Fifteen: Soccer
Now, Zelda wouldn't lie and say that Link was a normal human being, because that was a major lie and she would most certainly be bitten back by karma for saying such a thing. As it was, though, Link had been acting really not normal that whole week. It was infuriating.
Take Monday morning, for example. Zelda had clomped down to breakfast, yawning, expecting to see Link grinning his silly grin at the kitchen table, but only to find it empty. Impa, as though she could read Zelda's thoughts herself, smiled.
"He went into school early today."
"Ah." This wasn't an uncommon occurrence, but Link usually told Zelda before he did so that she could go in early with him. Deciding that she wasn't one for riding the train up to school alone, Zelda called up Mikau, and caught a ride to school with him, Malon, and Darmani's in the drummer's red truck. It was a tight fit, but fun.
Zelda didn't see Link at lunch that day. Feeling a little brushed off, she waited by the arch rather impatiently after school. Link stopped by for a second to tell her he wouldn't be going with her, then ran off again. He looked rather odd- sweaty and gross, as though he'd spent all day in the heat. Feeling unloved, Zelda wandered away to where she knew Malon, Lulu, Mikau and Darmani hung out after school to, again, beg a ride.
Tuesday and Wednesday were the same, as were Thursday and Friday. Zelda was beginning to think it would never stop, suspicions that only rose when, come Monday morning, there was again no Link. Tuesday passed. Wednesday passed.
On Thursday, Zelda decided that she had so had enough.
During Lunch, Zelda wandered over to the table where Link's friends sat. Sure enough, the whole crew was there, sans Khail. Whatever.
"Ahem."
Sheep, who she felt most comfortable addressing, was deep in a conversation with someone Zelda had only seen a few times… what was his name? Coor? Cake? Cony? Something strange like that.
"Sheep?"
Still no reply.
"Sheeep..." She poked him in the shoulder. He went on talking. Sighing in frustration, Zelda stomped back to her table, grabbed her heavy PreCal book, and slammed it roughly down on the table in front of Sheep, the loud WHAM that echoed through the cafeteria effectively silencing over half of the student populous. Sheep was included, and was looking at Zelda attentively (with slight irritation showing in his features).
"THANK YOU," she said to him, then exhaled. "I'm looking for Link."
"Why?"
"I haven't seen him at all all week."
"Don't you live with him?"
"Yes, but even then, I only see him at meal times."
"Really? That's kind of funny, you know, because you're in the same house and all…"
"Sheep…" Zelda bit back a growl of frustration, and ground out, "where. Is. Link."
"You mean he didn't tell you?"
She was going to scream. She really was. And then she was going to strangle him with a power cable.
"No, Sheep. Now tell me where he is."
"Well that's funny. You'd think…"
"SHEEP!" She yelled despite herself and he narrowed his eyes in annoyance.
"What?"
"Tell me where Link is, and don't say anything else."
"Down on the soccer pitch. He's…"
But Zelda had already turned and left.
The soccer pitch? She wondered to herself as she walked out of the cafeteria, through the courtyard, and past the gym, behind the math building and down the path. What on earth would Link of all people be doing at the soccer pitch?
She entered the sports arena, which was partially situated on the hill behind the school. She recalled when she'd first seen the sports arena and how much it struck her as like the sports arena of "Ten Things I Hate About You", which was probably one of her favorite movies ever. Oh, it was so romantic the way Heath Ledger had sung to Julia Stiles while she was at soccer practice…
Smiling to herself, she hopped down the last of the steps leading in and entered the actual arena, looking for Link among the other fifteen boys who were practicing. There were cones and goals set up, and after a moment, Zelda identified Link among the masses- broad chest, broad shoulders, shaggy hair flying in his face as he expertly dribbled the ball around a cone. He was wearing a white tank and a pair of shorts, along with shin guards and soccer cleats.
Swallowing, Zelda descended from the stands down to the soccer field- her timing was impeccable. Just as her feet touched on the turf, Link stopped from his practice to wander over to a bench and grab a towel, wiping off his sweaty face and then taking a deep gulp from a water jug. Shaking her head and stopping from her momentary staring, Zelda proceeded over to Link, tapping him on the shoulder with a "boo."
"Huh? Dude, give me a minute, I'm about to…… oh, hey Zelda." Instantly, he looked nervous. "Please, I'm…"
"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked quietly. "I mean, not like it's a big deal, but I've felt all brushed off this week. And last week, too," she added on second thought.
"I thought you'd think…" Link sighed, rubbing his face off with his towel again and plopping roughly down on the bench. Zelda sat down next to him.
