"why your eyes lying to me then..?"
He knows me well, even after all these years.
"I don't know what you talking about."
"Stop following me."
No matter where I go, we always bump into each other.
And you say I keep following you.
You can't even be...
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I lift my hand to grab the banana but she pulls her hand back, making me miss it, then throws it at my chest, which falls on my lap. And the entire crowd laughs.
I glance at Vale, who is burning holes in her body. She then looks at me in concern.
This reminds me of the offer. The reason for all this...
I push the chair and stand up. That's when I know this girl barely reaches my height, even standing on those heels.
"Thanks, how thoughtful of you." I smile. The laughter descends slowly. "I was going to need something walking myself home." That proud smile on her face quickly turns down. "I am keeping it!" I say.
"I will get back to you!" She bites her teeth and walks away followed by her friends.
"That was amazing!" Vale smiles at me in surprise.
"And who is she...?"
"A Bitch."
"Okay...!" I look at her surprised.
"She doesn't like you so easily getting into the team." She rolls her eyes.
I look beside me. "Where did he go?!" I point at the empty seat.
We look at each other in confusion...
~~~
The taping sound of the shoe on the floor matches the ticking sound of my watch. The practice starts after school. I was told to wait outside the stadium.
I shuffle on the seat, preparing myself as the sound of the footstep is heard. I adjust my glasses to see two boys coming. They are in shorts, bags hung on their shoulder. One of them swinging the bottle that is attached with a strap hooked to his finger. He smiles at me, pushing the door and walking inside. The door clicks behind them.
"You remember her? She is the one joining our team." I stifle. I can hear them talk, clearly.
"Really? And he thinks a girl can make a difference." They laugh.
"No one can go against him, you know that."
"What about our captain? Is he okay with that?"
"He has said nothing yet." The cool air fills my lungs as I try to comfort myself. Well, at least I now know, this is what they think of me.
"Hello."
I look up to see the coach standing in front of me. "Hello."
"So what have you decided?"
This is the last chance. If I say no, I will live life the way it is. No hiding from my family and no disappointing them.
"Thank you so much, but I don't think my family will give permission."
"I knew it," he looks down for a second then back at me. "Look, this is not about your parents or anything else. This is about you, and your experience." He still got hopes in his eyes. And this makes me feel bad. "I give you more time. Think about it."
I came here to make it clear and end the topic once for all. Thought it was easy.
I walk through the empty corridor. Nobody thinks I can play football, not even my family. Then why this coach?
"Hey!" I feel a hand around my shoulder. It was Valeria.
"What are you doing here?"
"I was waiting for you," she says.
"That's very sweet." We push through the main gate, walking in silence.
"So, what happened?" she asks, stopping me from walking further.
"I said no, but he still wants to give me time!" She chuckles at me. "What is it?"
Her hands once again grab my shoulder, squeezing it. "The girl you met at the lunch hours, was Grace. She so badly wants to get the attention. And you getting all that made her go crazy. That's why she acted like that, showing you down." She pauses, exhaling calm. "I don't know if you believe this, but at first I was worried if you could take all this... But you were so good at handling her. For a moment it all felt like-like, you are made for this."
"Do you think so?" I ask.
"Yes, can't you see everything is asking you? Trying to say the same. Go for it!"
~~~
"Should I go for it?" I ask after explaining everything to them. I play with my fork, pushing the beans back and forth on the plate.
"How come nae? ah, wid say definitely!" Mrs Smith says, rocking her fists in the air.
"That's right, this is yer age, gaun yersel!" Mr Smith agrees. Wish I had such a family, at least I can share things with them. I finally take a bite. It feels better now.
"Ehm..." Mr Smith clears his throat. "We hae something tae tell ye." He hesitates a bit. "You remember Anderson?"
Yes, I guess I do. The spark in my heart gives an electric shock in my brain, bringing me alive.
"Oh, please, get tae the point!" She says. "Anderson family is hosting a gathering of fowk 'n' mukkers (family and friends)."
A what?!
"And guess who's gonna be there..." She smiles, teasing me.
Oliver...
✄-----
Cut to:
-Author's note
Huff... finally I kept my promise and published on time.
