Chapter 9 - Tomlinson

I watch the game from the bench as my other teammates give their best. We’re on the second half and we’re tied at one. We really need to score another goal and I’m getting really nervous. But I have faith, we can do this.

I have all this energy bubbling inside of me. The coach normally doesn’t let me play the whole game, although he told me I was playing better and that if he decided to put me in, this time I was going to play as a midfield, which makes me even more excited.

I look at the bleachers at some point and I immediately see her, cheering, jumping and screaming for our team. She doesn’t even look in my direction and I smile, used to this. Yeah, she went to wish me luck which I never expected she would do, but it was rather awkward. This is more like her, to forget about everything just to focus on the game.

Seeing her is the only thing that makes me slow down a bit and breathe during this match.

Since that day she helped me with my injuries we’ve talked and we have friendly conversations when we run into each other, but it’s not like we became good friends and hang out every other day. I wish we could be close, but we are not. Still, it’s better than what we were before and I’m already happy about that. At least she knows my name and notices me at practice, she smiles and even waves at me.

If this is not improvement, then I don’t know what that is.

To be honest, things are turning quite all right to me lately. I’ve proved the coach I’m more than what he’s seen so far, and that I’m trying even harder. I got Robin to notice me. And I may play as a midfield today.

I really don’t have a reason to complain, but of course, I’m not satisfied. I want more. I want more as a player, I want more with Robin. But my mum raised me properly and she always told me to be a gentleman, to always treat a girl right. She recently broke up with Connor, and even if he is a dick, she needs time to move on from that relationship and I can’t push her or anything. I can’t just jump on her and ask her out when she hasn’t been single for a month. She needs time before she even thinks of a relationship and I’m giving her that before I even try to make a move. However, I’m a bit weary she only sees me as a distant friend, as an acquaintance only. Maybe I’m stuck in the friend-zone already.

“Tomlinson!” coach Meyer shouts and I snap back to reality, focusing on him. “You come in next. Get ready.”

It takes me three full seconds to realise what he’s said and when I do I literally jump up, taking off the hoodie and just staying in my team uniform. I start running from one side to the other, raising my legs, warming up for the game. I’m so excited and ready for this. I’m sure this time Robin will see me, the coach will pay more attention to me as I know he’s testing me as a midfielder, so I have to do my best. I will do my best.

After a few minutes I’m ready and the coach gives the instructions so I go in for Johnny Daniels.

As I make my way to my position on the field I take a quick look at Robin and I see her even more excited, yelling at her friend, Jamie. I can’t stop the smile from coming to my lips and I just get more determined to do my best now, to show that I’m a good player. Everyone will see it.

The whistle blows, indicating the time is running again and the games carries on. I’m a hundred and ten per cent concentrated on the game now, the ball is all I’m thinking about, and helping my team to score.

I steal the ball, I assist on many moves and in more than one occasion we’re so close to score it really feels like a punch in the guts when we don’t. But we don’t give up, we keep trying, we keep giving our best. But my teammates are tired, even Connor, who’s the star of the team. They are not as fast, they can’t endure as much. And the other team is the same, although they also made some changes in the team to keep it going.

I study our opponent quickly and I realise I can do it, I can take advantage of this and try to score myself. Or at least, make them believe I will do it. All the other players focus on blocking Connor because they know he’s always the one who scores, the one we pass the ball to, so the blocking to other players is not as strong. And I need to take advantage of that.

For that reason, the next time I get hold of the ball instead of going right, I go left to where Tom, the other forward, is and we both run as fast as we can. I dodge the defence and get dangerously close to the goal and that’s when all the defence come over me so I pass it to Tom who’s ready. This is our chance. He’ll make it. This time he’ll make it!

But the goalkeeper blocks the balls at the last minute.

He throws it in my direction and although I still have two players near, I jump and, taking all the impulse I can, kick the ball as I twist my body. The ball flies into the goal as I hit the ground but it doesn’t matter how hard I hit my body because I make it, I score a goal.

For a second the world stops and I only see the ball buried in the net and I even hold my breath before I hear the screams and I realise what I did. And that’s the moment I jump and scream my lungs out, running to my teammates to celebrate the goal that gives us the advantage we needed to win this game. And I scored that goal. I did it!

As I hug and I’m hugged by my teammates, I take a look at Robin on the bleachers and I see her screaming like crazy, both she and Jamie hugging each other and jumping up and down and my smile is even wider.

