Whatever it takes

7. The Car Ride Home

August 7, 8:24 pm
Dream POV.

I walked back to my father car after a two and a half hour practice. Practice was originally going to only be two hours, but then got bumped up because people were "talking" when it was dead silent the entire, so he made us run sprints until the first person threw up. Thank you Karl, you saved us all; but I hope you feel better.

I looked out the window at Quackity and Sapnap who were helping Karl get into Saps mini van he got from his mom. It used to be the family car but she got it cleaned out and bought a new one and gave the old one to him. We make fun of him for it all the time, especially after he named it Sheela.

Dad hugged as he sat down in the driver seat, visibly angry. "When will they learn." He muttered through gritted teeth. "They were never talking dad." I whispered loud enough for him to unfortunately hear. "Yeah they were. That Callahan kid was talking to your friend, the neighbor." I sighed.

"Dad. Callahan's mute. He can't talk. You know this, you've coached him for years." I replied, folding my arms across my chest. H just mumbled a small "whatever" before driving out of the parking lot.

I hated how long it took to get home from the fields. Or how long it seems to be, especially since Dad's mad. We sat in silence for a few seconds before he started talking shit about my teammates.

"Bad needs to be more aggressive on the field, the kid looks like deer in the headlights when someone's running at him with the ball. The sleepy kid is the exact same and pays no attention to the play at all. Punz just stared at the stands the entire time and when the ball gets to him he doesn't even look up to pass. I don't care if he makes it connect, the boy needs to pick his fucking head up." He angirly explained, taking a sharp turn around the corner, I clutched my seatbelt until my knuckles turned white.

But he wasn't finished talking just yet. "Eret never knows when to pass either, you'd think for a kid so tall he'd be able to see where he passes but no." I wanted to slam my head against a wall of lava. "Then there's Sapnap. The kid can run through another kid don't get me wrong, but if he wanted to do that he should've played football. Then Quackity's just always a few seconds late and always off his mark, plus he missed every PK he to today. Then Karl. The kid has no endurance. He might play midfield but he can't run for shit, the only thing he really has going for him is his footwork." He stopped talking for just a few moments so he could catch his breath.

"The only reason Schlatt's still even on the team was because his parents payed a lot of money for him to be here. He isn't a bad player just wasn't my first choice. Then George, the kid waits for so long to get the ball and once he finally does he loses it." He's not the only one who's losing it right now though.

"And you." Fuck. "You looked so lost in the goal. Every shot they took on you you could've stopped way sooner than they did. And you looked so scared of the ball every time it went flying. I told you, you can't be scared of the ball Dream. Your sisters goalie on her team would've done a better job than you. What the hell, might as well ask Johnson to take you place on the team while I'm at it." He yelled as he honked his horn at some person who cut him off, giving them the finger.

This always happened. Practice would end, he would complain about how everybody did and then complain about me for the next thirty minutes.

"Dream, you play like you don't even want to anymore." He said, turning his bright green eyes to me. That stung, it really did. I looked away from him, trying to not let him see how hurt I was. "It's true. Do you even want to play. I need and answer. Cause I'm serious, if you can't fix up the way you play I'm calling Johnson." He continued driving as the light turned green.

"Then do it." I said. He was shocked. "Why?" "Why? You're asking me why, right after you just told me that I sucked at the one thing I've only ever been good at. You keep telling me you're going to replace me with Johnson as a player. If you're going to do that just get some adoption papers and make him your son as well." I snapped at him, my voice cracking halfway through.

He said nothing. Good. He drove into our neighbor hood and up to our house where he parked in the garage. I opened my car door before he turned the vehicle off and ran into the house, not wanting to talk to him.

I walked past my sisters who were sat at the kitchen table playing a board game which was a weird sight. "How was practice?" Puffy Asked. I didn't reply and just ran straight to my room.

I laid down on the floor and stared at the dark ceiling. I wish mom would visit sooner. She's coming in three weeks, just in time for out first game. I couldn't wait for her to argue with dad about the team and how well we were doing. Dad hated that, he was always a negative person, it was one of the reasons the got divorced in the first place.

I heard the door cream open to see my dad. I thought he was going to apologize for what he said in the car. "You forgot your water bottle." He said, dropping it on the floor before closing the door and leaving me in the dark again.
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Word count: 1022