The King of City

20 THE TEAM

As Elsa promised, she made an appointment with the football team coach herself to ask him to let his friend Larson present the test to belong to the team.

"Dear Elsa, I can allow your friend to present the team entrance tests, but you know the character of Bennet, he only lets those who like him enter the team, as much as I’m a coach I cannot control the influences that the senator has in this university and therefore Bennet”. Said the coach sadly and helplessly.

"I know coach, and that is why our team sucks, they aren’t a real team, they don’t work together to achieve a goal". replied Elsa. "I simply ask him to give me all his help so that at least the test that my friend presents be clean". Was the favor that Elsa asked the coach.

"I see it’s difficult, if I get to face Bennet with just one call, his father can take me out of college and leave me unemployed for the rest of my life".

"There must be some way so that he doesn't get away with it."

“Let's do something Elsa, I know that you have good intentions not only with your friend but also with the university team, but here we cannot touch on that subject. I propose to meet you at the restaurant that is two blocks from here at around 11:00 a.m., we’ll think of some solution; But I already warn you that you cannot tell anyone that I’m going to help you or give you ideas” the coach whispered because he didn’t want anyone to listen to him at the university.

"Deal done coach, in a couple of hours I see you in the restaurant, you are very kind".

When Elsa left the coach's office, she ran into Bennet, who was going to look for some game sheets:

"Elsa from my heart, is it a privilege to have you through these halls of athletes you come to visit me?" Bennet said trying to flirt with Elsa.

"You're so funny, Bennet". She smiled hypocritically. "I came because I wanted to know the days and hours that the team trains".

"That’s great news, we’d be delighted to have you as a spectator". said Bennet, who was unable to hide his pride.

"You know I love watching football games and matches, from time to time it's okay to support the team”.

"Elsa from my heart, your support would be an honor for us". said Bennet.

"Nice Bennet, and when are you going to allow new players to join the team?".

"Next week is supposed to be the tests, I'm dying to see how those silly aspirants suffer". Bennet smiled.

"That's why they never win anything, you just want to have fun at the expense of others, you don't mind finding good players". Said Elsa, a little annoyed by the answer Bennet had given her minutes before.

"Elsa dear, don't get me wrong, I haven't been capable to find a good boy for the team so far". Bennet lied because he couldn't look like a jerk to her.

"I refuse to attend your practices if you’re going to destroy the applicants". Elsa said as she continued walking through the corridors.

"Come, come ... I promise I’ll be a good person; come to training, you’d be an excellent spectator". Bennet reflected.

"Okay, count on my assistance, but if at any time I see you terrorize or mistreat an applicant, I'm leaving. You understand?". Elsa said firmly.

"As you say, princess...".

"I’ve to go, Bennet, I have an appointment in an hour".

Elsa was grateful to run into Bennet because she could use a psychological trick that would prevent the boy from being cruel in the tests to choose the new players of the team, for if Bennet attacked an applicant he would earn her contempt and it was the last thing he wanted. She thought that would give her an advantage, she only had to listen to the coach's ideas to make the choice totally fair and clean.

When she arrived at the restaurant, the coach was waiting for her at the bar:

"Elsa dear, have a seat, we shouldn't be long. I’ve got the last time meeting in a few minutes”.

"It won't take us long, coach, I just want to hear the ideas that you’re going to propose to me”.

"It occurred to me that the day of the tests you can broadcast the time it will take place on social networks, and if there are good players with the pressure of the crowd, Bennet won’t be capable to reject them so easily". It was the coach's idea.

“Coach is an excellent idea, that boy loves to be popular and if he rejects a good player, he will surely win the hatred of the entire university, I’ll take care of inviting many students myself. That stadium will look very full, it will look like a final”. Elsa said excitingly.

"Yes dear, that is the only help I can give you".

"It's a great idea coach, thanks for your support."

"It’s with pleasure my dear, tell your friend to come to my office tomorrow to register".

"Of course, coach, count on it."

Elsa left the restaurant very happy because she would make the qualifying rounds fair, then she called Lionel to come to see her:

“Larson, you can come for me now. I also have a surprise for you”.

"A surprise?". Lionel asked.

"Yes, you will love it”.

Lionel didn’t take long to go through the place where Elsa was, once inside the vehicle she told him that she already had everything ready for him to appear for the tests to belong to the team:

"You really are very proactive". said Lionel.

The day of the tests arrived, the stadium was full of attendees, and the boys who were going to present the tests were formed into a team that would face the best players of the official university team. To Bennet's surprise, Lionel was on the other team as an applicant.

"THAT i***t WHAT'S DOING HERE?". Bennet said angrily.

"He’s another candidate". replied the coach.

"I'm not going to let him in". Bennet told his teammates.

"Boys to that fool of number 10, hit him hard during the game, hit him, you have my permission".

When the game started, Lionel was attacked countless times, which prevented his team from scoring goals; at first, the Bennet team was crushing them.

"To hell with everything". Said Lionel who wasn’t willing to be defeated.

As he could he avoided the blows of the other players and took the quarterback's place to lead the other teammates:

"You, locate yourself there and you on this other side, we cannot let these damned ones trample on us!" Lionel expressed.

His teammates didn’t take long to form, the strategy was that while the members of the other team attacked Lionel, he would dodge them and throw the ball to another player to be in charge of scoring the goals. In 5 minutes, they had already tied.

"Damn idiots, they caught up with us," Bennet said angrily.

Bennet didn’t care about the crowd and tried to injure Lionel, who realized the boy's intentions in time and managed to make him fall before he could injure Lionel, with Bennet on the floor Lionel's team managed to score the goal of the victory.

"I won’t let you into the team, you committed a foul". Were the words of Bennet.

He hadn’t finished his sentence when the crowd started booing and yelling at him:

"LOSER, LOSER".

"He won’t enter the team". Said Bennet and went to the dressing rooms, however, the coach interrupted him and stopped him:

"Bennet you cannot let the fury finish you, before all these people, the boy is going to join the team".

Bennet a little calmer, he reflected and thought that it wasn’t the time to win the hatred of all his companions, therefore, he had no choice but to accept his destiny.

"Come in". were his last words before leaving.

Meanwhile, Lionel was enjoying his triumph.