Martin's POV
My parents are still not back. I needed my dad today the most; it's animportant day for me. I have my final match tomorrow and moreover it's aboutJennifer.
It was about 10:00 at night. I already had my dinner with grandpa. He keptasking me whole time that what's the matter, of course he read my face, and Ijust lied to him I can never lie to him.
I was at our lawn. Looking at my love for football my father has arrangedevery facility for me to practice in our lawn.
I was kicking the ball again and again; sometimes it's a perfect shot andsometimes a miss. My mind was not actually on the game. I kicked the ball againand it went straight into the net.
"Fantastic." Grandpa said coming behind me. I set the ball foranother kick.
"Martin?" he called me.
I didn't replied and kicked the ball again straight into the net.
"Martin, come here now." He commanded and I stopped at my placeand walked to him without saying a word.
"What's the matter?" he asked me.
I didn't reply and looked to the ground. I know I cannot lie to him so Idecided not to say anything, or look at him.
"What's the matter son? C'mon you know you can tell me anything."he said. I needed to talk to someone, anyone.
"Grandpa...." I finally spoke. I told him everything that happenedyesterday and today, everything about Didi, my friends being mad at me and theletter. I asked him what he thinks.
"Everything would be fine. These things happens." He said afterlistening to everything.
"But how? She doesn't even want to see my face." I told him.
"Look, just leave it to the god, if he really wants you two to be onethen you two will be together, okay.....don't listen to your brain sometimes youneed listen to your heart what does it say to you?"
'Okay rude.' The devil me popped inside my head. Being my brain he wasoffended. Heart doesn't know what happens and it never accepts the reality. Itbelieves in fantasy, brain is practical and it knows the difference betweenfantasy and reality.
I took a pause to reply. I told grandpa about the 'fantasy' my heart wasbuilding up.
"That she'll come." I replied.
"Good, now enough with your practice go to bed now or you'll sleep inthis ground." He joked.
I pushed grandpa's wheel chair to his room and helped him lay on the bed.
"Good night grandpa." I said as I switched off the light and wentto my room.
I lay on my bed but I wasn't feeling sleepy. I looked out to the window tothe sky, to the stars, praying to god to help me tomorrow and hoping for thebest.
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I went to school the next day in my car with my jersey in the bag. I reachedschool one hour earlier. I parked the car and then walked to the gym where allmy team mates and couch were getting ready for match. On my way to gym I hopesthat I'll see Jennifer but she's nowhere to be seen.
I reached gym and wished my coach "Good morning couch." I said.
"Morning." He replied in his usual tough tone.
I went to our locker room. All my team mates were there. I changed my clothes.Our jersey was yellow and blue in color. Mine was number 24 with of course myname and captain written on it.
I came back and took a seat to wear socks and shoes. We heard our coachwhistling from outside. Everyone started to move out. The match was in theother school. School bus was driving us there.
When everyone left, I looked to myself in the mirror for once.
"Hey cap. Let's go." Eric called me.
"Yeah coming." I replied and picked my bag. We moved out to thebus with our coach. Our classmates, teachers were waiting for us at the bus towish us good luck. I saw everyone there but not Jennifer.
"C'mon boys let's go." Our coach said with an enthusiastic tone. Wehoped in one my one with our coach and a physiotherapist. Out principle wouldbe coming too in his car. More than half of the school will be there.
I saw Emily though before entering the bus. I thought that she'll come toEric to wish him but she didn't, even though she saw him. Eric was ahead of me.He entered the bus and pretended he didn't saw Emily. I followed him in thebus. We sat together at of the seats. This is bad because of all this, he toois having problems with Emily.
"Dude, what's up with you and Emily?" I asked Eric.
"Huh...Nothing." He replied.
"C'mon I am not blind I saw the looks on you two." I said.
"We just had a little fight." He said.
"Over what?" I asked.
"It's okay Mart it's not a big deal." He replied.
"It's because of me right? You might be taking my side in front of herand she's on Jennifer side thinking I am wrong." I know that's it.
"What...no...no of course not buddy." He lied. I am a bad friend.
"Yes it, I am so sorry man, I promise I'll fix everything." Isaid. I don't know how, but I have to fix his problem at least.
"Mart, it's not your fault it's mine, I'll talk to Emily later andshe'll be fine okay?" he replied confidently. Man, he always got thispositive attitude, which always helps him to come up from any problem.
After half an hour we reached the other school, where our match is going toheld. We have been provided a locker room for the time being. We kept our bagstheir and moved to ground. The ground was big, bigger than ours. And manypeople where there to enjoy the match, Some from our school and some from otherone. It was the most crowded match I've ever played in my school life.
None of my friend had come because they were busy at school at the quiz, ormaybe they all just hated me so much. Joy was there because he has to reviewfor this match later, but I didn't see him.
