Crossed Paths

IV - Soccer Practice

It was the end of the day and I couldn't stop thinking about lunchtime. Keri's laugh, Keri's smile. Ugh, I didn't pay attention at all to the last two lessons.

Still, it's time for soccer practice, and Layla and I were already at the pitch, we always were early. Once we were there, I explained the plan for today.

"We going to warm up and get them in a game, to see them in action, that way we can establish their positions." Layla nodded in agreement.

After the girls arrived, I explained to them what they were going to be doing whilst Layla set up the mini pitch. We got the game going and myself and Layla were on the side watching the girls play.

For the first few minutes, we were commenting to ourselves about all of the players. Then, we gave out temporary positions to them all.

We started a game including me and Layla, and at that moment, I noticed the cheerleaders practicing on another side of the field. Instinctively, I started looking for Keri and found her successfully. Her black and red cheerleading outfit, perfectly harmonising with the blonde of her lush hair.

When did I become a poet?

I shook my thoughts away and ran to my place on the pitch, center, joining Emarald whom I made a centre for this match. We began the match and at first both teams were playing well, but then I remembered Keri and instantly looked in her direction. Like the rest of them, she was standing listening to whatever their new captain had to say.

She looked so damn sexy standing and I caught myself staring so I turned my head away and Sasha and Keandra were battling for the ball whilst the other team were spread out around. I ran in and slide-tackled the ball out from between Keandra's legs; immediately Sasha scooped the ball with her foot and passed it to Dazzline.

I let them play on whilst I stared at looked over at the cheerleaders again to see how Keri was doing. She was doing fine, because she is fine. Damn fine. "Maia!" Riley shouted, to get my attention. I looked at her and she passed the ball to me. I got it and ran a bit closer to the goal, passing it to Lenecia who scored a goal for us. She's definitely a striker. I mean, who scores a goal with Arie guarding it?

We all cheered and congratulated her for scoring. Then we continued the game. About five minutes in, I felt like there was not much I could do so I watched them for a while, not doing anything, but then I turned back around and admired how adorable Keri looked learning new choreography which wasn't really her style.

"MAIA!" Cindy yelled. I shot my head back at her direction. "FOCUS ON THE GAME YOU AIRHEAD!"

"SHUT UP! WHAT IF I HAVE ADHD?"

"THEN I WOULD KNOW!" I rolled my eyes and mumbled profanities at her whilst I positioned myself close to the center. The game continued, with me occasionally getting distracted by Keri, we managed to score three goals less than Layla's team with six goals. I groaned and properly put my mind to the game.

As I was running to one side of the pitch, I accidentally looked at Keri but at that moment, her skirt was blown up by the wind and— shit— you can't expect me to not look at such a rare occasion. But I forgot that was playing whilst I memorised the images of her sexy ass.

SHPLAT

The ball fucked up my face and sent me flying to the ground with a brutal thud. "Dayum!" Lenecia called out, infuriating me even more. I jerked into a sitting position and then I realised my nose was bleeding. I grabbed it and stood up. "Play on. I'm going to the nurse." I walked off, still holding my nose.

I sat on one of the beds in the nurses office whilst the nurse treated me. After she was done, she advised me to drink some water and rest for a bit. I laid back and took a sip from the cup of water I was given. When the nurse walked out, I heard her talking to someone.

"Can I see Maia?"

"Yeah of course." Then, Keri appeared in the door. My heart started thumping my chest, threatening to rip out of my rib cage. She smiled as she sat down on the edge of the bed next to me. My cheeks felt hot and I knew I was blushing.

"Hi." She sheepishly said. I smiled awkwardly, shuffling around in the bed.

"H-hi." I cursed myself for stuttering in front of Keri but she giggled.

"Are you okay? I saw you get hit." She asked, concerned. I was going to say I was fine, but then I realised, if she saw me get hit, she saw me staring.

"W-what did you see?"

"I was doing my choreo and then I turned around to see you get face planted by the ball so when you walked off on your own, I ran after you." I was flattered that she cared, and smiled.

"Isn't Marina gonna be mad at you?"

"I told her I needed the bathroom."

"Oh." I smiled. "I'm okay now." I sat up and shuffled next to Keri.

"I'm glad your okay, 'cause that looked very painful." She giggled.

"It's fine," Like you, "I've dealt with a lot worse, like, last year, Jessy accidentally crushed my ankle with her studs so badly I spent a month in hospital!" I chuckled.

"I remember that!" She gasped, "Everyone was so rude to her after that, saying she did that on purpose 'cause she was jealous or something. Poor thing."

"Well, hopefully she's doing well in college now."

"Yeah. But I'm pretty sure that Eleanor meant to kick the ball in your face."

"What? How do you know?"

"'Cause I saw her aim at you, and I saw you staring." She looked at me and I knew I was turning into a tomato.

"I-I-I w-wasn't st-staring. I just h-happened to l-look at y-you."

"Of course." She nodded her head, clearly not believing me.

"Okay," I swallowed as I hastily stood up and made my way to the door, "My team needs me. I'll see you tomorrow Keri." And at that I ran off.