THE WHISTLE BLAST marks the second half of the 90-minute all-out war taking place on a strictly delimited battlefield also known as the CAU soccer field. Cheers echo around the stadium as we lunge forward, ready for blood and glory. My cleats dig into the freshly mowed grass of the soccer field as I run with the ball in between my leg. I'm all dirt, sweat, and grime by this point in the game. My white and blue Jersey was stained with dirt and grass strains from the other team players constantly on my ass and the referee's obvious bias for the other team because he's yet to call them out on their bullshit.

It's a close game at 2-2 and CAU is surprisingly putting up quite the fight. My forward and both side midfielders are being suffocated by their players playing defense. I count my chances and take advantage of the space in front of me and dribble forward the goalpost despite the defensive players waiting ahead for me. I can see Jaylen running not too far from me and he lifts up his tattooed hands, ready for a save should I attempt to shoot from afar. I've done it before and scored more than once, but there's no way I'll be able to make it past CAU's sturdy defense I could pass it to Jaylen and I know he's expecting it — anticipating it like he's always done.

From the corner of my eyes, I can see another player open to my right and as Jaylen ease closer toward me for the pass I let my impulsiveness take over and flicked the ball over to the other player only to regret it instantly when CAU intercepted, their number 19 player taking the ball between his legs before running halfway towards our goalpost where Caleb stood. Number 19 kicked the ball and luckily Caleb knock it away from the goal just before it could smash against the net scoring them a point.

I hear Coach Carter's familiar whistle crack through the Friday night air signaling a time-out. The CAU players retreat to their side of the field and we return to ours with sweat dripping from our foreheads and our palms and kneecaps stained with grass and dirt. We huddle up, the water boy Diaz squirting electrolytes into our dried-out mouths and handing us towels to clean our faces but just as Idris is about to get a waterfall Carter snatches the bottle from his hand and tosses it to the ground.

"What the hell is your problem Bergman," He charged over to me and I immediately straighten up. "Park was wide open and you decided to pass the ball to Jones?!"

Jaylen comes over at the mention of his name, chewed up mouth guard dangling from his lips. "Yeah, I was wide open man. I could've easily got around those guys," he said to me, his voice immediately sending a surge of something through me that suddenly made the night air seem chill.

I clung to myself. "No, you wouldn't. That's why they were over there they knew I would pass it to you."

Jaylen kissed his teeth at me, brows furrowing down into a soft glare. "Them guys don't know shit, Bergman—

"Yes, they did. Why can't you even just fucking listen to me for once?"

"Because you never make sense!"

"And you do!?"

Carter blows his whistle again causing both of us to wince, Jaylen even going as far as to cover his ears with both hands at the piercing sound. "You two ladies need to get whatever problem you have with each other under control while your out here on this field!" Carter sent us both a menacing look, his bald head wrinkling as he stared at us with his menacing eyes so we know he was serious. "Squish that shit now and handle it off the field but once you two step foot on this field all that shit goes out the window. Now settle that shit before I settle it for you both and sit your asses on the bench for the remainder of the game."

Jaylen and I both exchanged a quick knowing glance. Obviously knowing Carter would never in his life do that. I'm pretty sure he'd sell his right kidney before ever sitting us both out during a game, but the fact that he even said it was just as terrifying, and how we knew he was beyond pissed at the both of us.

"Get it the fuck together." Carter barked before making his way over to some other players to chew them out next. Carter left an open void once he left me and Jaylen alone beside one another. I stood with my arms crossed over my chest and Jaylen stood inches away chewing on his mouth guard. We sit knee-deep in silence. My cleats begin digging into the ground beneath us out of instinct.

I see the referee hold up his index finger indicating we had one minute left until we had to be back up on the field.

Pride is a scary thing. It holds a person back from things that matter — things that are bigger than yourself. Humility. Is something I think everyone should have because humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less and as I stood here on the sidelines with Jaylen in absolute complete silence with the entire CU soccer team behind us on their last breath giving their all to win this game I realize how this is so much bigger than us — bigger than whatever it is we have going on. I turn to face him opening my mouth to speak but when I turn he's already facing me with his mouth open as well.

"You first . . ." Jaylen spoke, his voice warming me up inside and I unfolded my arms from around myself at the sudden feeling. "Why do you always kick with your right?" I bluntly asked him.

Jaylen raised a brow up at me clearly not expecting that to come out of my mouth. "What?"

"Your right foot. You always kick with it, literally always."

He shrugged his shoulders at me. "I don't know. I've never really paid attention to it. It's my good foot I guess."

"You can't kick with your left?"

"I've never tried Bergman," He openly admitted, exhaling a sigh right after. "what the hell does this have to do with anything?"

I stepped closer to him, feeling the warmth radiating off his steaming body, face covered in dirt and grass sprinkled in his hair. I'm tempted to pick out the strands but we don't have the time and I turn my attention back to him. "Those guys are always expecting you to kick with your right which is why they're always on your right. If I send you the ball you have to promise me you'll send it with your left."

Jaylen blinked at me and I could see the hesitation in his eyes under the first-night lights. "W-what? I'm not gonna risk that. It could cost us the whole game."

"It won't!"

"How do you know that Bergman?"

"Because I trust you," I tell him, a hand finding its way to his shoulder. I could see him tense under my grip, eyes darting to my hand and then back to me. "I trust you and I trust your abilities. You can do it. I don't have any doubts about it." Jaylen blinked at me, brown eyes taking me in for a moment but before either of us could get another word out the referee whistle blew signaling for us to get back on the field.

I take my place on the field near Froy and Jaylen, doing my best to ignore the brown eyes staring at me and the clenched chiseled jaw they belonged to.

I just hope he listens.

The game is back in full force and the soccer field is a war zone filled with Trojan Warriors again. Idris passes me the ball and I tuck it in between my legs before taking off the down the field. I can see Jaylen zooming down, a few of the opposing team players behind and in front of him. They stay close to his right as I had predicted. He turns around, his eyes knowingly finding me. I take a deep breath and let my body work on instinct. Jaylen starts pushing forward faster than ever and once he's open I send the ball flying his way.

He takes in between his legs, a trial of warriors behind him trying to intercept, but Jaylen's quick and smooth. Dodging a few hits here and there without much effort. His tongue pokes the inside of his cheeks as he comes closer to the goal, the player already on guard waiting for his next move, but Jaylen doesn't do the expectant and does something different, bringing his left foot forward to make contact with the ball.

One, two, three steps. Kick.

The ball flies over the wall, its trajectory curving enough for the goalkeeper to miss it. He tries extending his fingers grazing the black-and-white sphere, but Jaylen put so much force and power behind his move that he can't stop it from ending in the left top corner of the next.

Goal.

The team rushes to embrace their captain, and I barely even have time to see Jaylen before he's engulfed in a group hug by the players, bodies piling up one by one. I stood in the back as I watched Jaylen get his praise, Froy picking the boy up over his head and placing him on his shoulders as they chanted his name.

"I knew you could do it." I'm so far back from the celebration it's nearly impossible that he heard me but I said it nonetheless anyway. He deserves it.

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EXCUSE ANY MISTAKES OR ERRORS