Tyler pushed open his window as his alarm started going off. He cursed silently under his breath and leant over with one hand to turn it off. The window pulled his hand down into its crushing embrace as he flicked the switch. He stifled his cries of pain.
With the alarm now off though he pulled the window open again and climbed through. He dragged his bag after him and then silently closed the window. Slinking away into the night he made his way to where Scott was waiting with his car, so the two of them could head off for their first game.
He clenched and unclenched his hand to try and get feeling back into his fingers.
The nights were starting to warm up, with the onset of summer, but they were still a little chilly. Running around would warm him up though. Even so he was wearing some running shorts that came just above his knees, and a tight fitting training top. Over this he had a light jumper and his soccer boots hung over his shoulder with their laces tied.
He threw them into the back seat and lowered himself to fit into Scott's car. His knees cramped against the dashboard and he tried to put the seatbelt on but to no avail. He dragged his bag up onto his lap and prepared for the ride.
Scott started laughing at him as he did every time he got into the car. Tyler's six foot odd frame wasn't built for hatchbacks, whereas Scott's five and a half foot frame was. Scott was dressed in similar attire, his bag on the back seat. He put the car into gear and they started off to their first match.
“Why did you have to have such a small car?” Tyler twisted and turned to find a better way to sit.
“You're the one who asked for a lift,” he said as he changed gears, “so don't complain too loudly. Save that energy for the game.”
“It’s all good, it’s all good. Just don't want to injure myself before we play.”
“Oh, I wouldn't worry about that. Instead I would suggest not wearing those boots of yours for the match.”
“What? Why?” Tyler turned in the seat, moving one leg up, the other down, and looked at his boots.
“Oh, no, go ahead and wear them.” Scott sat in the seat chuckling the rest of the way to the youth centre.
When they got there and stopped the car they noticed a few other cars about, and their three team mates came over and joined them. Dennis was wearing his soccer uniform, with the exception of having his running shoes on.
David had dressed himself in some jeans and an old t-shirt, runners on as well. He yawned as if everyone was keeping him up past his bed time. Whereas Gavin was in similar clothes to Scott and Tyler. They all grabbed their bags and made for where everyone else seemed to be going.
“Well this will be interesting,” Tyler spoke to the others as they walked, “I hope you're all ready for our first taste. You better get ready to David, it’s not far off twelve.”
“More prepared than I could be Ty.”
Tyler stopped and turned to look at him.
“But, um, don't you need to go get changed?”
“What? Oh, no. I think you guys went a little over the top. But I'm surprised you didn't gel your hair Ty.”
Tyler rubbed his hand through his hair and had the look of forgetting something. “Knew I forgot something.”
“Let’s get in anyway, we only have five minutes before the match starts,” Scott started walking again, trying to force the others to move on. They did so and soon they were standing on the polished wooden floorboards that were the old basketball court in the youth centre. The five of them went off to one side to throw their bags down.
Tyler threw off his shoes and quickly laced up his boots. He grabbed his pads from his bag like Scott and Dennis were doing, and shoved them down into his socks. Then he tied his socks off with a length of electrical tape. He stood, and jumped a few times. Then started stretching.
A short man in a black and white striped top moved into the court, another followed just behind him. They dropped a soccer ball into the middle of the court and looked at both ends at the goals that were set up. Once they were happy with how everything was they nodded. The short one raised his arms to get the attention of the two teams.
Tyler looked down the other end and saw the team they were facing. They were big bruisers. All of them were tall, if not quite as tall as Tyler was. But each of them was solid, and it would take some force to knock them over.
“They look like a bunch of union players,” Tyler said jokingly to his team. They looked down and then looked at him.
“I recognise a few. They are union players,” Gavin nodded glumly.
“OK players, can we have your attention. Seems a few rules were missed on the website. It was quite hastily put up and sponsors were surprised at the amount of replies they got. But here they are,” the referee spoke loudly and clearly so that all in the court could hear, “firstly, the goal keeper cannot score from inside the goal circle.
Secondly, there are to be no weapons or foreign objects. And lastly, all teams are allowed a two minute time out in the case of injuries and the like. Now we have thirty minutes, and the boundaries are clearly defined by the basketball court lines. If the ball goes out, it’s a kick in from where it went out. As the Hawks are visiting this court, they get to kick off.”
