Chapter 4: Competition
1156 Words
The stadium was full of noise, vendors yelling out their wares, and cheerfully excited fans seeking their seats. We got comfortable, Ava insisting on buying ice cream for the three of us. She also got extra hot dogs and kept dunking into the ice cream while chanting, "Go Winfield!"
Lyra sighed as she looked around the stadium. She had been here only a couple of times, mostly when she dated Bryce. He'd never wanted her around the stadium much, and now she wondered if it was because of Natasha, the cheerleader captain, playing in her mini-skirt. Lyra scoffed with jealousy, thinking, *Maybe she's the reason Bryce didn't want me here, so I wouldn't see them together. Cheap slut. At least Liam's breakup with her is a relief.*
Natasha took her exit, and the teams seemed finally rolling into the arena. The crowd quieted down as every school sang its national anthem, with tension in the air building.
Finally, the match started, and it was Liam in great form. He began by bypassing the first defender, running very silky while maintaining first-class possession. Faked left, then darted right—another defender biting the dust. The crowd erupted in a roar as he neared the goal.
"Liam takes the ball," boomed his voice over the speakers. "He's weaving through the defense with some incredible skill!"
Liam juked a final move on the goalie, sending the ball sailing into the net. The stadium erupted in cheers.
"Goal! Liam scores the first goal for Winfield!" the commentator hollered, and you could hear it in his voice.
Everybody around us jumped up to their feet, cheering and clapping. Ava and Sarah were practically bouncing with excitement.
I saw Liam running down the field. How fast was he? It was as though he wasn't moving, just going fast—like he wasn't even human. Flashes of that one night, the fiery red of his glowing eyes, flipped through my mind. What is Liam? I asked—yet the shrill call of the whistle snapped me back to reality.
The opposition started a fight with Liam, and the Winfield crowd hooted loudly. Before kick-off, the referee warned both teams. The opposition quickly went near our goal post but Bryce, our defender, intercepted and kicked the ball back into play. Liam took possession; the opposition rushed towards him like rabid dogs.
Liam skilfully fended several players off him but one player came from behind and kicked him and both of them went down. The referee blew his whistle again before the commentators said that the game was getting increasingly foul. A stunned silence followed the moment when the player who had kicked Liam ended up with his leg broken while Liam was walking up to the ground from where he was lying with his flawless body completely intact.
Play continued, and Liam was awarded a free kick. He rose, focused, and the ball flew into the net once more. The crowd cheered again.
"Goal! Liam does it again for Winfield!" shouted the commentator, in a booming voice. "He is striking like lightning!"
The referee blew the whistle; it was the end of the game. Liam took off his shirt to celebrate, showing off his lean, God-like body. He locked eyes with me; a smug, lustful side of his face looked directly at me. How could he spot me among all those students? I blushed my heart racing.
Ava and Sarah were bouncing up and down, but something in what Liam had done had made my unease mixed with attraction swirl in my stomach. His abilities were simply incredible—supernatural. As we shot off to leave the venue, I could not help but shoot a last look his way. His eyes locked with mine again, and another shiver ran down my back.
As we left the stadium, still pumping, my heart felt as if it would explode from Liam's performance. Much to my surprise, here he was before me, the radiant, bare-chested cup of huh beaded with sweat. His carved abs and toned body were unmistakable; I could not fail to notice.
"Liam," I started, trying to steady my racing heart, "what do you need?"
His expression was tight, his eyes pressing into mine, and the intensity sent shivers down my spine. "I need your help," he said, serious.
I blinked at the sudden request. "Help with what?" I asked, my voice betraying how curious I was.
Liam took a step closer to me, his voice whispering low. "Come to my room," he said, his tone almost commanding. "Please."
My heart pounded in my chest. "Why? What for?" I managed to ask, with my mind racing with possibilities.
He turned a shade hesitant before giving me that kind of smile that sent something stirring inside of me. "You will see when you get there," he said mysteriously, turning and walking away—leaving me stunned, unsure.
Ava and Sarah rushed over, their faces being pictures of shock and excitement. "Lyra, did he just invite you?" Ava gasped.
I nodded slowly, my mind still reeling at what had just transpired before. That invitation to join Liam was so impromptu but, on the other hand, I could not just shy away from this mysterious call. Still, caution jerked at my thoughts—I barely knew Liam beyond his charismatic exterior and his prowess on the field.
"He wants you to go to his room?" Sarah asked, arching an eyebrow.
I nodded again. I just couldn't process everything. "I don't know what to do," I finally admitted, at last, torn between curiosity and reservation.
Ava flashed a big smile in my direction. "Well, it appears that he wants to do something more than football talk."
I carefully made my way into Liam's room to be struck, quite literally, by that effervescent atmosphere of a party—as the music thumped and students laughed and talked. I immediately looked around for Liam; all these people were in there, so I couldn't figure out why he wanted me there.
Close to the corner, watching Bryce and Natasha in a hot debate, stood Liam. I could hear Natasha's voice over the music, her sharp-cut words carried above it as she spoke with great emphasis.
"I can't do this anymore, Bryce," said Natasha, with finality. "I need to move on; I need to upgrade myself. I'm going back to Liam."
Bryce scowled at her, his grip on her hand tightening. "What are you talking about? You are the reason I left Lyra. Now you're going to leave me?"
Natasha laughed haughtily. "Oh, Bryce, if you knew how many boys I've dated, you would know I am not one to stay stagnant."
And suddenly, and quite involuntarily, I caught myself eavesdropping. Natasha turned suddenly and caught my eye; a look of disdain crossed her face.
"If you are going to eavesdrop, at least do it properly," Natasha sneered before turning away dismissively.
- Writer
