Chapter 96: What If?

A month later, three weeks into the course, Marco Junior poured his mind into his studies. He had never been so fascinated by a course in his entire life. He is taking a course called Introduction to criminal justice and he loves it. He didn't have much to say about his trigonometry course. It was so easy and so was every course he took.

He complained to Hershey about their crazy instructor for their English Lit course. They were told to write a 200-page paper on the most memorable moment in their life and even if he thought and thought, he couldn't think of anything that could fill two hundred pages.

But then, he thought about the time he was on earth. He has been through so much since he was born. Things he never thought he would go through. So, what he finally decided on was a biography. Twenty years is long enough to forge into 200 pages. He will write about one of what is most important to him, his family.

On Tuesday afternoon, he had been in the dorm room for about thirty minutes when he heard a knock on the door. Hoping to see Hershey there, considering he was the only person left on campus, Marco opened the door and greeted her, "Hey, baby Chocolate."

"Sorry, but I don't go this way." A man came.

Marco Junior laughed and extended his hand to the visitor, "What's up? Sorry, I thought you were my girl."

The man shrugged, "You expecting her or something?"

"Nahh, she's the only one I know on campus and she's only kicked two people. Me and one of his girlfriends."

"Oh, I'm headed straight for you. I thought you might want to play basketball."

Marco raised an eyebrow. "Basketball? How did you know I could play?"

The man shrugged, "A wild guess. A guy with your height and build can only play basketball or baseball and you don't look like the type to even go near that game."

Marco was happy with the man he met at the party.

"What is your name?"

"Danny Robert or DR."

"Just DR?" Marco asked.

"Yep, just good old DR or doctor. So, you wanna ball or what?"

"Who's playing?"

"A group of us. My team's one player short."

"Oh yeah? What's our game?"

"Happy."

"Happy?"

"Yeah, you've heard that before right?" DR teased. "Yeah. Give me about twenty minutes and I'll be down."

Twenty minutes later, Marco showered, dressed, and feeling great, grabbed the gym bag with an extra set of clothes inside, and left his dorm room, with Danny Robert leading the way out of the building and to his car. When they got into the car, Danny played a c.d. on the car stereo and blasted DMX around the world.

Marco listens to DMX sing "What do they really want." He turned his attention to the window, letting the lyrics of the song transport him to another world.

By the time they reached a park located within the city limits, Marco was ready to go outside and stretch his muscles. He took his bag, closed the door, and made an effort to follow DR to the park. When they got close, Marco immediately noticed the size of the men. They were all his size or bigger. The four of them were standing there. Marco stared at a man, Danny Robert's brother, John Philip.

"Well, if it's not surprising, son of bread."

John Philip snorted, glaring at Marco.

Marco turned to him with burning eyes.

"John Philip, why you got to start trouble man. You should just squash that shit a while back. It's been over a month. Get over it already."

John Philip raised his hand, "Whatever man, wonder bread is on your team."

"Alright, Gary, come on."

Marco obediently followed next to Danny, who stood there with the basketball between his ankles, resting it.


"Gary." John Philip stated, his voice firm, offering no objection. Gary is another caucasian man with deep piercing eyes, sandy hair, and a square face shape with a shapeless nose. He glared at Marco, staring him down. Marco narrowed his eyes to tell him not to disturb him.

"Rey King" Danny chose a tall thin man who looked as if any kind of wind would blow him away. He and Marco are almost the same height. Rey looked Marco in the eye.

"What?" Eyes the same color as Hershey's stared back at him. Come to think of it, he's the same as Hershey's chocolate.

Marco smiled, "Nothing."

Marco turned his head to the other players. John Philip and Gary now stood there with a guy named Willie as their third choice. Willie was a very large man with dark brown hair that was braided over his shoulders. He wore an earring in one ear. He stood at least six feet.

Marco praises him as the nicest kid in the group. He looks too clean.

"Willie, I got you." Danny stated, greeting the long-haired guy. Willie is a dark-skinned mestizo with deep black opal eyes. He's one of the shortest players they've come up with.

He placed in five-ten. Willie went to the group.

Marco turned his head to Rey, who had been staring at him. "Are you okay bro?"

Rey raised her eyebrows. "Do I know you?"

Marco raised the ball in surprise. "I think not, why?"

"Have you played before?"

This brought a laugh from John Philip, "Shit, Danny, I told you Rey was a homosexual."

Rey glared at John Philip, "I'm not gay."

John Philip laughed. "Wonder bread and the gay."

Marco felt his cheeks flush with embarrassment. "Can we get this game on a roll?" He asked irritably. He doesn't like John Philip anymore than he did the night he got drunk at the party.

