Whatever it takes

1. The Roster

August 2nd, 7:32 pm
Dream POV.

Tryouts for the team had ended roughly an hour ago. My dad was the coach. It wasn't as bad as you would think it is, besides the fact that he expects so much more from me than everybody else, and it doesn't help that I'm the goalie either.

I'm a senior this year, so my final year of playing unless a college decides to pick me up and offer me a spot in their team. But that just unlikely, I mean no one would want a kid from a small town in Florida of all places to play on their team.

I sat in my bed staring out the window, thinking about how far I've come with this sport. My dad got me into it when I was really young, about four or five. And ever since then I've been hooked.

I used to play for a league before it shut down due to it having finding issues and going broke. But luckily that was after eighth grade so I just started playing for my high school.

Tryouts were rough my freshman year, I just barely made the cut. I was mostly on the bench until the second half when I replaced the guy who was already in goal. I remembered hating how little I got to play, and hating my dad for doing that to me. Telling me he was better and he was way more experienced. And yeah I get that but he berated me about my faults the whole way home.

After that we never had the best relationship. He would just tell me I needed to do better if I wanted to go pro, but that's the thing, I wanted to. In past tense. It was never my dream anymore after I started playing for him. He made me hate the thing that made me feel better, he made me hate my outlet.

And the only reason I'm still playing this game is because I don't want to be a disappointment to him. I want him to be proud of me like the way he's proud of my sisters, Puffy and Drista.

He was there at everyone of Puffys track meets growing up, but always missed my games. He would apologize and say that he just wanted to show my twin some love because they never got to bond, but that was just bullshit.

He replaced me in helping Drista learn moves and footwork when she started playing soccer, and eventually she stopped asking me for help and went to him. He constantly praised them for their hard work and effort while I was just left in the dust, crying for attention and appraise.

But no matter how loud my cries were he never came. And I don't think he ever will.

My mom on the other hand was very supportive of my dreams, the sucky part was she had divorced my dad two years ago and now lived in Oklahoma with her new family. Every couple of months she'll come down for a week and rent an Air B&B for the two of us and we'll just talk about my games. It was my favorite parts of the year.

I sighed as I stare out the window of my room and look at the dark starry sky. Hearing frogs croaking in the yard.it was peaceful until my father bathed into my room.

"The list is done. You're lucky that Johnson kid missed the last save, kid, or else you would've been off the team." He said sounding disappointed, probably for Johnson in the fact that he didn't make the team. Maybe Johnson should be his son.

I just nodded at my dad, a blank expression on my face. He set what I'm assuming was the team roster on my desk and walked out, leaving me alone again like he always did.

I got off of my bed and walked over to where he lay the paper. I picked it up and read the names.

Sapnap made the team, he moved here two years ago from Texas, right before his freshman year. He's been on the team since. And he also just so happened to be my next door neighbor.

My other two friends, Karl and Quackity made the team, both boys playing for their second year on the team. I was happy they made it.

My eyes continued to glance over the roster before a certain name caught my eye. George. George was new and had moved here from the UK a few weeks ago. I didn't really talk to him much but he said hi to me after I kind of stared at him for a while. I don't remember why I was though. Huh.

I set the paper down and grabbed my phone and opened my group text with Sapnap, Karl, and Q, Feral Boys.

Me
You guys made the team again!

Snapmap🔥
LETS GOOOOOOOOO

No memory man🐸
Yayayyayayyyyyy

Ducky🐥
YeAhhhhhhhhhhh

Me
Glad to hear you're all happy about it
My dad told me  I was lick to even make the team

Snapmap🔥
Fuck your dad

Ducky🐥
✋

Snapmap🔥
That want an invitation stoopid

Ducky🐥
You are always so mean to me
*dies*

No memory man🐸
Huhahhahahha

Me
Q
Never do that
Please

I shit my phone off just at the thought of that happening and decided I need some sleep. I looked over at my clock that read, 8:02 pm.

It felt so early for me to sleep but I didn't want to deal with them talking about my dad like that. I might hate him, but not that much.

I plugged my phone into its charger, placing it face down so I didn't see it go off with messages, and crawled into bed. My fathers words of disappointment wrung throughout my ears.

I grabbed my pillow and smashed it against my head desperately trying to make the sounds go away. And they did when I eventually fell
asleep, thinking about the hellish practice I would have to face next week.
~~~~~~~~~~

Word count: 1020

Disclaimer: any and all ships that happen in this book are entirely the personas, not the real people.

I'm really excited to write this book! I've had the though in the back of my mind whilst writing my previous one "Survivors" (if you haven't checked that out yet, please do).

I guess I'm just projecting onto Dream rn, myself who used to be a coaches kid, glad those days are long gone.

I love you guys! Go drink some water, get something to eat, sleep, or stand in the sun!