Before the match starts all the team and coach gathered in huddle and wewished each other good luck, prayed.
"Global high rocks." We all shouted together and then scatteredall over the ground. Both the team's captain, that is, me and the other oneshook hands with each other before the match starts. My mind was on Jenniferbut I was trying to concentrate on game. This is happening now.
As soon as we heard the referee's whistle we tried our best to grab the ballfirst. I was able to get the ball. I ran to the goal. Some opposite teamplayers came to cover me so I pass the ball to one of my teammate, Jason. Hepassed it to Roy and Roy ran to through the two opposing players to the goal. Andkicked the ball in the hope that it will go straight into the net but theopposite team's goal keeper was good, he caught the ball.
For about fifteen minutes the game went like this. Sometimes we were closeto goal and missed for like five times and sometimes they were close and missedlike three times. The score was still 0-0.
Our team mate Mike had the ball right before half time. He ran dodging itfrom all the players. Lee was standing near him; he passed the ball to him. Nowlee dodged the ball. They both were passing the ball to each other and wererunning to the goal. Their strategy worked, they confused the goal keeper andmade a beautiful first goal of our team. The score was now 1-0.
We all ran fast to both of them and happily hugged them; we heard audience'sclapping and hooting madly.
The game started again. The opposite team was controlling the ball thistime. We were trying to get the ball. One of our team-mate gets the ball anddodged it to make the goal, passing it to other team mates.
I was standing near opposite team's goal. I saw the ball coming to me. I hadit and dodged it to the goal. I was very near to make a goal, I kicked it but Idon't know what exactly happened and opposite team mate 'accidentally' kickedmy foot and I lost my balance and fell on ground shouting in pain. The goal wasmissed obviously. My team mates came running to me; the physiotherapist cametoo and massaged my foot. It helped with pain. I am playing horribly today, themost important match and I am screwing it up.
"You okay buddy.....I am so sorry I didn't mean it." The guy whokicked me apologized and helped me stand on my feet.
"It's okay man, we're good." I tried to walk but my foot wasaching. The referee asked me if I can play and I replied yes. Till the halftime the score was one all.
During the half time, we were in the locker room discussing our strategywith our coach and my grandpa. Yes, my grandpa always came to suggest us duringour matches. My coach is his good friend, even though he's very younger than mygrandpa.
I was doing a little exercise with my foot as the physiotherapist wastelling me.
Jennifer didn't come yet but my heart still says that she'll come. May be Ishould listen to grandpa and be little more optimistic like Eric.
Jenny's POV
"Where were you in the morning? Our team was going for the match. Don'tyou want to wish them good luck?" Emily asked me. We were sitting in theaudiences of quiz. The crowd was insanely low. Whose idea was it to plan bothfootball match and quiz simultaneously?
"I came late." I replied.
"Let's go get something to drink." Emily said.
"Alright." We got up and walked out of the auditorium.
"Jennifer...Jennifer." I heard someone calling me. We looked backand saw that it was Donna calling me.
"Donna what's the matter?" I asked. Now why the hell is shecalling me? She's Didi's friend. And hence is not supposed to see me, or shewould get her pretty face ruined.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
"Um excuse me." Emily asked her. That was rude.
"No, no I mean what are you doing in the school?" she asked.
"Haven't your friend heard enough from me yesterday?" I asked.
"Why aren't you in the football match with Martin?" she asked.
"Donna, mind your own business will you? Didi sent you here right...?Tell your friend Didi that if I see her I am gonna punch her face so hard thatno surgeon will ever gonna fix it." I said angrily. That was lame, I couldhave thought of something better.
"Whoa...wait wait...I don't care if you break her bones really.....Waita second he didn't tell you?" she said.
"Never mind...let's go Emily." I said and we both moved forward.
"Wait Jennifer.....You should know the truth..."Donna stopped usagain.
"What truth?" I asked.
She told me everything, what Didi planned and what she did, from the pictures at the fair to the silly rumors at school. She told me that Martin's actually innocent. He didn't do anything. That means mom's gut feeling was right, like always.....That means he was not lying...That mean....ohkay this is bad...
"Damn it." I shouted. This is not fair.
"How do you know all that?" Emily asked Donna.
"Because I helped her in all this. I am so sorry Jennifer..." she replied with a guilty look. It sounded like a genuine apology.
I took out Martin's letter from my jeans pocket and gave it to Emily. They both read it.
"Aw...he's so cute isn't he?" Emily said.
"What are you doing here now.....you know the truth....so go."Donna said to me.
"Go." Emily said.
I didn't reply to them, I just took the letter and walked out of the auditorium.
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A/N: hey guys....so what do you think...?
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