Chapter 1 Under the pressure

Thalia POV

"Okay guys assemble.... We have a new member in our team. Introduce yourself fella" The coach shouted as his voice echoed in the indoor training field and it was enough to draw the attention of the sweaty athlete boys who paused the current game as they all gathered round the coach.

My eyes scanned the entire team and Levi's Sports academy truly lived up to its reputation, every single guy here was huge and muscular.

For a while, they all stared at me, their gaze piercing into my skin and my heart beating faster than it normally would. Cleaning my sweaty palm against my jersey, I tried to meet their eyes and for a moment, I thought they could see the tightly wrapped bulge of my binded chest beneath the oversized jersey.

I adjusted my stance and raised my head up meeting their towering figures.

"My name is Renn Willow and I am happy to join this team" I didn't know why but they all erupted into a fit of laughter after I spoke. Did I not get the bass tone correctly? I was sure I did since I had been training my vocals for six months now.

“Silence!” The coach shouted but that made their laughter increase.

“Coach… is this a prank or something?” One of them scoffed as his eyes sized me up. His mocking question triggered another fit of laughter and looking at the coach's face, he wasn't pleased. Neither was I.

I clenched my jaw shut, forcing my posture to remain still even when my fingers still shook against my shorts. I shouldn't have expected better, they might be the best players but it didn't change the fact that they were all spoiled rich kids.

“Enough guys” A new voice cut through the noise. The crowd of athletes slowly dispersed and my breath hitched at the as he stepped into sight, the ball below his feet.

He was an absolute sight to look at, as droplets of sweats rolled down his face. He didn't just walk to me, he used his massive height to completely swallow me completely, looking down at me with pure arrogance. He didn't bother looking at me for long before he cast a lazy, dismissive glance at the coach.

“Really coach?” He started. “ We now have to settle for a scrawny kid? Tch.. you've lost your touch coach” He said like I wasn't right before him.

I didn't know why but mere looking at him made me feel riled up. He stared at me with discontempt and it didn't sit well with me.

“Look at how flushed he is..he's such a fem boy and wouldn't last one minute on the field coach” He continued walking towards the coach who was getting aggravated already.

“Get off Evander… he was the only one that passed the exam” He countered back at the arrogant guy.

“What do you mean this little kid passed the exam? How tall is he? 5’5?” The mockery in his tone was enough and the snickers from the team didn't help at all.

“You've got a problem with me, big guy?” I hollered at him, using the bass voice I'd perfected. He turned his head slowly, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

“I'd respond to you but I'm afraid I'll make you pee on your pants… kid” He stressed the last word obviously trying to piss me off.

The coach blew the whistle immediately as he stepped in between us as we stared hard at each other.

“I won't accept him into this team unless he proves his usefulness” he told the coach who finally rolled his eyes agreeing with him.

“Sure… Evander, take the dibs… we're doing a 20-minute full field scrimmage right now and Renn you're the second striker next to him… let's see what you've got” Coach concluded as everyone started to take positions.

“Are you sure you can survive? I don't want to squash your tiny figure with my feet” He sneered and I rolled my eyes at him.

“Is that supposed to scare me?” I shot back and he paused, staring at me, an amused smile on his face.

“Maybe… Are you scared? You can always back down?” He said, tossing the ball on the floor.

“ You wish, you've been paying way too much attention” I glanced at the ball beneath his foot. “If you're that worried, maybe you should stop talking and start playing”

A few players exchanged looks while someone among the crowds muttered “Damn”.

“Enough! Let the game start now” The whistle blew off again and the match started. I ran on the pristine turf, my lungs burning behind the tight restriction of my wrapped chest.

The game was brutally fast as they passed the balls over me. They sure did live up to their expectations. Levi's Sport Academy was the number one leading team in the country and unlike other teams, they were rumored to move as fast as a leopard. And with what I was looking at, it wasn't just a mere rumor.

These guys were good!

As I tried to call for the ball since I had an open space, the midfielder ignored me passing the ball to Evander. He winked at me as he began to run towards the goal post. The opposing team tried to dribble him. His legs moved swiftly as he shot the ball into the goal post.

“Goalllll!!!” A loud cheer erupted from the team as they all rushed towards him, raising him up. I stood back debating whether I should rush over too or just stand awkwardly right here.

“Hey Kid! See that… that's why I'm the captain” He shouted at me, sticking out his tongue at me.

“Okay next round let's goo” The coach blew the whistle again and the second round started. I wasn't going to be ignored this time around anymore, I needed to prove to these guys that I was good enough to be on the team. If not for me… but for my father.

Sprinting down the field, my mind drifted back to two years ago. On my sixteenth birthday, the day I received a letter from this academy about the death of my father.

I forced the memories away, fixating my eyes entirely on the moving ball. I wasn't just here to find out why he died.

I was here because I loved this game with every fiber of my being. In a world where women were forbidden from ever touching a football, where we were told the pitch was too uncultured and unfit for us, I had spent two long years in isolation training my own body to prove them wrong.

I wanted to play with everything's I've got. More than that, I wanted to be the first female footballer to win the national championship and force the whole world to watch me claim it.

“Hey … pass over here” Evander's voice snapped me out of my thoughts as the ball reached over to my side. I looked towards the open space to the goalpost before me and the choice of passing to him. I knew if I needed to stay on this team I needed to prove myself.

A sly smile formed on my lips as I began to race towards the goalpost, my gaze fixed on the ball and right there I shot the ball into the post waiting for the loud cheer of the team but that didn't happen.

“High kick” The whistle went off as the team groaned walking off the field.

“You see… you can never be part of this team. You couldn't even score an open goal” He started as he walked over to me.

“Give him a break, it's his first day” A team member came towards him, drawing him away from the field.

“You can never be on this team… I don't know how you passed the exam but I will make it my goal to get you out” With that, He left the indoor field.

“I was really counting on you to prove them wrong… nice try though” Coach said as he walked out.

I stood there, staring at the goalpost as embarrassment settled heavily in my chest. I had failed on my very first day at Levi's Sports Academy.

The same boys who had laughed at me were probably laughing even harder now. I kicked the ball away, biting down on the frustration burning inside me.

I couldn't let one mistake destroy everything. I hadn't cut my hair, trained my body for two years and risked everything just to walk away because of one missed goal.

I wasn't here simply to become a football player.I was here because I deserved to know the truth about my father's death.

And if proving I belonged on this team was the price I had to pay to get closer to it, then so be it.

I would prove them wrong,especially that arrogant captain.

I would make Evander regret ever telling me I didn't belong.