"Think what?"
"Little of me," he finally said.
Zelda was floored. "Why would you ever think that?"
"Because," Link seemed to be choosing his words carefully, "you live with me, and because of that, I think that you think that I am only as I act at home, which is stupid and lazy."
"I don't…" Zelda stopped, deciding to let Link finish. He shot her a glimmering grin that caused her heart to stop, and then sighed, looking up at the clouds.
"Did I ever tell you I used to be on a soccer team?"
"I never knew that."
"I loved it. It was before I came to high school, you see. I haven't had time since, or I haven't been able to try out."
"Why didn't you try out last year?" Zelda hadn't even realized that Link's hand was covering hers.
"Grades were too low in one of my classes. I was ineligible. I didn't want that to happen again this year."
"Is that one of the reasons why you've been working so hard in Algebra II?"
Link sighed, then chuckled. "You know me too well."
"Well, you know what, Link?" Zelda turned to face him, beaming.
"What?" He'd raised one eyebrow, a cocky smirk beginning to smother his attractive features.
"I don't think you're a big, dumb, lazy jerk."
"No?" He looked surprised now.
"Nope. Now, sometimes you're a jackass, mind, but that comes with the territory of being male. And I think you can make the soccer team, no sweat. When are tryouts?"
"Tonight," Link said. "It's a scrimmage, of sorts, against the actual soccer team. We've been practicing all week, getting ready. Last week I was training."
Zelda then realized that Link's hand was resting, comfortably warm, on top of hers, and, without knowing what she was doing, she gave his sticky sweaty soccer palm a hard squeeze.
"I don't want to deter you from practice," she said, standing up, letting her hand leave his fluidly, as though they had never been connected. "Kick butt, Link, puh-lease, or I'll have to punish you for ditching me all week." Her grin betrayed the seriousness of the last part of her statement.
"I will, as long as you're cheering for me," he said, standing up and stretching out his sweaty, worn muscles.
"I'll be thinking of you, then, on the ride home."
"You been riding the train?"
"Nah. I've been catching rides with the band."
"Well, cool. I'll see you tomorrow, I guess."
"Alright. Bye, Link."
"Bye, Zel. And thanks."
"Don't mention it."
As she climbed back up the steps to the top of the arena, she turned back for a moment to watch Link going at it with renewed vigor. Sighing and feeling oddly sad for some strange reason, she continued up and out of the stadium.
It was still a few more steps to the top of the hill and back onto the flat school grounds, and Zelda climbed them slowly, pondering Link the whole way.
-
The alarm clock went off, and Zelda rolled groggily out of bed, fumbling to turn it off as best she could.
"Ungh," she grunted to herself. "Whastoday?" Through sleep-blurred eyes, she squinted up at the Comic Book Heroes calendar hanging over one of her end tables. Friday.
"Oh thank gosh." She yawned and pulled herself to her knees, then unsteadily to her feet, shaking her head. Again she yawned, stretching, and then stumbled to the dresser, tripping over the sheets entangled in her legs on the way. She took one look at her sleep-rumpled hair and grimaced, grabbed a brush, and combed it out until it was almost okay. Then she grabbed a hair tie, flipped her head upside down, and tied her hair up as usual. A few wisps fell in her face as she straightened up, and, mildly irritated, she blew them out of her way before yanking open one drawer and fishing for a shirt. She pulled out a black and pink "Sex Pistols" shirt, and yanked it over her head, twisting it a bit so it would fit over her cherry-print bra. From there, she grabbed a pair of cargos and yanked them on over her black panties. Still yawning, she searched for socks, and finally found a pair stashed in her underwear drawer, and she sat on the floor, pulling them over her feet. After a moment's searching, she found her gray hoodie underneath her bed (go figure) and, content with her appearance, she stumbled into the bathroom to brush her teeth.
Several minutes later found Zelda wandering into the kitchen, and upon seeing Link sitting at the table, she stopped.
"Not going in early today," he croaked out. "Tryouts last night. I find out today after school."
"Ah. You feeling okay?"
"Just fine." It was a lie if Zelda had ever heard one- she didn't think he was looking just fine. If anything, she decided, he was rather on the green side.
"Okay."
They ate in silence, went to school in silence (Zelda phoned Darmani and told him she didn't need a ride) and the whole day, for Zelda, was tense. They ate together at lunch, but Link hardly spoke a word, and, at three thirty when the bell rang, Zelda had never been gladder.
She met Link where they'd agreed to meet, just outside the library, and decided to herself that he looked like someone had slipped a laxative in his lunch. Sighing, she took his arm.
