Field of Dreams: Year 1

Revelation

Paige's POV:

I put the laptop on her bed, laid on the floor, so I could look best, and then my eyes couldn't believe it!

It was a whole mess of things! Soon enough, however, I decided to clean it a bit, because this place was a possible one where I could find the charger. It was worth the effort.

As I began with the "cleaning process", I started taking things from beneath the bed; any kinds of things! Paper, slippers (two pairs), pens and pencils, one blue marker, one pair of dumbbells, three English dictionaries, and a few LEGO toys.

I took everything listed above out, and then the real shock struck me! In the middle of the floor under the bed, where they were hidden from everything and everyone (especially when the things I took out were around them, creating an even more convincing hiding effect), there were a few scarves, one creamy sweatshirt, two books, a hat, a flag (I think?), a T-shirt, and a lot of pictures. The scarves, the hat, the T-shirt, and the flag were in two main colours: red and blue. I was surprised because I didn't know why Liv would hide those things. I mean, they are just some random things, nothing more, right?

I decided to take them also out because...well, the charger could've been there too. I started with the two books. The first one I took was with it's title down, and it was in green colour. I turned it, and its title confused me a little. It said: Football Hackers: The Science and Art of a Data Revolution (By the way, this book really exists. It was written by Christoph Biermann).

"Why would she have a book for football?" I thought and decided to take the other book out, so I could explain myself what was happening.

It didn't help me how I was thinking it would, though, because the next book also had a football pitch on its cover, and the title said: Inverting The Pyramid: The History Of Football Tactics (This book also exists. It was written by Jonathan Wilson).

To find the answer of my confusion (again), I started taking out the other things that were left. but as soon as I took the T-shirt out, I realised the whole truth!

"So..." I started thinking to myself, increasing the speed with the help of which I was cleaning the mess. "Liv likes football!" I finally understood everything. "That's why her sister told me she didn't  know what I was talking about! It was a lie to hide her real interest in the sport!" I started to feel dizzy and stood up, still holding the shirt, the other objects on the floor in front of me. "Who is she even if she lied about this?" I thought again when my thoughts were interrupted by the door of the room opening behind me.

"Paige, I-" I heard Liv's voice. Suddenly, feeling every drop of dizziness going away, I went to her and closed the door a bit of aggressively but not loudly because then the others could come. "I can explain," she finished her thoughts.

"About what?!" I said sarcastically, almost shouting. "About that you like...football?" I spat out with disgust. "About that you lied to us?" she looked straight into my eyes. "About that you-"

"Stop!" she shouted, and I started wondering if someone had heard us. "You don't know what you're talking about!" she defended herself.

"I know exactly what I'm talking about," I returned. "The flag, the shirt, the hat," I started listing. "The books," I stressed. "It's obvious, Liv!" I stated. "How could you lie to me?" I nearly tested up. "No, how could you lie to US?!" I corrected myself. "And how could you like..." I stopped and threw her the shirt. "This," I pointed to the piece of clothing in her hands with disgust in my voice.

"You don't understand, Paige!" Now she started shouting. "It's something that's important for me!" she tightened the grip of the shirt and brought it close to her heart.

"Football is just a game!" I threw my hands in the air and shouted, trying to bring back my friend from the trance she was in. Her true self.

"It's not "just a game"," she quoted, and I spotted her knuckles going a little white. "Football is intelligence," Liv said. "Football is competence, wit, teamwork, and fair play," she listed so fast that she had to take a breath. "Football is a big part of my life," she almost cried, and I could see a tear going down her right cheek, falling right on the shirt. "Football is the thing that makes me happier," she wiped another tear. "Except Biology and Physics," she joked and laughed to herself a little. "I wish I could show you the real face of football!" Liv stated, and I found myself slowly sitting on her bed. "Because I thought the same before I actually watched a game!" she shouted.

"Show me then!" I said, without realising what I just did.

"Then come to a game with me," she returned surprisingly calm way.

"What?" I thought I didn't hear her correctly.

"Come to a football match with me, and I'll prove you that this "just a game" is way more than that," she claimed and looked me straight into the eyes again, but this time with a strange spark in her gaze. Not like Ava's, but it was more...passionate?

"Okay," I managed to let out. "You'll see that I'm not interested!" I defended my position, but it seemed like Liv didn't even hear me.

"My favorite team is coming to a match in Sofia this Sunday, and I was wondering with whom I might go," she said with one hand on her chin. "I think it's perfect," she finally stated. I nodded and started going out. "And don't tell the others!" she let out, her eyes still red. "I don't want them to know about this," she confessed. "Not after the misunderstanding we had while ago," I just nodded and got out, leaving her still holding the shirt.

"Football is not that interesting! It's just 22 men running after a ball!" I tried to convince myself.