eliminated in the first round so you don’t have to exhaust yourself.” He explained, making me ponder over his words for a bit.
Huh, is that what they were whispering about earlier?
“Your name is Gabriella, right? Enough gawking and just cheer.” There was a hint of annoyance in his tone of voice that made me think better of questioning him further - let alone complain.
I sighed and began to cup my hands over my lips to make my voice louder amidst all the other cheers coming from the others. “Go...um...Tyrelle. Go...Al…” I paused because that sort of cheer sounded so dead that it needs a funeral itself.
Bryan stared at me. “That cheering sounds like it’s the one that NEEDS the cheering.”
“I’m sorry,” I responded immediately - fully acknowledging my mistake.
And just when we thought things couldn't get any wilder, Al gasped and flung the ball brilliantly into the air, which landed on top of Stacey's head. And, instead of boasting about it to Tyrelle, he turned to our direction with a baffled look on his face. “Did you just say you love me?” Because he was focused on us, he didn't detect the ball flying directly at his face, eliminating him in the process.
“Fucking hell.” Byran cursed beside me in annoyance, making me gulp out of fear.
“That right there wasn’t my fault. It’s all him.” I pointed at Al, who now coming our way.
As soon as he reached us, he turned to me with a serious look on his face. “I heard your declaration of love and I accept.” He said with a serious look on his face.
“Be honest with me, Al.” I countered his serious tone of voice with my own. “You have selective hearing, don’t you? Because how the bloody hell can a person as you misheard me.”
The crowd's applause drew our attention back to the game. It must have happened so quickly since one of the opposition team's opponents was removed, leaving them with only two people remaining while we only have one, which is Tyrelle.
As of the moment, there was only one more ball being played in the court and Tyrelle has it in his hands. “In the end, I have to do all the work, don’t I?” He grumbled and glanced in our direction, specifically Al.
“Hey, when a man hears a confession of a girl that he fancies, he will waste little to no delays to get to her.” He stated proudly, making me move several steps away from him and his weird delusions.
“As I said, I never confessed to you. I was trying to cheer you guys!” I defended.
“Gridon, don’t you dare loose!” Byran barked at him amidst all the commotion.
Tyrelle was irritated, but he understands that he has a role to perform on the squad. He threw the ball about in his hands a few times, as if weighing it, while keeping an eye on the two players on the other team. Tyrelle abruptly moved back and tossed the ball to the side. At first glance, you'd believe it was going to miss given the trajectory the ball followed, but then it began to curve and hit one of the players in his side.
Byran, who had been cursing before the ball took a curve, began to celebrate with the rest of the eliminated players on our side. Al merely sneered and rolled his eyes, while I was completely enthralled by his outstanding ball handling.
“That was one sick curveball.” I heard something say from somewhere in the crowd.
“A curveball?” I turned to Al to see if he has any idea what it meant.
“It’s a way to control the projectile of an object. You spin it in a certain direction that you want it to go while throwing it in the air to hit an unsuspecting target.” He responded while crossing his arms across his chest. “If that guy had that in his sleeve, then he should have done that in the first place!”
We were holding our breaths as we saw the opponent hurl the ball in Tyrelle's direction. Tyrelle, fortunately, caught it easily and proceeded to gently toss the ball in the air, as he had done previously while measuring up his opponent. The other guy was nervous and walked back to put some space between them.
Tyrelle abruptly grabbed the ball with both hands and made a powerful, threatening stomp forward, flinging his hands in the air. The other person followed Tyrelle's motions with his eyes and glanced up, expecting the ball to be in the air, but he had no idea Tyrelle was faking it. With the ball still in his hands and the other man looking up, he took the chance to make a quick toss at the other's face.
A whistle was blown, signaling the end of the game. “And that concludes our dodgeball.” Our coach says. “Winners, you may now go. As for the losers, you have to stay and clean up the gym!”