Once in a Lifetime

With just one week to go until exams started, Louis sat up in his room, his textbooks, notes and laptop sprawled around him as he pulled at his hair. All he had done recently was study, locked inside his room like a prisoner in solitary confinement. He had played his final football game for the university last Friday, his team winning 3-1, meaning they had won the championship. It had been so special, and as Louis let his mind drift back to that summer evening, he felt all those emotions coming back.

***

Louis sat in the back of the car as Liam drove with Niall in the passenger seat, the three of them bickering about whether the UK was better than Ireland, and Louis laughed as Niall's accent became more prominent the more passionate that he got. Louis had never been to Ireland, so really, he had no right to an opinion, but that didn't stop him from doing whatever was necessary to wind Niall up. Eventually, once Niall had huffed and swore that he would show them the truth one day, they arrived on campus, and they all got out of the car. Harry was already waiting for them, so as soon as Louis saw him, he ran over and kissed him, Niall and Liam making kissy noises as they caught up. Harry asked how Louis was feeling, and Louis answered with a shrug and a tight smile.

"It'll be what it'll be, I'm just excited to wear the shirt one more time." The four of them walked towards the stadium, each of them hugging him as they said their goodbyes, Niall shouting a 'good luck' just as Louis pushed through the door. The changing room was already bustling, his teammates getting dressed into the jersey with the university's logo sewn onto the front. It was quieter than normal, each person remembering the first time they wore the shirt and how important it made them feel. Wearing the red shirt and representing Manchester University was a real achievement, they had all gone through try-outs to get on the team and had to keep up a high level of work both on and off the field to keep their place. Once the coach came in, he told them who would be the starting eleven, before giving them a little speech before they were to warm up.

"Okay, lads, listen up. This will be the last time you guys will play together. I know, for our third-year students, this will be the last time you will get to feel the rush of excitement from the crowd at kick off, but I want you to use that energy and put it into the game. For three years, you guys have walked out onto that field and put your heart and soul into this team, and I couldn't be prouder of you all. Williams, Bright, Tomlinson, Roberts, Jackson, Ashcroft and Lakeland, you need to go out there and show everyone what this team means to you. Forget the losses over the years, focus on the buzz of winning. This will be a game that will stay in your memories for many years to come, and, if we get the result we want, it could go down in university record books. There is a lot riding on this, boys, so look out for each other, work together, and play the way you've all been taught, but mostly, make sure you enjoy yourselves. Right, everyone please grab a specially made t-shirt from this pile," he instructed, pointing to a stack of white tees on the bench, "and head out onto the field for the game of your lives." The coach then left the room to a series of cheers from the team, each of them grabbing a shirt and putting it on as they left the room. Louis was tying up his shoelaces, only looking up when he realised his whole team had already gone. He quickly grabbed the last remaining shirt, throwing it over his head without looking at what was written on it. He could still hear his teammates walking through the tunnel, not quite making it onto the pitch yet, so he quickly ran to catch up with them. He walked at the back of the group, looking down at the floor as the captain stepped onto the field first. The noise was deafening, causing Louis to look up and see the back of the person in front of him. He gasped, his eyes reading what was written on the back. Malik. He felt the tears prick the back of his eyes, and he blinked quickly as he too walked onto the pitch. He had never seen the stadium so packed and so loud. Their names were being screamed from every direction, claps and cheers bouncing around the grounds as they all looked up in awe. Everywhere he looked, people were waving banners and smiling and awaiting the game. He tried to find his friends, but there were too many faces and they always sat at the other end of the stand to where he was warming up. As he ran through the cones, shooting into the net occasionally, he couldn't help but think about the name written on his back. Zayn's name, in fact. He had no idea this was going to happen, but it gave him the courage he needed to believe in himself. He knew he had to be at the top of his game to win, and with Zayn's help he knew he could do it. After fifteen minutes, the ref blew the whistle and both sets of players walked to the centre of the pitch, standing in a line facing the stands. Suddenly, a voice came through the speakers, silencing the cheering crowd.