Remember My Name - Camren

『 Chapter 4 』

Lauren stretched her entire body, feeling her muscles loosen, as nerves came in and out of her body. Today was Wednesday, the day of the match. Lauren always got a few nerves at the beginning of each match, but as soon as she felt the ball connect with her cleat as she ran down the field, she then became only focused on teamwork, scoring, and winning that game. Lauren has to prove herself every game. Not only for the coach, or the team but for herself. The person hardest on Lauren was, well, Lauren. She put so much pressure on herself during each practice and each game, yet she tried not to focus on it unless she did wrong, or could have tried a different technique or strategy.

Lauren felt confident with this game. Something felt different from this match, and Lauren was yet to find out. Lauren just hopped that feeling was a win. She needed something to boost her low mood recently, and soccer could do that for her. Most of the time.

The team gathered around the Coach as he spoke about the upcoming game in a few minutes. Lauren zoned off for most of it, as she already knew what the coach was going to say, and she was already in a different mindset. It was the same mindset for every game. Lauren needed to stay focused, and that was how she did it. Lauren was mind prepping herself. Ready to get out there and win with her team.

They say winning isn't everything, yet to Lauren it is everything. It shows signs of a great team, strong players, and bigger talent. If Lauren doesn't win she feels more than defeated. Lauren thinks back to everything she's done wrong and practices on what she needs to do to improve. It bothers her till the point she wishes she could go back and do it all over again. But, she can't. You can't fix past mistakes. You can only learn from them and improve them.

Lauren can only think more about the past than the future most of the time. She always wants to return and fix everything that's ever been wrong. Lauren hates thinking of the future, as there will be more mistakes she can't change. And she doesn't need any more mistakes than she already has in life.

Eventually, it was game time. Lauren was more than ready, she needed this more than anything. It was only a season game, but to Lauren, it was to win a championship. That's how she thought of every game.

          It was halftime, and the score was 3-2, Orlando Pride up by one. Lauren sat on the bench drinking down her water, savoring the coldness of the liquid. She felt like she was in the desert, stranded for days in the blazing sun with no water, and when she finally got a drink of it she couldn't get enough. Lauren's body was sweating in every crease, she felt so hot and disgusting but could not focus on that right now. She got up and grabbed a neck towel as she listened to the coach. So far Lauren has been confident in her playing, yet she thought she could do even better the next half of the match. If she got one more goal she'd be more than ecstatic in her gameplay.

Lauren stretched out her legs and got up from the bench. She couldn't sit any longer, too much adrenaline going through her body. It was about time to go back and finish the game. To win the game. The Orlando Pride girls went back onto the field all hyped up that they were ahead.

Lauren looked up into the crowd, the filled stadium made her smile to herself, this is all she ever dreamed about as a kid. Playing soccer, filled crowds, getting cheered on as she made the ball fly back to the net. She made her dreams into a reality, and she couldn't be prouder of her accomplishments.

She's learning to accept her accomplishments and to be happy with her career. The next big step for Lauren is to do the same with personal happiness. Eventually, she'll get there.

Lauren looked at the cheering people up in the crowd, all ready for the game to start again, and then her stomach dropped. Lauren wasn't sure how she spotted her. But she did. There she was clapping her hands, just as excited as the rest of the people in the stadium. Lauren felt butterflies in her stomach, bad kind of butterflies.