My Passion

2. Rivals

,,Lucas Braathen! It's really you?!" I heard loud scream. Turning around, I found out who was calling my name. ,,Hey Marco!" I shouted, catching Atle's shoulder. ,,Look at him. Already smiling. Like he's the superstar or something. Very soon start of the season and he's already pissing me off," I growled. ,,I told my opinion on him last season. And that opinion isn't going anywhere," he rolled his eyes, looking at him. ,,I know. But still. I don't like him," I joined him in his deadly gazing on Marco.
,,Hey Atle! How are you?!" he called at him, coming towards us. ,,I'm good. You?" Atle asked. ,,I'm great. My form is awesome. On trainings with team, I was first in GS, Downhill and Super G. I'm not participating in slalom like several seasons before. So yeah. Get ready. I'll be ustopable," he chuckled with grin of a winner of overal globe. ,,Lucas! Atle! Come here!" Alex called and Atle grabbed my elbow, dragging me away from Marco. ,,Thanks that you dragged me away from him. Few more seconds and I would kill him," I huffed. ,,I know. You were already burning him with your gaze," he raised his eyebrows. ,,You're not innocent. You were gazing at him too," I laughed and he giggled quietly. Looking around, my eyes got covered with someones palms. They were warm but also cold.
Left middle finger was crowned with gold simple ring. ,,Who am I?" voice asked. ,,Your ring revealed you," I chuckled. ,,So?" another question. ,,Alex Steen Olsen," I said and his palms disappeared from my eyes. ,,Hi Alex," Atle giggled. ,,Hi guys!" another familiar voice. ,,Timon! Leif! Rasmus! Hey guys! When did you arrive?" Henrike asked with happy grin.
Finally whole Norway team together. Almost. ,,Just now. We had some problems with packing and with Alex's skies but it's fixed now," Timon said. ,,Is it?" I asked, turning to Alex. ,,Yea," he chuckled looking around. ,,Have you seen some of others?" Rasmus asked. ,,Yes. And guess who was it," I rolled my eyes. ,,Do we have certain amount of guesses?" Leif chuckled. ,,Nope. Just one," I huffed. ,,Let me guess. Star himself, Odermatt?" Alex bursted out laughing. And after one second, we were all laughing like idiots.
,,Hello Norway team. What's so funny?" Marco asked, throwing his arm around little Alex's shoulder. ,,Henrike told a good joke. Didn't you?" Atle laughed. ,,Yeah, yeah.  I did," Henrike made a grimase. ,,Can I hear it?" he squeezed Alex's shoulder. ,,You wouldn't understand. It was in Norway," I lied, smirking on Henrike, Who was giggling quietly.
,,Really?" Marco raised his eyebrow. ,,Yes," Timon said, looking annoyed. Marco wanted to say something, but he got cut off by his teammate Loic: ,,Marco! Come here! Coach wants to talk to us! It's about our strategy!" ,,I'm coming!" his gaze met mine, what was sharp as sword. ,,Boys! Come here!" our coach called and we managed our way to him.
,,What's the matter between you and Marco?" he turned to me. ,,I don't like his behaviour towards us. Last season it was terrible," I defended myself. ,,What did he do?" coach asked. ,,He was mocking Atle when he won his first slalom, he said some pretty mean things to little Alex and he was constantly picking fights with me, Alex and Leif. So please tell me. How can I not be angry every time I see him?" I named all mean things what Marco did.
,,Did he really?" coach got surprised. ,,Yes, he really did that. And when he got everything he wanted, he became more selfish. It was visible on last ceremony of the season," Alex helped me finish. ,,Should I talk to his coach?" coach asked. ,,No. You don't need to. Just more arguments will be created. And I don't want that," I said. ,,Are you gonna hold back your anger?" he looked on Marco. ,,Yes," I frowned, disappointed.
,,Alright. We can move to organizators and start with numbers," coach said, leaving our group. ,,Come on lad," Atle smiled, throwing his arm around my shoulder, walking towards organizators. ,,Hello Norway team. Are you ready?" he asked, scanning every single one of us. ,,Yes we are. How about numbers? Has it started yet?" coach looked all over us, if anyone wasn't missing.
,,No it hasn't," guy said. ,,Pretty sure his name is James. ,,So we're early?" I asked. ,,Yes you are. But we're about to start. I'm just gonna call all of the teams here. So stay here," James said, leaving to call resting teams at finish. ,,Surely you Henrike, you have number one. Maybe Marco has number two," I started to think.
,,You'll have number three mister," Timon laughed as I gazed at him. ,,I don't think. But we'll see in a moment," I said, looking around. Rest of the teams had arrived. From Italy, Germany, Austria, France, Sweden, and Switzerland team came too. ,,Dear teams! Let me welcome you on the very first race of this season! It's honor to see every single one of you! I'm so ready on this season! Norway team! Come ahead and one after one draw your number!" James shouted.
Henrike stepped in front of a bowl with papers of numbers. Reaching his hand to a bowl, he picked out one paper with number. ,,I got number one," he chuckled. ,,Sorry we're late!" someone screamed from behind. ,,Yes! Sorry!" another voice. ,,What teams just arrived?" James asked.
,,Slovenia!" slovenia coach screamed. ,,And Slovakia!" shouted slovak coach. ,,Okay! Gather in! We just started drawing numbers!" James said, looking into summary of our team. ,,Alexander Aamodt Kilde!" James called with Alex stepping in front of a second bowl of numbers. ,,Number twenty," he said, James repeating after  him: ,,Number twenty." Alex left after Henrike. ,,Atle Lie Mcgrath!" James shouted, Atle drawing his number from first bowl. ,,Eight," my best friend chuckled. ,,Number eight!" James called. Atle turned to on me, smiling, then leaving to take his vest with his number.
,,Lucas Braathen!" James said, all eyes on me. I gulped, walking towards table with bowls of numbers. Reaching my shaky hands into a bowl, mixing numbers, picking out one. ,,I got number two!" I gasped out with slight smile. I looked up, seeing little Alex smiling like a sun and then Marco, who was looking at me furiously with hate in his brown eyes.
I moved myself past finish hospital, walking towards loud voices. ,,Hey Luc! What number did you get?" Alex laughed. ,,I got number two," I giggled. ,,You're in front of Marco?" Henrike gasped out. ,,Yep. I don't know how," I laughed. ,,Was he staring?" Henrike asked. ,,He was deadly gazing on me. I think he wanted to burn me to ash," I bursted out laughing, them joining me. ,,Hey Norway team," voice with slight french accent interrupted us. ,,Hi Alexis. What number did you get?" I asked, greeting him with soft smile. ,,I got number five. I think that's classic. Is Sebas starting in GS in this season? I think I saw him there at drawing," he seemed shocked. ,,Yes he is. Coach needs him to better to get into team A for World Championship. It's crazy. Isn't it?" I explained it to still shocked Alexis.
As the minutes were slowly passing by, everyone drawed their number. Marco got number three, Zan got four, Marco from Austria got number ten, Linus got number six, Loic got number seven and Manuel got number nine. That's just first ten racers. Little Alex got number twenty-one, Sebas got number thirty and I think that Adam from Slovakia got number twenty-four. We all moved from finish to start and started preparing on out first battle with this beautiful white fully snowed hill...

It's Out!!!! Second chapter is out! I'm so happy😭❤⛷

Loads of love
~S.