Rise of a Football God

"Don't think too much about it Sam, the red card was not your fault. You actually took one for the team, so thank you". So Alex Iwobi said.

"Yeah, I understand". So Sam said.

At the end of the game, he even laughed over the fact that he got a red card in just his 2nd international cap but on getting home, when Sam remembered the look the coach directed at him, he became devastated.

…

Ring! Ring!

Silence.

Ring! Ring!

Silence.

A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door before it was pushed open. Mrs. Moses peeped inside her son's room with a concerned look on her face.

"Sam, your food is still waiting for you".

"Sorry mom, I don't feel like eating yet".

Mrs. Moses lingered, then she sighed. "Ok, but at least pick Kayla's call. She's worried about you".

Hearing that, Sam raised his head in the darkness. He just mumbled an ok.

"Your food is waiting for you, anytime you want to eat". Saying that, Mrs. Moses finally left with a look of distress on her face.

Ring! Ring!

When the phone rang again, Sam hesitated slightly before walking over from his bed where he sat previously.

"Hey".

"Hey, babe".

'Babe?' That distracted Sam a bit.

"How are you doing?" Kayla's soft voice sounded again.

"I'm good, I guess".

"You don't sound good".

"Haha, funny".

Kayla stayed silent for a few seconds. "Can I enter? I'm at the door".

Hearing that, Sam was stunned as he looked at his door. "Wait, what? I thought you were in…"

"I took the first flight to come here".

When Sam walked up to his door, he was beyond surprised to see Kayla standing at the door of his room.

Immediately after the game in Rwanda, the Nigerian players took a night flight back and that was how Sam came to his family home. It was already late.

He never expected Kayla to be here by this time.

"Why…?" The question didn't fully leave his lips when Kayla hugged him, shutting him up.

Sam was stunned by the sudden hug, but he didn't question it, he needed it. As soon as Kayla hugged him, he hugged back tightly, squeezing gently.

"It's fine". She whispered to him.

Pent-up emotions that he had been holding back in were washed away by this hug, it was so simple that Sam could not believe it.

All his anger at himself dissipated, and then he sighed in relief. "Thanks for coming Kayla, really".Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"It's fine". She smiled as they finally broke away from the hug. "Go wear your clothes, we're going out".

"Really? To where?"

"It's a secret".

While Sam went back inside to wear his clothes, Kayla met with his parents, informing them about certain things and when Sam was ready, they drove off.

That night, Kayla drove him to a popular 5-star hotel there in Maitama, Abuja.

There, she ordered delicious African food from the hotel's restaurant which she feasted on with Sam before eventually leading him to the bar.

Sam was never a heavy drinker but today, with Kayla leading him on, he didn't feel the need to restrain himself as he went loose and drank till satisfaction.

Listening to the music, and aided by the drink, Sam finally started venting his frustration. "I still can't believe I was offside".

"I don't know how they saw it, but I believed I was onside, that was a goal! I saw the video replay, that was a goal".

"I was so sure it was a goal!"

"It's fine," Kayla patted him on the back, reassuring him with her warmth. "Officials make bad decisions in football from time to time".

"Why me?" Sam said in frustration. "Why today of all days? Why when I'm trying to impress the coach to solidify my spot on the team?!"

"I'm so frustrated!"

"You had to see the look on the coach's face after I got sent off. I know, I did let the frustration get to me, but still it was me taking a bullet for the team because I recognized danger".

"If that guy was left free to run, the team would have been in danger. There was a high chance of that resulting in a goal".

"Why can't he see it that way?"

"Ah! I'm so frustrated!"

"It's fine, let it all out, you'll feel better that way".

Kayla was right, after venting for a few minutes, Sam finally calmed down as he no longer felt as frustrated, just a bit dizzy from the alcohol.

"Do you want to dance?" Kayla asked gently.

Hearing that, Sam grinned. "I'm not a good dancer but right now, I really really want to dance".

And so, both of them went to the dance floor as they joined others under the red and blue lights, dancing to their hearts content.

From freestyling to the Nigerian jams playing from the speakers, both of them soon left the rhythm of the music, dancing to their own rhythm instead as together in the dance floor, they hugged each other, Kayla's head on his chest.

And together, they swayed to each other's rhythm.

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Feeling her so close to him, her body warmth energizing him, Sam slowly pushed her blonde hair to the side, caressing it gently then he whispered. "Thank you, Kayla, for this moment, I really appreciate it".

Hearing that, she raised her head to look him in the eye.

This close, they could feel each other's breaths as their eyes stared straight into each other's eyes.

Staring into her eyes, Sam felt an urge. Perhaps, if he was sober, he would have been too deterred to do it but thankfully, he was not sober.

Leaning in, Sam kissed Kayla on the lips.

She didn't fight it, responding in kind as she kissed him back.

And in that moment, it was as if a supernova explosion of passion just triggered as both of them lost themselves in the moment, thoroughly savoring it.

When they eventually broke out from the kiss, they looked at each other briefly before kissing again. Now with bated breaths, Kayla subtly suggested. "Maybe let's go to the room?"

"Ok". Sam obliged immediately.

Leaving the bar, they went to the hotel room and immediately they entered inside, they locked the door and switched off the lights.

There was the sound of interlocking lips again in the dark, then the sound of clothes being discarded, then a thudding sound as bodies fell on top the bed.

That night, 2 young adults succumbed to their hormones and the urgings of their passion as they intertwined in the most ancient ritual of the opposite sex.

That night, Sam seized to be a virgin.