Siempre te voy a querer

Chapter 71

Isa was sitting on the benches, bored and fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. The sound of cleats clattering on the field and the chatter of the players filled the air, but she was itching to do something. Just then, Jimmy, the coach, approached her with a smile.

"Isa, ¿quieres unirte a los chicos para un partido amistoso?" he asked, raising an eyebrow as he gauged her interest.

Isa's face lit up, and she nodded excitedly. "¡Sí!" she replied, practically bouncing in her seat.

As she got up to join the players on the field, Edson came up behind her, leaning in close to her ear. "Ten cuidado, Isa," he whispered, his voice filled with concern.

Isa nodded, giving him a reassuring smile. "Sí," she replied softly, appreciating his protectiveness.

Just as Isa was about to step onto the field, a voice rang out, grating on her nerves. "Yo también quiero jugar," Anastasia's irritatingly familiar voice called out.

Jimmy forced a polite smile, though anyone who knew him could see the subtle roll of his eyes. "Está bien," he said, trying to keep the peace.

The players quickly made up teams. Isa found herself on a team with Orbelin, Chucky, Jorge, Malagón, Arteaga, and Diego. On the opposing team were Edson, Kevin, Santiago, Anastasia, Uriel, Alexis, and Memo.

Jimmy blew the whistle, signaling the start of the match. Kevin quickly kicked the ball toward Uriel, who passed it back, giving Kevin a good advantage. Isa and Diego sprinted toward Kevin, determined to take the ball away. With a coordinated effort, they managed to intercept the ball, and Isa, with quick reflexes, lifted her head and saw Orbelin positioned well in the area. She made a precise, long pass, and Orbelin scored with a header, celebrating with his signature move. He jogged over to Isa and high-fived her, grinning.

The match continued at a lively pace, but tensions began to rise, especially between Isa and Anastasia. Anastasia kept fouling Isa, each time giving Isa's team an advantage as the other team grew increasingly frustrated.

"¡Anastasia, deja de hacer faltas! ¡Solo estás dando ventaja al otro equipo!" Alexis scolded her, visibly annoyed.

Anastasia merely rolled her eyes, dismissing his words, and continued her aggressive play.

Isa had the ball again, dribbling skillfully along the sidelines, trying to create another scoring opportunity. Out of nowhere, Anastasia ran up to Isa purposefully bumping into her not even making an effort to take the ball away. Isa quickly passed the ball to Diego, but Anastasia wasn't done. She shoved Isa, causing her to stumble. Isa didn't react, choosing to focus on the game instead, but Anastasia persisted, spewing mean comments under her breath.

"¿No me escuchas, Isa? ¿Qué, tienes miedo?" Anastasia taunted, trying to get under her skin.

Isa gritted her teeth, trying to stay calm, but Anastasia continued to push her, literally and figuratively. The final straw came when Anastasia grabbed Isa's hand and yanked her, causing her to bump into the goal post.

"¿Qué quieres? ¿Tanto te urge mi atención?" Isa snapped, finally turning to face Anastasia, her eyes blazing with anger.

Anastasia smirked, continuing to push Isa back. "Solo quiero que sepas que nunca serás suficiente, ni para ellos ni para nadie," she sneered, her words dripping with venom.

Isa's temper flared, and she stepped closer to Anastasia, refusing to back down. "¿Qué dices? ¿Crees que me importa lo que pienses? Estás tan desesperada por ser el centro de atención que no te das cuenta de lo patética que eres," Isa retorted, her voice steady and cutting.