As the bus pulled up in front of the building, it took a moment to come to a full stop.
The coach stood up first, and the rest of the team followed with. Ethan was the last to rise, having to wake up Parker, who was deep asleep.
He rubbed his eyes and yawned as he stood up. Ethan stretched before walking out, but the coach's voice rang through the bus.
"What's taking so long? Get the hell out of the bus!" he yelled.
Annoyed by the coach's constant bickering, Ethan sighed and made his way out. Parker followed, glancing at the coach with a smirk. "Maybe if you had better game plans, I'd listen to you more."
The coach's face turned red with hate. He launched into a tirade, threatening to train Parker until he collapsed.
Parker leaned toward Ethan and whispered, "He'll probably run you into the ground, but he won't touch anyone who's been here for three years or more."
Ethan nodded, already dreading the long day ahead. Just as they entered the building, Deshawn suddenly jumped out and wrapped an arm around Ethan's shoulder. "I'm proud of you, man. Truly. You inspired the team again. Hell, maybe we can even convince the coach to rethink that awful game plan."
Ethan chuckled at Deshawn's joke but then paused, lost in thought. Before he could say anything, Alejandro approached and spoke up. "Can I have a word with Ethan real quick, Deshawn?"
Deshawn hesitated before releasing Ethan. Alejandro led Ethan into the empty locker room.
Ethan was about to speak when a punch landed square in his stomach, knocking the wind out of him. He doubled over, gasping.
Alejandro looked down at him and said, "I'll admit, that goal was sick, but I can't have that happening again. If I'm not captain, I don't get the bonuses, and if the coach starts doubting me… Well, let's just say I won't be happy. Consider this a warning, Ethan."
He patted Ethan's head before walking away. Ethan struggled to catch his breath, gripping a chair to pull himself up. It took nearly two minutes before he finally stood. He limped out of the locker room, clutching his stomach, only to see Parker and Deshawn waiting outside.
Deshawn's fists clenched, veins visible in his neck. Parker frowned. "Hurting teammates just because someone wanted to make a spark, Pathetic." he muttered before turning away with a bag of chips in his hands while waving. "See ya, Ethan."
Deshawn, still furious, spoke in a serious tone. "Next time you get the chance to score, take that shit. I have my own plans for when I get the ball."
Ethan took a moment to process his words. "When's the next game? Feels like the coach keeps pushing more and more matches."
Deshawn sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Three days, give or take. I heard the higher-ups are forcing him to slow down."
Then, with a smirk, he added, "You ready to go to the dorms, or do you wanna stick around for some extra training?"
Ethan thought for a moment before responding, his voice filled with determination. "I've found a new goal for myself and this team. I have to surpass Alejandro. I won't let him drag us down any longer."
Deshawn chuckled. "Physically, you probably already can. But you need to be in the spotlight more if you want to take him down. You have to humiliate him."
Ethan frowned. "What do you mean? Do I just need to score more goals, or do I have to pull off something flashy like Parker's bicycle kick?"
Deshawn nodded. "Exactly. Goals will make people like you, but the flashier they are, the more people will say your name. Look at Parker he's the face of KickLine right now because of that insane goal. The more fans you get, the more people will start questioning why you're not captain. Then, they'll start demanding change."
As they reached their dorm, Deshawn playfully opened the door with a mock bow. "After you, Captain."
Ethan shoved him lightly but couldn't shake the thought of being captain, the respect, the fame, the future opportunities. He walked into his room, lost in the fantasy.
Deshawn flopped onto his bed and started typing on his phone. Curious, Ethan asked, "What are you doing?"
"Checking my contract numbers. Seeing how much I'll have left after taxes to pay off my debt."
Ethan raised a brow. "Debt? College loans?"
Deshawn hesitated before answering. "I used to have a gambling problem. Borrowed money from...certain people. And a few banks. Somehow got back into high school, joined soccer, and ended up here."
Ethan absorbed the revelation, nodding. After a pause, Deshawn asked, "Why did you get into soccer?"
Ethan exhaled, thinking. "It's not as rough as your story, but… when I told my family I wanted to go pro, they were completely against it. In my senior year, I started looking into minor league teams, planning to play even after moving out. After high school… I basically cut everyone off. My friends, my family and I ghosted them all, no warning, just for soccer.
If I failed… let's just say I wouldn't be here with you now. I do regret leaving them behind, though. Maybe one day they'll see me on the news. I'd understand if they were angry."
Deshawn stroked his chin, thinking. "Yeah, ditching everyone sucks. But I get it. You put everything into this sport. The pain of leaving your family behind? I understand that. And honestly, I wasn't exactly a saint before soccer either. Like I said, I was in debt, barely scraping by. I had to do things I still regret. But somehow, I ended up here."
Ethan tilted his head. "How old are you, Deshawn?"
Deshawn glanced at him. "Twenty. I went back to high school at seventeen. Been on this team for almost three years now."
Ethan sat up. "Damn, man. No offense, but… that's rough. Everything you went through just to get here."
Deshawn waved him off. "Don't worry about it. Listen, just remember this, it's your life. Your rewards and your punishments. If you want to be great, you have to push past your limits. Beyond what you ever thought possible."
He yawned and rolled over, plugging in his phone. "Anyway, I'm heading to bed."
Ethan took Deshawn's words to heart. As he lay back and set his phone to charge, he wondered, could he really become better than what he was now? He closed his eyes, lost in thought, as sleep finally took over.