EXISTENCE

CHAPTER 3: Fiasco at the Mall, Part I

"Alright, Antar, you're up!"

Adam stepped forward, wearing a loaner shirt with the #9 labeled on. He was the third boy up and as far as he'd seen, they were total pushovers. If this is what high school football is like, he thought, they should have just saved me for last.

He took a good hard look at the bangle dangling from his left wrist.

He looked up. "Huh. Guess you had nothing to worry about, Rym."

Sitting in the bleachers were Rym, Juan, and Nadia, who, as always, was wearing her signature cap and cargo jeans. Sitting on her cap was a button with the Algerian flag imprinted on it, a gift from her beloved cousin. Seeing Adam step forward with that resolve made her feel so nostalgic, thinking back to the days where he'd do anything just to fight. But right now, he was taking a step to a dream he'd held onto ever since he was a baby.

"Show them what you can do, Adam!" she shouted.

Adam looked towards the trio in the bleachers and gave them a thumbs-up. "Just watch!"

Without even looking at the practice ball at his feet, he scooped it up with his left foot and passed it along to his right. He lifted the ball for 5 minutes before kicking it as high as he could into the air, jumping up and giving it a good bicycle kick into the goal post that stood at least 90 yards away from where he stood, striking a perfect landing in the process.

The crowd went silent.

The three friends were clapping and whistling and hooting for the young goal-scorer.

The tryout coach was dumbstruck. How could a kid this young be so strong?! The boy turned to face the coach and, with a serious look on his face said, "I need another ball."

The coach stood up and tossed him a real soccer ball. "Take it kid! What more do you have to show?!"

Adam trapped the ball with his chest and juggled it for a bit. Once he let the ball hit his feet he stopped all movement and looked to the coach. "I just have a promise to keep."

Without warning, Adam kicked the ball at one of the lampposts. As it ricocheted, he jumped up and followed with a solid side kick, straight into the other goal. Landing as gracefully as he had taken off, he looked up at the bleachers and saw Rym laughing and clapping her hands. He felt great, but there was another feeling, as though he had accomplished a task that was part of something greater. He decided to put the thought to the back of his mind and focus on the job at hand.

He turned to face the coach. "Well sir?" Adam asked. "How did I do?"

The coach was still stunned, but hastened to collect himself. "You've got a solid spot on the team!" He grabbed his clipboard. "Do you have a preferred position?"

Adam grinned. "Heck yeah I do. Let me be the striker."

Adam went back to the locker room and took off his loaner, breathing a sigh of relief. He'd gotten the spot he wanted, he'd gotten on the team, now he had to play some quality ball.

Father, I hope you're watching me. I'm going to reach my dream.

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard some of the other boys enter the locker room. Adam recognized them as the three who stood in line behind him. He smiled.

"Hey guys!" he waved to them. They looked at him and shrugged. "Huh..?"

The boy in the middle sized Adam up. As far as he could tell, he was just another stupid kid. How could he have pulled off the moves he did? He brushed his blond hair back and asked, "You. What's your name?"