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Hazel is a medical student. Bachelor in science, who is constantly juggling between the demands for these studies and pressures for clinical rotations, she has learned to keep her head down and eyes for...
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"Chace! Wake up, man!" Said Remi, knocking at my door.
Remi and I have been friends for as long as I can remember. We were lucky enough not only to be accepted into the same university with the same scholarship but also to live together in the same house.
Remi and I played soccer since we were children, starting from early morning until late dawn. Every day, even when raining.
A loud thud was heard in the living room. The team was already up, ready to practice.
"I'm awake!.. be down in a minute."
Rolling out of my bed, trying to find my underwear somewhere lying on the ground.
"It's right under the chair, babe." Monica stirred up in bed before standing up and grabbing our clothes, which were scattered around the floor.
"Can you stay longer here with me?" She said while kissing my neck.
She was still completely undressed when a second knock hit my door. "Chace, we are leaving!"
"Sorry, Mon, but I need to go. I will see you tomorrow, okay?"
It was definitely not a good idea to be late for training when you know it's signing season.
Thankfully, the campus was only five minutes away if I ran fast. I didn't want to miss the pre-game warm-up, so this would be helpful.
Once I made it to the field, Coach Thomson divided the groups into red and blue. With a nod, he signaled me to get back to the seats.
I knelt by the sideline, my fingers moving almost automatically as I tightened the laces on my cleats. I looked up and saw Coach standing over me, his face serious, eyes locked on mine.
"Chace, can we talk for a minute?" Coach's voice was calm.
"Sure, Coach. What's going on?" I asked, brushing the grass off my hands as I stood. My gut told me this wasn't just the usual pre-game pep talk.
"This weekend's game... it's huge," Coach started, his voice low but firm. "And I'm not just talking about the standings. We've got scouts coming—big agencies. They're going to be watching every move out there."
Scouts? I'd known this game was important, but this was on another level. "Scouts? For real?" I asked with excitement but also nervousness.
Coach nodded, not breaking eye contact. "For real. This is your shot, Chace. You've been working your ass off, and now you're the captain and the goalkeeper—every eye is going to be on you. If you perform the way I know you can, this could be the break you've been dreaming of. Professional contracts, more scholarships, the whole deal."
This was it—the moment I've been working toward for years. Everything I've sacrificed, every early morning, every grueling practice, it all led to this.
