The early evening sun was killing him. They've been at it for hours and coach was not relenting anytime soon, the man seems to have all the time in the whole world.
"Okay guys, that's it!, Let's take it one more time!", Coach shouted.He has been shouting that for five times now, they would do a full drill and run, then he would clap, yell something to correct a player who was too fast or too slow for his liking and then ask them to repeat it again."I could faint at this rate", Anthony whined next to him.Silver groaned, walking over to take his position. It was even worse since the guy playing the QB1 position transferred Schools, leaving just him to play in the position throughout a full game.He was exhausted even as he lifted his hand to throw the ball, it didn't go that far. It stopped right in front of the fifty yard, even before the wide receiver.Coach shouted out in annoyance. They continued that way until they couldn't walk anymore before the coach announced that practice was over." finally!", Kim muttered, slumping on the field next to him.Silver shook his head, beads of sweat flying off his face, " somebody, crucify me...", he muttered closing his eyes. He laid on the field, trying to catch his breath for few minutes before heading to the lockers, when Anthony kicked him.“ Hey dude, isn’t that your mom?” Anthony said.Silver snapped his eyes open, turning to the direction that Anthony was pointing to.He saw his mother standing by the front bench and waving at him. He groaned as he got to his feet and headed in her direction.“ What do you want mom?” he asked her immediately he got to where she was.“ Just because you play football like your father, doesn’t mean you should forget me Silver, I’m your mother. The only one who loves you…” she told him.Silver sighed. oh, he hasn't forgotten, it was very difficult to forget that fact, she made it very difficult for him to forget that she gave birth to him while his father was busy running around the world playing ball.she had reminded him about that fact every single day of his life."I haven't mom, what are you doing here? ", he asked her again.She sighed, " I've been waiting for you to come home, but you've not come home for almost a week Silver”, she said, running her hand through her silver hair; the only feature about her that made it easy to tell that she was his mother; the silver hair.‘Come home?’, He wanted to ask her. Did she just call the house home?, when she was hardly around. For all he knew, they were just mother and son living together and he would go back whenever he felt like. For now, he was squatting in the spare room of where he worked part-time and didn't want to face her." I'm tired mom... go back home..", he told her." how do you want me to go back home and spend the night alone again" she told him.Silver snorted, he was even surprised that she had noticed his absence. There was a time that he had stayed away from home for almost two weeks and she had not noticed. Maybe there was no man in her life now to get and give all her attention to.He groaned, looking around. The guys had gone back in to the locker room, so he was the only one still out here.He took that Moment to look at his mom, she looked like every mother out there, but he knew better, she was just putting up an act and had for once cleaned herself up.She came closer to him, touching his arm, " please Silver. You can't leave me alone at home. Come back home, please..", she pleaded with him." You know i love you too much", she added.Silver sighed, looking into her eyes. She looked serious, but he knew better. He knew that the word ‘love’ only meant love when she wanted something from someone.That was what she taught him, to love someone because of what they could gain from the person." okay Mom. Fine, I'll come home after work. So please, go home.", he told her turning around and leaving.He heard her shouting thanks to him as he went in." Is everything okay...?", Tony asked him, sitting on the bench beside him."Uhm...yeah... just packing up", he replied."Are you sure?, You were staring into space a while ago, and with your mom's visit..", Tony said.Silver sighed, he didn't want to tell Tony what the issue was. The guy was the only person he could call a friend, and they weren't even that close. They just met during practice and sometimes when the guys went out to hang out. His mother had told him several times to focus on playing football and pleasing a father that didn't know him than hanging out with so called friends, hence his lack of friends." Yeah, she just came to see me practice...", he lied smiling at Tony.The guy looked at him and then shook his head, " you guys are so lucky. Your parents are interested in the game, mine doesn't even have the time to come see me play.", Tony muttered.Silver gave a nervous smile, his mother only came to watch him play because she thinks he plays like Jacob, his father, not because she wanted to see him play the