Think You Can Beat Me?

Whaaaaaaaaaaa?

The rest of the team watched as Hope took off her captain band and slapped it into Tobin's Hand. 

I've always thought the captain band was just a neon color, and never realised that it actually glows. Maybe I'm just hallucinating.

I look at my team.

Then look back at the band.

Yup, definitely glowing.

Whatever.

As I was about to talk with the referee and try to trick her into saying that I'm Megan's sister and has the same last name as her, Alex stops me. I turn around and couldn't believe my eyes. She was holding my jersey in her hand. I completely forgot about that.

"Is this what you're looking for?" Her raspy voice brought me out of my daze staring down at my jersey.

"Ho-....How?.... Wha??" As I look into her eyes, I see a variety of emotions. I see the happiness from the twinkle of her eye, sympathy from the ways her eyelids are drooping on the sides, but most of all, I see an unknown emotion. Whatever it is, it gives me a flutter in my stomach. 

"I know that you've stopped playing, and only watch from the sidelines. But I've seen you in multiple occasions just wanting to step on the field and shout, even thought you can't 'cause you were scared someone was going to recognise you.  If you weren't playing a good game, I wasn't. 'Cause you're just that important to me. Which was why I always brought your jersey to every game, hoping you would be able to come out and play."

As I listened to her speech, we both started to tear up. This was how it was all along. Just us two, best friends, with a unique bond that no one could understand. How we could make eye-contact and understand if the other wants help in a prank. How with just a nod with our head, we could create the perfect play. Most of all, how we would just stare into each other eyes and break down crying. 

"This belongs to you, Toby."

I stare down at my jersey, then back at her.

"One-seven?"

She nods understandingly, and whispers back to me, "One-seven."

I walk to the sidelines with Alex by my side. I look up and see all of our teammates trying to be subtle by glancing at Alex and I. Keyword, trying. Feeling the tightness of the captain band around my bicep, I get a boost of confidence.

"Wall!" I shout, and all of my teammates except for Meghan and Julie knew what's happening. They had only joined the school in freshman year, which meant they weren't on the middle school team. There was a time where Hope was playing outfield because of a new goalie being a bish, she made Hope play outfield. At half time, we were down 3-0. The goalie was so mad from embarrassment that she had just ran off the field. Just before the game started, we realised that Hope needed to change into the goalie uniform, but since the goalie uniform was tight and a long sleeve she couldn't just do the put-on-your-other-shirt-then-take-it-out-from-under technique, we made a small circle wall blocking her. 

Everyone scrambled to make a circle facing outwards as I stepped into the opening. I took off my blue plain shirt and put on the jersey.

The material felt cool on my body, and that put chills up and down my spine. I retied my ponytail, and slip on my shin guards. 

"Sleeves or nah?" 

I look up and see Carli next to me holding soccer leg-sleeves with our team name next to it. That was what I normally wore, just sleeves to keep my shin guards in place. The alternative was just to wear my shinguards and socks super low.

Today was a sleeve day.

"Sleeves. Thanks, dude." For once in a long time, I smiled a genuine smile. 

I stand up once I had put on my gear and gave our assistant coach a smile.

He nodded and walked to the ref. 

"GET ON THE FIELD AND SHOW THEM WHAT WE REALLY ARE MADE OF! GUYS COME ON!" 

Everyone walks on the field, and just as I was about to stand next to that dude holding the substitution board thing, someone stops me. Lex. She gave me a smile and whisper in my ear, "Lez go cap." 

The crowd didn't exactly register who exactly was going up from just looking at the green light shining 17. That is, until someone shouted, "THAT'S HEATH!!!" That woke everyone up, as the crowd suddenly roared so loud the ground seemed to vibrate. I mean, if they were a Jersey Tigers fan, it must be a pretty big deal if you finally see your captain playing. 

For the first time since forever, I stepped onto a soccer field to represent my school.