Another Night

Prologue

"Please," I bite my lip as I turn back around.

I let go of the huge blue curtain I had a tight grasp on and walk to a television back stage.

"Group C," one of the announcers spoke.

"Fingers crossed," Samantha said.

"Brazil," the announcer spoke.

"Yes!" Someone cheered.

I put my head in my hands and sighed deeply.

Just then a FIFA official came to do rounds back stage and asked to see our passes, making me lift my head to show him the pass that dangled around neck.

"That doesn't mean you get them for your team though," I remind Samantha.

"I have a twenty-five percent chance that I will," she smiles. "You now have a zero."

Out of all the groups I could have been assigned to, I got Group G.

I didn't care, as long as I got Group A, but I didn't and now I'm stuck here waiting to hear the results for my group.

I didn't have any second choice, no, I just had my mind set on Colombia- or the first group since we're hosting, the group I get to be liaison to- not much traveling either since the cup is taking place here in Colombia.

My friend, Samantha, got assigned to Group A. Along with Colombia, she has the chance of getting assigned to Croatia, Mexico, and Cameroon.

I sit down and wait until they get to the letter G.

"Germany," the announcer spoke.

After the crowd applauded, he moved onto the next country.

"USA," he so eagerly announced. "Portugal."

Samantha raised her eyebrows at me.

"Don't be so down, Mara, you might get Ronaldo," she winked.

I couldn't care less. I wanted to be by my national team's side.

"Ghana," he finally ended the sorting for that group. "Group H."

The head liaison leader came by to where we, the individual liaisons for the 32 countries, were aimlessly waiting to be sorted out even further.

"Final group. We head back out to Hall D to finish up," Colin smiled.

I almost groaned. My hopes for getting to meet my national team have practically been shattered, unless of course Samantha gets assigned to them.

When the officials on stage finished up with the sorting of the 2018 World Cup, my group of young and eager volunteers, qualified might I add, headed out the back of Hall A to cross the capital's college campus to Hall D.

"Everyone take a seat," Colin began. "We're going to get through this quickly, okay? Officials need to get to work soon after."

I sat up in my chair as soon as he began assigning national teams to the officers in Group A.

"And finally, Colombia goes to Samantha," he smiled and she cheered.

She burst out of her seat and jumped.

"This is the greatest thing to ever happen to me!"

I just chuckle and clap for her along with the rest of the group, knowing that I'll get a chance to meet them because of Samantha.

Five minutes later, with some protests and switches we got to Group G.

"Ghana goes to, Victoria. Portugal, Benjamin. Fernando has USA. Finally, Germany goes to Mara."

The rest of the room clapped for us, Victoria just crossed her arms.

"Excuse me, sorry," she spoke. "Colin, can I please have Germany as my national team?"

"Ask Mara," he shrugged.

I looked back and forth between them. It's not that I didn't want Ghana, or any of the other countries in the group if we were to switch it all up, I just got Germany, meaning that it was meant for me for some reason. I believe in everything happening for a reason and I wouldn't want to give up this team.

"Why do you want them?" I barely spoke.

"She just wants the world champions," Fernando leaned on the conference table and smirked at Victoria.

"I just want one of my favorite teams, if that's okay with you," she shot Fernando a dirty look then looked at me.

"I-I-"

"Look, you don't seem capable of taking on that team," she interrupted me. "You're better off with a team like Ghana."

Some people began whispering in the room and I was just taken by surprise.

I heard she was bitchy, but I never had to interact with her.

"Well," I looked over at Colin. "No, I'm not okay with that."

I heard Victoria scoff before I looked over to her and the room began to fill with even more whispers.

"Alright then," Colin spoke. "You're sticking with Ghana, unless of course Fernando or Ben want to trade-"

"Nope," Fernando spoke.

"No," Ben added.

"Moving on," Colin held back a smile.

And just like that, and with the dirty look I now received from Victoria, I realized that this was a competition between us all. As a country got knocked out of the campaign so did a liaison officer, one by one we were gone and Victoria seemed to want to stick it out with a tough country to get to the top, some recognition was all she strived for.

Too bad for her.

I looked over at Samantha who had a smirk plastered on her face before she winked at me.

"Group H," Colin continued.