Fortuitous || Jack Steele [1]

twenty four

No poor game comes without a very harsh review. You could tell by the drained and disappointed expressions that no one wanted to go back on it. We needed to though. We needed to address the shocking display we coughed up. It had to be done.

It's fair to say the bus trip after the game was sombre. The boys were rattled, minds whirring with the controlling 'what ifs'. On their minds were replays of how they played and what they could've changed that might've altered the result.

My lips were glued together by an invisible force preventing me from saying a thing. The whole ride back I sat next to Blondie and it wasn't awkward by any means, we were just equally unsure whether casual conversation was appropriate.

My mouth was dry, all jokes vacuumed up and stored elsewhere. It was one of the only times I would keep my mouth shut, knowing it was in my best interests. It wasn't the time to make jokes, it was time to reflect. Although, in the minds of the boys, the definition of 'reflect' would consist of them beating themselves up for not doing enough. For not getting the job done. I hated them bringing themselves down.

It's now a few days later and the boys are looking ahead to the upcoming Footy Festival.

Due to the first nationwide lockdown, which saw the season on hold for ten weeks, the AFL are trying to cram in as many games as possible. They want to try have the Grand Final, that's if it happens, by late October. This means that we play Adelaide in Adelaide on Monday to only then return on the Saturday to play Port. The next few days will undoubtably be busy but for now it's the boys' day off and they're just trying to enjoy it.

The frustration from our Freo loss has simmered down and instead boiled into a hard-edged determination.

Since the loss the mood has been a little down so I've decided I want to get a laugh out of the boys. And in my opinion the best way to do it is through a prank.

As of right now there haven't been any pranks, at least not that I've heard of. The group has been trying to adapt to hub life that pranks haven't crossed their minds. So, like the responsible adult I am, I'll be the first.

I have a perfect starting candidate and a valid reason as to why they're my first target.

My dear brother Max has not worn his 'and I'm Dumber' shirt and it's fair to say I'm a little hurt. I bought him that gift and it's sort of expected that he uses it accordingly. So far he hasn't done that which pretty much means he's asking for me to prank him, not that I'm complaining. His peanut brain has not considered that punishment would occur if he wasn't grateful for my birthday present. Ben will also find that he's not exempt either if my secret associate in Noah tells me he hasn't been wearing his.

The plan is to snatch his apartment key from under his nose and sneak into his room. The second step will consist of stealing and then hiding all his shirts somewhere in my own apartment and ensure he doesn't have access to my key. And for the third step I will leave the amazing 'and I'm Dumber' shirt so it's the only one available for him to wear.

Now his mentality would be to go around shirtless, as that's all guys do these days, but I have Ratts onboard to tell him to put a shirt on. He'll be very stern about it and there is no way you can fight the coach. Some of the boys are in on it too. My brother will feel obliged to wear something and that's where the incredible shirt I got him comes in. He'll have to walk around with it on and there's no doubt the boys will take a jab at him for it. It'll be rather entertaining to watch.

As of right now my brother is currently at the pool with some of the other guys, presumably wasting the day away under the sun.  I know he just went down to the pool so at least he'll be there for awhile. I'm heading there now to scope it out and locate where he put his key. Then I have to execute taking it without him expecting a thing, not that that should be difficult considering past exploits from our childhood.