It was cold. Really, really cold. Kian held his body tight against himself. Another cool breeze of wind blew across him. He shivered. All he was wearing was a t-shirt and some boxer shorts and slippers. The chair under him was made of metal which didn't make things any better.

"Ah boy?" An old lady's voice called out to him. "You cold ah?" Kian looked to his left to find an old Chinese looking lady holding out a blanket.

"I-I'm fine aunty."

A telephone call came in at the emergency desk and a nurse picked it up. The air conditioning above him blew another gust of cold air at him and Kian sneezed. He immediately felt cloth being draped over him. The old lady was behind him this time patting him on the back. She then shuffled back to her seat beside him as Kian wiped his nose with his t-shirt.

"Thank you, aunty." He said sniffing.

"No worries ah boy." The nurse continued talking on the phone scribbling down some details on a notepad in front of her. Kian looked around the waiting room. It was just him and this old lady, both at crazy hours in the morning, probably hoping that their loved one wasn't in trouble.

"Um, aunty," he turned towards the old lady. She looked at him with kind eyes. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh," the aunty looked back towards the floor, her wrinkles around her eyes moving trying to recall what happened. "My granddaughter got injury to her leg. She surgery right now."

"Oh, I'm...I'm sorry to hear that aunty."

The old lady laughed a little to herself before speaking slowly. "My granddaughter is very strong you know? She always play sports one."

Kian nodded slightly before looking back at the floor. He sniffed again, seems like a flu is coming over him because of the cold room.

"You leh boy?" The lady asked this time. Kian looked at her and saw she was looking back at him. Her slight smile beckoning him to tell his story. He looked at the floor.

"My um," he had to pause a little as something welled up in his throat. "My mother has a heart problem, I think. I don't know what they're doing but...but I hope she's ok."

He looked back at the lady who didn't have her smile on anymore. She looked at Kian empathetically, as Kian felt the lump in his throat go a little upwards. "It's ok, ah boy. I wish you all the best."

A nurse suddenly walked up towards the lady. "Mrs. Tan? Follow me, please." The old lady stood up, a slight bend on her back. She looked at Kian.

"Your mother is brave. She raised a strong boy like you." She smiled then followed the nurse down the hall.

▶

  Kian adjusted his glasses after he rubbed his eyes and, through his blurred vision, reached out for the fenced gate of the netball court. He gripped one end of the sack of balls while the other was picked up by Meng.

"Bloody hell, man. I think this is the earliest I've woken up on a Saturday in years." Meng squinted as he walked through the gate.

"Tell me about it," Kian yawns. "Where are they anyway?"

"They said game starts at 8.30 so anytime soon." Meng says as he sets the sack down. Kian does the same for his side.

Kian looks at a table situated along the side of the fencing with the scoreboard and time board on it. Sitting at the table was Goh and another gaming club member, both of whom are lying with their head on the table, probably asleep.

"Where are the other members?" Meng asked as he yawned.

"Not sure," Kian looked outside the fencing. "But if they don't come, I guess it's just us two and the other two over here becoming ball boys." He pointed to two other gaming club members who were fast asleep on the fencing beside him.

"Man, I hope this deal works out. This could be for nothing, Kris." Meng rubbed his neck as he sat down at the fencing beside the sack.

"Yea, I hope so too bro."

"To be honest you should have just rejected the offer. We could have done something else and maybe saved our dignity."

"I know but," Kian paused. "That makes me want to prove her wrong."

Meng looked up at Kian with his eyes a little wide. "Wow, didn't expect that out of you."

Kian slid down the fencing to sit down. "Yea, me too."

"By the way, are you sure you didn't talk to her before this? Why the sudden need to come to her turf and perform such a feat?"

Kian stiffened. He can't tell Meng about the lobby incident. "I...well this was my plan all along. The one I said I had."

Meng raised an eyebrow. "To...walk onto the court and just...talk to her?"

"Yea?" Kian looked at Meng hoping that he was convinced.

Meng just pursed his lips and took out his phone. Kian looked down, feeling a little relieved. His eyelids started to feel heavy and soon enough he leaned his head back on the fencing. Just as he was drifting off, there was a loud metal bang which scared most of the sleeping members on the court.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

"Hello, helpers!" Alexis shouted, clearly in an excited mood as the gate swung back from hitting the fencing. Soon, another eight members followed behind her entering the court, all of them wearing the yellow university netball jerseys. Kian took off his glasses and rubbed his face.

"I'm impressed, gamer," Alexis walked up to him, grinning. "You guys showed up."

Kian put his glasses back on and looked up at her. "We made a deal."

"And I didn't think you'd honour it." Alexis shrugged.

Kian just rolled his eyes. "What do we do now."

"Oh, yea. So, usually the uni helpers will be the ones doing your duties but since I have you guys today," She pointed at Kian. "You will take over. All you guys need to do is pick up balls and...oh, wonderful! You guys even got the scoreboard ready."

"Yea, we were told to take that when we went to take the balls."

"Ok, so anytime now, the other team should be arriving. Just tell them where to put their belongings and then tell them where the changing rooms are after the match." She smiled at him, a gentle one in fact which made her freckles curl up a little as if they were a second mouth. If Kian were a little more awake, he would've probably enjoyed it.

Kian just waved her away. "Yea, yea."

"Oh, and remember," Alexis suddenly became serious. "Any screw ups and your sorry club won't be doing anything."