"Come on," she told him. "Let's go find out how you did."
"Zelda…."
It was one of the few words he'd ever spoken to her all day, and she couldn't help but turn to face him at the pleading in his voice. There was indecision in his eyes, nervousness, and she couldn't help but smile inwardly. He looked vulnerable, for once. She reached over and smoothed the hair out of his eyes, and then took both his hands in hers.
"Come on, Link. I'm here for you."
"What if I didn't make it?"
"Life continues on. You'll just have more time to spend with me." She shot a silly grin at him, and was relieved to see the muscles in his shoulders uncoil.
"Okay."
He stepped forward and she let go of his hands, walking just in front of him to the gym and pushing towards the front of the crowd, Link just behind her and looking quite shaky.
"What time do we hear results?" she asked him. He looked down at his black electronic watch, then up at the doors.
"Umm… now."
Less than twenty seconds later, a big man came out of the gym holding a clipboard. There was a whistle strung around his neck on a red lanyard, and he was dressed in standard 'gym teacher uniform', a school athletics shirt and a pair of black windbreaker pants. His hair was short and spiky and his face was intense, though Zelda could see that it could easily bend into a kind smile- he must have been in his mid forties or so.
"You have all done a great job, and I commend you for your hard work and devotion this week. Unfortunately, I can't take each of you. For those of you who were accepted, congratulations, and I'll speak with you privately on Monday. For those of you who didn't make it, I mourn with you, and hope that you can join us next year.
"Results for new junior-varsity boys' team are as follows… numbers one, two, ten, twelve, thirteen, fifteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty four, twenty five, thirty one, thirty two, thirty four, thirty six, forty, forty six, and forty nine. Again, that is numbers one, two, ten, twelve, thirteen, fifteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty four, twenty five, thirty one, thirty two, thirty four, thirty six, forty, forty six, and forty nine. Results for girls' junior-varsity team…"
"Come on, let's go." Link's face was blank as he pulled Zelda back through the crowd, and he didn't say a thing until they were past the arch that led to school grounds, a good halfway to the station. He whirled around, eyes glimmering as he faced Zelda.
"I made it, Zel! I made it!" He wrapped his arms around her waist and hoisted her high into the air, spinning her around. "I'm on the team!"
"Oh, Link, that's wonderful!" Zelda laughed and looped her arms around his neck, not that she didn't trust him not to drop her but for the sheer need of contact and the joy they both felt- his for succeeding, hers for his success. Link spun her a final time and then lowered her to the ground, setting her carefully on her feet. Zelda laughed again, her arms slipping from around his neck, and grabbed Link's hand, giddy, though she wasn't sure why.
"Let's skip!" she declared, and together they skipped the rest of the way to the station and waited for their train, all the while laughing.
-
"Mom!" Link burst in the back door, looking wild and pleased.
"Yes dear?"
"I made the soccer team!"
"Oh, did you really?" Impa turned around, clapping her hands together in glee. "I'm so proud of you. I was just making chicken teriyaki, your favorite. Wait 'till your father hears…."
Zelda beamed at Link as she followed him in the screen door.
Thank god for cool parents.
-
And then, quite suddenly, it was Thanksgiving break.
This didn't even occur to Zelda until her last class of the day, French, when her teacher wished them all a good holiday in her throaty French accent.
So, of course, when she crashed into Link for the ride home, she was jumping up and down with giddy glee.
"Do you realize what this means?"
"Mmmm?" He was looking through a thick packet of information on the soccer team, what would be expected of him, expenses….
"We don't have to deal with stupid people for another five days!"
"Mmmm."
"And the hot tub has finally been installed, hasn't it?"
"Mmmhmm.."
"Then we can go hot tubbing all break long! Say, Link, how about we do that? We can go hot tubbing the second we get home."
"Uh huh. Sounds like fun." He flipped a page. Sighing in exasperation, Zelda plopped down on a station bench to wait.
"Honestly, Link, sometimes you really are impossible," she chided.
"Okay." He nodded absently, brows furrowing as he took in the contents of the page in front of him.
Zelda sighed.
"I'm going to scrutinize you now."
"Have fun." He paused, eyes flitting up to re-read a paragraph, and then nodded to himself. Shaking her head, Zelda did just as she said she would- scrutinize him to abyss and back.