He blew his whistle and backed away from where the ball was placed in the centre of the court. The Hawks moved into their positions. Scott went into goal, slapping his hands together inside his gloves to get the blood flowing. Dennis held back just outside the goal circle. David moved off to the left and Gavin went and stood beside the ball. Tyler hung a few paces behind Gavin, twisting his foot on the floor.
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A long, droning whistle sounded and the game was under way. Gavin tapped it forward slightly and moved out of the way. The Boars, as their opponents were called, started charging down on the ball. Tyler took two quick steps forward, planting his foot beside the ball and let out an almighty kick.
It sailed and spun and collided with the back of the net with force. The Boars were stunned. Tyler, on the other hand, lost his balance on the slippery floor, his foot flying forward and he crashed to the ground hard, landing on his back. He groaned.
Gavin moved over to help him up, laughing all the while.
“I told you not to wear them,” Scott called down from the goals.
While the Hawks were laughing though, the Boars were still standing stunned. They looked at each other then looked at the ball in the goals. Their goalie hadn't even had a chance to move. They scratched their heads and brought the ball back to the centre. The whistle blew again allowing them to restart.
They tried the same thing, tapping the ball forward and then having another player run and kick it at goals. The Hawks stood there watching as the ball sailed well wide and high, hitting an old backboard that was off to the side.
“No extra points for getting it in the net,” Gavin called out to them.
“Well, we gotta try something. You guys look like you're a class above us.”
Scott grabbed the ball and gave it to Dennis, who was standing ready to kick it back into play. Gavin and David took off to the other end, as did Tyler. Dennis kicked the ball and Tyler tried to turn, but his boots came out from under him and he crashed to the ground, sliding for a few metres.
Meanwhile the ball sailed over the heads of the Boars to where David caught it on his chest. He let it drop, then lobbed it towards the top of the goal circle, where Gavin easily collected it on his head and slid it into the back of the goal for another point.
David and Gavin congratulated themselves, then went over to help Tyler up.
“Go and change back into your runners mate.”
Tyler just shook his head and persevered.
The game continued much as it had started. The Hawks kept piling on the goals with their simple passes and shots, finding unmarked players and getting it past the goalie with ease. On the occasion the ball travelled towards the other goals Scott caught it with ease and brought it back into play. Tyler kept sliding this way and that, not able to keep on his feet for too long.
Eventually he called a time-out. The scores were at eight to nothing and there seemed to be about five minutes left. The Hawks all came together over near their bag, where Tyler ripped off his boots and put his runners back on.
“I hope the rest of the teams are like this,” said Gavin jokingly to his team-mates.
“I don't think they will be. But we got lucky this time. I just hope our other three matches are just as lucky. If we can beat these knock outs, then the real fun will start,” Tyler finished tying up his shoes and stood, testing how they moved on the ground.
The whistle blew and the game was restarted. Which wasn't a pretty sight for the Boars. They went from facing three competent players to facing four, and three more goals were put away in quick succession, two of them by Tyler.
The whistle blew to signal the end of the game and the Hawks let up a cheer. The teams shook hands and then separated. A referee walked over to each team.
“That's it for the game then. Hawks beat Raging Boars eleven to zero. We'll take the scores in and you'll find out your next match very soon. The sponsors want these knock outs over in a week.” With those final words the referee turned and walked off, taking the ball with him.
The Hawks left the centre feeling great as the Boars trudged away. They quickly said their goodbyes then Scott dropped Tyler back off at home.
“Hopefully I find out tomorrow about our next game,” Tyler waved to Scott as he departed.
He opened the window again and climbed through, only to find Aaron sitting in his computer chair.
“So, have a good game?”
“Why do you assume I was out playing something?”
“Well,” Aaron spread his hands wide and shrugged, “it could be the sports bag and soccer boots. But that would just be a wild guess.”
“Hmm, you’re cleverer than you look,” Tyler dumped everything on the ground as he usually did, “fine, fine, just don't tell mum and dad.”
“Look, you're old enough to do what you want. We are both twenty. I just urge some caution. You might not know what you’re getting yourself into. And your grades better not start slipping.”
“HA! My grades can’t slip any more than they have.”
“OK, I'll go now. Just be careful next time. I won’t be hiding any of this from the folks. If they find out you've been playing street soccer at midnight, let it be on your head. It's just a friendly warning.”
With that Aaron got up and left the room, leaving Tyler to collapse on the bed. He rubbed his knees and elbows, where his sliding had caused him to get some burns from the wood. He wouldn't be wearing his boots again, that's for sure.