call it what you want

15. dream girl, evil

After the Boxing Day match Ted and Beard sat the whole team down to watch the 'highlight' reel from the previous game. It was more whatever the opposite of a highlight reel was because the boys got their asses kicked, and it was clearly weighing on Isaac. His face formed into a deep frown, he was sitting an empty seat away from the rest of the boys, something he never normally did. As the footage played of Jan unable to stop a flying ball Isaac turned to yell at him, "Jan Maas, that's shit defending!"

She almost said something as Jan responded, "Yes that goal was entirely my fault."

"I don't wanna hear it!"

Clearly, you didn't.

"We need to get out shit together!"

Vic leaned forward to get a good look at Isaac before speaking, "Isaac," The boy looked at her with a gruff expression, "no." She shook her head showing her disappointment, he slumped back in his chair looking away.

"Hey, fellas." Ted stood making his way to the front of the room. Vic was in the front row watching the reel alongside the boys as the coach's area only had three seats and of course, Nate beat her to the third seat. "Listen, I don't care what our record is, but I hear the chatter, people saying there's something wrong with us."

There is something wrong with us. There's been something wrong with us since Roy retired. A tie streak and what's next? A losing streak?

"Not the way I see it. And here's why: I believe in communism."

Sam glanced at her from her left, almost expecting her to give any kind of insight into what her uncle was saying, she could only offer a shrug. From the corner of her eye, she could see someone in the row behind her glancing at her, Jamie. The moment he saw her eyes on him he instantly looked away. His eyes being on her almost constantly was driving her insane.

She tried to brush it off, looking back forward to see where on earth her uncle was going with communism, "Rom-communism, that is."

Bumbercatch was the first to say what they were all thinking, "What is rom-communism?"

"Well Bumbercatch, it is a worldview that reminds us that romantic comedies with folks like Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan or Julia Roberts, and Hugh Grant or- Who am I missing, Coach?" He turned to Beard and luckily not his niece.

"Drew Berrymore?" Richard spoke up from behind Sam.

"Matthew McConaughey, obviously." Thierry added quickly.

"The three Kates." It was Jamie. Ever since Christmas when he texted her that night whenever he'd speak her heart would start racing. Vic could never pinpoint why, but it was getting annoying.

Colin nodded quickly, "Yeah, Beckinsale, Hudson, Winslet."

Vic raised her hand subtly, "Scarlett Johannsen 100%." The boys nodded and agreed quickly.

Sam then quickly spoke up from next to her, "I enjoy Renée Zellweger in all the Bridget Jones movies. Her accent is pitch perfect and her gift for physical comedy is grossly underrated."

I just know her from Chicago but I'm willing to take Sam's word for it.

Ted raised his hand to get the boy's attention back to him, "All right, you've gotta give it up for Zellweger. Look, point is, fellas if all those attractive people with their amazing apartments and interesting jobs, usually in some creative field, can go through some lighthearted struggles and still end up happy, then so can we." Everyone sat sitting with his words before another voice piped up.

"Jennifer Lopez!"

Perfectly timed as always Dani.

"That's a great call, Dani, and not at all a beat too late." The boys patted Dani on the back as he smiled. "Gentleman, believing in rom-communism is all about believing that everything's gonna work out in the end." Vic leaned back trying to see Isaac's face, he still sat arms crossed that same deep frown on his face. Isaac wasn't the happiest boy in the world but recently he just seemed different, angrier.