Tales Untold

Number Twenty-one

"Look at number twenty-one!" Kai yelled over the noise of the crowd. He was in complete awe as he watched the girl with messy brown hair and the number twenty-one on her back score yet another goal. She was a sophomore, and was starting varsity for Luna High, and had an amazing left footed shot.

Thorne turned to look at Kai with a smirk on his face. "Aces, Kai. It's only the first game of the season and you already have a crush on one of the soccer players?" Thorne laughed and turned away as Kai began to blush.

Shaking his head, Kai turned back to Thorne. "I do not have a crush on her, nor any other girl before her!" Kai yelled indignantly as Thorne chuckled even more.

"Stars, Kai, you've been making moon eyes at her the entire game. Even if we are Luna, but you need to get a grip on yourself!" Thorne smirked again and Kai's blush deepened as he turned his head to the grass, trying to remember the score and realizing he really had only been watching number twenty-one.

The final whistle blew, signalling the end of the game, and all of Luna's players came running in cheering. It was clear that they had won, with number twenty-one scoring at least five times. Kai still didn't understand how she was so good. He wanted to go and talk to her, but wasn't sure how to do it without looking like a complete loser.

Kai didn't realize that he was staring at the girl until another player with fiery red curls nudged twenty-one, pointed in his direction, and whispered something in twenty-one's ear. Number twenty-one turned and looked at Kai straight in the eyes. Kai had never blushed more.

Turning his back away from the two girls, Kai watched as the mascot made his way through the crowd, high fiving people and laughing.

Their mascot wasn't like most. He didn't wear a costume, but used his unusual wolf-like features to play the part. As Luna High, their mascot was the wolf, and Kai's close friend, Ze've, was perfect for the part. People had been calling him Wolf for years, even before Kai and Thorne had talked him into becoming the mascot.

"Did you enjoy the game?" Kai swirled around and was face to face with number twenty-one's brown eyes and messy brown hair. She was sweaty and had flyaway hairs surrounding her flushed face. She looked exhausted from playing nearly the entire game, but Kai thought that she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. "Hello?" The girl waved a hand in front of his face and Kai realized that he had been staring at her with his mouth open.

"Oh, um, sorry! I mean I'm Kai- Wait! What's your- I um, um, yeah." Kai stuttered as the girl scrunched her face in confusion. Kai wanted to kick himself. What in the name of all the stars was wrong with him? Why couldn't he talk to this girl like a normal person?

Gazing at him as though she were concerned for his sanity, the girl nodded slowly. "I'm Cinder Lihn."

"I'm Kai." Kai wanted to crawl into a hole and die. He had already said that! In the name of all the stars, Kai only wanted to have a regular conversation with this amazing, talented, beaut-

"We've already established that. Alright, it was nice meeting you Kai!" She smiled at him and turned to leave with her friends. Kai watched her as she left and couldn't even make himself look away when Cinder turned around to look at him with caution in her eyes.

"Hey moon eyes!" Thorne whispered in Kai's ear, making him jump as he twisted to see his best friend. "I see you've made yourself acquainted with Luna's lead scorer." Thorne laughed and Kai punched him.

"I don't want to talk about this, Thorne." Kai grumbled and stalked off. He was ticked. Ticked at himself. Ticked at Thorned. Ticked at his stupid mouth for making him seem like an idiot in front of the first girl he had ever really wanted to know. She was the only girl who seemed to not be charmed by him, and she was also the only girl who Kai couldn't talk to.

Chuckling at his own stupidity, Kai walked across the parking lot, to his car. His thoughts were of Cinder. Kai had to get to know her. Just as Kai opened his car door, his thoughts still on Cinder, a soccer ball hit Kai straight in the head, while Thorne laughed in the background.