Crestwood was firmly in the title race at the midway point of the season. For Ethan every week felt like a blur of school, training, and then matches on weekends. Every team had this weekend off to rest up and prepare for the second half of the season. Ethan sat at his desk staring at a pile of homework that wasn't going to do itself. Assignments blurred together. Ethan rubbed his eyes and yawned. Football had always come naturally, but school took a different type of focus. His mum poked her head in his room.
"Still studying?" she asked.
Ethan nodded, "I'll fall behind if I don't catch up this weekend. I don't want to let you down."
His mum smiled. "You've already made me proud. Just remember to do your best and that's enough."
At Eastfield Secondary, Ethan's life was different now. Classmates now whispered to each other every time Ethan walked past them. Some congratulated him on his performances, while other teased him if Crestwood didn't win. Ethan just wanted to be known as the same Ethan they had grown up with. He didn't want to be seen as a different person.
That evening his little sister, Sarah, begged him to come out and play with her. Ethan followed her into the back garden. They set up makeshift goals using flowerpotsas the goalposts. For fifteen minutes he wasn't Crestwood's playmaker or Eastfield's prodigy. He was a big brother. When Sophie finally scored past him, she ran laps around the garden. Ethan laughed until his sides hurt.
That night Ethan sat by his bedroom window with his notebook open. He was jotting down goals he had for the second half of the season.
Stay focused
Don't get rattled
Keep improving
Help Crestwood win the league
The words looked small on the page compared to the weight he felt on his shoulders. Ethan thought about the trial at Crestwood, the roar of the crowd every time Crestwood scored, and the memories he made with Callum and Mason. He realized he wasn't alone on this journey. He closed the notebook and smiled. Half of the season was already gone, but the hardest part was still to come. Ethan Matthews was ready.