"Oh, right then," he said, "but he'll be an extreme asset to our team.
Thank you for bringing him."
"No, thank Peter," I said. "You'll be seeing more of him I suppose."
"Good," replied Adam. "I just hope that it doesn't hurt him to be back on the field but not playing."
"I think he'll be alright."
"Oh, and speaking of Peter," Adam added, "I always thought that you two were.you know."
"No," I answered. "Never.well.I mean.not yet."
"But you like Lex."
"Yes," I answered, "but you see - there are some problems with that."
"Care to elaborate?"
"Not really."
"Alright then," Adam said. "But I just want you to know, since it seems I'm the only one that knows, that I'm always here for you to talk to. You know."
"Thanks." I hugged Adam. At first he seemed a bit surprised, but quickly enough, he relaxed into the embrace.
"Oh."
"Yes?"
"And if it doesn't work out, you always know where to look," he said, winking again. I laughed and pushed him away. He smiled scandalously.
"Syd!" I heard Legolas shout from across the field. I looked over and there he was, all dressed, bag in hand, damp hair pulled back. I couldn't help but look at him, study him. How much he had changed from the Medieval warrior that I had first met in the park. He had changed to conform, and yet I knew somewhere deep inside of me, that he was never made to conform to anyone and that he was a free man. I knew that his soul could never be tethered to society's expectations. Even in Middle-Earth, he had traveled with mixed races and seemed to break every rule in the book whenever he got the chance. He looked too normal the way he was. Then it snapped. I knew what he needed.
"Good bye, Adam," I said, hugging him again. "I really appreciate everything."
"No worries," he answered and hugged back, letting go of me somewhat reluctantly.
"I'll see you at the game," I said. Adam nodded. I walked over to Legolas and he smiled broadly.
"You're amazing, see, what'da I tell ya?" I said. He just laughed.
"You were right about the team liking me," he said. I could just see the happiness bubbling out of him.
"I'm right about a lot of things," I said. "I know more than you think."
"I am certain you do," replied Legolas, laughing again. He just seemed so happy that it made me overjoyed to see the look on his face.
"Shall we go home and tell Peter?" I asked.
"Aye," answered Legolas. He took my hand and we walked to the car. When we got in the car, I popped in a hard-core techno CD, and all the way home I could see Legolas move almost imperceptibly to the music, just as I had thought. When we got to flat, Legolas went into his room and shut the door. I figured he was probably on sensory overload, so I just told Peter what had happened.
"Yes!" he shouted. "I knew it!"
"They all really miss you," I added. There was breathless silence. Peter knew exactly what I meant. I didn't have to say anymore.
"I'm through with that," he said after what seemed an age or two. "I can't do studies and that. You know it. I know it."
"But they don't know it," I said flatly. "And anyway, we both also know how much football means to you. Why are you even studying? Why don't you go pro? You know you could do it." Peter looked at me bewilderedly.
"You mean, quit studies?" he asked.
"Yes, exactly what I mean," I answered. "Uni isn't going to help you where you want to be. You know that." Peter nodded slowly.
"I suppose you're right." he said. After a few more seconds, came his response. "That's it. I'm quitting Friday."
"What?!"
"Well, you believe in me and I think you actually have something there. It tears me up not to play football. You know that. You're the only one that does. Why shouldn't I?"
"Well, I suppose you could," I said. "Then I'll be the only one in the house going to school, but I don't really care. You and Legolas, what a team! That will be awesome! I'll go tell him!" I ran out of the kitchen and into Legolas room. I stopped short as I opened his door. His back was to me and he was lying on top of the covers, curled up in a tight, fetal-position ball. He was asleep. I slowly backed out of the room and realized what time it was as I did. It was past 8 o'clock. Not that I had classes the next day, or in fact, until next Monday, but it still hit me how tired I really was.
"I'm going to bed, Peter!" I called down the hallway, shutting my door. I changed, did my nightly routine, and got in bed. As tired as I was, for the longest time I just laid there, looking out the window, trying to fall asleep. Something seemed to be wrong, but I really couldn't place it. Finally, I fell into a light, troubled sleep, a dark and unwelcoming cold.
I snapped awake at the clang of metal. It had come from Legolas' room. I slowly, reluctantly got out of bed and crossed the hallway. As I opened Legolas' door and stepped in, I realized that I was wearing nothing but a nightgown, but it was too late now and Legolas didn't care anyway. He was standing in the middle of the room, sword in his double-handed grip, frozen in mind swing. His eyes were closed. But suddenly, he whipped the sword around, over his head, into an imaginary foe. With another slashing movement so fast that the sword was a blur of steel, there was a soft whistle. Another thrust, this time downwards. I gently touched Legolas on the shoulder. He whipped around, his sword cutting my hand. I stumbled backwards. Legolas seemed to be in shock as I grabbed my hand, the blood beginning to seep through.