I did it!

And there are just a few minutes left that pass in a blurry after that glorious moment, after that goal that gave us the victory for this match so when the whistle blows we all scream and start cheering. My teammates tackle me and congratulate me and I’m in such a rush that I even take my shirt off and start waving it in the air with my mates in a victory dance.

We won this match. I scored the goal that marked the difference. I actually did it.

Even coach Meyer congratulates me, the cheerleaders, the other players on the bench. They congratulate me even more than they congratulate Connor, who did the first goal.

I’m so immerse in all this euphoria that I don’t notice when she approaches me until hear her shouting my name.

“Louis! Louis!”

Startled, I turn around and my smile is so wide when I see her, her hazel eyes shining so bright, so happy, her smile so lovely. All her, so beautiful. And when we are face to face she literally jumps into my arms, hugging me tightly and I don’t think she minds I’m all sweaty and shirtless. I certainly don’t mind and I hug her even tighter, lifting her from the floor as I pull her as close as I can.

We didn’t only win the match, I also have Robin running to me, to hug me. I have her in my arms right now. Could this get any better?

“Congratulations!” She exclaims but I don’t let her go. Not yet.

I take a deep breath and hug her a bit tighter before I let her go and loose the embrace, but my hands are still on her waist and hers on my chest, above my tattoo and I feel like my skin is burning under her touch.

“You were incredible. That goal? That goal was amazing. The power with which you kicked the ball. Even I felt it! It was amazing!” she exclaims and I don’t get to say anything else when she hugs me again.

Believe me, I’m not complaining. Not at all.

“Thank you,” I say when she pulls back, her smile so wide and beautiful. Beautiful like her.

“That was an amazing game, really.”

I know it’s lame, but I can’t stop smiling and having her so close only makes me smile even more foolishly at her. I can’t help it, I swear I can’t. But then she notices how close we are, how my hands are on her waist, keeping her close, and how her hands are on my skin, raising and falling along with my chest. And I notice the change in her, the moment she tenses up because I can feel it in the way her whole body is stiff now and how she pulls her hands back.

“Uh I so… yeah, congratulations. Again,” she says, backing off and I don’t want to let her go, but I have to.

Plus, right in that moment my best friend arrives, running. And for the look in his face I know he was waiting until things got awkward between Robin and I to approach.

“Congratulations, mate! That was an amazing game,” he says, stopping in front of us. “Hi, Robin.”

“Hi, Harry,” she replies smiling sweetly, stepping a bit farther away from me.

“Louis, you really smashed this game! We totally need to celebrate. There’s a party at the bar, you know? We’re all going! Are you going too, Robin?” Harry asks and I thank god that he’s talking and making all this possible. I wouldn’t have thought of inviting her to celebrate the victory, even if the whole team is going.

“Uh,” she says, a bit taken aback. I stare at her expectantly, hoping she’ll say yes.

Robin meets my eyes and I hope I don’t look as desperate as I feel, but I really want her to come. It doesn’t look that appealing to celebrate without her. I mean, I’m still going to go and have fun, but I want her there.

“I-I guess. I’ll have to ask Jamie, but I’m sure she’s up to go, too. The usual bar?” she asks and Harry nods, standing next to me and wrapping his arm around my shoulder. “Then yeah, I think we are going.”

“Great! We’ll see you there, then. This boy here needs to shower. He stinks, doesn’t he?” Harry says and I look at him mortified, but Robin only giggles.

“I didn’t notice,” she replies.

“I did and believe me, he does. So see you later!” Harry speaks again, totally taking control of the situation. “And make sure to convince Jamie to go.”

“Will do,” Robin laughs. “See you there.” Then she looks at me, her smile is so sweet but a bit shy. “See you, Louis. Great game!”

“See ya, Robin,” I reply and then Harry starts to drag me out of the field, although I want to stay there, with Robin. But he’s right, I do stink. And she has to go and talk to Jamie if I really want to see her tonight.

“You better make a move tonight, mate,” Harry says as he keeps leading me to the lockers. “And really, that was an amazing game.”

“Thanks,” I say, not really answering to the making a move thing but thinking about it.

I’ll see tonight how things go, for now, shower time.

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Dedication to @sup_everyone. I'm glad you understand why Robin is taking things slowly.

Bel, xx