The next three-four chapters would involve drama, rivalries, love quarrels, and a lot of sports! Part 1 is mainly focused on Phineas and his gang, while the tail end is on Bella and the soccer team.
The Tri-State State Intramurals, a two-week long class free event, where everyone is invited to join in any sport they wish to play. While not everyone would participate in the various sports and events, they are encouraged to cheer for their respective college's teams during games. In their apartment, Phineas and Kelly were discussing about going on tryouts for the engineering department's basketball team. They were just about to head to their 8am class (their last one before the games) and decided once lunchtime came around, they would talk to Reggie and their pick-up friends in joining the tryouts later that evening.
"Why can't we have the sophie guys tryout as well?" Kelly asked his roommate, pertaining to a group of IE sophomores that are on the varsity team.
"Because they're varsity and they can't join the sport they're playing." Phineas riposted, as he locked their door. "Besides, if we did make the cut, they're more than happy to practice us." The two roommates started their walk towards their building.
"How does Bella take this by the way?"
"She's happy for me, says she'd talk trash to me whenever I have possession."
"But dude, you thrive when someone trash talks you!" Kelly's eyes went wide. He knew that whenever he had to play against Phineas, it's a bad idea to trash talk him, as he'd go off in games.
"That's the idea Kelly." The redhead winked, feeling smug about his plan.
"You sly dog!" Kelly nudged his shoulder, "Talking about reverse psychology!"
"Alright, enough psycho nonsense, let's get to work." his roommate chuckled before entering their room for first period.
Back in their apartment, Bella and Gretchen were having a similar conversation; this time they're discussing about joining their respective cheer dance teams, in the former's case. The latter, however, wasn't giving in just yet.
"To be honest, I wanna join the volleyball team. Cheer dance isn't really my thing girl." Gretch stated, fixing up her uniform.
"Isn't Stacy a cheerleader? I'm sure she'd give y'all some pointers on that stuff." Bella retorted while hauling the laundry basket to their washer. Since her classes don't start until after lunch, she was doing their laundry for the meantime.
Tying her long raven locks in a messy ponytail, Bella loaded the washer with her and Gretchen's dirty laundry while her roommate finished up her hair. "Why are you so adamant on the cheer dance anyway?"
"Remember that I can't join the soccer team because I'm a varsity?" her roommate replied, not looking at Gretch. The brunette nodded. "Well, they asked me if I could facilitate the tryouts tomorrow, in the ICT side of things at least." Bella explained.
"Alright girl, I'm heading out. Wanna jet to the mall tonight? No boyfriend bringing." Gretch offered. She's annoyed that whenever they have a girls night out, someone's always gonna bring their boyfriend along with them, and have the unfortunate honor of carrying their shopping bags. Unless I finally get myself a man. She made a mental note to herself.
"Sure! I'll go ask the other girls if they wanna join. Bye!" the raven-haired Latina waved goodbye to her roommate. Afterwards, she continued her laundry duties. Once that was done, she took a shower, cooked herself some lunch and sat at the table. She decided to call Phineas before leaving for her class. She opened her Messenger and hit the video call, ringing on her boyfriend's end. It took a while for him to answer, but eventually, Phineas' face appeared on the screen.
"Hey babe!" he greeted, "What's up?"
"I'm just about to leave for class, you?"
"Guy talk with Reggie and the gang." Phineas rolled his eyes, "I think I'm the only one who has to distance himself from the guys when talking to you."
Bella giggled, "Well, I love calling you during lunch."
The couple talked for a while about the upcoming tryouts, just like everyone else in the campus.
"By the way, we're going to the mall tonight with some girlfriends. You know, girls' night out." Bella added.
"Oh alright, we'll be trying out tonight as well. Just call me when you get home, aight?"
"Okay honey. I love you!"
"Love you too babe." Phineas ended the call and walked back towards the table where Kelly, Reggie, and three sophomores named Carl, Steve, and Andy. The latter three are IE sophomores who are varsity players for the college basketball team.
"Bella bugging you again?" Reggie teased. The rest of the group chuckled.
"Yeah, but in a nice way." Phineas sneered, "You should try getting a GF someday." This line made Reggie red all over, his friends continued laughing their butts off.
"Don't you have work on Tuesdays man?" Carl, the bald one, inquired. Normally, Phineas goes to work on those days as a requirement for his OJT.
"It got moved Carl. I now go on Saturdays since we hired a new electrician. I just hope we don't have any games during those days." he replied.
"So how are the tryouts usually done?" Kelly turned to Reggie.
"It's really not that hard to get in. They just do a series of pick-up games. Whoever wins all 4 games would be the starters, the rest would be the bench. However, I'm planning to tryout as a center because they always put me at the 4 when I get in." Reggie explained.
