✿︎ Dear Readers, The Tournaments is the continuation of The one I cherish ♡︎

🝮︎︎︎︎︎︎︎

ఌ︎ ABOUT THE BOOK ఌ︎

Rose who is loved by many undergoes a lot of sorrows including her friends, in this

novel each and every individual learns the value of love.

❣︎

❣︎

❣︎

𖣔𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐊𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑𖣔

𝐍𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐋𝐒

# Summer love the one I cherish

# The tournament

# Love Like You

# Saturdays are always special

# Reality Love

# New begining

# Its always you

LOOK FOR THE OTHER BOOKS IN THIS INSPIRATIONAL SERIES @ Amazon.com Also available in Kindle

ꨄ︎ ꨄ︎ ꨄ︎ ꨄ︎ ꨄ︎

.

The hallway was unusually crowded that morning, buzzing with energy. Sarah glanced around, nudging her way through the throng of students. "It's more chaotic than usual. Do you think there’s a new student, Rose?" she asked, her voice tinged with curiosity.

Rose, walking beside her, shrugged as they pressed forward toward their classroom. All around them, the girls were animated, squealing and whispering amongst themselves. “What’s going on over there?” Rose inquired, craning her neck for a better look.

Sarah squinted, following the commotion. To her utter astonishment, the crowd parted to reveal her cousin, the famous pop star Daniel.

“Daniel?!” Sarah exclaimed, her expression a mix of disbelief and irritation. “What are you doing here?”

“Oh, I was actually looking for you two,” Daniel replied, his easy charm disarming the crowd. “But, well... I seem to have gotten caught up with your schoolmates.” His eyes scanned the group before landing on Rose. “Speaking of which, where’s your cute friend, Rose?”

“I’m right here,” Rose replied hesitantly, stepping forward.

Daniel stood and bowed dramatically, grinning. “Good morning, my princess.”

“Good morning, Daniel,” Rose muttered, cheeks flushing.

The girls who had been fawning over Daniel fell silent, their gazes now fixed on Rose with judgmental stares. Whispers began to ripple through the crowd.

“Did she break up with Sam just to go after Daniel?” one voice hissed.

“Yeah, she probably just wants to use him for fame,” another chimed in.

Rose’s chest tightened. She tried to ignore the cruel remarks, but the mention of Sam brought a lump to her throat. Memories of him washed over her, and the ache of his absence became unbearable. Without another word, she pushed her way out of the crowd and fled.

As she ran down the hallway, she nearly collided with Kevin, the school’s tennis star. He caught her by the arm, steadying her.

“Whoa, Rose!” he said, his deep voice startling her. “What’s wrong? Did someone hurt you?”

Rose looked up, tears streaking her face, and for a moment, she was struck by how handsome he was. She wondered why she had never noticed him before.

Kevin, sensing her distress, pulled her into a gentle hug. “I don’t know what you’re going through, but maybe this will help,” he said softly.

Rose blinked, caught off guard by his kindness. Just as she began to relax, a familiar voice cut through the moment.

“And exactly how will hugging her help?”

Rose turned, her heart sinking at the sound of John’s voice. His tone was sharp, almost accusatory, as he approached. She quickly pulled away from Kevin, suddenly aware of how inappropriate the situation might appear.

“I—I’m sorry,” Rose stammered, stepping back.

Kevin raised his hands in surrender, offering her a reassuring smile. “No need to apologize. I just wanted to help.”

“Rose,” John interjected, his tone softening, “are you okay?”

She nodded quickly, brushing away her tears. “I’m fine. I just need to find Sarah.” Without waiting for a response, she hurried off, leaving Kevin and John staring after her.

As the day wore on, Kevin couldn’t shake the image of Rose’s tearful face. He found her during the lunch break, approaching her cautiously with a cup of fruit juice.

“Hey, Rose. Feeling better?” he asked, his voice warm and genuine.

Rose nodded, though her smile was faint. Sarah, seated beside her, narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

“So, do you have any plans after school?” Kevin asked, testing the waters.

Rose hesitated. “Not really…”

Before she could finish, Sarah interrupted. “Actually, we do! Don’t we, Rose?”

Rose frowned. “We do? What plans?”

Sarah shot her a pointed look, but Kevin wasn’t deterred. “If it’s not urgent, maybe you could join me for a coffee or something,” he suggested.

Rose glanced at Sarah, then back at Kevin. “You know what? Sure. I’d like that.”

Kevin grinned, clearly pleased. “Great! Let’s meet at Mike & Mickie’s at five.”

“Perfect,” Rose agreed, ignoring Sarah’s disapproving glare.

