Never Really Over

Chapter 14

June 2015

As summers go, it hasn't been John's favourite one.

Being involved in the England set up, at any level, had always been a privilege, and he always enjoyed his time away with the lads; often it felt like they were on holiday rather than at work. But this year is different. His time with the senior squad last year only made him hungry for more of the same and being back with the Under 21s feels like a step backwards. Add to that the fact that the majority of his Everton colleagues are off enjoying their summer holidays, whilst he is toiling away in the heat of Turkey, it just seems like a bit of a chore. He rooms with Garbs, whose Everton future is in question, and every night John has to listen to him rattle on about potential moves or loans. It's tiresome when all he wants to do is be with Beth.

The team's performance mimics Everton's lacklustre season and John's poor mood. They finish bottom of the group, and he flies home with just over a week until pre-season begins. Beth is on holiday and rather than spend his free time mooching around his flat with nothing to do but play video games, he books a last-minute break with the Everton boys. It is a summer of change; John Lundstram is released, and Chris Long's future is as uncertain as Luke's. Only John and Ross look to remain, and John knows this will probably be the last holiday they have together. The boys differing fortunes are a reminder to him of the fragility of a footballing career, and he only feels relief that the roll of the dice has meant he is one of the lucky ones with his fortunes moving in the right direction. Beth tells him that there's no luck about it, he has worked hard to be where he is, but he knows that's not true, his friends have worked as hard as he has. There's no rhyme or reason to who makes it at the top and who doesn't.

John and a few of the lads are playing water volleyball with a group of girls in barely-there bikinis. They are very forward, flirting in a way that makes him feel uncomfortable. One of them in particular seems to have taken a shine to him, she keeps getting unnecessarily close to him and laughs at everything he says (which isn't a lot) as if he's the funniest person to ever walk the earth. When she hugs him to celebrate a win he pulls back quickly. "Sorry, I've got a girlfriend," he holds his hands up defensively.

"Since when?!" The other John hears this and snorts; John is now notorious amongst their friendship group for never having a girl on the go. "Garbs?!" He shouts to the other side of the pool where Luke and Chris are paired with two of the girls. "Did you know Stonesy's got a bird?!" Luke and John have barely spent a second apart recently, if anyone knows what's going on with John, it will be him.

Luke pulls a face, "Does he fuck!? In Turkey he spent every pissing night on the phone to Beth, same as always."

"If you weren't interested all you had to do was say," the girl says to John indignantly. She wades over to her friend, whispers something into her ear, then they signal something to the other girls who nod. "We're off," one of them says. "Thanks for the game."

"Nice one Stonesy," Chris smacks the water in frustration. "We were on to something there."

John shrugs sheepishly, there will be plenty more where those girls came from, there always is, "Where the fuck is Ross with those drinks!?" John tries to take the heat from himself. Ross has been gone at least 45 minutes. Then, almost as though he has been summoned by the mention of his name Ross comes swaggering to the side of the pool, he whistles in John's direction, "Stonesy, you seen the news?!" Ross' voice is full of glee as he evidently knows something that John does not.

John shakes his head blankly; he hates when Ross is all smug like this. "Chelsea bid for you. Apparently, you're worth 20 mil you lanky piece of piss."

"Fuck off," John shakes his head; Chelsea are the reigning Premier League Champions. It's laughable that they would be interested in him, he's yet to even nail down a permanent starting spot at Everton. "Could you not have said Tottenham or something a bit more believable?!"