"Yes, let's go." Danny threw the ball to John Philip, who quickly caught it.

"Look." John Philip returned it to Danny Robert.

Marco blocked the elbow jab that Gary kept throwing at him. He bounced the ball from his right hand to his left hand and then went down the court. He threw it to Willie, who was open closest to the basket. He threw it up to get into the net, but a loud slap came and knocked it out of his hands.

The ball bounced to Willie, who was guarded by Danny.

Danny quickly grabbed the ball and led it back to the court, Marco, with sweat on his face, and hair in his eyes, swept the smooth strands and fell in line next to Danny, pushing the ball into his way.

When Marco bounces the ball to himself, he loses it to Gary, but when Gary bounces it to his feet, Marco knocks the ball away from them and moves quickly to cover him. Bouncing the ball up the court, he quickly stops and shoots the ball toward the net. John tried to catch it, but the ball spun in the air and hit nothing but the net.

When the game ended five hours later, everyone was exhausted. That includes John Philip, who has long since stopped making fun of Marco or any of the other team members - Danny's team. After all, he doesn't have much to say about hitting three points. Marco, whose muscles ached, felt tired, but good because it had been two years since he had been on the court. It feels good to still have any of the skills he's developed over the years. If anything, he's honing those skills.

"Man, I didn't know you were that good at balling, Gary." Danny commented.

Marco just opened his door, put his bag in the back of the car, and got inside. "Did you play ball in high-school or something?"

Marco sighed, "A little."

"So you're on a team?" Rey said from the back seat. He chose to go with Danny over John Philip. So did Willie.

"Yes, I played for Basketball at Burol National High in Molino Bacoor." Willie laughed, "Is that a real school?"

Rey cleared his throat, "Oh, now I see. Your school was a rival against Miguel, huh?"

"Yes."

"Miguel is your school rival?"

"Yes, we did." Marco answered Willie's question.

"Oh man, my cousin went to see Miguel. Her name is Claire. She's a cheerleader."

"Claire huh? Did she happen to go out with a guy named Mauro Montes from Burol National High?"

"I don't know. I'll ask her though."

"What player did you rank your senior year?"

Marco sighed, "I'm MVP."

"Number one." James turned to Marco in shock.

"What?"

"I thought you said you played a little ball." Rey joined the conversation. "It was two years ago." Marco said, looking out the window.

"What happened between now and then?" Willie was impressed. He didn't think he was looking at Marco. He is very gentle.

"A lot of things, now, if you'll excuse me," Marco said as he watched Hershey and her friend Jade Alberto walk up to the dorms.

They walk and laugh. Apparently, he wasn't the only one who noticed.

"Damn..." Rey said, pushing the seat, as Marco got out of the car. Marco shook his head in annoyance. Why do men have to act like vultures on this campus? He was about to take his seat back when Willie stopped him, "Let me out too."

Marco opened the front seat and let him out. Danny glanced at her and burst out laughing, "Looks like your girl is the talk of the campus."

Marco glared at him. His cheeks were red. He didn't really like the idea that now that they were the same age Hershey seemed to be getting more attention.

She's only been here a month and she's had to fend off more than one guy trying to "Rapist." Do they have no respect for walking when they see a man and a woman together? Danny just shook his head and laughed, while Marco closed the car door.

As Willie approaches Hershey and Jade, he notices that Willie is talking to Jade, while Rey tries his best to get close to Hershey, who looks confused.

She doesn't quite understand what it is about campus guys who like her type. She is not supermodel thin like Jade. He is whole. She thought Marco was the only guy who could lure her here, considering he was the only guy in high school who tried to get her number. Thinking about it caused her to blush slightly.

"So, what's your name beauty?" Rey asked.

Hershey looked into his eyes, seeing the warmth there. If his eyes could speak, he would say that he is a real man. "I'm Hershey."

"Hershey, like Chocolate?" He smiled, holding out his hand. "Nice to meet you."

Hershey grabbed it and shook it.

Marco, who this time was always irritating but charming, stopped in his steps a few feet from their view. Willie, who was drooling over Jade, gave the girl a big smile. Marco smiled at this.

Turning his attention back to Hershey and Rey, he heard Hershey laugh, "Wow, Rey, you're funny."

Rey smiled widely, "Thanks, Hershey. So, with an accent like that you have to be from Cavite, right?"

Hershey nodded, her brown eyes sparkling, "Yeah, I am."

"Very nice. About what?" Rey asked.

"How about you? Are you from Manila?"

"No, I'm from Batangas."

"Batangas?"

"Yes."

"Cool."

"You're really beautiful."

"Thank you."

"Do you have a boyfriend?"

XXX