The Goal Is Your Heart » Max Meyer

7. shall we start over?

I wasn't sure I heard them leaving the previous night; on top of that the morning seemed a little too quiet. I opened the door as slowly as I could, doing my best not to make any sound. Just as I had expected, the boys were all asleep in the living room. Franco Di Santo was there, and so was Leroy Sane, my brother and Leon. But there was no sign of -

"Oh hey there."

I almost jumped in shock. "You scared me," I uttered under my breath. 

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," he said. In his hands were a bowl of cereal and a cup of milk; it seemed like Max was having his breakfast. 

"Um," I looked at the four boys lying all over the living room and then back at Max, "you guys do this a lot?"

"Only when we win," he laughed, "Jules didn't say anything about this?"

I shook my head, "not that I can remember."

"I see. Uh, breakfast?" He asked.

"No I'm good, thanks," I smiled. Well, I did want to join him but I didn't want to sit beside him smelling like I just woke up. Maybe if I showered real quick he would still be there when I'm done. I ran to the toilet as Max seated himself at the kitchen counter. 

~

The boys were all still fast asleep when I was done; and it was 12 in the afternoon! I peeped into the kitchen. Max was there eating his bowl of cereal. 'Wow he is one slow eater,' I thought to myself, giggling quietly. 

'Okay, how do I do this? Do I just walk up to him and join him? Should I bring him something?'

Then, I remembered that I owed him something! I went into my room and grabbed one of the many bottled waters that I kept beside my bed.

"This is for you," I proclaimed like I was holding holy water, placing the bottled water beside him on the table. He looked up at me, frowning in confusion.

"For the bottle of water I wasted the other day," I laughed nervously. "I'm sorry. Again."

I counted exactly three seconds before he burst out laughing. "It's okay really," his eyes were a beautiful hazelnut brown. "I should apologize for that too, I had a really bad morning and I wasn't -- you know what, those are just excuses. I'm sorry."

"Oh no it's just me, I'm a really clumsy person. I once slipped while running around the house and pulled Julian down with me trying to save myself."

'Did I just talk too much?'

Max chuckled, and my face grew red.

"You talk really fast too," he smiled. I could have sworn my face was growing even more red.

"I tell you what, let's start this thing again," he cleared his throat and held out his hand. "Nice to meet you, I'm Max Meyer."

Luckily, my hands weren't frozen in their places. I took his hand and shook it. His grip on my hand felt just right, very firm and assuring.

"I'm Kyra Draxler. Nice to meet you too," I paused for a moment. I was so relieved he wasn't the guy I thought he was. 

"I, uh, watched your game yesterday," I told him. By then I was already seated on the stool beside him. "You guys were awesome."

"Really? I felt like we didn't really do our best yesterday."

"Okay maybe Shakhtar Donetsk did play slightly better. But overall you guys were great!"

"Thanks!" He looked surprised that I had said that. "You seem to know quite a bit about football. Is it because of Julian?"

I laughed, "I actually watch the EPL back home."

"Oh really?"

We spent the next thirty minutes talking about the English Premier League, the Bundesliga, and my childhood with Julian. He and my brother were good friends, but there was a lot he didn't know about him when he was much younger. As he laughed at my stories, I couldn't help but feel my heart flutter a little. I hadn't felt that happy since I saw Julian again after two whole years.

~

"So apparently, they stayed over the night playing video games and watching football," I told Jade as she handed me another cup to dry. 

"Woah, do they do that all the time?"

"Only when they win." I didn't notice it but I was smiling to myself. But Jade noticed.

"Did something else happen?" She grinned at me.

'Am I blushing again?'

"No, nothing else happened!" I waved away her assumption.

*JINGLE JINGLE* 

"Are you sure?" She was smirking at me now. Was I that bad at lying?

Luckily, or unluckily as I learned later, the customer appeared at the counter. Jade was the cashier today, so she greeted them as usual.

"Hello there! Welcome to - hey aren't you..."

I strained my neck to see who is was.

"Oh hey there!" Seamus waved at me excitedly when he saw me. Oh shit.

~

I placed his coffee on the table and took my seat across from him. "Sorry I didn't text you," I bit my lip, "I've been quite busy." I was lying.

"It's okay really. What a huge coincidence that you work here though, we could meet up more."

"Yeah," I said. I didn't know how to tell him I did not exactly want to meet him more.

"So how've you been?"

"Okay," I shrugged, "I've been preparing my portfolio for university."

"Me too!" he smiled, " are you still trying for Fachhochschule?"

Of course he remembered. "Yeah," I smiled for the first time at him.

"There's that smile," he exclaimed, just like he used to whenever I did something amazing. I instantly erased the smile. I wanted to cringe; why is he talking to me as if we are on great terms?

He must have read my mind because he sighed and the smile on his face disappeared.

"Look, I know we don't have the best history but I'm here, I love coffee and I would love for us to just put the past behind us and be friends again."

I didn't know how to say no to him.

"We have so much to catch up on."

I couldn't say no.

"Please?"

Of course I didn't.

"Yeah, I suppose we should put the past behind us," I exhaled. He smiled at me. "Thank you Kyra."

"So I heard Everton lost a game yesterday," he said, immediately turning back into his cheeky self.

I smiled; I guess he hasn't changed at all.