p id="docs-internal-guid-fef6cc13-2ef6-58ca-455b-0873a3e905f2" dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"The tension was palpable as Victor came up to the penalty mark, trampling browned and dying grass, ignoring the deepening cracks in the ground made by the summer heat. His jaw was hard and raw rage was blazing in his eyes. In such an important moment, he didn't crack under the pressure but instead embraced it. It fueled his determination and he went on deliberately, one foot in front of the other. For a moment, there was silence, all at once serene and frantic./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"The shrill shriek of the whistle cut through the air and past the tension. Victor's eyes narrowed at the sound, and it was just him and the ball. His leg swung forward with tremendous power and his foot came along with it, demanding that the ball submit to it. Silently, all eyes followed the ball as it rocketed into the goal, bludgeoning past the goalie with unstoppable vengeance. Another moment of silence. Then, again, the whistle sounded. The score was now 1-0 against Lake Windsor Downs. They had won the championship game./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"As the War Eagles surrounded him, hugging him and slapping him and shouting all as one, "War! War! War!" Victor felt the euphoria of victory. For a bit, he basked in the warm feeling of it. He was on top of the world, revelling in the glow of a golden dawn. And yet something nagged at him, telling him to turn around. Quickly, as if he was ashamed for not living in the moment, Victor looked behind him. There was Gino, staring at him with the same angry fire in his eyes. Hate was radiating off of him. Victor continued to stare at him, drawn almost like a moth to a light. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""Hey, Victor!" He shook his head and turned away from the angry boy to look down at the smaller boy nearby, almost swallowed by the mob around him. All you could see was his huge sports goggles./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""Hey, Fisher Man!" he replied back with easy camaraderie. "You did great out there, dude." /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" /spanspan style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"Paul continued to talk to him, but Victor was no longer listening. He was looking back at Gino's rage-filled face, still staring at him intently./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" /spanspan style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"No, this wasn't like a moth to a light. This was like looking into a mirror that he couldn't look away from. Victor was looking back at someone just like himself, and he wasn't sure if he liked it. And yet he wanted it and was so very curious, so desperate to get closer, to see if this reflection was real. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" /spanspan style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""Yeah, yeah, thanks, man," he waved Paul off and began to walk away from the group, towards Gino./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" /spanspan style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""Good game, man," He said, extending his hand for a handshake warily, eyes hardened, a shadow of a smirk on his face telling Gino that he didn't mean a word of it. Gino returned the glare./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" /spanspan style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""No thanks to you," he muttered, ignoring the proffered hand. "How many times did you get called for throwing elbows again?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" /spanspan style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"Victor laughed, but there was no humor in his voice. It was a laugh of derision, as if he could hardly believe Gino dared to challenge him, the great Victor Guzman. They stood facing each other in absolute loathing. "There's some things I gotta say to you, Guzman, and they ain't pretty things" Gino spat, kicking dusty dirt from the parched field off the ground in a small cloud. Victor stood tall, refusing to be intimidated. "Oh yeah?" He retorted, wiping the sweat off his brow that was shining in the bright light of the afternoon./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" /spanspan style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""Yeah," Gino countered, "Some things I should do to you, too. I should punch you so bad your own mama wouldn't recognize your disgraceful face. Get you down off that high horse, man. You aren't the greatest."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" /spanspan style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"" I might not be," Victor replied, voice hard, "But you and your sorry excuse for a team sure as hell aren't." With that, he began to walk away with swagger in his step, confident that he had won the verbal spar, sure that he had left Gino seething behind him. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" /spanspan style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"Victor was not entirely correct. "You come back here! This isn't over!" Gino called out. Without turning around, Victor raised his middle finger, taking in Gino's indignant shouts with relish. His mind was set on walking away the victor, but Victor's feet disobeyed him, carrying him back to the other boy./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""Why don't we go for a walk?" Gino suggested in a voice edged with steel, "Settle some things?" His eyes gleamed with animal fury and he started walking towards the woods. Victor followed him, stepping on his heels in a way that made Gino's blood boil./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" /spanspan style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"For several minutes they walked in silence save for the twigs snapping underneath their feet, both refusing to give the other the satisfaction of giving in. Slowly, the parched, dead grass began to disappear, giving way to springy, spongy dirt and saplings beginning to