His blue eyes were squinting from underneath his wild shaggy wheat hair and ever-present (outside of school) green baseball cap. He was sitting slouched, shoulders rounded over underneath his black "know your shrooms" hoodie, upon which the various mushrooms from Super Mario were printed. He was wearing a blue "+1" sweatband around his left wrist, on which the life up mushroom (again, from Super Mario) was printed; on his right wrist was his big black electronic sports watch. His baggy, faded, low-slung jeans were held up with a plain black belt, the buckle of which was a silver SNES imitation controller, which he said Saria had given him for Christmas the previous year. From the bottom of his pants, combat boots peeked out, scuffed and black.
All in all, he looked rather delectable.
Then Zelda noticed something odd.
"You're left handed?"
"Yep. Why?" Link looked up from his papers for a moment, standing with Zelda as the train pulled up.
"I just noticed is all. You wear your watch on your right wrist, and you have a reminder to "do history project" on the back of your right hand."
He looked down, and then grinned, his canines exposed wolfishly.
"Yeah, I'm a lefty. You know the saying, righty tighty lefty loosie."
"I don't want to even begin to think about what that might mean with you."
Link cackled, pulling off his forest green backpack and shoving his papers into the tattered cloth compartment.
"Done with your papers?"
"Yeah, I'll let Mom read through them."
"Hm."
They plopped down in the train, him across from her, and for a moment she had to stop and admire how easily he slung himself into his seat and sprawled his limbs out. He looked like a prince.
No, prince wasn't right. Like a knight. A lazy knight.
Her lazy knight.
The ride home consisted of mindless bantering between the two, as it always did. They trotted off the train and then down the few streets to the house. When they walked in the door at four, they both dropped their things on the floor and dashed up the stairs to change after both exchanging a quick "hello" with Impa..
It was SO hot tub time.
Link was ready a good five minutes before Zelda was, and for a moment, he marveled to himself how long it took women to change…
"Girls," he grumbled to himself, leaning against the doorway, enjoying the feel of his soft white cotton wife beater sliding over his chest, the fluffy towel on his shoulder, and the hang of the long green and black Hawaiian print swimming trunks that he'd rummaged up.
And just then, she exited her room and he had to stop and just stare for a second.
Her skin was soft, smooth looking- she was wearing a pair of short black swimming shorts and a modest pink bikini top. She was pale, but not pasty; there was a soft glow to her taut white belly. His gaze traveled down her legs, past her creamy thighs to her knees, when he mentally slapped himself, shaking his head and reminding himself that he was in very flimsy swim trunks. However, she didn't seem to notice, as she was busy eyeing him up like a piece of bacon as well. He cleared his throat carefully.
"Shall we go down?"
"Er, yeah. Let's. It's about time we be getting down… in the hot tub…. Er, going down, that is."
He had to work very hard to restrain a snicker at how flustered she was. Shaking his head, he led the way down the stairs and through the kitchen, slung his towel over the railing outside on the porch, then progressed down the steps and plopped in the brand spanking new hot tub that resided below the willow tree. Installations had been delayed, of course, but now it was in and it was great. It was large, surrounded by a flat, smooth limestone pathway and some rosemary plants Impa had lovingly buried nearby. Taking a deep breath of the good sea air, Link slid into the hot water, biting back a yelp.
"It's hot," he said to Zelda. "So don't just hop…in…"
She splashed into the tub, immersing herself in to the eyes. Her forehead looked distinctly pink, and Link just couldn't help himself from laughing.
"Silly girl," he chastised. "That's a good way to fry your nerve endings."
"Whatever you say. Hey there, Valoo." The fat white cat padded over, sniffing curiously at the water, then rubbing his head against Zelda's wet shoulder. Obligingly, she patted his head, mindlessly scooting closer to Link.
"He should come in with us," Link commented, looking at the cat. Then, he scowled. "He likes you more than he likes me, and I'm the one who wanted him in the first place! You traitor you," he growled at the poof ball.
"Well, Valoo's gay," Zelda stated, "and so he and I chill with one another, you know, scope out the fine male specimens that are to be found." She waggled her eyebrows at Link, then sighed dramatically. "Too bad there's none to be found anywhere near here."
"I'm insulted." Link splashed Zelda with water, hitting Valoo as well, efficiently scaring away the cat.
"You should be," replied Zelda, splashing him back. "Ack!"
It was all out war, but it quickly ended when Link seized Zelda and began to ruthlessly tickle her.
"No -ahahaha- Link-ahaha-Stop it right now or I'll –ahahahaha…"
"Mighty ferocious, you are," he said. He quickly found himself whacked atop the head, however, and let go. "That hurt."
Zelda grinned, shaking a strand of hair out of her eyes. "You're a real jerk, Link." She leaned her head back, sighing with content. "Mmm."
