From My Enemy To My Love (boyxboy) ✔

Chapter 18

Chet Watakeekul

"Do you think he'll show up?" Mateo asked me. We sat on the bench in the locker room. I had one foot on the bench as I tied my shoe.

"No," I said. I was sure Vincent wasn't going to show up. Unless, he had another plan to break Mateo and Alex up and saw this as an opportunity. He had said he hadn't given up breaking them up.

Mateo sighed. He was already dressed and waiting. "But maybe he will," he said.

"This is an important game," Devon said as he came up behind us. "This goalie is the best I've come across. I've never scored against him."

"Never?" Mateo asked. Devon shook his head.

Devon and I had already spoken about the goalie extensively. I was a great striker. I wouldn't have received the full soccer scholarship if I wasn't, but Devon was a senior and also a great striker. I had learned a lot from him. It was difficult for me to fathom any goalie good enough that Devon had never scored against him.

We got the plan and formations from the coach, ran a little on the field and then it was gametime. My main focus drifted between what was happening on the field and what the coach was doing. It would be great if I could keep playing soccer for a long time, but eventually I wanted to be a coach. I would love to coach college soccer and then maybe for Major League Soccer and then maybe the Olympics.

No, no. Don't get ahead of yourself.

Mateo's eyes kept darting to the stands. He was usually more focused on the games. There was one moment I chanced looking up in the stands. My family waved at me when I looked. I almost waved back, but decided that would be unprofessional so instead I just smiled. It was easy to spot them. College soccer games were never as crowded as the football games. Even though our soccer team was high ranking and our football team wasn't, we still didn't generate even half the crowd the football team did. I honestly did not understand it.

I found Alex in the stands and wasn't surprised to see he was sitting alone. No. Not completely alone. Even as I thought it, Mateo's family left their usual spot to go sit next to Alex.

He was surprised to see them, but smiled gratefully as Serafina sat on one side of him and Hugo and Adrian argued - I assumed, I couldn't hear them from this distance - over who got to sit on the other side of him. Mateo's mom gave Alex a big hug. Mateo's dad shook his hand. Grandpa Manuel smiled grandly and also gave Alex a hug.

I nudged Mateo so he wouldn't miss this, but of course he was already watching them. He had a big smile on his face. There was no sign of Vincent though.

Then I noticed someone else in the stands. Melissa sat there in full makeup with her hair done all pretty. She waved a shy hand my way when she noticed me looking. I smiled at her, but quickly turned back to the game. I'd probably have to acknowledge her after this was over. Maybe I could introduce her to Devon or Jimmy. She was nice and hadn't tried to be anything more than friends, but every once in awhile I would catch her looking at me in class and then she would blush.

Our offense was running to the goal. Their defense was getting ready. Jimmy passed the ball high to Devon. Devon jumped and the ball bounced off his head towards the goal. I held my breath. Their goalie dove and the ball bounced off his hands.

With fifteen minutes left in the first half, the coach made substitutions. I was finally on the field, running, watching the ball, watching for my opportunity. Mateo was substituted in at the same time I was. He had been distracted while on the sidelines, but now he was focused only on the game.