As soon as the ball left my hands, one of the guys just head butted me, pushing me to the ground before leaping up to grab the rugby ball. I looked up to see Dean sneering down on me and giving me a glare. Once he had his hands on it, the opposing team swiftly moved into their positions, the ball sailing through the air with force and lightning speed. I watched them score while sitting on the ground helplessly while my other teammates were frantically trying to tackle the ball out of the other teammates grips. Soon enough the other team scored a point as I dusted myself off and stood at my starting point.
Your not going to let that wood head bully you anymore Han... You gotta be on top of your game now...
The game started once again, the ball in possession of my team. The whistle's scream tore through the air once again, and my reflexes responded accordingly, as the ball went sailing through the air. Before Dean could shove me down and get the ball, I leaped up first, grabbing it and throwing it at Ian with full force. The others moved accordingly, a strategic position that was hard to interfere but the tactics soon failed as Cole got surrounded by the other team's members. The others were marked and I was the only one free, the only one nearest to the goal. We both made eye contact and I nodded.
The next second the ball came flying through the air, straight at me. Inhaling deeply, I grabbed the ball and aimed directly at the goal, mustering up all my strength to throw the rugby ball. I launched myself off the ground before swinging my right arm back and releasing the ball. Once the ball had left my fingers, I felt someone slam into me at full force sending me straight to the ground. I feel to the ground with a strong force that caused an even greater impact which send me tumbling for a few metres. Just as I felt the fake grass beneath my fingertips, I heard Aiken scream touchdown as happiness and joy courses through my body. I was smiling like an idiot while still lying on the ground and lifted my head up to see my masterpiece. The ball was lying perfectly pass the white line and I sighed with relief. Pushing myself off the ground I made eye contact with a upset Dean who had a trace of shock in his pathetic face. I smirked at him before the going to my position to start off once again.
After being slammed into and falling to the ground but scoring successfully a few times, it was time to go home. My face was tinted with dirt and sweat, my throat parched with every inch of my body aching. The impact of me falling made my head hurt slightly as I plopped down onto the bench after taking off my helmet and placing it on the ground. I fished my water bottle out and gulped down mouthfuls of water when I heard Dean saying good game to me. I spurted out my water, directly spraying Aiken in the process. Regret and embarrassment filled my mind as he stared back at me, shell shocked. I jolted up, trying my best to wipe off the water off Aiken as the others just laughed, watching on. But I couldn't hear the one familiar laugh my heart always recognised, the one that always managed to make me get the jitters.
"It's alright Han, I can clean up my self," Aiken's voice snapped me out of my bewilderment and I nodded before returning to my seat.
Practice officially came to an end as we all changed out and placed our gears at the respective places. I returned to the benches to grab my backpack when someone tapped my shoulder. I turned around to see Vernon with his warm smile, radiating happiness and shining even though his faced was patched with dirt.
"Want to walk home with me?"
"Why not?"
The walk home was terribly silent except for some questions that we asked about each other. We both were tired to our bones and it was clear that none of us had the energy to have along conversation with each other. The street that we were walking turned from apparent complexes to posh white houses with each step we took forward. In a matter of minutes, we reached my house. Oddly Vernon stopped at the same spot.
"I'm if u didn't know this is my house," I said pointing to 4 storey modernised house behind me.
"And that's mine," he said pointing to a classic 4 storey white house, with a perfectly trimmed front yard and a line of plant bushes at it's perimeters that was momentarily disrupted by a large iron gate.
"That means we are neighbours, huh?" Vernon pointed out and I nodded smiling.
"Well, I' m going to go in-"
"Since we are neighbours now, why don't we go to and come back from school together," I blurted out unknowingly. I couldn't just believe what I had just said. Vernon's smile grew wider into a grin, his eye-smile making a comeback.
"That would be great," he replied after a few minutes and crossed the street to enter his house, a strong but calm stride.
A mini celebration set off within me as I turned my back to him and entered my house, a wide smile on my face accompanied with tint of pink on my cheeks.
