Smash to the Heart

Margo's POV

The moment I stepped off the court, the air felt lighter.

Coach Leo clapped me on the back. “Good match. Controlled, steady, very you.”

I gave him a small smile, still trying to catch my breath. “Thanks, Coach.”

The adrenaline was wearing off now, and my muscles were just beginning to ache. I grabbed my water bottle, chugged half of it, then scanned the rows of athletes and spectators near the court. 

Caia and Miv were waving from the side, standing under the shade of a nearby tree.

I jogged over.

“Champion ka na talaga!” Caia beamed, throwing an arm around me as soon as I got close.

“Grabe ka kanina,” Miv added, wide-eyed. “Para kang robot. Parang hindi ka pagod.”

“Pagod ako, trust me,” I said, shaking out my arms. “But thanks.”

Caia glanced at her phone. “Syra’s match is starting soon. Badminton gym. Let’s go?”

“Syempre,” I nodded. “Hindi pwedeng hindi natin panoorin ’yon.”

We walked into the indoor badminton gym together. 

It was cooler inside, but the energy was electric—squeaking shoes, loud shuttle smashes, and cheers echoing against the walls.

Each court had matches going simultaneously, banners of school logos displayed proudly behind the players.

Caia pointed at the large screen displaying the lineup for the Girls’ Singles Division bracket.

Badminton - Girls' Singles Division Tournament 

Round 1 Match-Ups:
North Hills Academy vs. Crestview Prep

Southbridge Academy vs. Silverdale Institute

Riverdale Academy vs. Westbrook High

Greenfield School vs. Northcourt High

My eyes immediately found Syra’s name.

“Court 3. Let’s go,” Miv said, pulling me by the arm.

We slid into the bleachers just in time to see Syra enter the court, racket in hand, wearing North Hills’ red and gold uniform. 

Her eyes were sharp. 

Focused.

“Let’s go, Syra!” Caia shouted, cupping her hands over her mouth.

Syra didn’t respond, but I saw her jaw twitch — a small smirk pulling at the edge of her lips. She’d heard.

Her opponent from Crestview Prep wore navy and silver, already warming up with quick wrist flicks. She looked fast—but Syra?

Syra was explosive.

The match started with a clean serve from her—low and tight, right near the net. Her opponent struggled to return it cleanly, lifting it too high. 

Syra smashed it without hesitation.

“Point, North Hills!”

“Grabe,” I muttered. “Hindi pa nga mainit katawan niya.”

Caia chuckled. “She always starts strong.”

Syra controlled the game with her signature style—quick footwork, deceptive wrist flicks, and unrelenting smashes that forced her opponent to keep running. 

She used the court space well, pushing Crestview into the corners, then surprising with drop shots just over the net.

By the mid-point, she was leading 11–4.

“She’s not even letting the girl breathe,” Miv whispered, eyes wide.

Her Crestview opponent adjusted, trying to slow the pace down — more rallies, trying to drag out each point. 

But Syra adapted just as fast, changing angles, shifting tempo, and returning smashes with calm precision.

Final score of the first set: 21–9.

She barely celebrated. Just walked calmly to her bench, sipped water, then stood again before the umpire called time.

“She’s locked in,” I said, impressed. “Like completely zoned.”

Second set began, and Crestview opened with better form—she was faster now, reading Syra’s placements more efficiently. For the first few points, they were neck and neck.

7–7.

But Syra didn’t panic. 

She let the rallies go longer, wore her opponent out. She baited her into lunges and dives, then countered with smooth, controlled winners.

Slowly, the gap widened again.

14–9. 16–10. 20–11.

One final smash sealed it.

Final score: 21–11. Match to North Hills.

We all stood up and clapped loudly.

“Syra!! Ang galing mo!” Caia shouted.

Syra looked up this time, sweat trickling down her temple, but she grinned — full and proud. 

She raised her racket slightly in acknowledgment, then walked off the court toward us.

“That was so clean,” Miv said, tossing her a towel.

“Crestview didn’t stand a chance,” I added. “Bilis mo, grabe.”

Syra chuckled, catching her breath. “Thanks. Kayo next ha. Don’t disappoint.”

Caia rolled her eyes playfully. “Hoy, hindi pa ako.”

“Pero babawi ako sa finals,” I added with a smirk.

Syra winked. “Sige nga.”

We were about to leave the bleachers when I paused—something caught my eye across the gym.

A group of girls was watching from the opposite side.

One of them leaned against the railing with her arms crossed, ponytail swaying slightly as she turned to speak to her friend. Tall. Cool posture. Familiar attitude.

Then it clicked.

Southbridge.

The same girls from the café.

The garden.

They didn’t look at us. But one of the girls beside her—the one with short hair and sharp eyes—did. Briefly. But I think she did not recognized us.