reach for the sky. They continued on until it felt like they were the only ones in the woods./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" /spanspan style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"Without warning, Gino turned around abruptly, lashing out at Victor. He grunted as he felt a punch connect with his stomach. As Gino circled around, trying to land another hit, it was like a flip switched in Victor's brain. His eyes went wild with uncontrolled anger and he jumped on Gino's back, pummelling him with both fists. He kept at it until Gino rolled out from under him, landing a hit on his cheekbone that he knew would bruise./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" /spanspan style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"Victor started karate-kicking at Gino, intent on shredding his shins. With a startled whine, Gino jumped back. Victor relaxed for a moment as he retreated, leaving him completely unprepared when Gino lunged back, hitting him hard in the solar plexus in a way that made Victor fall onto the mossy ground with the breath knocked out of him. With all the effort he could muster, he kicked out and swept Gino's feet out from under him./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"Gino landed hard and swore; Victor scrambled to his feet and tried to reach for Gino's eyes, face, arms- anywhere that would show battle scars, he was too slow in his winded state and by the time he was up, Gino had struggled to stand as well. They regarded each other as one woubut jumped at him, pinning him against a tree./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" /spanspan style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"For a moment, there was silence, each boy panting as they caught their breath. Victor could feel the rough tree bark pressing against his back and feel Gino breathing heavily at his front. They stared at each other, and before his eyes Victor saw Gino's complete anger and hatred soften a bit, morphing into something Victor couldn't quite place. Whatever it was, it made his pulse quicken like he had just finished sprinting down the soccer field. He felt powerless all of a sudden, but instead of resenting it, he was excited by it. A shiver ran down his spine. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" /spanspan style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"Suddenly, Gino leaned forward, and their lips met. It was just as forceful as their fight. Neither would give in and let the other win. Victor felt a warm tongue dart into his mouth, an oddly pleasurable invasion; he wanted more. Gino groaned as Victor pressed up against him, so close that he could feel the warmth of his body. They continued to fight for dominance, with the same anger and intensity as in a game of soccer. And also like whenever they played, this was no mere game. This was something much more. They continued to kiss, sloppily and heatedly. Gino pushed his tongue roughly past Victor's lips, deeper than before, and began to explore his mouth. The other boy moaned. This sound fueled Gino's lust and he continued to dominate Victor's mouth. As Victor pulled up for air, lips swollen, Gino smirked./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" /spanspan style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""I guess I won this game, Guzman."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"The shrill shriek of the whistle cut through the air and past the tension. Victor's eyes narrowed at the sound, and it was just him and the ball. His leg swung forward with tremendous power and his foot came along with it, demanding that the ball submit to it. Silently, all eyes followed the ball as it rocketed into the goal, bludgeoning past the goalie with unstoppable vengeance. Another moment of silence. Then, again, the whistle sounded. The score was now 1-0 against Lake Windsor Downs. They had won the championship game./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"As the War Eagles surrounded him, hugging him and slapping him and shouting all as one, "War! War! War!" Victor felt the euphoria of victory. For a bit, he basked in the warm feeling of it. He was on top of the world, revelling in the glow of a golden dawn. And yet something nagged at him, telling him to turn around. Quickly, as if he was ashamed for not living in the moment, Victor looked behind him. There was Gino, staring at him with the same angry fire in his eyes. Hate was radiating off of him. Victor continued to stare at him, drawn almost like a moth to a light. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""Hey, Victor!" He shook his head and turned away from the angry boy to look down at the smaller boy nearby, almost swallowed by the mob around him. All you could see was his huge sports goggles./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""Hey, Fisher Man!" he replied back with easy camaraderie. "You did great out there, dude." /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" /spanspan style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"Paul continued to talk to him, but Victor was no longer listening. He was looking back at Gino's rage-filled face, still staring at him intently./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" /spanspan style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"No, this wasn't like a moth to a light. This was like looking into a mirror that he couldn't look away from. Victor was looking back at someone just like himself, and he wasn't sure if he liked it. And yet he wanted it and was so very curious, so desperate to get closer, to see if this reflection was real. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" /spanspan style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""Yeah, yeah, thanks, man," he waved Paul off and began to walk away from the group, towards Gino./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" /spanspan style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""Good game, man," He said, extending his hand for a handshake warily, eyes hardened, a shadow of a smirk on his face telling Gino that he didn't mean a word of it. Gino returned the glare./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" /spanspan style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""No thanks to you," he muttered, ignoring the proffered hand. "How many times did you get called for throwing elbows again?