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17) Why Soccer Is Evil

There are many reasons why I like the rain.

The sounds it makes when it hits the window pane is extremely calming.
The musky smell it leaves afterwards.
It's a great excuse to stay inside and read.
And a new one that I have recently come to enjoy is that it's very good reason to cancel sports games. Sadly this includes soccer.

When it gets to Friday afternoon I'm finally ready to go home, relax and read a book in a cocoon of blankets.

My day had been pretty bland until my last double English period got cancelled . Our teachers had a fallen down a flight of stairs and for some odd reason thinks resting will help a broken ankle and bruised ego. She's such a pansy. If I can do an exam with a bleeding nose she can teach with a broken ankle.

But on the positive side, we got to leave early which means more reading time for me!

As soon as I get home I immediately change into trackies and a hoodie that is three sizes too big for me.

I make myself a cup of tea and acquire a large bowl of chips to prepare myself for not moving from my bed for the next 5 hours.

Just as I get comfortable in my pile of blankets and pillows an extremely annoying tapping noise comes from my window.

"LET ME IN!" I hear a voice yell from the other side. Maybe if I ignore it will go away.

The tapping sadly continues.

Reluctantly I turn my head to spot Zoe standing outside in the cold without a jumper. "No. I want alone time with my books. Which does not include you, so you may leave and go plot along to somewhere that has a heater. I don't want you catching a cold and sneezing all over me. Now if you don't mind I have an over dramatic rebellious female character to get back to shipping with every living thing in this book."

"Come on ,please" She sulks "It's getting cold out here. Do you want me to turn into a human popsicle?"

Staying in the same spot and refusing move seemed like the best way to show her I'm not going to be getting up anytime soon "There's a fly screen on the window which will mean a lot of effort and work for me to get it off. Though the front door is unlocked so you can enter the house like a normal person if you'd prefer," I suggest the easier option which she accepts gladly ,running to the front door and slamming it closed after her arrival.

Zoe flings her bag across the room and instinctively jumps under the covers next to me.
"I come with good news my cocooned friend," her smile is too happy to be actual news.

I prop myself up further so I can sit next to my friend that is now taking up most of my bed "The world has recognised how amazingly spectacular I am and is giving me a lifetime supply of cookies and cream ice cream?"

"No. The fields have finally dried up from the rain and the guys can play soccer now," she prompts trying to trigger the memory of a promise I made not too long ago.

"I think we have different definitions of good news," I avoid her stare and hope she won't ask again but like any annoying friend she takes my bowl of chips and refuses to give them back to me until I say I will go. "I also don't see why my presence is needed."

"Your best friend and your boyfr-" Zoe pauses, looking at me for confirmation but all I can give her is a shrug.

"-Aaron" Zoe continues "are both playing an important game and you're going to be there to support them"

Looking back down to my book I try to come up with the best excuse possible why I don't need to go which ends up being "I'll be with them in heart and spirit, while staying in my bed, avoiding any type of ball that will hit me and leave me traumatised for life." Maybe I'm being a little over dramatic.

Shaking her head at my pathetic excuse Zoe pulls me up and out of bed "I highly doubt you will get hit by a ball in such a large crowd. So let's get you dressed and out of the house. The game starts in an hour but I want to get good seats."

Hesitating, I consider the worst thing that could happen is that I get hit by a super hard soccer ball, get knocked out and be put into a coma for 150 years. Now that I think about it, that doesn't sound like a bad idea, a nap that long could do me some good.

Staring out the window I watch the trees all swaying together meaning that there's going to be the wind.

I don't like the wind.

I don't like going outside either but it looks like I won't be getting much of a say as I'm apparently now going to see people (I barely know) play a sport (I don't care about) outside (in the cold). I'd better be getting food for all the trouble I'm going through to be there.

Taking my extra fluffy beanie off the shelf and wrapping my multi-coloured knitted scarf around my neck I follow Zoe outside. The wind picks up and tosses my scarf around in my face as soon as I leave the house.

See, even Mother Nature is against me coming outside .

You don't argue with Mother Nature.

Taking a deep breath I inhale the fresh air which smells surprisingly like chicken soup. If I knew air smelt this good I would have opened up my window more often.
"I'm ready for this."

***
The field is surprising already packed with what looks like almost half the school when we arrive. I still don't understand what the big fuss is about. It's just soccar, right?

I attach myself to Zoe like glue as we weave our way through the crowd. There's no way I'm getting swept away into the mass of strangers, who knows where I'll end up.

I stop abruptly when I remember a very important factor of watching soccer "We're not sitting on the ground to watch the game are we? These are my fancy trackies; they're the only pair I'm allowed to wear in public. I don't want to get dirt all over them."

She looks at me like I just said the stupidest thing in the world.

"The school has stands they bring out for occasions like this and before you ask where they hide something so massive. It's the storeroom you think they're keeping a secret stash of confiscated junk food."

Struggling to walk up the metal steps I start to regret coming here in the first place. I thought all I had to do was sit and watch but right now it feels like I'm doing a full work out. How could I let Zoe drag me out of my bed for this?

I stop and sit down on the bench, trying to catch my breath "I don't see why we had to come. It's just a bunch of guys running after a ball and trying to kick each other in the shins."

My best friend sits beside me ,catching her breath as well. It's nice to know that she's as unfit as me "We came to support our friend Charlie and the other really cute guys who happen to also be on the same team." She sighs, eyes transfixed on the guys jogging up and down the field "Hopefully they'll take their shirts off"

I tut in disapproval .

"Did I say that out loud?" Her ears start to turn a darker shade of pink.

