The score is even and it's already the 90th minute mark.
Ling scored the two goals of her team during the first half and everyone feels elated during half time but it made the team complacent, making their rival score catch up and even the playing field. She felt the fatigue seeping in, her teammates were obviously tired, their defensive organization was starting to weaken and their goalkeeper Captain was trying to make sure that no ball will touch their net.
"Hold fast. Steady!" Ying shouted from behind and Orm saw Ling gritted her teeth and started to dribble the ball, passing it to the midfielder. The defense was crowding her non stop every time she touched the ball.
Her friends keep on teasing her earlier when Orm keeps on shrieking for Ling but she saw in her peripheral vision how Yoko and Charlotte who accompanied her to the game were already at the edge of their seats. Charlotte was even biting her nails in anticipation and Orm is basically doing the same, her eyes not leaving the beautiful striker.
It's one of the anticipated football games of their school since they will be battling their rival Bangkok school and they were obliterated by them every chance their school met and taunted them on streets. This game is a little bit personal for them and it shows because their school almost shows up in the stadium, wearing their school colors and chanting the school hymns. It's pandemonium to say the least.
They heard the referee whistle and awarded their team a corner kick when the ball passed over the line after the last touch of their opponent. They saw Faye running to take the corner kick and Orm glanced at Yoko who blushed profusely. Her eyes then move towards Ling who stood up within the penalty box along with her teammates and opponent players, all of them waiting for the cross kick. She observe how Ling study the trajectory of the ball and position herself to jump but before doing so, they saw the opponent's captain, Engfah jump over her, resulting in a nasty fall and a goalless ball.
Their whole school stood up in anger. She saw Charlotte pointed at the Opponent's team captain in extreme anger. She knew that Charlotte has a little crush on Engfah because she told her so months ago, although the girl was unaware of her friend's existence.
"You! I am going to punch you in the mouth with my own mouth, softly because I like you! I hate you!!" She heard Charlotte screaming in anger though the words that she said were in contrast to what she felt and she scoffed at how hopeless her friend is. Although a brief distraction, she felt her hands shaking as she saw Ling was still laying on the grassy field, her team mates crowding her and Orm stood up and tried her best to grasp what was the situation of Ling.
The referee blew the whistle again and she finally saw Ling, bending on her knees while Captain Engfah and Captain Ying were on her side, both trying to make sure that the striker was okay. She felt the tension leaving her body but she still felt worried especially when Ling started to run, slowly at first, as if testing the water to check if she can still carry on. What she appreciated the most is that Ling took time to scan the crowd and when their eyes met, the striker smiled at her and gave her a thumbs up, indicating that she's okay and that there's no need to worry.
She felt herself blushing again as the whole school was looking her way, wondering who that thumbs up from their skilled striker was for butcher friends who kept on nudging her and pointing their fingers at her, looking proud and boastful.
