The Last Chance [ENG]

Chapter 2

Despite the lectures of a few days before, Stan decided thathe had to find a simple and practical solution in order to make the message Don't cause trouble to the team or you're out get through to Leeroy. There were less than fifteen minutes left to the end of the workout, so the coach stopped the game that the boys were playing to make a proposal. That day the weather was really muggy and everyone, without exception, was reeling from the heat. The whole team was shirtless and sweaty for both the physical effort and the hot weather, but they didn't mind it as long as they were playing.

"What?" Miles asked to the coach, fresh as a daisy, he didn't seem to ever feel tired.

"Come here” Stan replied, then he turned to the goalkeeper: "Lance, get out the goal"

The guy was gobsmacked: did Stan want to make another speech? He didn't want to waste time talking, they had to train.

"Leeroy, come here too."

The defender went beyond his mates to reach the coach. "Yes?" he asked, his voice still breathless.

"Lance, give your gloves to him”, the coach said, the adding: "Leeroy, go to the goal."

"What?" the person concerned said, astonished.

"You got that right."

The goalkeeper reluctantly took off the gloves and then threw them to his teammate, who promptly grabbed them.

Stan spoke again: "In order to prevent some of you from locking Leeroy in a closet to beat him up, we will now do a special training. It will help you let off your anger toward him. This way no one will get hurt ... well, maybe just Leeroy”, he concluded with a smile.

"We'll use him as a target practice!? " Daniel's tone was strangely excited

"More or less. You can do whatever you want, as long as you use the ball and not hands or feet , but you'll only get one chance.You will not be given others. This way we will settle the matter. Who 's first?”, he asked with an amused grin.

“Then we will use him as target practice! " the italian repeated happily.

" We're not barbarians!" the person concerned cried, worried about the outcome of that workout He would come home covered in bruises.

"Shut up. And see if you can block them" Stan hushed him .

Leeroy could not help but think that that man was a bastard. Daniele suddenly came forward from the crowd of boys, the ball in his hands, he would have been the first to shoot. He placed the ball on the field and he moved back to take a run-up.

"Nothing personal." the Italian said.

Leeroy was already in a cold sweat: the bastard would be serious and would definitely aim at his face.

"Try to avoid the nose, I don't want to take him to the hospital." was the ironic comment of the coach.

"I'll try, mister!"

"What a fucking situation..." Leeroy muttered, utterly annoyed. As if that wasn't enough the gloves were huge and sweaty. He would have to kill someone at the end of the day. He placed himself at the center of the goal with open arms, as he had seen Lance do many times, waiting for the shot. He had no idea where Daniele would aim at but he prayed he wouldn't at his face for real.

Daniel made a fast run and then stop suddenly one step away from the ball, then kicking right in the direction of the goalkeeper, more precisely in the lower abdomen. Leeroy blocked the ball with his hands, but he felt the shot loud and clear. He gasped for a moment, as deprived of all the air in his lungs. He was just a moron. He saw him give a high five to Miles, who then replaced the Italian.