Galileo - l.s

eight

“With this team, we’ll need a build up,” Coach said.

The players gathered under the lights of the stadium, the crowd cheering around them. Cheerleaders were facing the stands, doing cheers and flips behind the players. The noise of the crowd intermingled with sounds from the other side, the noisemakers and whistles.

“Momentum, fellas. They are known for their fast attacks. Louis, you're going to have to aggressively defend. Hang slow, lead from the back. Don't give them a chance to pass.” Louis looked at the coach and gave two quick nods. “James, give us a clean sheet. You can do this.” James Turner, the goalie, nodded. “Let’s go, fellas. Concentrate on the moment. Call it out, watch each other.”

They broke the huddle and went to their respective positions. Louis glanced toward the bleachers, then down at the ground where the fences separated the soccer pitch from the spectators. He was watching for a head with a headscarf, but could not make details out from this far away.

The game was just about to start. His fellow players were stretching, running short distances, warming up, running onto the field.

“You all right, Lou?” Niall asked.

“Of course,” Louis said. “I'm fine. You?”

“Yeah, good,” Niall said. “You expecting anyone special?” He nodded his head toward the stands.

“Just the family,” Louis lied. “They said they'd be on time. Trying to find them.”

As they ran to position, Niall noticed Louis’ sisters. It was always easier to spot the twins, Phoebe and Daisy, who were mirror images of each other. “There they are,” he pointed out.

Louis followed his fingers. In truth, Louis had already found them and waved to them ages ago. He waved again, gave them a double thumbs up. As his gaze travelled down, he saw a lean figure in a head scarf, climbing the stands to sit a little behind his family. His heart swelled and pulsed, and then did a double take. The figure wasn't alone. He was there with someone else.

Someone just as tall as Harry.

Louis couldn't help staring for a bit. They both sat down. He couldn't tell whether it was anyone he recognized from school.

Louis knew it was stupid, the stupidest thing to think about at that moment, but mentally he ran through a list of people he remembered hanging out with Harry in school. The problem was, he never saw Harry in school. They had made a pact never to acknowledge each other. He didn't know whether Harry had any other friends. He never thought he would regret this, but he was regretting it. He should have been more nosy.

And he shouldn't have assumed that Harry had no friends, just because of one encounter at his house. Damn, damn, damn. He was so stupid. Why would he think Harry was someone who needed protecting? Harry wasn't Louis’ business, period. He was just a kid in his class. Just a harmless, weird, orphaned kid or whatever his living situation was. He probably hung out with loads of people, and Louis just didn't know it. Didn't know him, period.

Louis made a compartment for Harry in his mind, sealed it, plastered it shut, locked it with a thousand pins, and focused on the game before him.

Soon, it was half-time. The score was tied, 1-1. The team had played well so far, using the up, back, and through offensive variations they had practiced the past few weeks, with Louis as the defender making the first pass. Maxwell Chan, their star forward, had scored their only goal with this tactic. However, the speed of the other team was wearing them down slightly faster than usual.