game." Yeah..", he muttered, standing up from the bench and strapping his bag across his shoulders.They both left the school together and even when Tony offered to give him a ride to his place of work, he declined, taking the bus instead. It was close to school, so he didn't need to pay much.He climbed the stairs leading to the front entrance of the building, entering the restaurant. He went straight to the back and got changed in the staff room. When he came out, he nodded at his Co workers and took his position behind the desk. There was a crowd in the restaurant and he was wondering why there were a lot of persons in there."Two cups of coffee, latte to go..., the customer ordered.He nodded, getting to work."you're here early.", the manager said behind him, he turned around and smiled." Finished practice early today.", he lied, it was because he didn't want to go home yet, that was why he was there early. Right now, he was tired and exhausted and could use some rest, but there was no time for that.The manager nodded, " okay... we have a lot' of Customers today and need the extra hand" the man said.Silver frowned," uhm. is anything happening around here?", he asked softly.The manager nodded, "The Vikings had a game in the next city and they are passing by, that's their van out there. Football fans came out to see them...", he told silver.Silver turned to look outside and truly, he saw the Vikings bus out there, down the street. They must have stopped to get a rest or something before they continued their journey.He sighed, he wished Jacob was going to wander into the restaurant, if wishes were horses, he mused." your coffee ma'am.." he placed the order on the counter and directed the customer to pay at the counter next to him." It's Jacob Shepherd" he heard people say, rushing out of the shop. Silver snapped his head to look outside, he could see Jacob from where he was standing in the shop until his fans reached him and crowded him, giving him things to sign his autograph.Silver sighed even as his manager came out to see what was causing the ruckus."you're a football fan right?, You play football. Won't you go out to meet him?", the man asked.Silver blinked, even if he goes outside to meet the man, he would look at him like every other person, like he was a fan, so there was no need. He was okay watching the man on television and not going near him as his mother had warned him several times."I’m not a fan of the Vikings..", he replied.The manager laughed tapping his shoulders as he left.Silver kept on looking until Jacob walked away, back to the team bus and the bus left Newark, obviously heading for new York City.That was his life, seeing his father, but not close enough for the man to see him or touch him. He kept on wondering if his father actually knew that he existed. What if his mother had lied to him, he thought.The early evening sun was killing him. They've been at it for hours, and the coach was not relenting anytime soon. The man seems to have all the time in the whole world."Okay guys, that's it! , Let's take it one more time!", Coach shouted.He has been shouting that for five times now. They would do a full drill and run, then he would clap and yell something to correct a player who was too fast or too slow for his liking, and then ask them to repeat it again."I could faint at this rate", Anthony whined next to him.Silver groaned, walking over to take position. It was even worse since the guy playing the QB 1 position transferred schools, leaving just Silver to play in the position throughout a full game.He was exhausted even as he lifted his hand to throw the ball, it didn't go that far. It stopped right in front of the fifty yards, even before the wide receiver could catch the ball.The coach shouted out in annoyance. They continued that way until they couldn't walk or run on the
Silver kept on looking until Jacob walked away, back to the team bus, and the bus left Newark, obviously heading for New York City.That was his life—seeing his father, but not close enough for the man to see him or touch him. He kept on wondering if his father actually knew that he existed. What if his mother had lied to him? he thought.After they left, work went on as usual, and with time, the crowd dispersed, going back to their places of work or residence.Having a part-time job, playing football, and trying to meet up with his credit load at school was tiring. Some days, like today, he felt exhausted as he had been standing for hours. Maybe it was him stretching his legs or the look on his face that alerted the manager to his side."You can take a break if you are exhausted. Silver, you know you started work a bit earlier. So you can take a rest," the manager told him.Silver sighed. On a normal day, he would turn down the offer. He hated being pitied by people or offered things
