As His World Changed (MxM)

Chapter 2

"All right boys listen up. We have trained for weeks now, we have come through the first rounds of the championships and now we have finally reached the quarter-finals. Show what you can! Show what you know!" Mr. Williams boosted his soccer team. He nodded to himself as he heard the cheers of the boys echoing through the locker room.

"Captain, your final words please." Jasper made his way to the front, standing where his coach stood just seconds ago. He put his hands on his sides and puffed his chest out. He looked everybody in the eye, building up the tension in the room.

"Give them hell!" He roared, screaming like a madman. Soon the other boys joined them, repeating their captain's words.

Niel just kissed the cross of his necklace and said a silent prayer. His mother had taught him that. It was a stupid superstition but it had calmed him down all those previous games before so he wouldn't change his routine now. He liked the paradoxical gesture, it helped keep his anxiety at bay, so his head was in the game.

When he exited the locker room Niel felt a tap on his shoulder. He tried to withhold a wince and turned around. He was surprised when Daisy, a junior, came into his sight. "Oh, hey Daisy."

The blond girl shyly waved. "Hey."

Niel had no idea what to say next, he had no relationship whatsoever with the girl. The only reason he knew her name was because he had dropped his sweater one time and Daisy picked it up for Niel while introducing herself. It was odd to him but never thought about it again.

"Soo, uhm, I-I just wanted to wish you good luck with-with your game." Daisy's eyes were cast downward and she was fumbling with a bottle with some kind of energy drink containing it. "Here, this is for you." She handed the bottle without making eye contact.

Niel hesitantly took the small gift from her and thanked for the gesture. No idea what he had to say any further. "Well, I better get going." Daisy nodded her head and hurried away.

That was odd, Niel thought. He shrugged it off and jogged towards the field.

Everything went well until the second half of the game. Niel had to play offense but for some reason, he couldn't pass the other team's defense. Every time he had the ball it was taken from him in seconds. Constantly he had a feeling to look over his shoulder, but there was nothing there than the soccer field and the watching audience. Niel tried to brush the feeling off him but it didn't work. There was a continuous force that made him look to the top right corner of the benchers, but there was nothing there.

When the game was tied and no extra time was left to play the team came together to discuss how they would play out shooting the penalty shots. Only the first five minutes of the meeting were occupied by his coach roasting Niel in front of all his teammates.

"What happened there, boy?! You were doing so well and then, then... I know things have been tough after, after, well you know..." Niel stiffened, looking down at his feet. Why did everybody keep reminding him of last year? He asked himself. It was almost part of his identity, what he actually tried to avoid. He wanted to forgive and forget. Well, there was nothing to forgive, but forgetting he could. He tried. So hard.

"But you can't bring that shit with you here on the field, do you understand?!" His coach's words snapped him right out of it. He lowered his eyes, looking at the ground, and mumbled a small 'yes coach'.

"You are done for today, you can sit on the bench." Niel cursed inside his head. He was benched, benched! Never, ever was he benched. Especially during penalty shooting, he was the best.

They had barely won the quarter-finals that evening and you could notice it in the locker room. There was an absence of roars of joy or cheers of happiness. Confidence was what the team lacked at the moment and it was hard to find because everything was at stake. Lakewood High's soccer team was frustrated at a boy who was their former captain named Othniel.