Axel

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- Axel -

"Come on guys! We have to work harder if we want to win the soccer frontier!" Mark tells us, a smile plastered across his face.

I sigh. Mark is such an optimist. He definitely believes in us with all his heart. 

"Hey, Axel! Why don't we go over to the other field to practice our new move together?" Austin asks excitedly.  I nod. 

"Good idea guys, I'll come too and try to block it!" Mark smiles. "Darren, you take over as goalkeeper." Mark adds.

Darren nods. "Yes, captain." He smiles and Mark nods.

Austin, Mark, and I head over to the second field. Austin and I have been trying to master a move together for a while, but the thing is that I always get distracted. It's like the fact that my father doesn't support my soccer career is a big, grey cloud that blocks my concentration. 

Austin can tell that something is wrong and he keeps asking me if I'm okay. I either tell him that I'm fine or I ignore him. I know that he cares, but it's not his business. It's no one's business but mine. 

"Hey, Axel! I was thinking of naming our move 'Tiger Storm'! What do you think?" Austin asks.

"Cool." I nod. Austin smiles gleefully. 

...

After practicing all day, we head in for dinner. 

"That was fun, but now I'm STARVED!" Mark exclaims.

"Is there ever a time when you're not starved?" Nelly asks.

"Well, I guess not..." Mark admits and lets out a laugh.

"Hey, um, guys, I'm gonna head home for dinner." Austin tells the group.

"Austin, why do you always leave us?" Hurley asks.

"I just don't want my mother to work the restaurant without my help... it can get pretty crowded around dinner time." Austin answers. 

"You guys are forgetting that Austin is also one of our youngest players" I say.

"Yeah,  Axel's right guys." Mark agrees. Austin blushes, but tries to hide it. 

"Okay, well, anyone else wanna go home?" Austin asks. "Axel?" He looks at me, his large, green eyes hopeful.

I want to say no. I do not want to return home and face a long conversation with my father about becoming a doctor, but now that I think of it, my father will probably be mad if I come home too late. That's why I nod.

"Axel, you too?!" Jude asks. 

I nod, "Julia says that she wishes she could see me more often. We barely have five minutes to talk when we're together." I tell the team, referring to my sister. They all nod, understandingly.

"Okay, well see you guys tomorrow then." Mark says.

Austin and I nod. 

"Have fun," Austin tells them as we turn to go home.

 As we walk, Austin gushes over how someday he's going to be an even better player than me. 

"You know, before I met you, I was like your BIGGEST fan?" He tells me. I raise my eyebrows.

"It's true! I knew every single one of your killer moves and you don't know how many times I have tried to master them! I guess only Axel Blaze can do 'fire tornado' flawlessly, huh?" He continues.

I smirk. "Should I be creeped out?" I ask.

"Uh, maybe a little..." He says, smiling.

"Hey, um we're here." I say. We stand in front of Austin's family's restaurant. 

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