Link moved closer, closer to her. Her face was the expression of peace- pink lips upturned, dark lashes resting on her cheeks. He began to lift one hand to run it along her jaw line, trace her face, then stopped.
What if he was rejected?
And then suddenly, everything he'd read in her journal came crashing down on his head.
It wouldn't work. It wouldn't. Their relationship wouldn't last. They'd break up. Things would get awkward, and they'd have to see one another every day after that, unless Zelda chose to go back to the house, which would be the worst possible thing for her. It would be an eternity of suffering for him, an eternity of humiliation for her, and they'd never see one another ever again.
He realized how right she was, how right she'd been all along and how he should have seen it sooner and put a damper on his emotions. But it hadn't happened, and now it was too late for him. But she was safe, he knew. She was in control, she wouldn't let him hurt either of them. But he didn't want her to be the only strong one, and so he would seal away his feelings as best he could.
She'd been right all along. It was too risky, there was too much pain to be had if something went wrong.
"Link?" Zelda opened her eyes and saw the pained expression on his face. "Is something wrong?"
"Ah… no, nothing. I'm… I'm not feeling so good. I'm going to go inside…."
And then, Link did something he was not very proud of.
He bolted.
-
Zelda hadn't been expecting much of a Thanksgiving, as Impa and Haft were very relaxed, as opposed to her uptight father and his manner of celebrations, which always consisted of a family dinner and then football, while Zelda was left to her own devices, tolerating her cousins as best she could.
Her expectations, or possibly lack thereof, were not let down.
Thursday, Thanksgiving, she slept in and woke up late, then sauntered downstairs to check out the grub scene. Hurrah for her, Impa had a turkey in the oven and Haft had gone out to get some pre-mixed foodstuffs; potatoes, dressing, cranberry sauce. Link was sitting, topless, sprawled on the couch, sleep in his eyes as he watched reruns of the parade. Saria and Jayda were sitting on the floor on beanbag chairs, staring at the screen with awe and delight.
"Link, when you're all grown up, you have to take me to the parade," Saria stated, tugging at the hem of Link's flannel pajama pants.
"Okay, squirt."
"Good morning." Zelda sauntered in and plopped down on Link's feet, leaning against the couch arm and staring at the screen. "Macy's?"
"Yeah," Link stated with a yawn. "We're watching the parade. Dad taped it with TiVo."
"Ssssh, ssssh!" Jayda hissed. "They're showing the Radio City Rockettes!"
"Jayda wants to be a Rockette," Saria confided to Zelda in a low whisper.
"Ssssssh!"
"I'm home!" Zelda heard Haft boom merrily, bursting in the kitchen door.
"Ssssssssh!" Jayda hissed to the other room. "You're being noisy."
"Sorry, dear. Impa, what do you want me to do with these mashed potatoes?"
"SSSSSSSSSSSSH! YOU'RE MAKING ME MISS IT!"
She watched eager eyes, and Zelda couldn't help but smile down at the little brat's head. After the parade ended, the four sauntered in to the kitchen to investigate the food- they stole stuffing and cranberry sauce and slices of pumpkin bread, and often found themselves chased out of the kitchen by Impa, who was threateningly wielding a whisk.
All in all, it was one the best Thanksgiving Zelda had ever had.
-
uploaded 6:18 PM
February 9, 2005
A/N: OH NOES! Link, you silly boy, what have you gone and gotten yourself into now? You all are SO going to shoot me for this chapter, I know, but if you DO decide to bust out the guns, please, wait another two chapters. Then you'll REALLY hate me.
Mwahahahahahaha. cackle Next chapter coming up is a big'un. I'm sure you'll all love it. Or hate it. One of the two. But I have some bad news concerning our hero and heroine, and that is that, as Link and Zelda both believe it's impossible to conduct a relationship, there will be no sparks flying between them. Er, rather, there will be, but neither will notice. Don't worry, though; I swear they'll come to their senses. Eventually. Give it a while. That doesn't mean that the story will be devoid of fluff- if anything, it's going to get fluffier, since they're both "secure" now and know they're going to stay just friends. Mwahahahaha.
Aaaaaand, what else… I know there was something important I was going to say… aw, hell, I don't know. But anyway, there's a crazy twist in the next chapter that I've been hinting at for quite some time, so don't blast me for it saying that it's stupid, because there's point and purpose to it. Honestly. Really. There is.
Prepare to see….. THE CAVE OF THE BEAST ITSELF! Next chapter, you get to see Zelda's house. Gasp. Dun dun dunnnn!
'till then, all.