PENALTY by Annika Sturm (best contemporary novels TXT) 📕

with his best friend until he had to let go and fell asleep as well.

'Tommy! Where are you?' Alex screamed into the distance. He desperately tried to see but the fog was too dense. As he moved forward at snail pace with his arms stretched out in front of him, he could hear Tom shouting his name but Alex couldn't get to him fast enough. He cursed at not being able to see where he was going when suddenly the fog lifted and he found himself standing right by the edge of a cliff. Tom had fallen and was desperately trying to hang on by his bare hands. Alex lay down on his front and shouted his name out loud. He stretched his arm down as far as he could and Tom tried to reach his hand. 'Alex, I can't hold on.' Alex was in utter terror trying to save him. 'Tommy! Grab my hand!' He shouted in despair. Tom stared at him with wet eyes and to Alex's horror, he let go and fell hundreds of metres into the darkness. Alex could hear him scream his name as he fell but the desperate sound faded quickly. And all Alex wanted to do was to jump after him.

He suddenly sat up and gasped for air. It was the middle of the night and Tom's head was still resting on his chest but the sudden movement woke him up. 'Hey,' he mumbled half asleep, 'are you alright?', Alex was breathing hard and covered in sweat. Tom sat up and put his arm around his shoulders comforting him, 'Alex,' he said sleepily and switched the light on, 'did you have a nightmare?' He gently stroked his back. 'You're still here.' Alex muttered and looked at Tom with relief. He hugged him and buried his face in his shoulder. 'Alex,' Tom said, 'come on, it was just a dream. Of course I'm still here.' He held and soothed him gently. 'I dreamed I lost you.' 'Oh dear. In the snow?' Tom giggled. 'No,' Alex said seriously, 'I don't know,' he added confused, 'but it was for good.' 'Hey,' Tom hugged him again, 'it was just a dream. Come on,' Tom lay back down and encouraged Alex to rest his head against his chest, 'everything’s okay.' Alex slowly calmed down in his friend's arms and felt safe again. He took a deep breath and looked into his eyes before he kissed him lovingly. 'Are you okay now?' Tom asked gently. Alex nodded and smiled stroking Tom's chest. 'You scared me for a minute, you nutter!' Tom giggled. 'I scared myself!' Alex said and shook his head. 'Perhaps I can help you relax again.' Tom stroked up and down his back. Alex couldn't have wished for a better way to make him feel better. He closed his eyes again and went back to sleep.

The next morning the boys woke up early but tried to put off saying goodbye for as long as possible. They lay in bed and chatted for hours until Alex decided to drag Tom downstairs to the pool one more time. He jumped in and enjoyed the refreshing water on his skin. 'I reckon I'll get a pool,' he shouted towards Tom, who looked at him from the edge with an amused smile, 'what do you think?' Tom nodded in agreement. He dived in and swam towards his friend. Alex hugged and kissed him when he reached him. He held him so close Tom could hardly breathe. 'I have had such an awesome time,' Alex said holding him, 'I loved every second with you. I just want you to know that.' Tom beamed and kissed him. 'So would you say it was worth the wait despite me being late?' He asked. 'Well I wouldn't go that far.' Alex said and grinned before he took a deep breath and pulled him under water. Tom gasped in surprise. ‘Wait until I kick your ass when we play you in a few weeks, you won’t be laughing then!’ He shouted when he dived back up chuckling. The boys continued to play-fight and just wanted to forget about time. At some point Tom had to give in, he was in stitches of laughter. 'Enough!' He shouted and put his hands in the air catching his breath. Alex grabbed him gently and kissed him. 'Okay,' he said with a smug grin, 'now what about my breakfast?'
Chapter 3

4 weeks later

'Alex, next week you will be facing your old team mate Tom at home. Is this a special match for you?' The journalist asked him. 'Yes sure it is. I'm still good friends with Tom and also know some of the other players well through the German team. Tom played here for years so he'll be thrilled to be back again as well.' 'Your team is not in a good place at the moment, you have lost the last three matches against clubs a lot weaker than Tom’s. Do you really think you can beat them?' 'We are very strong at home. Of course they are better on paper but we will play and fight to get three points here next weekend.'

Alex left the editor's office after the interview and got into his car. He was nervous about the upcoming match knowing that his team wouldn't have the slightest chance to win this. A draw is all he could realistically hope for. As he drove home he wondered what was going to happen to his club at the end of the season and consequently what would happen to him. He pushed the thoughts aside and instead thought of the fact that he would finally see Tom again.