As the afternoon wore on, Sarah confronted Rose. “What are you doing, agreeing to hang out with Kevin?”

“It’s just coffee,” Rose replied defensively.

“Still,” Sarah muttered, “you’re playing with fire. Kevin’s not just some guy. And John…” She trailed off, shaking her head.

“John?” Rose prompted, but Sarah didn’t elaborate.

Later that evening, Kevin waited for Rose at Mike & Mickie’s. When she arrived, he greeted her warmly and they spent the evening talking, laughing, and even dancing. For a moment, Rose allowed herself to forget her troubles.

But as the night went on, the weight of her emotions returned. While dancing, she overheard someone comment, “They look like a couple.”

The words struck a nerve. Overwhelmed, Rose fainted in Kevin’s arms.

Notice:

Good morning, students. A note from Mrs. Wagna:

Dear students,

I am happy to announce that we, the teachers, have planned to celebrate your final year with exciting and unforgettable memories. To make this special, we have decided to give all students the opportunity to showcase their talents on the stage during the ceremony. Of course, there are no strict rules—the only expectation is to make it memorable.

Additionally, we will need support from cafeteria staff and security, and the talent department will provide all the necessary details about your participation.

Further instructions will be given by me, Mrs. Wagna, on Monday after classes. Every 3rd-year student must assemble in the auditorium, and participation is mandatory!

Thank you for your patience.

"Mom! Mom!" yelled Leah, running from her room, almost about to trip and break her toe. She exhaled deeply and excitedly began to talk about the email she received from her school, happiness radiating from her as if she were "a cat in a fish shop."

"Oh, that's wonderful, darling! So, are you trying to pursue Kevin?" her mother teased.

"Mom!" Leah blushed furiously, sounding embarrassed. "Come on, I know I’ve been acting crazy about him. I’m almost 17 this year—I have to talk to him! I want to know what’s on his mind first."

"But you’ve been tracking him for two years, and what’s the result? Absolutely nothing, my dear girl. Why don’t you make a quick pass at him and get it over with? You can’t keep whining all the time. Every time I ask you about a boyfriend, you say you’re 90% there. Honestly, you’re not."

Leah replied, "I promise I’ll pursue him this time. Besides, I’m good at singing, and no one in the class knows."

---

“Courtney, you’re the worst!” said Leah, scowling at her friend, almost as disgusted as before. "You have no idea about Kevin, do you?"

"What do you mean I don’t know anything about him?" Courtney shot back. "Listen carefully. After his rehearsal, I saw him with Rose. He invited her to the Thanksgiving party, and she agreed to it."

"What?!" Leah shouted, so shocked and sad it looked like she might faint.

A question popped into her head. "Wait, how do you know?"

Courtney smirked and replied, "I was just passing by at the time. I forgot my geometry book. We have that assignment, right? We have to make the numbers big and draw all the circles on a chart by next week. Jeez, I wish there were no assignments at all."

“So, what about you? Do you have any assignments?”

“Courtney, don’t change the topic! Just tell me what happened, briefly,” Leah demanded.

Courtney gave her a cunning look. "Oh, I know. You think I made this up, don’t you? That’s why you’re hesitating, aren’t I right?"

“The one hesitating is you, not me! Keep that in mind,” Leah retorted.

"You rarely even spoke a word to him, whereas I actually talked to him about the Thanksgiving party. He said, ‘I’m so glad. Lots of friends, lots of fun.’"

Leah’s body started shaking as she felt betrayed by her friend for not telling her anything about Kevin earlier. She knew almost everything about him—or so she thought.

"Look, Leah," Courtney said, "I asked him because I’m in love with John. And it seems like he’s attending too." She smiled cheerfully.

"Did I hear that right? She’s not in love with Kevin?" Leah thought. The state of being awkward shifted to excitement.

“Okay, that means you’re coming too?”

“Yeah, that’s that,” Courtney confirmed.

Leah jumped into Courtney’s arms and hugged her tightly, saying, "Oh, Court, thank you so much!"

“No worries,” Courtney replied. “Now all we have to do is go shopping.”

"Welcome, Sarah! I'm so glad you came," Kevin greeted her warmly.

"Anytime, Kevin," she replied with a smile.

"Well, we are family."

"A family?" Kevin asked, puzzled.

"Well, sort of," she smiled again as she walked inside the hall. Kevin remained standing there, clueless as to why she had referred to them as a family.

Soon, all his friends arrived, even Courtney. Among them was Sam, who showed up with his basketball buddies—the one group Sarah hadn't invited. They all shouted, "Hey, man! Your house is great. Thanks for having us!"