We're slightly far from them.

“Guys,” I said, just loud enough for Caia and Miv to hear. “Look. Upper bleachers.”

Caia followed my gaze, and her smile disappeared. “Oh. Look who decided to watch.”

Miv snorted. “Wow. May oras pala sila. Akala ko busy sa pagiging snobs.”

Syra turned to look too, toweling her neck. Her brows lifted.

“Seriously? They’re here?”

“They probably wanted to scout,” I muttered, narrowing my eyes. “Or maybe they are also supporting someone.”

Caia crossed her arms. “Parang wala lang, pero I swear nakita ko rin ’to kanina sa hallway. Yung isa ‘yung tumili sa garden, right?”

“Yeah,” I said flatly. “That group.”

“Should we wave?” Miv joked, raising her hand mockingly.

“Don’t,” Syra said with a dry laugh. “Let’s focus on the wins, not the weird girls in the bleachers.”

—

The moment Syra stepped off the court, we gave her a quick towel-down like she just won gold at the Olympics.

She rolled her eyes but looked pleased. “Okay, next?”

“Swimming na,” Caia said, adjusting the strap of her duffel bag.

“Your turn,” I teased. “Don’t let Syra steal all the glory.”

Caia just grinned and walked ahead.

SWIMMING COMPLEX

The pool glistened under the ceiling lights like it was made of glass. The scent of chlorine clung to the air, sharp and familiar.

Caia walked to the waiting area, stretching her arms as she readied herself. 

She wore a red and gold swimsuit with North Hills’ crest stitched neatly at the back.

We headed to the bleachers where other teams had already gathered. The screen displayed the line-up:

Swimming – Girls' 100m Freestyle Heats

• North Hills Academy - Caia Dominguez
• Southbridge Academy - Riley Seo
• Greenfield School - Andi Moreno
• Crestview Prep - Lexie Chua
• Riverdale Academy - Kelsie Aragon
• Silverdale Institute - Jamie Liu
• Westbrook High - Brooke Daniels

Caia’s name flashed next to Lane 3.

She stood behind her starting block, her expression unreadable — calm, collected, totally in the zone.

A whistle blew. The swimmers stepped up.

The buzzer followed.

Caia dove into the water with smooth precision, barely a splash — like a knife through the surface.

“She’s fast,” Miv said beside me, eyes tracking her every stroke.

“She’s always fast,” Syra muttered. “She just doesn’t brag about it.”

Caia surged ahead during the first 50 meters. 

Southbridge’s swimmer tried to keep up in the adjacent lane, but Caia had already established a rhythm — powerful kicks, tight turns at the wall, no wasted movement.

By the final stretch, there was no question.

She touched the wall first.

1st Place - 100m Freestyle Heat: Caia Dominguez (North Hills)

We cheered from the stands.

“Gusto mo ng placard next time?” I called out as she climbed out of the pool, hair dripping.

She rolled her eyes at me but laughed, grabbing a towel from the coach.

“One down. Finals bukas,” she said.

—

ATHLETIC FIELD 

“Alright,” Miv said, bouncing slightly on her heels as we crossed the grass. “Time for the real sport.”

Syra snorted. “Feeling mo lang, girl.”

“Track is pain,” Caia said, towel still wrapped around her shoulders. “I respect it but I would never do it.”

I smiled. “We’ll cheer for you like you’re running from a zombie apocalypse.”

Miv gave me a mock salute as she jogged toward the track.

The sun had dipped lower, stretching shadows across the lanes. 

We settled under the grandstand just as the announcer’s voice echoed across the field.

Track & Field - Girls’ 800m Sprint

Lane 1 – Reina Caron (Silverdale Institute)
Lane 2 – Miv Reyes (North Hills Academy)
Lane 3 – Lyza Tiu (Westbrook High)
Lane 4 – Soleil Hart (Southbridge Academy)
Lane 5 – Rika Yu (Greenfield School)
Lane 6 – Elayne Cruz (Riverdale Academy)
Lane 7 – Drea Villanueva (Crestview Prep)

We all leaned forward.

“Soleil Hart…” I echoed, scanning the track. My eyes landed on Lane 4.

Caia pointed. “Ayan siya oh. 'Yung girl sa café.”

Syra blinked. “Tsaka sa garden. Yung tahimik lang pero ang sungit tumingin.”

“So… Soleil pala pangalan niya,” I murmured, still watching her warm up with slow, confident strides.

“Southbridge nga siya,” Caia added.

We quieted down as the whistle blew.

Miv jogged to her starting mark, glanced up at us, and we all lifted our hands like a ritual.

“You got this!” Syra called, voice steady.

The gun fired.

Miv exploded off the line.

She paced herself early, sitting comfortably in third behind Westbrook’s Lyza and Silverdale’s Reina. Soleil stayed close behind in fourth, her form sharp and composed.

