Motivation

Chapter 2 - Best Friend

Libby tripped over and fell onto her face.

"Get up! You can do it!" Yelled Matt from the sidelines among the cheering parents.

Libby jumped up and ran for the ball, weaving back and forth through the other kids. She got to the soccer ball, then kicked. She missed, but Matt cheered anyway. She jumped back up, and kicked the ball again. She missed again, but Matt cheered even harder.

A man beside him chuckled. "That one yours?" He asked.

"Yeah, my second oldest. Her name's Libby. Which one's yours?" Matt asked.

"See the boy over there? He just kicked the ball to your daughter? That's my son, Luke." He smiled at him. "He's a little taller than the other kids, but..." Libby kicked the ball into Luke's head. "Never mind."

"Hey, he's great at soccer." Matt shrugged with a smile. Just after he said that, they witnessed Luke get a hold of the soccer ball... with his hands. "Maybe a little confused?"

"Well, looks like your daughter's great too." He nudged him. Libby got the ball, kicking it down the field, but for some strange reason, her own team was trying to stop her. She kicked it into the goal... and it hit! Matt cheered like crazy. But all the parents were looking at him like he had three heads.

"What?" Asked Matt.

"That's our team's net. She just scored for the other team." The man whispered to him. Matt bit his lip in embarrassment. "It's fine, I made that mistake my first game, too." They both chuckled. Matt held his hand out for the man to shake.

"Matthew Patrick." He said.

"Nathan Smith." Said the man. They shook hands.

"So I've never seen you here before." Nate said.

"Oh yeah, I'm always at work. My wife asked me to take Libby. Oh, and Peyton, my other son."

"You have two sons?"

"Yeah, my other son is at ballet. But my wife took him today." Matt explained.

"You're lucky. Luke's mother... passed away." Nate looked down, not sadly, more like he was once sad, but it had been awhile. "I mean, it was six years ago, so I think we've both gotten over it, but.... yeah. Luke is seven now, so he can barley remember her."

"Well, I'm sorry." Said Matt.

"Oh, no! It's fine. Everything's great now." He said. "So Matt, where do you work?"

"I work at Youtube, but recently, it hasn't been enough." He bit his lip.

"Really?"

"My wife is getting a second job, but she's making me promise not to get a second one. I don't spend enough time with my kids, apparently." He shrugged.

"Well, I'm sure you'll figure something out." He said. 

By this point, the kids were hi-fiving each other in a big line. Libby ran over to her dad, smiling crazily. "We lost!" She grinned.

Luke went over to his dad, frowning. "We lost." He huffed angrily.

"Daddy, can we go to Freddy Fazbears?! Please?!" She stuck out her bottom lip.

"What put that thought in your head?" He asked.

"Luke said that his dad works there!" She grinned even more.

Matt looked at Nate. "I do. I'm the night guard." He shrugged.

"Can we go, Dad? You get a discount or something, right?" Asked Luke. Matt looked at Nate.

"You know what? Why not? We can go." Nate said to his son. "Although all we ever eat is Freddy's pizza nowadays."

"Can Libby come?" Asked Luke.

"Are you two friends?" Asked Matt. They both nodded. Nate looked at Matt, looking for an answer. "It's fine with me." He said.

As Luke and Libby celebrated, Matt called up Stephanie, who was surprisingly, very pleased. Jake's ballet class was booked for a party there anyway, so she decided that they had to meet up.

"Have you ever been to Freddy's?" Asked Nate after Matt had finished his call.

"I have. Way too much. Three kids, so many birthday parties. And don't even get me started on all the soccer parties, ballet parties... whatever parties that Peyton is into... which reminds me. Peyton!" He called.

Suddenly, Peyton jumped down from a tree, right onto his Dad's back. Matt fell to the ground with an oddly girlish shriek.

"Gotcha!" He laughed.

"This is Peyton?" Asked Nate, helping Matt up.

"Yeah. He's 7, one year older than Libby here. We're going to Freddy Fazbears, Peyton."

"Awesome!" He yelled.

"Alright, we'll meet you there."