A cold afternoon, The pitch was damp with a day's worth of rain, the ball was slippery, moving across the wet grass with baffling speed, as shouts echoed from the sideline.
First-year students were scattered around the field for a quick morning game, a few older boys were leaned against the fence, and the school coach, Joe willock was watching closely.
"pass!" Sonny called for the ball, the ball is played by the right back into Sonny's feet. He manages to get past the first defender, but Damien, a Technical Type player, and a long time bully of Sonny, covers up and pulls him into a 1 v 1 situation.
Demain was calm and gave a solid smirk on his face "Still traitless huh?, You should try chess for a change" he said.
Sonny, afraid and frustrated, sees by the corner of his eye the left winger, Theo harrow making a run, and screeching for the ball
"Ayy, pass it here!"
He notices the passing lane is being blocked off by the right back, so he tries to play an intricate pass with the outside of his left boot.
But, just as he tries to play the pass, Damien intercept the bal with ease.
Sonny misplaced the pass, and Damien intercepts. He shifts his weight with a quick shoulder feint, Sonny bites, and Damien escaped.
Damien drives forward with speed The first two defenders blocked his way. He drags the ball across his body with the outside of his boot, slipping through the narrowest gap with ease.
The Third defender steps up. A solid drag back to the side, followed up with a solid chop, and the ball snaps to his right foot. Conversations withered mid-sentence as everyone's head turned.
He was twenty-five yards out, At a tight angle. Damien's eyes pinned on the goal.
The air felt thinner. At the peak of the silence, Damien uses his ability "Zero Angle Curve."
His foot whips across the ball.
It bends unnaturally, the keeper shifts late. The ball swerves, slicing through rain-heavy air before slamming into the top corner.
Everywhere goes Silent for a second. Then noise.
"GOOAALL!!!" The crowd of students watching the freshman game screamed with excitement.
Damien doesn't even look surprised. He turns, looks at Sonny and smirks.
Theo's face is soar and annoyed, steadily boiling with rage "Sonny! i told you to pass the freaking ball!"
Sonny aquardly tries to laugh it off "Hehe, sorry about that"
Theo takes a deep breath and calms down "Mmhmm... its cool, just try and be faster. You wont make the school team with this form"
"I'll get better. I'll try harder next time"
"sure, whatever you say bro"
"Alright everyone, gather around!" Says joe willock, with a tactical board on his right hand calls for attention.
"As you all know, the National college championship is right around the corner. And as you should know, the old team have graduated from this school. This mean we have to start building for the next generation of Rivermark Academy players"
There was loud wave of whispers ripples through the air
"Does this mean I can get in the team?!"
"I heard, if you do well in school training, top scouts could actually take notice"
Sonny, was the most excited out of everyone, this was his chance to get recognition, after being kicked out of every academy he's been to becuase, he was slow to activate his trait. He finally has a chance to show what he has.
"Alright calm down gentlemen" joe said.
"A trial will be held. This trial isnt going to be for everyone, some of you may pass if your skill is good enough, and most you will fail. What I want is for you alll to give you ultimate best, and enjoy yourselves! Alright boys?!"
"Yes sir" The young students let out a jubilant cry
"Trials begin in one week, then selection for the school team will be made"
The murmurs stirred up again, but this time with even more hope than the last
"If I get into the school team, I'll be on target to getting into los blancos in no time"
"Yeah! The Red Devils are already calling my name!" Another cheered
Sonny was optimistic, he's arms filled with goosebumps but doubt was creeping in "i have to make this team, but i dont even know what my trait is" he muttered to himself with a short frown on his face
Sonny's trait always fails to activate during games, he does a few good skills and some nice passes, but his trait has never been able to show itself.
Football is a culture here, traits are a huge part of that culture, most people who dont have good traits struggle to make a name for themselves.
Later that afternoon, Sonny was on his way home and saw a little kid playing around with a ball, in the park across the street.
He immediately got a flashback to his younger years, when football was just a fun game he always found joy in playing.
He remembered playing with his dad in their backyard. His dad would pass him the ball, and he would shoot at a small goal post, and celebrate the "SIIUU!" Celebration.
But currently, things weren't like that anymore, too much pressure on him achieving the football dream got in the way. A dream his father achieved before him.
He decided to join in, and play a little football with the kid.
"Yoo kid!, pass it" he said with a joy in his tone and a bright smile.
"Okay!" The kid cheered
He spent 30 minutes playing with the kid, got some mud on his jeans beforethe kid's dad came to pick him up, to go back home.
Sonny sat on a bench to rest and looked up to the sky with a smile on his face. It had been a long time since he's experienced such joy playing football, then he remembered he he had to go back home .
"Oh crap, its 6 pm already, I need to get back home, mom's gonna be so mad" he Blurted with shock on his face.
He races back home, removes his shoes, greets his mom, changes his clothes, eats dinner and tunes in an old football match on YouTube. While watching, he notices a great player.
"Hmm... Zinedine Zidane" He said.
He admires how Zidane escapes pressure, calms down the game and passes the ball with ease. Zidane was one of Sonny's idols, but he always saw Ronaldo as the GOAT.
Sonny creeped towards the edge of his seat "Zidane never panics, always scans... its almost like he knows where the everyone is on the pitch..he knew what is going to happen before it even occured"
BZZZ BZZZ
He gets a notification on his phone. It's an email from the his school, Rivermark Academy. He had applied to join the trial and all participants were sent the same email, to inform them the date.
His thumb hovered over the glass, trembling with excitement
"21st, june huh... thats next week Thursda. I gotta be ready by then " he said
But there was a notice by the end of the email, the school emphasised that students with unique traits had a higher chance to make it to the team. He read the words again, his heart bumping with a sharp rhythm against his chest.
For someone who dosent know his trait, this was almost an obvious "just give up, you have no chance" message. But Sonny seemed determined, he wasn't going to back down now, not after all the rejection he's faced.
He turned off the phone, stood up and locked at himself the in the mirror. He had a locked-in stare "1 week huh..."
He closed his hand into a hard, tight fist, A single nod followed the tightening of his fist— the decision was made.
"That's all i need"