Everything Has Changed

Ch. 1: Prologue

~8 y/o~

"But Mum, what if I'm not as good as the other kids? What if I fall and everyone laughs at me?" eight-year-old Harry asks his mother as she leads him to the football pitch. With the late August wind blowing through his straight, brown hair, he clings to his mother's shirt filled with nerves. Today is his first day of football practice and he couldn't be more nervous. What if the other lads don't like him? What if he is rubbish and they all make fun of him? What if his coach doesn't let him play? All of these are questions rushing through his head as he and his mum approach the small crowd of eight-year-olds and their parents.

Everyone casts their gaze towards him as they join the circle, and he hides behind his mum to avoid the stares of his peers. He vaguely hears his mum and coach introducing each other before he's pulled out of his safe little bubble. "You must be Harry, I'm Coach Brown," he introduces with an outstretched hand. Harry skeptically looks at the slightly aged skin before taking it and shaking hands with his coach. He gives him a warm smile before leading him to the other kids on the team. "Lads, we have a new team member, please welcome Harry and treat him like you do everyone else on the team," he's introduced to the other lads.

They all look at him and wave before heading off to start the practice. The team has been together for a few years now, so he feels like he's intruding. His mum wanted him to get involved in things instead of being cooped up in his room reading all day. Putting him on an already developed team was her solution. Granted, they're only eight, but they've still known each other for years and he hasn't. He feels like he's started at a new school in the middle of the year, and everyone already has their friends in the class.

He sets down his ball and lines up to take a shot in the goal. No one is missing their shots and that just makes Harry even more nervous for his turn. He starts to wring his hands together the closer he gets to the goal, and he can't help but nervously bite his lip. He feels someone poke his shoulder and he turns around to see who it is. In front of him is a boy with light brown hair that hangs in bangs across his forehead. He has blue eyes and a small button nose and he's already giving him a big smile.

"Hi! I'm Louis, you're the new kid, right? Well, I think you're going to be great I mean we're only eight, there's only so good that we can be," he introduces in a slightly higher voice than Harry expects. He's chippy for eight in the morning, but Harry only focuses on how welcome he feels.

"I'm Harry, yeah today is my first day. I'm kind of nervous, you lot are so good I don't think I could do that," Harry greets back and shakes his head at the young boy's uplifting words. Louis motions for him to take his shot. With a deep breath and a second of hesitation, Harry lifts his legs and sends the ball straight into the net. Harry jumps in delight and turns to the boy behind him, "I did it, I did it!"

"I told you you would! Stick with me and I think you'll be the best in the world," the blue-eyed boy assures before taking his own perfect shot.

~L 10 y/o, H 9 y/o~

"Harry!" Louis comes bursting into Harry's room waving around the test he just got back. "Harry look at my mark! I got an A!" he yells excitedly while throwing off his winter coat and pouncing on the bed. Harry had previously been reading a book he just got for Christmas before he was rudely interrupted. He rolls his eyes as he loses his page, but he can't help but feel happy for his best friend. He rolls over onto his back and places his book on his nightstand.

"I'd sure hope so, we didn't stay up till who knows when for you to not get an A. In all seriousness I knew you'd do great," he insists as he looks up at his ceiling with Louis half sprawled on top of him. His Fleetwood Mac CD is playing in the background filling the silence. Sometimes they don't need to talk, just the presence is enough. They don't go to the same school, but they see each other all the time. Their mums say they're supposed to go to the same high school, so they can't wait to go to the same school. They'll see each other more often and play on the school team together.