EASTSIDE

10 .

TO GET SOMETHING
YOU HAVE TO DO
SOMETHING ELSE IN RETURN.
THAT'S SOME BULLSHIT.

Finn walked inside the office that he was very familiar with. He had been in this room many times, to the point where the principal should just have a seat with his name on it. But Finn didn't know what he had done. Skip class, yes, but that wasn't anything that had gotten him in trouble with the principal. And the fact that his soccer coach was in the room, was even more peculiar.

"Mr. Balor," he heard his last name being called, "please. Have a seat." The principal directed his hand to the empty chair next to his coach. Finn shakes his head. "I'm not in the mood to sit. We can have a conversation with me standing up."

"C'mon, Balor," his coach protested, "you ain't in any trouble. Just sit." Finn looked at his coach. "I said I don't want to. What did I do this time?"

The principal and coach look at each other before he takes a piece of paper out of a drawer next to him, and hands it over to Finn. "This is for you." Finn walks up to the principal and takes the piece of paper and reads what has been written:

Finn Balor
McMahon High School
38 Tredestial Way

Dear Mr. Balor,

My name is Tyler Wentworth. I am the head soccer coach at the University of South Florida. To say I am impressed with the way you play is an understatement. I have swung by to watch some soccer games in the past and my eyes have always been drawn to the number 3 jersey, which happens to be you.

With your senior year recently starting, I was wondering if you would like a scholarship to play with my boys. The scholarship would cover all of your tuition and living and dining expenses. Your only payment would be for your books, clothing, and soccer gear. I will be at Saturday's game and the championships as well. I, alongside some of the players on the team, will be watching you play as well and I hope to have the opportunity to talk to you about this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Please discuss any further details with either your principal, coach, or myself at any time. I look forward to having you on my team.

Best regards,
Tyler Wentworth
Head Soccer Coach of University of South Florida

Finn looked up at the older men in front of him, with a smile on his face. "Is this for real?" They both chuckle. "Now you know why we wanted you to sit down," the coach said.

This was unbelievable. Finn had been wanting to play soccer for South Florida for the longest. It had been a dream of his since he came to America. He wanted to get the opportunity to play for the US team and he knew that the head coach had connections to the US head coach. But with his behavior throughout the years, he knew that there was no way he was going to get there.

But this? This changes everything. This was his ticket.

Finn looked down at the paper and back. "But we did want to discuss something with you as well," the principal said. Finn folded the paper and put it in his pocket. "Yeah?"

"For the past couple of days, you haven't been going to your pre-calculous class, and your last test, you scored a 69, which is a D+," his principal explained. "Yeah, so?"

"Finn. You know how I feel about grades. Your grades come before soccer," his coach said. "I don't understand pre-calc," Finn explained, "Evans is a hard teacher. He doesn't like me cause I fucked his daughter last year and she was supposed to be waiting until marriage."

"Mr. Balor, please. Language," the principal says. "I understand your message, however. What your coach and I want is for you to play at Saturday's game. But with the pace that you're going, it looks like you won't be able to."

Finn tightened his jaw. There's no way they were going to bench him on one of the biggest games of his life. They wouldn't do that. They needed him. He was their star player. Without them, they wouldn't even be this far in the tournament.

"But the good news is, is that I talked to Evans," his coach added, "and he's willing to give you a retest on Friday during your lunch period if you come to class for the rest of the week." It was only Tuesday. He had to go to class for three days.

"I have also set you up with Damien Sandow for extra tutoring sessions after school. Please be in the library once the last bell rings."

"I don't want Sandow," Finn says, "he's weird and annoying and smells weird."

"Do you wanna play on Saturday or not?" His coach had an annoyed tone in his voice. "What if I find my own tutor? I'll find my own tutor and come to class every day and pass Evan's stupid test? Then, can I play?" He proposed.

"Who did you have in mind?" His immediate thought went to Bayley. But the note he left her. He was going to give her space. This was just terrible timing.

Finn sighed. He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He took it out and saw a text notification from her.

I want you.

A sudden feeling of fireworks went off in his stomach at the text. She wanted him. Even after who he was and represented, she still wanted to mess with the devil. He couldn't hide the smile on his face.

"Bayley Martinez. I'll have her tutor me."

[ edited 08-13-2021]
[ word count 959 ]