Falls Peak

Chapter 1

A lone bead of sweat trickled down Kyle's forehead as he watched what was unfolding before him, waiting for his moment to pounce. He'd been waiting for what had felt like forever to spring into action, but he knew that he had to stick to his orders.

The coach was always right after all.

As the sun shone down on him, engulfing him in the feeling of flames, he watched as his red shirted teammates kicked the soccer ball around in their own defensive area. Being an attacking player, Kyle had been told to stay well clear of them, as they'd hope to use his pace to set up a counter attack if the white shirted opposition pressed them. It wasn't a strategy that Falls Peak High School usually attempted but whilst facing one of the top schools in the state, they figured they'd need to try something different.

Still waiting for his opportunity, Kyle glanced up at the scoreboard, towering over the bleachers that seemed completely packed. His team were a goal down and there was only five minutes remaining.

"Come on guys!" He urged his teammates.

Suddenly, it seemed as though he'd spoken some sort of magical incantation as the ball was hurriedly launched up towards him, just as he had asked.

This was his chance.

Kyle took off sprinting, following the ball's flight plan, hoping to time his run perfectly so that it landed right in front of him. Unfortunately, despite the sun, there was still an underlying wind around the field which propelled the ball a little farther than he had anticipated. Kyle was still confident of his abilities though as he charged down the right flank towards the opposing defender.

His opponent grabbed onto his shirt, scrunching the large number seven on his back, in a bid to cut down the speedster but Kyle wouldn't be held back. He knew that if he dropped to the floor now, he'd most likely be awarded a free kick but he didn't want that. He continued running as best he could until his sheer determination broke him free and he quickly galloped ahead of the defender.

He picked the ball up just before it went out of play and looked up to see the cavalry arriving in the form of several of his teammates. The game plan was working. He thought about skimming the ball through the air and into the penalty area but his current body position would mean that he would need to use his weaker foot, which he wasn't as confident with. Instead, he feinted to go to the left of his opponent but then quickly shifted to the right, leaving him in his wake.

Now in the penalty box and ahead of the off-balance defender, Kyle had a clear sight of goal. He could either blast the ball towards the goal in hopes that the goalkeeper wouldn't be able to keep it out, or he could look up once more at the flurry of support he had waiting for him. The expectant roar of the watching crowd was edging him towards the first option, knowing that a goal now would surely end the match as a draw. Although not the most exciting result, it would be a big one for this team considering who they were playing.

After the battling performance from Falls Peak, and his own mental performance and the strain of being switched on without doing much for so long, Kyle decided that his mind was made up.

He was going to be the hero.

He went to strike the ball with his left foot. It may have been the weaker of the two but from this close to the goal he still believed that it would go in. However, out of the corner of his eye, Kyle spotted another recovering defender about to throw his entire body in front of his shot. There was no way that he'd score with this monster diving in front of him.

He had to think fast.

His left foot was fast approaching the ball but he was able to place his foot atop it instead of striking it.