Alex Carter: A Red Band Society Fanfiction

Acknowledgements

"This was oddly difficult to find," Kara scoffed as she stalked onto the field that she'd left Leo on. 

His eyes trailed to the object she was holding, and immediately wanted out. "What're you doing?" 

Kara approached him, stopping a few feet away to place the ball on the ground firmly. "Reminding you who you are," she snapped. 

Leo raised his eyebrows, knowing that those words said in a different tone would actually be a kind gesture. "I'm not playing soccer anymore, Kara," he stated definitively, even though it felt like a stab in the back every time he uttered those words. She continued to stare at him, and he threw out at his sides. "I made that decision a while ago, it was your doing mostly," he admitted. Her snide comments had gotten the best of him, and it had confirmed the fear that lay coiled in the pit of his stomach. 

This same executioner stood before him, rolling her eyes at him. "Just kick the ball, dude." 

Leo couldn't even focus on that complete 180, not while the soccer ball still sat menacingly. "Thanks, but no," he reiterated, taking a step back. 

Kara's eyes blazed. "I will take your transformer leg and bash it into your patchy skull," she spat. "Now kick the damn ball." She punctuated her statement by kicking the ball clumsily yet pointedly to him, using the side of her wedge heels. 

Leo scoffed. "Have you ever considered being a motivational speaker?" he sassed in exasperation. "It could be your calling." He wasn't even sure what he was saying, his brain was far too preoccupied by the fact that the idea of kicking this ball had wormed it's way into his brain. He'd kick it around just for today, as a proper goodbye to the sport that had once enveloped his life. He'd kick it now just to prove to him, to her, that he couldn't. 

He looked up at her, seeing she was featuring a pointed smile. An upgrade from a smirk, Leo felt it fit her better. His breathing was already becoming faster, as he psyched himself up. "Okay, move." 

Kara's smile turned into a wide grin as she stepped away, filling Leo's chest with warmth. He stared at the ball, moving it gingerly between his feet. He scratched the back of his head, feeling self-conscious of his audience and nervous as to what would happen next. It had been a rocky start with this prosthetic, and he didn't trust it to not betray him now. But he also knew, he was going to kick this damn ball. 

He didn't even have to think, he could've closed his eyes if he wanted to. He wound his leg back ad he had thousands of times before, and let it fly forward, the ball being carried with it. It definitely wasn't perfect, but it sailed into the open goal, and his ears immediately picked up the quiet sound of the ball being caught by the white netting. As it had countless times before, he felt his heart burst with excitement. He started laughing at his conditioned response, and at the endorphins that rushed through him. 

"So," came Kara's voice from where she stood behind him. "How'd that feel?"

He looked at her from over his shoulder, her arms crossed, but her face filled with kindness. Leo decided that she really was beautiful when she smiled like this. "Awesome, actually," he called back. 

"Now, I want you to promise me something," she said. 

"What is it?" Leo asked, curious at her tone shift. 

"When you go home, I want you to forget about all of us. Especially her," Kara added. "Just go home and never look back. Okay?" 

Leo looked from her, to where the ball sat in the goal, still in shock. It sat there because of her. Because Leo needed someone to push him, somebody who didn't look at him like a hero, because he still had a lot of work to do. "I'm sorry, Kara, I don't think that's gonna be possible," he replied evenly, turning back to her.