"Alright, listen up!" Mr. Baker shouted. "Today we are playing indoor football. Five-a-side. Shirts versus Skins."
He looked at Alex.
Alex was wearing his school PE kit. He was tying his shoelaces.
"Finch," Mr. Baker said.
"Yes, sir?"
"You are on the 'Skins' team. But... I am implementing a handicap."
"A handicap, sir?"
"Yes," Mr. Baker grinned. "You are not allowed to run. You can only walk. And you are not allowed to score. You can only pass."
The other students laughed.
"That is fair," a boy named Toby said. "He is a Champions League finalist. We are just... us."
Alex smiled. "Understood, sir. Walking only."
The game started.
It was chaos. Twenty teenagers running around a small gym, shouting, sweating, and kicking each other.
Alex walked.
He walked to the left. He walked to the right.
He got the ball.
Toby rushed at him. "I'm going to tackle a pro!" Toby yelled.
