"Court Royalty - Episode 2"

"Court Royalty - Episode 2"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr. MD

The locker room was filling up with people. Some were already warming up while others were changing into their practice gears. On one corner sat a young man with disheveled hair. His air that of someone who just woke up after a really long slumber and finding out that he had a million things to do. 

"Pick up , Pick up , Pick up..." Pablo said to himself. Listening to Christina's ring back tone of Korn's "Kidnap Mr. Sandy Claws" was fun but he just wanted to talk to her before he got in the showers. It has been a couple of days now and he has not been able to see her around the campus. As big as Spolarium University was they were bound to bump into each other eventually. It didn't happen in the last couple of days though. Her frequent text messages stopped as well. He just knew she was mad at something but he did not know what.

"Still trying to contact Chris?" This was from Nido Almario , the tallest guard on the team at 6'6. He always had a big #23 on everything he wore. For most people it was obvious that he wanted to be like Mike but he often vocalized that he was not a big fan of the tongue-waggling Icon. #23 meant something else for him and he was keeping it all to himself. "Give it up Pab  , she will talk to you when she is good and ready. Which might be never..."

Nido burst out laughing and was joined by Albert Guzman , the starting pointguard of the Spolarium Senior Varsity Team. There was something vaguely annoying about the 6'3 Cebuano , some say it was the chinky looking eyes that disappeared when he was upset or angry but would be as wide as ever when he was excited. His coach had told him about this weird facial habit and he promised to keep it under control but so far it was a promise that was little more than words. 

"Why do you bother with Professora Xaviera man?" Albert said , referring to Christinas wheel chair and her sometimes serious demeanor when facing problems. Her steeped hands and unsmiling face no matter how pretty she was looked like the mutant psychics all the same. "There are tons of girls who are out there. Some of them aren't even wearing any underwear thanks to you."

Pablo shot the point guard with a confused and sleepy look as he kept his ear glued to the phone.

"They all threw it at you last game remember?"was Alberts reply. Nido Joined in at the laughter and waggled a red thong in front of their star player.

" A lot of ladies catching cold out there because of you man."

A cough erupted from the back of the room. All the other players stopped what they were doing. A silence was descending on the locker room which could only mean one thing. The Coach had arrived. Some players tried to cover their nakedness and some merely stood where they were when the coach entered. 

Coach Mad.When Pablo had heard about the name he was not so sure he wanted to go through with his try out. Coach Mad. Sounded like someone who hit you with a clip board and whistled profanities in your ear. It sounded so mean. It sounded like an army Sergeant who drilled commands to your head and made sure that when it came back the other side to cram it right back in there until there was no inch of space on your head that was not full of holes or until it finally stuck. Pablo was sure that he would not like Coach Mad and Coach Mad would not like him. He was dead wrong and as Coach Mad entered he was reminded why.

Coach Mad carried a clipboard at all times. The roster was checked before and after practices. An inspection that none of the players failed. One of which was offering a chair that the Coach accepted with a nod and a smile. She crossed her legs to show the well defined muscles. Short  , form fitting clothes were her default outfit. Today it was a micro mini that allowed the players to see well high enough to let their testosterone levels rise up. Her tops consisted of flimsy outfits that barely contained the chest size that she did not believe she had. Coach Madeline Suarez always had the males try to join her team but it was not always about basketball.Most of the time it was simply to see her and whatever she might have been wearing or not wearing at the moment.

She seemed oblivious to the effect that she was having on her players and the players enjoyed that just fine.If there were dirty thoughts they were never verbalized but it did show a lot on their faces and at this moment some of it was showing through the towels that they were trying to cover themselves with.

Coach Mad had a very pleasing voice. It sounded even more pleasing when she was mad and barking   plays or berating referees regarding a bad call. Pablo suspected that some of his teammates deliberately played bad to get an earful of that pleasant voice. One thing he could say though is that the Coach always gets the results she wanted on the court. Despite all the criticism she and the school got from her male counterparts she always manages to compose herself and fight back in the most important way possible.Winning games. 

The media was not a big help in this regard because of the difference in opinion that they had generated. Some view Coach Mad as a great a icon that progresses females in a male dominated field. Some females view her as something else for showing her wares for the world to see. She has posed for FHM more than 3 times and some magazines have forced out Sports Editions just to get her on the cover. Truth be told she was earning a lot of money and could earn more by quitting her coaching job. When asked about this in one interview she merely said.

"Sometimes it is not always about the money."

Pablo had Christina dig a little deeper about his Coach. And got so much chiding that he had the hots for her. Christina got him the information any way. As it turns out Coach Mad was a Fourth Generation Product of the schools only Winning Coach. Someone who won at almost anything but basketball. For her it was not a matter of money. It was about proving that her family could win anything. Last year she almost accomplished it.

Pablo was the only person to see her cry because he was crying himself in one of the Auditoriums secret corners.She blamed herself for letting them lose. For not being good enough to win. Pablo carried that guilt with him and said that this was the year he would help her out. He would get into shape and not get injured like he was last year. 

"Pablo Roxas II?" 

"Yes Coach?"

"I would like to talk with you for a second. Please step into my office. The rest of you get ready for today's scrimmage. If you thought yesterday was fun , today would even be more fun."

A collective groan rose from the players.They still had aching bodies from yesterdays tough drills. The coach had a lot more planned for them today. 

Once the door was closed Pablo knew he was not in any trouble but the look on his Coach's face was something he would always remember for the rest of his life.

" I don't know how to say this Pab but...Christina is dead..."