Through My Lens

Chapter 9

The warm September sun beat down on the stadium, and the air was heavy with humidity, making Louis's skin sticky as beads of sweat formed along his hairline. Despite the heat, Louis was focused on the task at hand, camera in hand as he wiped the fogging lens. He adjusted his camera settings, dialing in the right aperture and setting the shutter speed to 1/1000 of a second, hoping to capture the perfect action shots as the team raced up and down the field.

Louis had been shadowing the team for the past two hours, familiarizing himself with their movements on the field. He had his camera trained on Hunter, the team's goalie, as Daniel, the right forward, prepared to take a penalty kick. Louis adjusted his focus, eyes sharp as he followed the players' every move. Daniel charged at the ball, aiming a powerful kick toward the top left corner of the net. At that moment, Hunter dove in the same direction, and Louis snapped a rapid series of shots, hoping he'd caught the perfect mid-air action.

Satisfied with the shots, Louis lowered his camera and smiled, pleased to find several clear photos of Hunter mid-dive. He decided he'd gotten enough pictures for now and knew the team still had another hour of practice left. A walk to cool down seemed like the perfect idea, and Louis made his way toward the stadium to check out the nearby fields.

The instant he stepped into the stadium, the cool air washed over him, and he sighed in relief, his overheated body grateful for the break from the sun. He couldn't quite fathom how the players managed to keep running around in the scorching heat without collapsing. As he wandered through the stadium, he spotted a small concession stand up ahead, and his thirst prompted him to stop for a quick drink.

Louis browsed the menu, scanning for something refreshing when the girl behind the counter caught his attention.

"Hi, what can I get for you?" she asked, her bright smile and easy demeanor making Louis smile in return.

"Uh, yeah, hi. Can I get a lemonade, please?" he replied, a bit flustered from the heat and the interaction.

"Of course! Is that all?" she asked while preparing his drink.

"Yep, that's all," Louis confirmed, handing her the exact change before stepping aside as she started squeezing the fresh lemons.

"So, are you here for the tournament?" she asked conversationally while working on his drink.

Louis nodded. "Yeah, I am."

"Oh, cool! What team do you play for?" she asked, clearly interested.

"I, uh, don't actually play," Louis explained. "I'm the photographer for the Doncaster Panthers."

"Ah, that explains the camera," she chuckled, handing him a freshly squeezed lemonade.

"Yeah," Louis grinned, taking a sip. The cool, tangy lemonade was perfect, immediately quenching his thirst.

"Your school must really love their football team to send a photographer four hours away to take pictures for a week-long tournament," she said with a laugh. "My school would never do that."

Louis laughed along with her. "Yeah, they're pretty into it. What school do you go to?"

"Oh, George Preparatory," she said with a mock-serious tone. "Home of the pretentious douchebags... and, well, I guess the Winsor Eagles."

Louis burst into laughter, thoroughly enjoying her sense of humor. "You're funny. I like you!" he smiled, feeling unexpectedly comfortable in her company.

"Well, I'm glad someone appreciates my comedic genius," she winked, handing him a napkin along with his lemonade.

As Louis took another sip, he found himself glad he'd taken the break from the heat, enjoying both the cool drink and the light-hearted conversation.