Chapter 35 : Football Match[2]

Ava passed the ball to Zinnia. Zinnia moved fast, cutting through the midfield like a blade. One of Jax’s teammates—a boy tried to intercept. She dodged him easily, not even breaking stride. Her hips swayed as she ran, shorts riding up slightly.

Another boy lunged. She passed the ball to Azara on the right wing. Azara sprinted forward, her movements smooth and precise. Her legs pumped hard, muscles flexing with each stride.

Kiera rushed to block. Azara faked left, then cut right. Kiera stumbled, off-balance.

Azara fired a shot. The ball screamed toward the goal.

Team B’s goalkeeper—a nervous-looking boy dove. Missed by a mile.

The ball hit the net.

1-0.

The crowd erupted. Team A celebrated. Zinnia smirked, her eyes locking onto Jax. "This is just the beginning," she mouthed.

Kai groaned. "We’re doomed."

Jax said nothing. He watched Zinnia, watched Ava, watched Azara. Fast. Coordinated. Confident.

’This is going to be harder than I thought.’

The match restarted. Team B had possession. One of the boys passed to another, who immediately lost the ball to a sliding tackle from Ava. She moved like water—smooth, efficient. Her body twisted as she stole the ball, breasts bouncing slightly with the motion.

She sprinted forward. Kiera tried to stop her but got juked. Celestia stepped in, blocking the path.

Ava passed to Zinnia. Zinnia didn’t hesitate. She turned and fired.

2-0.

The crowd roared again. Jax’s team looked defeated already. Shoulders slumped. Eyes down.

Kai muttered, "We’re getting destroyed."

Jax clenched his fists. ’Focus. Think.’

The game continued. Team A dominated every play. Their passes were sharp, their movements precise. Team B stumbled around like children learning to walk.

Ten minutes in, Jax finally touched the ball. He tried to pass to Kai—Ava intercepted it mid-pass and sprinted the other way. Her ponytail swung behind her as she ran, legs pumping powerfully.

She passed to Azara. Azara dribbled forward, then fired from distance.

3-0.

Fifteen minutes in, Jax got the ball again. This time, he tried to dribble forward. Zinnia appeared out of nowhere, sliding in hard.

Her cleat caught his ankle—sharp, deliberate.

Pain shot up his leg. He stumbled, hit the ground hard.

The whistle blew. Yellow card for Zinnia.

She stood over him, smirking. "Oops. My bad."

Jax gritted his teeth, pushing himself up. ’One.’ As if counting.

He limped back into position, ignoring the throbbing pain.

Kai jogged over. "You okay?"

"Fine."

"Dude, she did that on purpose."

"I know."

Twenty minutes in. Jax got the ball again. He passed to Celestia, who actually managed to move it forward a few meters.

A girl from Team A—one of Zinnia’s lackeys—closed in fast. Her tackle was late, cleats catching Jax’s shin as he tried to support Celestia’s run.

He winced, stumbling. The whistle blew. Yellow card for the girl.

She glanced at Zinnia, who nodded slightly. It was coordinated.

Jax got up slowly. ’Two. She’s sending her lackeys after me.’

Twenty-five minutes. Jax intercepted a pass from Ava. He turned to sprint forward—another girl from Team A, another one of Zinnia’s crew, came in from the side. Her shoulder slammed into his ribs.

He gasped, doubling over. The whistle blew. Yellow card.

The girl shrugged, walking away. Zinnia smirked from across the field.

Jax clutched his side. ’Three. All her doing.’

Thirty minutes. Jax tried to block Ava’s run down the wing. She didn’t foul him—just shoved him aside cleanly with raw strength. Her body pressed against his for a moment, warm and firm.

No whistle. Clean play.

Ava passed to Zinnia. Zinnia fired.

4-0.

Thirty-five minutes. Azara had the ball. Jax moved to intercept. She dribbled past him easily, her movements fluid. As she went by, her eyes met his for a split second. Her face flushed red again, and she looked away quickly.