"Yep, loud and clear. Maybe they'll take off their sweat-drenched shirts and throw them all at you at once."

"Death by inhaling too much cologne and testosterone," she considers "I could live with."

I look around trying to look for someone familiar when I spot Charlie doing weird leg stretches. Being the supportive best friend I am, I wave and give him a thumbs up. After finally getting his attention I get a goofy smile plus an awkward fist bump to the air.

Funnily enough, I get the attention of Aaron as well who beams an award-winning smile in my direction. As both guys start to wave in my direction they get slapped simultaneously on the back of their heads by Sam. He looks like he's trying to give a lecture to a pair of 3-year-olds because neither are paying attention. Who can blame them?

The game begins soon after with the referee blowing his little whistle. The teams start to charge towards each other, all aiming to reach the single ball in the middle. If they are going to fight over a stupid ball you might as well just give them all their own one so they can be happy and I won't need to come to another game again. See, it's a win-win situation.

As the game starts to progress I seem to be getting into the action a bit more.

"Kick them in the shins. Show no mercy!" I shout over the crowd. Sadly the guys cannot hear my great advice from this far away.

Zoe has also gotten into the team spirit as well "Tackle them!"

Confused with what she said I turn around "I think you've got the wrong sport there Zo, you tackle people in football, not soccer. Even I know that."

She rolls her eyes "Tackling means you go up to an opponent and take away the ball. Soccer isn't a violent sport; the worst thing that could happen would be ahead or leg injury. There is no jumping and tackling people to the ground. The ball is completely harmless."

To prove her point about the ball being nothing but a blown up plastic sphere, one comes straight towards me and before I know it, hits me straight on the forehead. If I had known it was going to be raining balls I would have brought my umbrella.

My head starts to throb from the impact of the ball so I sit back down before I can attract any more attention.

"See," Zoe pats me on the head in an unsuccessful way to comfort me "not a mark or bruise left behind. Well except that huge red bugle that's growing on your head" she inspects my forehead closer.

"What?" I pull out my phone and use the front camera to inspect the damage.

"Oh, nothing. Look," trying to distract me she points back over to the guys walking back to the bench "The game's finished, let's go congratulate them on their win. Come on, we can worry about the red spot later."

We walk down the field towards where the team has started to gather. Aaron comes up to me first and greets me with a sweaty hug "I saw that you got hit by the ball again. You weren't kidding when you said that you're a ball magnet," he settles an arm around my waist. My face is probably turning the same colour of my red bump at this point in time.

"What can I say, I'm just that attractive," pulling my scarf tighter around my neck.

All eyes seem to start to study what I'm wearing. Okay so I may look slightly like a homeless person but at least I'm colour co-ordinated.

"You look um-" Aaron pauses obviously trying to find the word to express how amazing my fashion sense is today.

"Warm," Charlie finishes, putting on a jacket over his jersey.

I look down at my jumper and trackies "Well, I didn't really know what to wear to a soccer game because I don't usually go outside after 4 pm. Who knows what the weather would be like?" a cold breeze sweeping through the field makes my point more valid

"She also refused to get changed," Zoe adds on with everybody nodding understanding how stubborn and difficult I can be.

"Looks like the ball magnet and main comedy attraction has decided to pay us a visit .Why are you dressed as a blanket Goblin?" Sam comes around drinking his Gatorade.

"A what?" we all look at him in confusion. Does anything he says really ever make sense?

"You know, a goblin? The small ugly pestering creatures nobody likes and well it looks like you're being eaten up by clothing that is three sizes too big for you. Which is a surprise looking at the size of your-"

I try to make a move to tackle him but I'm held back by Aaron "Let me at him!"

"Please don't beat up our only good defensive midfielder," He says calmly.

Joel comes out of nowhere like usual "Hey, that my position too you know."

I go up to Joel and give him a friendly punch on the arm "Good job keeping the bench warm today, couldn't have done a better job myself."

He shrugs, taking the very small compliment to heart "I try. I'm really the backbone of the team, Lee and I keep the seats warm and give great moral support. I don't know what the team would do without us."

Aaron turns to me and grabs my hand, I should have worn gloves "So you're coming to the after party tonight right?" his smile is almost convincing enough to make me go.

Shaking my head I pull away "Sorry, no. I don't really do parties and I've already spent too much time away from my bed so I'll have to decline the offer for tonight."

The light in his eyes start to dim but he seems to shake it off as he nods towards Charlie "I guess I'll see you later on then," he walk away swiftly without looking back.

My other best friend starts to usher me towards the car "So I know that this week hasn't been the greatest so I thought we might go on a shopping trip."

"Charlie, shopping trips are Zoe's thing that she forces me to do. You need to find something different," I sigh feeling exhausted, all that cheering has made me tired.

"Did I mention we were going to KMART?" he says with a sly grin.

When I hear that word my body instantly gets a hit of adrenalin "KMART! What are we waiting for? There are discounted hexagonal frames that I don't need but wants to be bought."

Who's ready to go to heaven on earth?

Cupcake Theory #17
Stay inside. Soccer is dangerous. Especially the balls

:):):)
What's up my fellow trackie wearing peeps!!

So to find inspiration for today's chapter I watched a movie called 'Kicking and Screaming'
If you have not seen this movie go and watch it now
It will change your life.

I just wanted to thank you guys for putting up with my spelling mistakes and random writing. It means so much that you're still reading this book and haven't left it for a book with a million likes and views

Till next time *throws down smoke bomb to make cool exist but chokes on smoke instead*

Lots of painful soccer balls to the head
Theforgottonone 🐄