During his two years' experience, Reggie shared how he normally gets slotted to the power forward position. But at 6 foot 6 and 220 lbs., he's tall enough to be qualified as a center; and with a great number of freshmen coming into the picture, he's hoping that he could finally play the position he's used to. The rest of their lunch passed by without them talking about anything else besides basketball.
After classes, Phineas went back home to his apartment while Kelly went on to the court with Reggie. He decided to wear his HS jersey shorts, a Dri-Fit shirt, and a pair of Dame 4's for the tryouts. He got to his truck and drove towards the gymnasium, where there were already people doing shootarounds on one of the courts. There must be something like only 50 people here. I was expecting a bit more. He thought as he approached the bench where Kelly and Reggie were.
"This is the tryouts?" Phineas asked. Reggie nodded.
"See? I told you it looks more like pick-up than the NBA regular season." he smirked.
"Why are there only a few people here?"
"Were you expecting all the colleges to try out tonight?" the 6'6" junior asked. Phineas nodded meekly. "Oh no, only the engineering and nursing guys. The other colleges held their tryouts during the morning." Reggie added.
"Come on man, let's get ourselves warmed up first." Kelly offered, as he collected a basketball from one of their friends.
The tryouts began without a hitch, and after a couple of hours of play, they have already drafted the starting lineup for tomorrow's elimination round. They would be playing twice a day against the other colleges for the week to make the final four. After they were done showering up, Phineas and Kelly drove back home to their apartment feeling knackered. They headed straight to their respective bedrooms when the redhead's phone sounded a notification. Suddenly feeling a boost in energy, Phineas decided to chat with his girlfriend for a while before getting some shut eye.
Bella: Jgh honey. How's the tryouts?
Phineas: Well, I made the cut. I'm the sixth man, Kelly's the starting three.
Bella: But they put you at point guard right?
Phineas: I don't care if I'm the one or two, besides they're transitioning into a small-ball lineup nowadays.
Bella: Btw, we're having soccer tryouts tomorrow and Bianca and I would be coaching the girls.
Phineas: That's great! I wish I could watch y'all but I have 2 games tomorrow.
Bella: Talking about the grind :( Just remember, if you wanna massage, I'll be at the fields.
Phineas: I will. Good night babe, love ya :*
Bella: Goodnight too honey, love ya more
Phineas placed his phone by his nightstand as he dozed off to sleep. Even though he was beat up physically, he felt renewed whenever he and his girlfriend have those late night chats until one of them goes to sleep.
The following morning, Bella was already at the field for the ICT women's soccer team tryouts alongside Bianca, the primary team captain and a multimedia arts senior. She's quite astonished at how many girls wanted to try out, at around 50; typically, Bianca sees about 20 people in her department try out for soccer.
"Why is it in my last year here that people suddenly wanna try out with us?!" she looked at her raven-haired co-captain.
"I dunno B. I guess the volleyball team is already jampacked." Bella shrugged. The blue-haired senior shook her head in disbelief. "Should we start having these ladies kick some dirt?"
"You betcha! First game starts tomorrow against the engineering ladies." Bianca replied. She blew her whistle and began to group the girls into two teams, playing against each other.
It took the rest of the morning for Bella and Bianca to draft the final starting 11; the rest who didn't make the cut are put on the reserves in case they have to put a new starting lineup. The afternoon was spent in practice for tomorrow's matchup against the Engineering Lady Falcons. Even though they're under Phineas' college, Bella knew to put up a good fight against them - as Bianca once told her the ICT and engineering departments have a heated rivarly in soccer, one that lasts a decade and counting.
After a tiring yet productive practice, Bella and Bianca called the players off to hit the showers. Apparently, most of their players, especially the freshmen, were former HS varsity players which would prove to be important in their upcoming games. Collecting her stuff, the raven haired Latina headed over to the bus stop to go home.
"I'll go on ahead, B. See ya tomorrow!" she waved at Bianca.
"See ya Ella!" the blue haired captain said back, before watching Bella take the aboard the bus, she received a chat from her redhead boyfriend.
Phineas: How's practice? Btw we won against the nursing guys today, tho we lost against the vetmed guys.
Bella: Congrats anyway! Do you wanna massage?
Phineas: Oh damn, please. XD
Bella: Then head on over to our place, I'm on my way home.
Phineas: Me too, I'll see ya in 15.
Bella didn't reply back, as she was daydreaming about massaging Phineas' back, shoulder and chest. She still couldn't fathom how a man who used to be lanky could have a body like that. He wasn't buff, but he had a toned body - earned from all the lifting as a bus mechanic as well as the pick-up basketball he often plays.
Dare I say it, he's deliciously hot. And he's all mine. She thought.
A/N: I apologize for the long overdue update since I couldn't really find inspiration to continue this one (damn writer's block). That and I also happened to enjoy writing HTTYD one-shots that y'all can check out, it's titled Waves of Fury.
Also, for those wondering how I'm doing the bracketing for the basketball games, I'm following the UAAP final four format.