Game On || C.L.16

2.1

I put the cones down on the pitch, spacing them out properly so I could do some sprint exercises.

I called the local football club here early this morning. No one was awake yet, but I couldn't quite seem to catch my sleep anymore. So I went to arranging things. The woman I spoke to on the phone was very kind and welcoming, which brings me to being on one of their fields at 11 in the morning.

I had send a text in our group chat telling them I went to this football club to do some training. Which brings me back to right now, spacing out cones.

I start with a tough warming up, making sure every single muscle in my body is activated. The cold and my injury proneness making it even more of a necessity to do this properly. Once I feel like every single bit of my body is ready, I start with some sprinting exercises. The grass feeling extremely comfortable below my cleats. I'm lucky for this club having an indoor pitch too, so I don't have to train on a frozen pitch.

Once I'm done with the sprints, I grab a ball starting to dribble around the cones. Doing all kinds of conditioning with the ball, training my ball control at the same time.

I wish I would have someone here to rehearse my cross passes with, but as I don't I decide to do some crossbar challenges on my own. Choosing all different kinds of angles to hit the crossbar from.

'Shut' I mutter as I hit the ball completely wrong.

"I thought you were supposed to be good." I hear Charles chuckle, as he throws the ball back on the pitch towards me.

"You should ask my coach that." I tell him kicking another ball and hitting the crossbar with it. "What are you doing here?"

"We're all here, wanted to see how you were doing." He says while I follow his gaze to the side line where Pierre and Esteban are relaxing in one of the dug outs.

"I don't need a baby sitter, you know." I say, kicking the last ball I had lined up, hitting the crossbar for a final time.

"I know, we all walked here as a bit of morning activation." Charles explains, while he helps me pick up the cones I had set up. Par the club's request, I put everything back where I got it from. Before I join the boys at the dug out where my water bottle is laying.

"So who's gonna explain why you are really here?" I mutter once I've downed pretty much all of the water remaining in the bottle.

The three boys look at each other sheepishly. "We just wanted to check in on you after yesterday." Pierre eventually says.

"And why would you want to do that?" I ask, raising my eyebrows and crossing my arms in front of me.

"You had a tough day, we just wanted to make sure you were okay." Pierre answers, and it is right than that I know either of the other boys has snitched.

"And how did you know I was having a tough day?"

Pierre looks around, Charles raising his eyebrows as Pierre makes eye contact with him. "I over heard Esteban asking you why you were throwing your food away."

"And there we have a honest answer." I tell him. "You could've just asked you know? I was just not that hungry."

"I know that now." Pierre says. "I'm sorry, but I wasn't the one that suggested we came here." He points in Charles' direction. "Mister Ferrari here told me he wanted to see you play."

"You've seen me play before. You and Arthur have been to some games together." I point out.

"Yeah but it's been so long, I just wanted to see it again." He admits, a soft smile on his face. And I know that that wasn't the real reason. He must've wanted to check in on me, see if I was alright after last night.