The days after the victory celebration flew by, but something felt off. Donald couldn't shake the feeling that things were changing. He was excited about next season, but he noticed Mike hanging around Bella more often. It made his stomach twist.
One afternoon, Donald was at training. He watched as Mike joked and laughed with Bella from the sidelines. "Go, Bella!" he shouted, his voice bright and playful. Donald felt a pang of jealousy. Why was Mike spending so much time with her?
"Hey, man, you okay?" Ryan asked, nudging Donald during training. "You look like you just ate a lemon."
"Yeah, I'm fine," Donald replied, trying to sound casual. But inside, he was anything but fine. He couldn't stop thinking about Mike and Bella.
After traininh, Donald approached Bella. "Hey, wanna grab a smoothie?" he asked, trying to keep his tone upbeat.
"Sure! But I'm gonna hang out with Mike for a bit first," she said, her eyes sparkling. "He's showing me some cool soccer drills!"
"Right, Mike. Of course," Donald said, forcing a smile. He felt a little bitter. "I guess I'll just wait then."
As Bella ran off to join Mike, Donald felt a knot in his stomach. He turned to Ryan. "What's the deal with Bella and Mike?" he asked, trying to keep his voice steady.
Ryan shrugged. "They're just friends, man. Don't worry about it. You know Bella likes you."
"Yeah, but…" Donald started, but he didn't have the words. Was he being paranoid?
The next day at training, Donald couldn't focus. He kept glancing at Bella, who was laughing with Mike again. "Focus, Donald!" Coach Harris yelled, snapping him back to reality.
"Sorry, Coach!" Donald shouted, shaking his head. He needed to get it together.
After training, he decided to talk to Bella. "Hey, can we chat?" he asked, trying to sound casual.
"Sure! What's up?" she replied, her smile bright.
"I just wanted to know if everything's okay. You and Mike seem… close," he said, his heart racing.
Bella raised an eyebrow. "We're just friends, Donald. You know that! He's a great player, and I like hanging out with him."
"Right, right," Donald said, feeling his nerves rise. "But it kinda feels like you're spending more time with him. Are you sure it's just friendship?"
Bella frowned. "Are you jealous?" she asked, crossing her arms.
"Me? No way!" Donald replied quickly, but he could feel his cheeks getting warm. "I jus...."
"Look, I care about you, not Mike," she said, her voice softer now. "You're the one I like. Not him."
"Okay, then," Donald said, feeling a little relief. But still, he couldn't shake the feeling.
Later that week, the team had a friendly match training. Donald was pumped but also nervous about how Mike would perform. He wanted to show Bella that he was the better player.
As the game kicked off, Donald felt the energy in the air. The crowd was buzzing, and he could see Bella in the stands, cheering for the Eagles. But as the game went on, Mike made an amazing pass to a teammate, and the crowd erupted. Bella jumped up, clapping wildly for him.
"Come on, focus!" Donald muttered to himself, trying to push away the jealousy. He needed to play his best.
In the second half, Donald finally got a chance to shine. He received a pass from Ryan and took off down the field. He dodged a defender and was on his way to the goal. "This is it!" he thought, adrenaline pumping.
But just as he was about to shoot, Mike slid in and tackled him. Donald fell hard to the ground. "What the—!" he yelled, feeling the impact.
The referee blew the whistle, and the crowd gasped. "Foul!" someone shouted.
Mike acted all innocent. "Didn't see him there," he said, smirking. Donald could feel rage boiling inside him.
As the referee gave Mike a yellow card, Donald got back up, shaking off the pain. He could see Bella looking worried. "You okay?" she called out.
"Yeah, I'm fine!" Donald yelled back, but he was far from fine. He was frustrated and angry.
The game continued, and Donald felt like he had something to prove. He played harder, determined to show Bella he was better than Mike. But every time he looked at her cheering for Mike, his jealousy flared up again.
Finally, with only a few minutes left in the game, Donald saw his chance. He intercepted a pass and raced down the field. He could hear the crowd roaring behind him. "This is it!" he thought.
Just as he approached the goal, he felt a surge of confidence. But then, out of nowhere, Mike came charging at him. "Not this time, Smith!" he yelled, trying to block him.
Donald dodged left, then right, but Mike was right on his tail. In a split second, Donald made a decision. He shot the ball, aiming for the far corner of the net.
The ball flew past the goalkeeper and into the goal. "GOOOAAAL!" the crowd erupted, and Donald's heart soared. He turned to see Bella jumping up and down, her face full of joy.
"YES!" he shouted, running to celebrate with his teammates. But as he glanced back, he saw Mike's face—anger mixed with disbelief.
"Nice shot, but it's not over yet!" Mike shouted, storming off. Donald felt a wave of triumph, but something in Mike's eyes worried him.
As the final whistle blew, the Donald had won. The crowd cheered, and Donald felt a rush of happiness. But as he looked for Bella in the crowd, he noticed Mike standing off to the side, staring at him with a dark expression.
"Hey, great game!" Bella said, running up to Donald with a huge smile. "You were amazing!"
"Thanks! But did you see how Mike reacted?" Donald said, feeling uneasy.
"Yeah, he seemed upset. But don't let it get to you," Bella reassured him. "You played so well. I'm proud of you!"
Just then, Mike approached, his face tense. "You think you can show me up, Smith? I'm not done yet," he said, his voice low and threatening.
Donald felt a chill run down his spine. "What's that supposed to mean?" he asked, trying to keep his cool.
"Just wait and see," Mike replied, a smirk creeping onto his face as he walked away.
"Donald, are you okay?" Bella asked, her brow furrowing with concern.
"I don't know," he admitted. "It feels like this rivalry is getting out of hand."
As they walked off the field together, Donald couldn't shake the feeling that things were about to get a lot more complicated. With jealousy and rivalry in the air, he knew the next chapter of their story was just beginning.