IDIOSYNCRASY // Soccer

Ch. 22

"Charlotte, please sit." Mom says as I walk through the living room. I eye her weirdly as I notice her body language. Her whole body was rigid. Mom's legs were crossed over and her clenched hands sit in her lap.

My back hits the couch's cushion. I ask, "Is something wrong?" Although Mom has an eccentric personality, she was never this weird. Her body language was much more relaxed and chilled. But now, she was hiding something from me.

"Honey, please. Just, please do not get mad at me when I say this." Mom says. My heart races the more seconds pass. I start to fidget in anticipation. What was so worrying?

"Just say it, Mom." I encourage. My eyes on the floor, I couldn't see my Mom like this. She was the one to always tell me to be strong. I knew Mom best, she didn't want me to look at her when she was 'weak'. Honestly, I wouldn't care if she was weak or strong.

"I went to rehab." Mom says in a pained voice.

My jaw hits the ground. "W-What?" I stutter. My brain couldn't process the words that were spoken to me. Rehab? Mom went to rehab? No, it couldn't be. She... No!

"No, no, no! Let me reword that, I visited your father in rehab." Mom says. My worried expression changes in a blink of an eye. The previous expression was no longer there and was replaced with a cold, hard, expression.

"What happened to him?" I say.

"Soccer injury. You and your father are really alike-" Mom starts.

I interrupt her before she could finish the sentence. My voice turns into a scream. I yell, "Do not compare me to him! I am nothing like him. Nothing." I didn't expect my tone to drip venom. But, it did. Mom winced as I spoke.

"As I was saying, your father was put into rehab to recover his leg. But, the food wasn't very well made. So, your father told me that there was another rehab center across the street. I got your father's food there every single day. However, I met this stunning lady and her daughter. Sophia and Maddie Elliot." Mom explains.

"Did you see Parker there?" I ask, my voice not above a whisper.

"Only on the weekends, this rehab was almost out of the city." Mom answers.

"Can I... visit him." I say unexpectedly.

"Honey, I love how you care for your father. Sometimes. But, he already recovered so he's playing again. That is why I am here." Mom says.

"Oh, when will we see him?" I ask.

My eyes lift up to meet Mom's eyes. Her gaze shift down and she softly speaks, "I don't know, honey. I dont know."

Hours later, my back was on my bed. My eyes start to drift to sleep.

I was in eighth grade, at the time. The sun was blazing on my body as Mom and I walk out of the car. Dad hadn't been to my games this whole season. Mom always said he would be there, but he never showed up. Then, Mom would make excuses for him, saying he had work.

But, I never understood the term 'work'. All I knew was he played soccer for the USA. Why did he have 'work'. If he didn't have practice today, why couldn't he make it?

The sun hits my sweaty body as I pant in tiredness. The referee already blew his whistle signaling the start of second half. I look towards the stand and immediately find Mom. The outer parts of my lip turns upward but falters. There was no one beside her.

Mom sees my gaze to the side of her and puts on a big smile. She taps her wrist and mouths, "Almost here!" My adrenaline starts to pump in my body. Dad could be here any moment! That means I have to make sure I do my very best. So, when he comes he could just see me leading the team to victory.

Minutes later, my body was racing towards the goal. The adrenaline in my body kept rising and rising every step I took. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the opposing team. They were failing miserably to get the ball away from me.

I laugh inside my head before I refocus my attention. The goalie was eyeing me up, moving erratically. My dad's words pop in my head. "Square your hips towards the goal. Make sure the ball hits your laces are. Then, just watch the ball fly into the net."

I mutter the words as I do the action. I jump up when I see the ball hit the net. The goalie shakes her head as she looks at the ball. She was clearly disappointed in herself.

I turn my back towards the stands. Mom was putting two thumbs up to me. I repeat her action to her. My eyes shift next to her to find it the same way in the beginning of the game. Empty. My smile turns into a frown when I realize my own father hasn't been to one game this season.

He couldn't even attend any more games. The season was over. Hopefully next year, I will have more luck! I put on a fake smile as my teammates congratulate me for scoring the winning goal.

Nothing mattered to me. Not that I won State Championships. But, that my own flesh and blood wasn't there to see any of it. He couldn't have taken just a second of his time to see my game? Or, couldn't he at least be home for dinner? Maybe, just maybe if he shows up tonight and celebrates with the team I will forgive him. However, there was a feeling in my gut; a voice in my head telling me he wasn't going to be there.

And he wasn't there that night. Or the next night, or heck, even the next week. He never showed up for my games either. It was just Mom. She was the only one there to root for me. I also lost complete contact with Dad.

Since, he was never home and never called. I never spoke to him ever again. The last time I spoke to him was in seventh grade. What has him so busy that he can't even pick up the phone and reach out to us?

--
I am very sorry you guys! After this chapter, I will only be posting once a week. School is starting soon and I have to think of my future. I don't want to spend time on wattpad writing when I barely studied for something. For that being said, I will only post once a week. I am so sorry but school is my number one priory. Also, thank you so much for eight hundred reads! I forgot if I said that last chapter.