deep blue eyes // Antoine Griezmann

Chapter 10 - The Game

After I'm back in my seat by Elizabeth and Tori with Rachel, the principal starts announcing the players as they come out onto the pitch.

I don't recognize any of the defenders, but I recognize all the other names announced.

"The starting midfielders are Thiago Alcantara in the middle with Kylian Mbappé on the left and Jordan Henderson on the right. The starting striker is Lionel Messi, with our two starting forwards: Neymar da Silva Santos, left, and Antoine Griezmann, right. Our goalkeeper for tonight is Hugo Lloris!"

Oh. My God. Antoine is playing right forward. I'm sitting on the right side of the pitch. Yes.

I watch as all the other players on our team go to the benches, setting down everyone's water bottles on the nicely cut grass.

I also watch as the other team comes out onto the pitch and leaves their bench warmers to set the water bottles and hoodies and what not down.

There's a section of grass on each side of the field where our cheerleaders are hyping up the crowd, and boy, is it working. I mean, I feel like every single person here is waiting in excitement and anticipation for the game.

"Go, Phoenixes!" the cheer girls shout. "Go, team!" I see Baylee Turner in the front of the troop, and I silently say a prayer that she trips and falls.

The sky above is nearly dark now, and there's a chill through the air. The bright lights shining on the pitch show clearly the boys' faces. I can clearly see Griezmann's face.

Then the game begins.

For about the first twenty-five minutes, nothing much happens. Basically just passing, and not many attempts at a goal. Honestly, it's kind of boring. The only way I get through it is that I get to just stare at Griezmann, and no one has to know about it.

Then, though, at about twenty-five minutes into the game, Thiago passes the ball up to Messi, who passes it in between about three defenders' legs to Neymar, who taps it into the net, on the completely other side of the goalkeeper, making it go easy.

As always, Neymar has just won the hearts of all the girls. He always does. Honestly, if my focus wasn't so much on Griezmann, I do have to admit, he may have just won over my heart with that, too.

I mean, it was super impressive the way he just taps it in like that. And now he grins, doing a dorky little dance, sticking his tongue out.

Oh, Neymar.

Then subs are switched out. Two of our defenders switch out with two other ones. The other team switches their striker.

And after that, within probably two minutes (I'm not really looking at the time on the scoreboard. Again, I can't keep my eyes off Griezmann.), their striker scores on us.

Basically no one cheers. The closest thing to a cheer is booing, actually. I mean, I boo at him. Sure, the boys on the field don't, but that's because they're taught sportsmanship when they're out there. So it's our job to boo the other team for them.

Or at least that's my flawed logic.

It's tied like that until around forty and then at forty-four minutes, right before half time, the other team scores two more. Of course they go crazy at this.

It's now a 1-3, and we're loosing. This is not looking good. But our school can't loose this game...

We just can't. That would be so...

Disappointing.

I watch the boys' huddle. Their discussing major strategy here, and I hope it's going to work, whatever they're talking about.