Sophomore Year

The Rival Game

Jack's POV:
It's game day! I've been waiting for this all year, the day we beat Twin Peaks Academy! The final bell of class just rang so I make my way down to locker room to hangout with the team. I meet up with Matt and Nick first. We're talking like nothing happened and I'm happy about it. I don't want to lose them, even if I haven't been friends with them for long. I try not to, but what happened is the only thing I can think of. Why is it like this? Am I even attracted to him or was it just the alcohol?

Matt's POV:
Jack, Nick, and I get into the locker room and one of my teammates yells: "There you are Matt! Are you gonna fuck Cecelia or Keri after the game?", I say "neither" and nobody believes me. Everyone just assumes I'm going to fuck Cecelia. I get my jersey on and we plan some tactics for tonight's game. I'm going to be playing a lot and I'm pretty nervous.
After the long tactics meeting, I take a bit of a nap on the floor. I'm woken up and then fall asleep on the bus, I've gotta get as much rest as I can, right? Before I know it, it's game time and I'm ready to win. We warm up and soon enough we're starting the game. The midfield is me on the right, Nick in the center, and Jack on the left. Fuck, this is going to be a tough game. 18 minutes in and Nick scores, this shocks the Twin Peaks home crowd. The Twin Peaks team is quick to equalize and then lead the scoring with goals at the 24th and 29th minutes. I'm pissed.
   I see Jessica and Keri on one side of the bleacher and Cecelia on the other side. In the 31st minute or so, a very tall defender levels me. I fall and roll a few times, I feel a very painful pop in my knee, I'm able to stand up so I know it's at least not my ACL. After I'm walked off the field, I'm quick to think it's probably my meniscus again. I don't make a big deal of it and my coach says: "ice up, you're going back in after halftime." I kind of expected this to happen. I'm in a lot of pain but at least I can still run.
   Halftime happens and my coach screams at us, like usual. We start the second half and I make a run down the field. I cross it into the 6 yard box and we tie it up. Everyone from Twin Peaks is pissed. With every step I take, my knee pops and it feels like something is caught in the joint. I don't dare tell my coach. I hear Keri scream: "go Matt" as loud as she can. It gives me power to keep going. We get to the 75th minute of the 80 minute game (I have no clue why we don't play 90 minutes) and Nick kicks the ball from our goal box. I run down the field and out run the defense. It's just me and the goalie. He rushes me and I tap the ball to his side. It goes in the bottom corner and I realize that I scored! My whole team screams and runs to me!
   This is the highlight of my soccer career so far. It's probably one of the best days of my life. I'm so proud of me, my teammates are so proud of me, and finally, I feel valued by my coach. We finish the game out and we're champions! This feels amazing! We take our victory run and Nick and Jack hug me. I am so happy! We pack up our stuff and Cecelia invites me back to her house to hangout, Nick goes to Jack's house and I say "bye" to them. Cecelia and I then walk to her house...