"Hey, Mark?"Axel asked, after a few hours of practice. "Can we talk? I think I've figured the shot out."
They walked over to a sandpit and Axel drew out a diagram with a stick.
"Why did you leave me?"
"Huh?"
"You know. Why did you leave me 3 nights ago?"Mark asked. "We can't keep ignoring this."
"I don't know what you're talking about,"Axel said stiffly.
"You do!"Mark said. "Why can't we just talk about it?"
"Because I don't want to,"Axel said. "I just want to talk about soccer."
"Are you with Nelly?"Mark blurted out.
Axel looked disgusted. "Nelly?!"
"She walks you to school,"Mark said.
"I don't like her. She annoys the shit out of me."
Mark laughed and sat down beside Axel. "Are you serious?"
"Yes. I fucking hate her. I feel like I owe her one now that she entered us in the soccer frontier,"Axel sighed.
"You don't,"said Mark, hugging Axel from behind.
"She said if I don't go out with her she'll disband the club. I'm trying to put it off as much as possible, but I don't know,"Axel looked at the ground.
Mark's eyes widened. "How dare she."
"There's not really anything we can do about it can we? Let's just hope she backs off,"Axel sighed.
"It's not gonna be that easy,"Mark said. "Whatever Nelly wants, Nelly gets. She's a spoilt only child."
"Aren't you an only child, Mark?"
"Oh shut up,"Mark playfully hit Axel.
Axel only half laughed. "Stop distracting me! I'm trying to teach you about the Inazuma drop!"
*******
"The first player is you!"Mark craned his neck to look at Axels face.
"No."
"It's you and nobody else!"Mark said. "Don't even try to deny it!"
Axel tried to act annoyed, but he couldn't. He was secretly flattered.
"Ok, fine,"he sighed, as he got up.
He held out his hand to Mark as he got up too.
"Ugh, we're filthy!"Mark complained.
"When has that ever bothered you before, Evans?"Axel grinned.
"I guess you're right,"said Mark. "Jack should be the stepping stone."
"Random choice,"Axel said.
"It makes sense though, right?"
"It does. It feels weird using someone else as a stepping stone though,"Axel said.
"You're still up for it though?"Mark asked.
"Fuck yeah!"
******
Axel landed on his back full force. He felt winded. "Fuck,"he coughed out.
Mark and Nathan helped him up.
"Nice kicking skills!"Mark said.
"The landing could use some work though,"Nathan snickered.
Axel glowered at him. "Not funny."
"Oof that looked like it hurt,"Kevin said. "You ok?"
"I could be better,"Axel said. "I need to work on my jumping skills though."
******
It was dark and Axel flopped onto the ground for what felt like the 1000th time.
"Ugh, I actually want to die,"Axel complained.
"Do we need to take you to the doctor?"Mark seemed concerned.
Axel laughed a little. "Not everything I say is serious, Mark."
"I'm just not used of you joking around, that's all."
"I could take double this no problem!"Axel exclaimed.
"You sure?"Kevin looked concerned.
"Yup. Throw me again!"
********
"I did it!"Axel yelled.
"Yay!"Nathan and Kevin cheered.
Axel fell to the floor.
"Oh no, he's dead!"Kevin yelled.
Axel laughed. "I'm fine!"
Kevin and Nathan still balanced him on their shoulders. Even thought Axel hadn't drank anything that evening, he had a drunk smile on his face.