I leave the main building and hurry to the stadium. Now I just have to find Impa and all will be okay. She'll know how to make me feel better, she always does. She'll fix it. She'll tell me what to do. This can't be the end of my dreams!

The bleachers are crammed with fans, cheering and rooting for the Hyrule Eagles. The headlights create a striking contrast between the field and the sky, making me forget that night is arriving. There are so many people here, most wearing the colors of blue, that it'll be a challenge to find Impa.

I look at the scoreboard before I skim the bleachers. Both teams are at zero points, the game must have just started. I find Impa in the crowd and feel the urge to run at her for a hug. I squeeze my body past a group of hyped girls.

"Link! Go Link" They whoop while jumping up and down with joy.

Despite my already vexed state there's room in my mind to be annoyed by their pointless excitement for Link. I want to ignore them but I catch myself looking down at the field to see what the fuss is all about. I try to find Link, but I can't keep the players apart. Our team's jerseys are in a royal blue with a white number covering most of their back. Red writing crosses their chests, but I can't make out what it says from up here.

I finally get through to Impa. I call her name, but she doesn't hear me so I tap her on the shoulder and receive a fleeting glance before her eyes return to the game.

"How'd it go?" she says loudly. I can barely understand her through the noise.

"Not so good," I say desperate for a hug, but her attention is divided between the game and me.

Her body tenses, her fists clench, and a huge grin is waiting to break free. "Watch!" She tells me enthralled.

"I really don't feel like--"

"Watch!" she shouts even louder and turns my head towards the opponents' goal.

I almost miss it but our Number Eleven kicks the ball with such force and speed that it appears to fly inaccurately and way too far to the right. I am sure the ball will miss the goal but it travels in a slight curve and zaps right by the hands of the goalkeeper, inevitably hitting the top right corner of the net with perfect precision. 

The stadium quakes from the roar of applause and cheers and the bleachers are trembling from the crowd's stomping feet. I get jostled and shoved by the people around me. Someone even spills their drink on my shoes, but for some reason I don't care. My eyes won't look away from Number Eleven. Even with my socks being soaked in coke, my mind is suddenly deserted of anger and annoyance, for all I can see and think about is this one person. Link.

I've never been interested in sports, but that goal did something to me. I feel energized, inspired, optimistic, and yet pessimistic at the same time. Why am I feeling so many different emotions all of a sudden?

As soon as the score changes to 1:0 and the big screen replays the action in slow motion, everyone fixes their eyes on the board as our team storms at Link, pouring hugs and gratitude all over him. I am not the only person who is looking at Link, I know that, but am I the only one to notice that out of thousands of people he seems to be the only one who isn't cheering? Well, apart from me. We're both still like two rocks at a shore of crashing waves. His eyes find me in the crowd and the whole stadium goes silent. 

Or so it seems. People are still roaring and pushing me around as they're celebrating carelessly, but I don't hear any of that, for I am entranced and utterly inclined by Link. His eyes are locked on me, teammates are praising him, cheerleaders are shouting his name passionately, the moderator honors his name through the speakers, and yet his world seems to be as mute as mine. No smile, no frown. Just his eyes gazing up at me. I want to know what he's thinking.

"What a goal!" says Impa and snaps me out of it. I can hear the noise of the stadium again. "Sorry about that. What were you saying?"

It takes me a few seconds to sort my thoughts and refill my head with worry. "Father told me to change my major. I know I promised I'd watch the game, but can we please--"

"What?" she says at full volume and I'm not sure if she's shocked or just didn't hear me through the noise.

"I have to change my major," I repeat even louder and feel the burning of tears in my eyes once again.

"Let's go somewhere quiet," she suggests and I can only manage to give a thankful nod.

Impa takes my hand and leaves the stadium with me. I look back at Link, and his eyes are still on me. He must be glad that I'm leaving after I yelled at him earlier.

Impa and I decide to sit on a bench next to an illuminated eagle statue. It's quiet where we are but the distant cheering is still audible. It doesn't bother me though because I am finally alone with Impa.

"So," she says and bites her lip. "What did he say?"

I tell her about his request and the fact that I didn't say anything to him.

"Wow," she raises both eyebrows.

"Yeah... I feel so guilty. I shouldn't have lied to him in the first place."

"What else were you supposed to do? He can't choose your career for you."

"Apparently he can..."

"You're not changing your major!" She jumps up for dramatic effect. "Biology is your passion!"

"Impa..." I don't think she understands that I have no choice. "I can't just go against his word."

"Yes, you can."

"No, I can't."

"Come on, Zelda. All your life you've been following orders to please your father. It's time you make a choice that will make you happy."

"But if my choice makes him unhappy, then I'm not happy either. I want him to accept me for who I am and to be proud of my achievements."

"I see." She holds her chin and thinks of solutions. "I wish you could just duplicate and take both majors at once."

"Me too... Wait... That could work! That's brilliant!"

"Duplicating? That's not brilliant, it's science fiction."

"Not that! Taking both majors at once! I can double major in biology AND political science."

"Still not brilliant. Suicidal, yes. Brilliant, no."

"I can do it! I'd do anything to study biology."

Doubt is clear on her face but a warm smile slowly blooms for me. "You're right. If you want to double major I believe you can do it. You're the smartest person I know."

"You really think that?" I need her to really convince me before I lose the courage again to tell Father.

"Of course! You just have to stop partying every weekend. Oh wait, that's me."

We both laugh and I get the hug I've been longing all day.

"What next?" She says as our hug loosens. "Wanna watch the rest of the game?"

"Not really, but I also don't want to go home."

"We could go to the pier," she suggests but I shake my head.

"I better get home. Father is probably putting me up for adoption as we are speaking," I joke. I would have loved to go to the pier and distract my mind, but it's a school night and I don't want to hurt Father even more by staying out for too long.

I drive off campus and onto the main road. The route I'm taking follows the beach for about twenty miles and my eyes jump between road and beach more often than they should.

If Impa wasn't at the game right now she'd be at the arcade on the pier, wasting her money on the same claw crane over and over until she wins the plush animal she's had her eyes on for months. She won't give in until she gets what she wants. It's something I admire about her. All throughout High School, Impa's dream was to join the military but when our chemistry teacher claimed that she only chose that path because no college would ever accept her, she just smirked at the guy and later got accepted by one of the country's most prestigious ivy league schools just to prove him wrong.

As I get to my private road on the top of the hills, houses become mansions, yards turn into pools, and the driveways look like they need their own street names. I approach the largest house at top of the hill and its tall gates open slowly. 

The house towers over me with its three stories and colossal palm trees. I'm surprised to see that Father's car is parked in the driveway and I enter the house prepared for a speech full of disappointment and resentment. The living room is deserted, I suppose Father is in his home study. I head upstairs unnoticed but Father is already standing in my room, his face grim as always.

"Father," I greet him, "you're home early."

"Were you at the soccer game?" He asks and I am a little creeped out by his very random and yet extremely accurate guess.

"Y..yes?" He's frowning, but he always does, so I can't really tell if he's angry. "But... But I left before it had really begun."

"Do you have a boyfriend?"

I cough and choke a little from his bolt question. "What?"

He holds my phone up, showing a photo of Link on the lineup before the game started.

I have so many questions and so much to say in my defense, I don't even know where to start.