The weekend in Austria felt like a lifetime ago. They had both been busy with their clubs and Alex still had to digest one defeat after another since then. The press criticised him most days but he was used to it by now. Tom was chasing the title with his club and whilst competition was fierce, Tom's problems were nowhere near as desperate as Alex's. Throughout all the latest events the boys' relationship kept Alex going, Tom's encouragement kept him focussed and saved him from despair. Alex felt torn between the excitement of finally seeing him this weekend and the bleak vision of losing yet again. This time against his best friend and the man he loved.

Tom felt a lot more cheerful about it all. 'So what are we going to do? We have our international friendly in Berlin three days after, so I'll stay in Hamburg of course. Are we going out?' Tom asked him on the phone that evening. Alex hesitated. 'I would have invited you to stay at our house but I don't think we can do this Tommy. On the other hand Emma will wonder why you are staying in a hotel.' 'It's okay, you're right I shouldn't come to yours. Just tell her I have to stay in a hotel, it's what the managers want. Will you stay with me?', Tom whispered and Alex's heart started racing. He bit his lip as he thought it through, 'Alex?' 'Yes I will work something out. I won't be able to stay away from you anyway,' he laughed with a hint of despair in his voice, 'you have put some sort of spell on me.' He could hear Tom smile. 'Ah, I guess I'll be busy celebrating the win of course,' Tom said cheerfully, 'so you may not be in the mood for me anyway.' 'Let's see, shall we?' Alex spat through his teeth and Tom laughed.

The week passed so quickly that Alex could hardly believe when it was Saturday morning, match day. 'You are very quiet,' Emma gently took his hand at the breakfast table, 'almost pale. Are you okay baby?' She asked. 'I'm okay,' he smiled at her, 'it's just the nerves.' 'Hmmm, this is going to be a special match isn't it? How's Tommy? Is he staying here tonight?' Alex didn't feel like finishing his breakfast. He got up, grabbed Max and buried his head in his little jumper cuddling him. The child chuckled and beamed at him. 'No, he'll stay in a hotel. He'll probably feel like going out and party after they thrash us!' He whined. Emma laughed and stood up. She walked towards him and hugged him. 'I will love you regardless of whether they thrash you or not!' Alex gulped and looked at her. He kissed her gently. 'Thank you. I'm very lucky,' he felt guilty and awful, 'right, better go and face the enemy!' He cuddled and tickled Max again and whispered in his ear, 'will you watch Uncle Tommy thrash daddy on television today with mummy?' 'Yeah!' Max giggled and Alex frowned at him. 'Hey, only because he bought you one cool electric car last Christmas doesn't mean he is all that you know!' 'Uncle Tommy!' Max cheered and Alex chuckled to himself. 'I'm clearly not the only one he has put a spell on.' He kissed his son, handed him to Emma, grabbed his bag and left the house.

'We have just gone past Hanover. We'll be there in about two hours I would have thought!' Tom was shouting into his mobile from the team bus he was travelling in. Alex could hardly hear him, it seemed Tom’s team was that excited. 'Who is that shouting next to you?' Alex asked somewhat annoyed. 'Oh, it's Kai,' Tom giggled, 'he sends his love.' 'I bet he bloody well does.' Alex muttered. Kai was one of Tom's team mates who also played for Germany. 'Hey,' Tom sounded more gentle now, 'you know I can't wait, don't you?' Alex smiled. 'To thrash us?' He teased him. 'Yeah.' Tom laughed. 'And to kiss me better?' Alex asked. 'Yeah.' Tom cheered.

Alex and his team started warming up in the stadium and as he focussed on the exercise and the routine he slowly started feeling less nervous about the match. But his heart was still racing at the thought of seeing his friend again.

'They're here,' he heard his manager shout over to him, 'we better say hello and welcome them to the best stadium in the country!' The team cheered and Alex felt somewhat queasy again. He was alert preparing himself to stay calm when he was to spot him. 'Alex!' Felix and Kai cheered, slowly jogging towards him. Alex shook their hands and high fived them. 'Hey, good to see you!' Alex grinned at his German team mates.

'Alex!' He knew that voice only too well. He turned and saw Tom walking towards him, his face beaming at him, his arm bent, ready for the handshake. Alex smiled and jogged towards him. 'Hey!' He ignored the hand and hugged him instead. Tom chuckled but squeezed him hard. 'Idiot.' He whispered into his ear. 'I haven't seen you for ages.' Alex gulped looking at him, conscious of all the boys close by. 'It's been way too long.' Tom patted the back of his head, put his arm around his shoulders and they both walked towards the changing rooms. Alex relished his friend's mere presence. Tom winked at him before he joined