Hello, my name is Prem Shah. I’m your typical 16 year old high-school student. I am about 5’ 10”, light brown skin, black hair, brown eyes, and a somewhat muscular build. I have an avid social life, captain of the varsity soccer team, and have straight As in all of my Honors and AP classes, yet somehow I could never get the nerve to ask a girl out; well all that changed in the fall of my Junior year.

Today was the big day, the annual rival soccer game against Schaumburg High School had come. Throughout the day everyone, friends, teachers, other people I don’t know, came up to me wishing me luck, they really wanted us to win! As game time approached I could feel the nerves growing inside of me, until I heard the ref’s whistle and the game kicked off. Our stadium was packed full of fans, all rooting for us to win. The game started off extremely poor for us as we gave a way a penalty kick which they converted, at half we were down 1-0. At the start of the second half, my teammate Evan, got on a breakaway and put the ball in the net, tying the game at 1 all. With only 1 minute now left in the game I received the ball at center field wide open. I then took on two defenders and wound up to hit the shot, about 26 yards away. Being open I hit the shot, praying that it would go in. The shot curled past the goalkeeper’s fingertips and into the net giving us the win! The crowd went absolutely crazy and all my teammates rallied around me. As everyone’s emotions subsided we headed back towards the locker room to hear the post-game speech from our coach, and change out of our uniforms. After hearing a praiseworthy speech I went to go take a shower. Being as though there were only 4 shower heads I had to wait my turn. Eventually it came time and I stepped in and took a refreshing shower, thinking about the crazy events that had just happened. I was the last one to come out of the locker and headed down the hallway towards the exit.

There were some students still in the hallway, hanging out and waiting for rides home. As I walked by they enthusiastically congratulated me, I felt like I was on top of the world. All of a sudden, out of nowhere, one of the most popular girls in my grade, Jenny Horne, came up to me and enthusiastically congratulated me on the game.

“Awesome goal Prem!