Two-thirds of the season had passed and Crestwood were in the thick of the title race. Every weekend brought pressure and every training session felt harder than the previous one. On Sunday afternoon Ethan, Callum, and Mason decided to give themselves a break and hang out together. The three of them sat in the cafe with burgers, fries, and shakes spread across the table. For once it they felt like three teenagers trying to feel normal.
Callum leaned back in his chair with a grin. "Golden Boot's basically mine already, no one can catch me now."
"You do realize half of your goals come from Ethan right?" Mason retorted.
Ethan laughed, "Half? More like three quarters."
Callum shot him a mock glare. "Excuse me? Who's the one putting the ball into the net?"
"Who's the one getting you the ball?" Ethan replied.
Mason chuckled, "This is what I've been saying all season. Without Ethan you would be running around like a chicken with its head cut off."
Callum rolled his eyes. "Alright alright I get the point. Maybe I do owe a few assists in return."
Ethan leaned forward pretending to take notes, "You hear that Mason? Callum Reid promises to pass the ball once in his life."
They all burst out laughing drawing glances from nearby tables.
Later the trio wandered back to the arcade. Mason went straight to the basketball machine to attempt to beat his own high score. As he took his place, Callum muttered, "Watch him miss his first three shots."
Sure enough, Mason's first three shots clanked off the rim and rolled harmlessly back to him.
Ethan started laughing, "Midfield general, high score holder and now a washed basketball player."
"You can keep laughing all you want, but you're next Eastfield." Mason replied.
Ethan stepped up and surprised everybody, hitting five shots in a row. "Not bad right?"
Callum clapped sarcastically, "Wow, you got a whole ten points."
"Hey now, it's better than Mason's first three." Ethan shot back.
Mason sighed, "I should just stick to football."
As the sun started to set, the three walked to the bus stop. Callum kicked a bottle along the pavement still talking about his goals. Mason talked about controlling the midfield. Ethan finally cut in his tone serious for a moment. 'You know, we're not that far off from actually winning this thing. People keep saying that it's Westford's title to lose, but I don't see why it can't be ours. We're only one point behind them with 6 games to play."
"That's the spirit." Mason replied.
Callum grinned. "As long as you keep feeding me, I'll win us that title."
Ethan shook his head, "Always about you isn't it?"
"Of course," Callum said proudly.
They all broke into laughter again, but Ethan's words lingered. For the first time he wasn't just chasing a dream. He believed Crestwood could really do it.