No foul. Just skill.

Thirty-eight minutes. Another of Zinnia’s lackeys closed in on Jax as he tried to defend. She accidentally stepped on his foot, her weight grinding down.

He hissed in pain. The whistle blew. Yellow card.

Jax got up, limping. ’Four. They’re all targeting me. Zinnia you bitch remember all the debt will be payed soon. ’

Just before halftime, Zinnia got the ball one more time. She sprinted straight at Jax. He braced himself—she slid in, cleats high, aiming for his knee.

He jumped back just in time. Her cleats caught his shin instead.

Pain exploded. He hit the ground hard, clutching his leg.

The whistle blew loud and long. The referee marched over, face furious. She pulled out the yellow card—Zinnia’s second.

Which meant red.

Zinnia’s mouth dropped open. "What?! That was—"

"Off the field. Now."

Zinnia glared at Jax, her face twisted with rage. "This isn’t over," she hissed.

She stormed off the field. The crowd buzzed with noise half booing, half cheering.

Ava scored one more goal right before the whistle, a clinical finish past the helpless goalkeeper.

5-0.

Halftime.

Team A walked off the field laughing, high-fiving. Ava’s body glistened with sweat, her top clinging to her skin. Azara wiped her forehead, still avoiding Jax’s gaze.

Team B trudged to the sidelines, defeated.

Jax sat on the bench, breathing hard. His ankle throbbed. His ribs ached. His shin felt like it was on fire.

Kai collapsed beside him. "We’re getting slaughtered."

Kiera stood nearby, arms crossed, glaring at nothing. Her jaw was tight. Sweat dripped down her neck, disappearing into her top.

Celestia sat down gracefully, her expression thoughtful. She watched Jax carefully, her eyes sharp.

Jax stared at the field. His mind raced.

’They’re better. Faster. Stronger. But Zinnia’s gone. And three of her lackeys have yellow cards. One more foul, and they’re out.’

He glanced at Kai. "How’s your acting?"

Kai blinked. "My what?"

"Your acting. Can you fake an injury?"

Kai grinned slowly. "Buddy, I’m the best actor you’ll ever meet."

Jax smirked. "Good. Because in the second half, you’re going to be very busy."

Kai’s grin widened. "Oh, this is gonna be fun."

Kiera overheard. "What are you planning?"

Jax met her eyes. "We’re going to win."

She scoffed. "We’re losing 5-0."

"Not for long."

Celestia leaned forward, curious. "What’s your strategy?"

Jax stood, ignoring the pain in his ankle. "Simple. We reduce their numbers. Three players on their team have yellow cards. One more foul, and they’re out. We will use that."

Kiera frowned. "That’s dirty."

"It’s smart."

Celestia tilted her head. "You’re going to bait them into fouling."

"Exactly."

Kiera shook her head, but there was a flicker of something in her eyes. Respect, maybe. "This won’t work."

Jax shrugged. "Then we lose. But if we do nothing, we lose anyway. At least this way, we have a chance."

Celestia’s lips curved slightly. "I’m listening."

Jax laid out the plan quickly. "Kai, you’re the bait. You run toward players with yellow cards. We pass you the ball right when you’re near them. You sell the contact. Make it look like they fouled you. Get them red-carded."

Kai rubbed his hands together. "This is genius. Evil genius."

"Kiera, Celestia—you two play clean. Hold the defense. Don’t give them easy goals. The rest of you—" he looked at the other players "—just pass to Kai when I signal."

Kiera’s expression was still cold, but she nodded once. "Fine."

Celestia smiled faintly. "This should be interesting."

The whistle blew. Halftime was over.

Jax walked back onto the field, Kai at his side.

"Remember," Jax said. "Sell it. Make it look real."

Kai grinned. "Trust me."

The second half began.

And Jax’s plan began with it.