Chapter 2

Something tells me this year is going to be unforgettable. And, as proof of that, as I leave the gym, I realize the bell has already rung.

I rush to my classroom, which is on the second floor of the school. The moment I appear at the window, my eyes meet those of the math teacher. Isaac shows up right behind me. I ask the teacher if we can enter, and he shakes his head negatively. For the first time in my life, I’m outside the classroom, and I feel a bit bad about it. Right on the first day at this school.

"What are we going to do, Kelvin?"

Isaac, breathless and sweaty from running from the gym to here, leans against the white wall while looking at me.

"I don’t know."

I reply curtly, making my dissatisfaction with what just happened clear.

"Let’s go back to the gym, then. The second-year students said it’s still open. We probably won’t be able to return to class until the next teacher arrives, which will be in about 50 minutes."

Well, we don’t have much else to do.

"Yeah, you’re right."

I turn to him, and we start heading down the stairs toward the gym.

***

"You and I, let’s go one-on-one."

He passes me the ball and gestures for me to come closer. There are only the two of us in the gym, so I laugh.

"Only goals inside the area, right?"

I ask, and he nods.

Alright then. Since he challenged me, I won’t refuse the request.

I control the ball and start slowly advancing toward him, who steps back with each step I take, like a snake waiting for the right moment to strike and reclaim the ball.

"Are you just going to keep backing up?"

I tease, trying to distract him. He responds with a laugh.

"Don’t underestimate the art of defense."

At the exact moment, his leg lunges toward the ball, but I was already expecting that. I flick it to the right, freeing myself from Isaac. He tries to recover, but it’s too late. I run with the ball to the goal and stop it on the white line, ready to shoot. I tap it with my heel, and it’s a goal.

"Your art of defense means nothing to me."

He laughs, still panting.

"You only scored because I’m tired! That’s the only reason."

He says, breathing heavily.

I grab the ball and send it to him, returning to defense while he prepares.

"The game is just getting started, Kelvin."

He warns with a smile on his face.

He charges forward quickly, at full speed. I try to close the angle for a shot.

"Over here!"

He says, trying to pass the ball between my legs, but misses.

"Trying to dribble a dribbler? Put in more effort."

I provoke, sending the ball forward. I sprint toward the goal, but I hear Isaac's footsteps right behind me, running like a madman. I slow down and flick the ball over him, making him go straight past and fall to the ground. I take the opportunity to shoot and score the second goal.

"Are you still tired?"

I tease while he, still lying on the ground, laughs.

"You’re really good. Who did you learn to play soccer with?"

"I learned by watching soccer games on TV and playing street soccer. We live in the country of soccer; there’s no escaping it."

I sit on the ground, leaning against the goalpost to rest.

"It can’t just be that, man. I play soccer all the time and I'm not that good!"

He smiles, and I lower my head.

"Actually, there’s another reason too..."

"What is it?"

He stands up, curious.

"It’s because of—"

The bell rings. Has that much time already passed?

"It’s already the next class. Let’s hurry; I don’t want to miss out again."

I get up and quickly head up the stairs, with Isaac following behind, still panting. When we reach the classroom, we peek through the window and don’t see the teacher. It’s our chance! I open the door and enter, sweaty, being stared at by my classmates.

"Come on, Isaac! There’s no one here."

I return to my place, and Isaac heads to the corner of the room. He grabs his hoodie, rests his head on it, and in the blink of an eye, he’s already asleep.

"Is this guy already out of energy?"

I whisper to myself. I look ahead and see the teacher entering through the door, heading toward her desk.

As soon as the teacher enters the classroom, she begins organizing some papers and adjusting her glasses. She gives me a slightly disapproving look, probably noticing the sweat on my face and the mess in my hair. I quickly adjust my backpack, open it, and take out my notebook and pencil case, placing them on the desk, trying to blend in with the other students to avoid drawing attention.

The teacher starts the lesson by discussing what we will learn during the year. I even try to pay attention, but my mind is still on the game against Isaac. That moment of competition... It was amazing. Even though I won by a wide margin, it was really nice to feel that moment. I hope I experience it more often throughout the year.

Isaac, in the corner of the room, is sound asleep, which makes me silently laugh. In the middle of the teacher’s explanation, she suddenly stops and looks in his direction.

"Isaac."

Her tone is calm but firm. He stirs, still with his head on the hoodie, as if he’s in another world.

"Isaac!"

She raises her voice slightly, and finally, he lifts his head, confused, with the imprint of the hoodie sleeve on his face.

"It’s good to see you’re well-rested, Isaac."

She says, with a hint of irony, while the entire class stifles their laughter.

"If you could join us in reading, I would appreciate it."

He shoots me an embarrassed glance, but I give him an encouraging smile. The truth is that Isaac seemed to be the kind of person who takes things lightly, and that made me want to be friends with him.

After the awkwardness passes, he adjusts himself in his chair and tries to focus on the reading. As the class goes on, I realize that being in this new school, despite the challenges and new faces, probably won’t be so bad. I feel like I’m going to make great friends here and, better than that... Have many games to win.

The class continues, and I try to focus on what the teacher is explaining. The subject is interesting, but my mind is still stuck in the gym, thinking about the game with Isaac. I glance at him, who is still trying to keep his eyes open, but it seems that the interrupted nap has left him sleepy.

***

After some time, the class before the afternoon break ends. I'm still not used to this full-time schooling, but I’ll get the hang of it eventually. Everyone starts to get up and gather their things. Isaac stretches in his chair and looks at me with a sleepy smile.

"What a boring class, this Philosophy, huh?"

I laugh and shake my head.

"It was only tiring because you were almost asleep."

He laughs, and then looks at me with a determined expression.

"We’re going to have to have a more serious game later. I want to see you dribbling when I’m full of energy."

"This time, I won’t give you any chances. I’ll even teach you some new dribbles."

I joke, but he takes it seriously.

"You can bet I’ll learn. So, do you want to do something now?"

I shrug, thinking. The break is just starting, so we have some time.

"The cafeteria is downstairs. Want to go?"

"Sure! I’m starving."

We gather our things and head down together toward the cafeteria. Isaac seems to be the type of person who easily attracts the sympathy of others. Before long, we’re chatting as if we’re longtime friends. I tell him about how I used to play soccer in the streets, and he tells me about his neighborhood team.

When we arrive at the cafeteria, we grab some snacks, which are buns with meat inside, and sit at a table. While we talk, I see that the gym door is open and call Isaac to go with me, which he accepts without a second thought. Upon arriving there, we notice that some people are already playing.

"See that group over there? They’re from the school team."

Isaac comments, pointing to the gym.

"They say the team this year isn’t very good. The best players were from the third year, and they graduated this year."

"It would be interesting to play against them."

I comment, looking intently.

Isaac smiles, excited.

"You should try to join the team! I bet you’d do well."

I laugh.

"Maybe... If we formed a class team and played against them? We’d show that we can play well and could join the team!"

Isaac nods, agreeing with the idea.

"Yeah! We can talk to the class later."

We head back to the cafeteria. While we eat, we talk about what we expect from this year, the classes that seem tougher, and the expectations for the games we’ll have. Even though the first day started unexpectedly, the feeling that this year will be unforgettable only grows. After all, making a good friend and having a new challenge ahead is exactly the kind of thing that makes a year memorable.