The sun hung high over Will Stone Academy, and Class 7B gathered on the football field again. Students still talked about Daniel Stone's performance from the last match.
Daniel, still wearing the box on his head, stretched quietly at the edge of the field. Beside him, Amani, Renée, Luna, Brian, Dimitris, and Odin warmed up.
Odin, normally loud and confident, couldn't stop glancing at Luna. She was calm, observant, tying her shoelaces and adjusting her sleeve. He felt a strange flutter in his chest.
Brian nudged him. "Stop staring and focus on the game."
Odin shrugged but couldn't hide the smile as Luna glanced at him and gave a small, polite smile back.
Renée clapped her hands. "Same teams as yesterday. Daniel, you're with me, Luna, and Amani. Brian, Dimitris, and Odin are on the other side."
Daniel nodded once. No words, no hesitation.
The whistle blew, and the game started fast. Renée sprinted toward the ball, dodging Brian who tried to intercept.
Odin noticed Luna moving across the field, scanning every player, predicting every pass. She's good… really good, he thought.
Daniel intercepted the ball and dribbled past the other team, moving like he had done this hundreds of times. Even with the box on his head, he was smooth and precise.
"Pass here, Daniel!" Renée shouted.
Daniel kicked the ball perfectly to Luna. She controlled it with ease, her focus sharp. Odin ran to block her, but tripped slightly on the uneven grass. Luna glanced at him and instinctively held out her hand.
Odin caught her hand to steady himself. Their eyes met for a second.
Brian whispered to Dimitris, "Dude… I think Odin just likes Luna."
Renée laughed. "Focus on the game, not gossip!"
Luna quickly passed the ball to Renée, who sprinted to the goal. She kicked it just as the whistle blew—GOAL!
Cheers erupted. Even Odin, flustered, couldn't stop smiling at Luna.
After the game, students gathered near the benches, sweaty and dusty.
"You were amazing," Renée told Daniel. "Even better than yesterday."
Daniel shrugged. "It was just football."
Amani smiled. "You're calm, Daniel. Always calm."
Brian nudged Dimitris. "See? He's not just the boy with the box."
Odin hesitated, then walked next to Luna. "Hey… you were really good out there."
Luna smiled softly. "Thanks. You were too… even with the trips."
Odin chuckled. "Yeah… thanks for helping me up."
Daniel observed silently. He didn't need to comment; the interaction spoke for itself.
Renée teased Brian about missing a pass. Dimitris leaned against the wall, arms crossed, observing everyone quietly.
The bell rang. Students headed back inside for class.
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Inside, Mr. Daniels assigned a group project: a poster about school safety.
"Group One: Daniel, Amani, Renée, Luna, Brian, Dimitris, and Odin," he said.
Brian