Kevin was puzzled again but thought to himself, Lots of company, lots of merry. However, he didn’t realize they had come for a cause, and it would lead to a serious heartbreak.

"Hey, Sarah," Courtney said.

"Um, who are you?" Sarah asked.

"Oh, how silly of me! I’m Leah’s best friend."

"Oh! I've heard of Leah. So, didn’t she come?"

"Um, about that… Can we talk in private?"

"Sure," said Sarah.

The conversation moved to Kevin's backyard. Courtney hesitated before saying, "Leah has actually loved Kevin for nearly two years. One day, she went to his house, but he was in a bad mood and was a bit rude to her. Her dad, who is a businessman, came home and stayed for a month. They usually either go on tours or spend time together at home.

"Leah was really looking forward to this Thanksgiving, but Kevin ruined everything. So right now, she’s in Switzerland with her parents."

Before Courtney could finish, Leah’s voice rang out, "Who said I went to Switzerland? You think I would waste this opportunity?"

Courtney, surprised and happy, turned to Leah but didn’t say anything. Instead, she quickly walked away, leaving the conversation hanging.

"Hmm," Sarah sighed. "Most people only come for what they need."

Her gaze shifted, and she saw Rose and John approaching. Kevin ran over to them, out of breath, and said, "I… I’m sorry."

"No, I am the one who should apologize," Rose said with tears in her eyes.

Kevin hugged her tightly, feeling the warmth of her body. They held each other for almost five minutes.

John, standing nearby, didn’t interrupt this time, but Sam did. He pulled Rose to his side and shouted, "Enough!" with fierce anger. Giving Kevin a scornful look, he added, "She’s my wife!"

Everyone in the backyard—Sam, John, Kevin, Leah, Courtney, Sarah, and Rose—was stunned. For Sarah and John, it was obvious that Rose and Kevin were destined to end up together, no matter how things had begun.

Sam’s voice broke Sarah’s train of thought. "You better watch what you’re doing. She’s not a toy for you. You never considered her feelings from the start. All you cared about was yourself and your stupid basketball match!"

Sam’s anger flared when John repeated, "Stupid basketball match." Without hesitation, Sam punched John in the face. Blood trickled from John’s mouth and nostrils.

Seeing this, Rose became furious. "Are you nuts? Why can’t you stop bothering me? John is your friend!" she yelled.

Sam didn’t reply, seeing how miserable she looked. Her face was red with rage, her eyes filled with agony. All Rose wanted was to run away. She grabbed Kevin’s hand and said, "Let’s go."

They ran outside to Kevin’s car. "Drive me to the beach," Rose instructed.

Leah, having no clue what was happening, decided to follow them. She asked her butler, Mr. Thompson, to drive her car and tail Kevin’s. She hoped to catch a glimpse of them inside the car but couldn’t see clearly. The weather was cold, and it was 9 PM.

"Thompson, I’m going out. I can’t see them inside the car," Leah said.

"But Miss Leah, the weather is so cold. You might catch a fever," Thompson warned.

"I’ll be back in five minutes, alright?" Leah insisted.

Reluctantly, Thompson agreed.

Leah stepped out of the car for a closer look. What she saw made her freeze. Her eyes filled with tears, her body trembling. She wished she had never followed them. The sight before her—Kevin and Rose hugging and kissing passionately—would haunt her for the rest of her life.

Thompson, seeing the scene and Leah’s dreadful state, quickly carried her back to the car. They drove home in silence.

"Ouch! It hurts, Sarah. Can’t you be gentle?" John winced as Sarah cleaned the blood from his lips.

"Oops, sorry. I was lost in thought," Sarah replied.

"What thoughts?"

"Um, nothing. It’s just that Rose is being crucified by you boys who can’t let her be. No wonder she ran away," Sarah said with a hint of sarcasm.

John gave her a disturbed look. "Look, woman, I always let her be. Sam is the one crucifying her—and Kevin too!" He paused. "Wait… Kevin ran away with her? This is worse. What is he doing to her?"

Sarah laughed. "Rest assured, he’s not going to do anything to her."

"How are you so sure?"

Before Sarah could answer, Rose walked in with Kevin by her side. She looked pale from crying. She touched John’s cheek gently and said, "I’m very sorry. It’s all my fault."

"No, no, I’m really sorry for forcing you to choose me as your boyfriend," John replied.

But before he could finish, Rose hugged him. "Thank you for always being there for me. I will always cherish you in my heart."

Wiping her tears, she added, "This is our last year of school. I want to dance with everyone and make this a memory to treasure. Let’s have fun!"

Sarah smiled. "That sounds exciting! But you guys have to shop at our store."

Everyone burst into laughter, including Kevin.