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" /spanspan style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"Victor laughed, but there was no humor in his voice. It was a laugh of derision, as if he could hardly believe Gino dared to challenge him, the great Victor Guzman. They stood facing each other in absolute loathing. "There's some things I gotta say to you, Guzman, and they ain't pretty things" Gino spat, kicking dusty dirt from the parched field off the ground in a small cloud. Victor stood tall, refusing to be intimidated. "Oh yeah?" He retorted, wiping the sweat off his brow that was shining in the bright light of the afternoon./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" /spanspan style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""Yeah," Gino countered, "Some things I should do to you, too. I should punch you so bad your own mama wouldn't recognize your disgraceful face. Get you down off that high horse, man. You aren't the greatest."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" /spanspan style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"" I might not be," Victor replied, voice hard, "But you and your sorry excuse for a team sure as hell aren't." With that, he began to walk away with swagger in his step, confident that he had won the verbal spar, sure that he had left Gino seething behind him. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" /spanspan style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"Victor was not entirely correct. "You come back here! This isn't over!" Gino called out. Without turning around, Victor raised his middle finger, taking in Gino's indignant shouts with relish. His mind was set on walking away the victor, but Victor's feet disobeyed him, carrying him back to the other boy./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""Why don't we go for a walk?" Gino suggested in a voice edged with steel, "Settle some things?" His eyes gleamed with animal fury and he started walking towards the woods. Victor followed him, stepping on his heels in a way that made Gino's blood boil./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" /spanspan style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"For several minutes they walked in silence save for the twigs snapping underneath their feet, both refusing to give the other the satisfaction of giving in. Slowly, the parched, dead grass began to disappear, giving way to springy, spongy dirt and saplings beginning to reach for the sky. They continued on until it felt like they were the only ones in the woods./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" /spanspan style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"Without warning, Gino turned around abruptly, lashing out at Victor. He grunted as he felt a punch connect with his stomach. As Gino circled around, trying to land another hit, it was like a flip switched in Victor's brain. His eyes went wild with uncontrolled anger and he jumped on Gino's back, pummelling him with both fists. He kept at it until Gino rolled out from under him, landing a hit on his cheekbone that he knew would bruise./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" /spanspan style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"Victor started karate-kicking at Gino, intent on shredding his shins. With a startled whine, Gino jumped back. Victor relaxed for a moment as he retreated, leaving him completely unprepared when Gino lunged back, hitting him hard in the solar plexus in a way that made Victor fall onto the mossy ground with the breath knocked out of him. With all the effort he could muster, he kicked out and swept Gino's feet out from under him./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"Gino landed hard and swore; Victor scrambled to his feet and tried to reach for Gino's eyes, face, arms- anywhere that would show battle scars, he was too slow in his winded state and by the time he was up, Gino had struggled to stand as well. They regarded each other as one woubut jumped at him, pinning him against a tree./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" /spanspan style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"For a moment, there was silence, each boy panting as they caught their breath. Victor could feel the rough tree bark pressing against his back and feel Gino breathing heavily at his front. They stared at each other, and before his eyes Victor saw Gino's complete anger and hatred soften a bit, morphing into something Victor couldn't quite place. Whatever it was, it made his pulse quicken like he had just finished sprinting down the soccer field. He felt powerless all of a sudden, but instead of resenting it, he was excited by it. A shiver ran down his spine. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" /spanspan style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"Suddenly, Gino leaned forward, and their lips met. It was just as forceful as their fight. Neither would give in and let the other win. Victor felt a warm tongue dart into his mouth, an oddly pleasurable invasion; he wanted more. Gino groaned as Victor pressed up against him, so close that he could feel the warmth of his body. They continued to fight for dominance, with the same anger and intensity as in a game of soccer. And also like whenever they played, this was no mere game. This was something much more. They continued to kiss, sloppily and heatedly. Gino pushed his tongue roughly past Victor's lips, deeper than before, and began to explore his mouth. The other boy moaned. This sound fueled Gino's lust and he continued to dominate Victor's mouth. As Victor pulled up for air, lips swollen, Gino smirked./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" /spanspan style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""I guess I won this game, Guzman."/span/p