  Kian looked at her as she walked away to the opposite end of the court getting together with her teammates. He got up and looked to his side. The two other gaming club members who were just awakened by the commotion looked up at him. Kian just sighed and went to take out the balls from the sack. Meng and the other two members followed suit.

"Hey, I heard that convo." Meng said rolling a ball onto the court.

Kian neatly arranged some by the fencing. "Yea, and?"

"Seems like you could really handle her."

Kian grips a ball to his hip. "And what makes you say that?"

"Well, from what I've heard around campus. She wouldn't even look at you if you weren't associated with her."

"I don't get where you're coming from. We're two presidents who want the best for their club. And clearly," Kian glanced at Alexis. "She takes care of her club a little too well."

"No but the way she talked to you just now," Meng picks up a ball. "She didn't seem too fierce at all. And you aren't suspended yet."

Kian shook his head and placed the ball he had near the others. "All I know is she definitely has something against us."

▶

"PASS! PASS!" Alexis shouted, her rough voice drowning out the opposition team's communication. She waved her arms up in the air for the ball.

  The day was starting to get hot as the friendly approaches its ending. Kian picks up a ball and tosses it back towards a member of the home team. The team member throws it towards Alexis who catches it and scores a goal. A whistle sounded as the home netball team wins 28-18. The referee put down her whistle and the players come up to shake hands with her. Alexis high-fives her teammates on the court as they hug each other after a very satisfying friendly.

The away team then gathered their belongings and looked around.

"Meng." Kian walked up to Meng.

"Ah? Ya?" Meng looked up from his phone.

"Go guide the away team to the changing rooms."

Meng gave him a disgusted look. "What? Why?"

"Cause...why would I do it?"

"You go lah woi."

"No, you go."

"Why leh? You can go kiap some girls if you go, right?"

Now it was Kian's turn to give Meng a disgusted look. "What the hell? Was that on your mind? Maybe I shouldn't have asked you after all."

"What the hell do you mean-"

"Haiya both of you so pathetic! I'll do it!" Goh said as she walked by them then pointed at Alexis' team. "You go handle their belongings."

Kian and Meng both looked as Goh gave the scoresheet paper to the referee then guided the away team towards the sports complex.

"Boys!" The both of them turned towards one end of the court. Alexis waved them to come over.

Kian and Meng both walked over and as Alexis pointed towards her team's bags. "Carry these to the changing rooms."

Both of them shot a pained expression at one another.

"Are you kidding me?" Alexis held her hips looking at the both of them. "Just bloody bring lah."

Kian and Meng groaned as they picked up the bags. Luckily for them, they weren't so heavy. As Kian walked to the gate, he looked at the other three gaming club members. "Clean the balls up and bring the table back."

They all looked at each other and started slowly moving to clear the balls. Kian and Meng had a bag in each hand and one on each shoulder. They walked over towards the sports complex finally in the shade.

"You know, Kris. This is my first time in here since orientation." Meng said as they turned a corner in the complex.

"Same here."

"Looks pretty good to be honest."

Kian tilted his head once. "You could say that."

"Although, I've never been to the changing rooms before. What do you think are in female chang-"

"If you keep talking I'm locking you in there alone."

Kian and Meng both stopped in front of the woman's changing room, and they set down the bags.

"Nothing dropped, right?" Kian looked at the bags then Meng.

"Yea, but I think I dropped my arms." Meng said grabbing his shoulders.

Kian just shot Meng a look before counting the bags once again, making sure none were left behind for a second trip. He scans them one by one when he suddenly notices something.

"Hey, Meng," He poked Meng then pointed at one of the bags. "Am I seeing what I'm seeing?"

Meng looks at the bags then at Kian. "Me no see."

"No look at this bag." He walks over and picks it up. Kian holds out one of the keychains on a zipper. It was a circular, silver keychain with the words 'SPEED UP' engraved on it.

"Uh huh. What about it."

"I recognize this from Noel," He observes it more carefully. "He has one cause he won a high level arcade racing competition."

"So?"

"I..." Before Kian could continue speaking, he saw Alexis come around the corner and stop dead in her tracks.

Alexis tilted her head and squinted. "Why are you holding my bag like that?"

Kian looked at the keychain and then back at her. "This is your bag?"

"Yea?"

He squinted back at her. "Where did you get this keychain from?"

Kian notices her eyes widen as she slowly answers. "I...got it...from a friend."

"A friend gave this to you?"

"Yea?"

"A bloody prize for winning a competition and they give it to you?"

"Look, can you put my bag down. I don't even know what you're talking about."

Kian puts the bag down. "Ok. But that keychain is for winners of an arcade racing competition with many good racers so your friend must be really good."

"Yea, I'm sure. Now get out before I put in another complaint to the discipline board."

Kian looks over at Meng who shrugs. He starts walking away followed by Meng but as he walked past Alexis, he notices her side eye him a little.

Meng walks out of the sports complex door and onto one of the many walkways leading to it. "What was that all about?"

Kian closes the door. "What's what?

"You just...picked up her bag and shit like that, bro."

"Yea. Cause that keychain only belongs to really good racers."

"Who the hell cares, man? It's just a keychain."

Kian went quiet as the both of them headed back towards the court to send the remaining items back.

"Hey, did I say something wrong?" Meng tapped Kian's shoulder.

Kian sighed. "No. It's just something that happened in the past."

"Oh, deep shit."

"Nah, not that deep." Kian wiped some sweat off his forehead as they walked out into the sunshine on the court. "But if she knows who the friend is, it could help me a little."

GAME OVER: CHAPTER SIX