“She’s waiting to strike,” Syra muttered. “Classic.”

The first lap was steady. No chaos, just rhythm.

Halfway through, Miv’s arms started pumping harder. She began gaining on Lyza. By the final 200 meters, it was a four-way battle—Reina, Lyza, Miv, and Soleil nearly neck and neck.

Then Miv surged forward.

Her final sprint was fierce — a clean break from the pack. Soleil followed suit, but the gap had formed. Lyza and Reina struggled to keep up.

1st Place – Miv Reyes (North Hills Academy)
2nd Place – Soleil Hart (Southbridge Academy)
3rd Place – Lyza Tiu (Westbrook High)
4th Place – Reina Caron (Silverdale Institute)
— ADVANCE TO FINALS —

Miv walked back to us, sweat clinging to her skin, breath ragged.

“Track is pain,” she said, grinning wide. “But also… very addicting.”

“You snapped,” Caia said proudly.

Syra fist-bumped her. “Finals. Let’s go.”

I glanced back toward Soleil. She stood silently with her coach, gaze flickering toward us — unreadable.

The real storm hadn’t even started yet.

—

After the long day of competitions, we were finally back in our dorms, settling in for the night. It felt like a relief, but at the same time, my mind was still racing with thoughts of the day. 

Caia, Syra, Miv, and I were all sprawled on the beds in our shared room.

Caia was scrolling through her phone, her eyes focused, while Miv was fiddling with her hair, deep in thought. 

Syra had a towel wrapped around her head, drying her hair after a long day of competing in badminton.

"Okay," Caia said suddenly, her voice breaking the silence. "Nakuha ko na 'yong names. Finally."

I raised an eyebrow, not sure what she meant at first. “Names?”

“Yeah, 'yong mga pangalan no'ng girls from Southbridge,” she said, tapping on her phone. “The ones we’ve been talking about.”

"Oh," Miv said, sitting up and paying attention. "I wanna know who we’re up against."

“Alright, so first off,” Caia started, flipping through the screen. “There’s Aerin Lysvane. She’s the one from tennis. She competed today and also won. I could tell from her posture—she’s got that competitive edge. Siya 'yung may soft face pero parang intimidating 'yung datingan.”

I immediately recalled Aerin’s face from when we saw her in the garden. 

She had the kind of presence that made you take notice. 

Her vibe was serious, determined. 

But the name Aerin Lysvane hadn’t clicked until now.

“Right, I remember her. She's one of us pala. Tennis player, huh? She must be good.”

Caia nodded. “Yep, that’s her. And then there’s Soleil Hart. Siya 'yung nag-second kanina. We saw her in the garden too, right? I could tell she was a strong competitor even before the race.”

"She is definitely fast," Syra said, remembering Soleil’s impressive run. "Hindi ko expected na makakalaban niya si Miv kanina. Not gonna lie, ang bubbly niyang tingnan, parehas kayo Miv."

Miv chuckled at Syra’s comment. “Yeah, but I still pulled through. But Soleil’s no joke. She’ll be a tough one.”

“Next,” Caia continued, “is Jex. She's a badminton player. Siya ata 'yung reason kubg bakit nanood 'yung mga friends niya kanina."

“Baka nga,” Syra said, “Tatalunin ko 'yon if ever man maka-match ko siya. Ready niyo na popcorn niyo!”

"And finally," Caia said, "there's Galey Belen. She’s the basketball player. Saw her around too. She seems pretty tall. She must be good on the court."

We all nodded. "I definitely remember her from the garden." 

"Siya 'yung maraming rebat sa garden!" Syra said chuckling.

Caia laughed also, "Siya ba 'yung nagsabi na baka nakakalimutan natin na na guest lang tayo?"

"Yep, definitely, tumpak!" Miv replied while chuckling.

We all sat there for a moment, digesting the information. 

These names felt real now, and we could finally put faces to them.

"I still can't believe na hindi natin alam mga names nila," Miv commented, stretching out her arms. "We saw them in the garden and didn’t even know who they were."

Caia laughed lightly. "Yeah, ang hirap kong nakuha pangalan nila. Nalilimutan ko mga mukha nila!"

"Well, now we know,” I said, feeling a little more confident. “Aerin, Soleil, Jex, and Galey. I guess we’ll see them tomorrow."

“I’m not worried,” Miv said with a grin. “Kaya natin 'to! Tayo pa?”

“Yeah, just gotta keep our heads in the game,” I added, but inside, I knew it was going to get more intense. 

Southbridge was bringing some serious competition, and these girls were no joke.

We all exchanged glances, silently agreeing. Tomorrow was another day, and we’d have to be ready for whatever came our way.

But for now, it felt good to know their names.

It was a small step toward what would come next.