Keegan’s Team

“Alright dude,” Keegan says, clasping your arm as you head over to his side. A quick backwards glance lets you know that Mars and Valentine are talking with each other now.

Daphne sets the ball down in the centre of the pitch and starts the kick-off, where a tall Indian guy on your team manages to quickly seize control of the ball and play it forward to a winger, one of the blonde twins. She beats pass a defender with practiced ease, the guy tripping and falling to the side, and dribbles towards the box. You feel concern as you see two other defenders closing in on her, sure to take back possession, but at the last moment, she flicks the ball to the side, where her twin intercepts it.

With a clear shot opened up, the twin drives the ball home, kicking it straight towards the net. The goalkeeper makes a heroic dive, his fingertips grazing the ball, and it’s just enough to knock it out the side of the goal. It’s a corner, then. You push up with the other defenders, two guys and a girl that you don’t know, anticipating the potential counterattack.

There’s a moment of tension as one of the blonde twins (even if you knew their names, you can’t tell who is who) stands by the ball, looking for opening. She lobs it into the box, where a few players jostle for control. A tall guy from the other team wins out, the ball bouncing from his chest to his feet, and he dribbles forwards towards you.

He beats the first person with ease, passing to another midfielder who returns it to him immediately, and now it’s your time to shine. You track the oncoming player’s feet and eyes, trying to read his next move. When he brings the ball left, you’re already there for the tackle. With the ball under your control now, you dribble forwards, looking for an opening.

It comes just as two midfielders close in on you, and you make a short pass to one of the blonde twins, who gives you a winning smile as she gets a touch on the ball.

The game carries on in this fashion for a while longer. Every time the ball crosses into your half of the pitch, you’re there to intercept, and without fail, you manage to clear the ball and return it to your midfielders and forwards. With plenty of time to find goals, you find yourself up 2-0 by the time Daphne blows on her whistle again, calling for the end of the game.

Daphne makes some comments about the matching, the usual stuff about being impressed with what people displayed today, and she notes that she’ll put a notice on the website by tomorrow indicating who’s been selected for the team. The first practice, she emphasizes, will be on Wednesday, because the first team match will be a home game over the weekend, meaning that training needs to happen ASAP.

“Come on man, you could have at least given me a chance or two to display my skills,” Keegan says as the two of you walk off the pitch.

“Sure, but then you would make the team, and I would have to deal with your ugly face for the rest of the year,” you retort.

“Piss off,” Keegan says with a laugh.

The two of you continue the banter as you get changed, and it ends with Keegan chortling and rushing off as he realises that he has a date to keep. You, on the other hand, have no such thing at the moment, so you head for the dining hall.

Scanning the tables, you see Dominic, your RA.

“Hey Alex,” he calls out, waving you over. “I wanted to check in and see how your first day in was, especially given the more unusual circumstances. Want to get dinner and have a quick chat?”

“Sure, be right back,” you say, heading for the food line.

After getting some pork chops and mashed potatoes, you return to the seating area. As you’re heading towards Dominic’s table, you spot Christina talking with Charmaine at a closer table. Both of them catch your eye at the same time, and your heart skips a beat. Can you pass up on this opportunity to flirt with two hot girls to talk with Dominic?

Keegan +10
Mars -2
Valentine -2