"No, thank Peter," I said. "You'll be seeing more of him I suppose."
"Good," replied Adam. "I just hope that it doesn't hurt him to be back on the field but not playing."
"I think he'll be alright."
"Oh, and speaking of Peter," Adam added, "I always thought that you two were.you know."
"No," I answered. "Never.well.I mean.not yet."
"But you like Lex."
"Yes," I answered, "but you see - there are some problems with that."
"Care to elaborate?"
"Not really."
"Alright then," Adam said. "But I just want you to know, since it seems I'm the only one that knows, that I'm always here for you to talk to. You know."
"Thanks." I hugged Adam. At first he seemed a bit surprised, but quickly enough, he relaxed into the embrace.
"Oh."
"Yes?"
"And if it doesn't work out, you always know where to look," he said, winking again. I laughed and pushed him away. He smiled scandalously.
"Syd!" I heard Legolas shout from across the field. I looked over and there he was, all dressed, bag in hand, damp hair pulled back. I couldn't help but look at him, study him. How much he had changed from the Medieval warrior that I had first met in the park. He had changed to conform, and yet I knew somewhere deep inside of me, that he was never made to conform to anyone and that he was a free man. I knew that his soul could never be tethered to society's expectations. Even in Middle-Earth, he had traveled with mixed races and seemed to break every rule in the book whenever he got the chance. He looked too normal the way he was. Then it snapped. I knew what he needed.
"Good bye, Adam," I said, hugging him again. "I really appreciate everything."
"No worries," he answered and hugged back, letting go of me somewhat reluctantly.
"I'll see you at the game," I said. Adam nodded. I walked over to Legolas and he smiled broadly.
"You're amazing, see, what'da I tell ya?" I said. He just laughed.
"You were right about the team liking me," he said. I could just see the happiness bubbling out of him.
"I'm right about a lot of things," I said. "I know more than you think."
"I am certain you do," replied Legolas, laughing again. He just seemed so happy that it made me overjoyed to see the look on his face.
"Shall we go home and tell Peter?" I asked.
"Aye," answered Legolas. He took my hand and we walked to the car. When we got in the car, I popped in a hard-core techno CD, and all the way home I could see Legolas move almost imperceptibly to the music, just as I had thought. When we got to flat, Legolas went into his room and shut the door. I figured he was probably on sensory overload, so I just told Peter what had happened.
"Yes!" he shouted. "I knew it!"
"They all really miss you," I added. There was breathless silence. Peter knew exactly what I meant. I didn't have to say anymore.
"I'm through with that," he said after what seemed an age or two. "I can't do studies and that. You know it. I know it."
"But they don't know it," I said flatly. "And anyway, we both also know how much football means to you. Why are you even studying? Why don't you go pro? You know you could do it." Peter looked at me bewilderedly.
"You mean, quit studies?" he asked.
"Yes, exactly what I mean," I answered. "Uni isn't going to help you where you want to be. You know that." Peter nodded slowly.
"I suppose you're right." he said. After a few more seconds, came his response. "That's it. I'm quitting Friday."
"What?!"
"Well, you believe in me and I think you actually have something there. It tears me up not to play football. You know that. You're the only one that does. Why shouldn't I?"
"Well, I suppose you could," I said. "Then I'll be the only one in the house going to school, but I don't really care. You and Legolas, what a team! That will be awesome! I'll go tell him!" I ran out of the kitchen and into Legolas room. I stopped short as I opened his door. His back was to me and he was lying on top of the covers, curled up in a tight, fetal-position ball. He was asleep. I slowly backed out of the room and realized what time it was as I did. It was past 8 o'clock. Not that I had classes the next day, or in fact, until next Monday, but it still hit me how tired I really was.
"I'm going to bed, Peter!" I called down the hallway, shutting my door. I changed, did my nightly routine, and got in bed. As tired as I was, for the longest time I just laid there, looking out the window, trying to fall asleep. Something seemed to be wrong, but I really couldn't place it. Finally, I fell into a light, troubled sleep, a dark and unwelcoming cold.
I snapped awake at the clang of metal. It had come from Legolas' room. I slowly, reluctantly got out of bed and crossed the hallway. As I opened Legolas' door and stepped in, I realized that I was wearing nothing but a nightgown, but it was too late now and Legolas didn't care anyway. He was standing in the middle of the room, sword in his double-handed grip, frozen in mind swing. His eyes were closed. But suddenly, he whipped the sword around, over his head, into an imaginary foe. With another slashing movement so fast that the sword was a blur of steel, there was a soft whistle. Another thrust, this time downwards. I gently touched Legolas on the shoulder. He whipped around, his sword cutting my hand. I stumbled backwards. Legolas seemed to be in shock as I grabbed my hand, the blood beginning to seep through.