Silver was still standing there, shocked and stunned, looking at them both. If they knew they couldn’t control themselves, they should have used the room."What are you doing here?" , his mother asked.Silver scoffed. Was she seriously asking him that after begging him to come home? So much for being lonely, he thought. She found another man to warm her bed and fill her empty heart, and he was trash.Silver shook his head, turning around and leaving the house. He didn’t know where to go that night, but he knew that he couldn’t stand to be in the same house with his mother after witnessing that.He was half expecting his mother to call him back or run after him, but after walking for a few minutes, he discovered that he was walking alone, and she had let him go. He felt like crying out of his eyes that night.It was late at night for a seventeen-year-old boy to be walking. Without knowing it, he was half way to the shop where he worked part-time. He didn’t know why he had returned to t
Jacob was on his way back home when he got the message. He sighed, opening his phone and calling Chase immediately. The man picked up after a few rings."What happened?”, he asked, moving from his seat to the back of the coaster bus so he could hear Chase very clearly considering the noises from his teammates in the van.They had played a game with the New Jersey Titans and had won, though the winning margin was very close. He had not taken a flight since he wanted to bond with his teammates and had decided to ride back with them.Chase, however, had traveled by air for the game and left after the first half so he could attend a meeting in New York. At least he came to see the game despite his busy schedule. When Chase retired from playing ball, it broke him. They have been playing together for years on the same field, so to not see Chase on the field again, running, was a huge blow.They had discussed it months before Chase made the final decision, but it still had not been easy. He
Chase was not in the mood to hang out with anybody, more or less the full gang and their kids. Right now, what he wanted to do was lie down and sleep and actually receive a body massage. After the day he had, his whole body was aching.From a meeting with the club’s public relations team to a visit to his dad’s residence, and then back to the club for a meeting with the management team, He was still in the meeting when he got the call from Danny’s school summoning him to the principal’s office immediately.By the time he had gotten home, all he had wanted to do was lie with his wife and rest, but rather, Nelly was busy planning for the barbecue hangout that they had with their friends twice in a month, and this time, it was his turn to play host."You know, if you will just mope around rather than help, you might as well just leave the kitchen”, Nelly, his wife, said, glaring at him like he was an eyesore.Good point, he thought, smiling at her. He was always amazed at her dedication
Lennon wishes he could stay in bed a little bit longer, at least catch another thirty minutes of sleep. It's not like his family is hosting the hangout party, but the movements going on in the room are too disturbing and distracting, making it difficult for him to remain asleep."Jacob, c'mon, wake him up already; we will be late... Don’t you ever get tired of being late, always," his mother told his father.His father scoffed. Lennon could feel the vibration of his chest because his head was on top of the man’s chest. "Let him sleep a little. If you are in a hurry, just take the car and go; we’ll find our way later." His father said.There was a brief pause in the room, tempting Lennon to open his eyes to see what the hell was happening, but as he was about to do so, his mother sighed, planting a kiss on his hair. When had she gotten so close to him on the bed? He heard another kiss before his mother spoke again."At least, make sure you’re a bit early and don’t bother him about it
He was now feeling dizzy after eating half of the ice cream and adjusted the seat in the room so he could sleep properly when he heard the door bang. He frowned, wondering why his parents were back home early; normally, they stayed till past eleven, and it wasn’t yet eight at night on the clock.He waited to hear their voices, but instead heard Liam shouting his name. He groaned. Why was the guy at his house now? Danny’s place was close to his house, so it was not surprising that Liam could come all the way to see him. He called back so Liam would know that he was in the movie room.The door opened a few minutes later, revealing Zara first, followed by Liam, and then Quinton, Sarah, and... nobody. There was no way he could sleep now.The smile on his face disappeared. Danny was not with them.Liam noticed it and chuckled. "He's in the kitchen. He said he wanted mint ice cream,” he told Lennon.Lennon released a sigh. As much as he wanted to be alone, if the guys were joining hi
Silver woke up that morning feeling hot, like a volcano. Maybe it was because of the blanket covering his frame. He had been so cold last night that he had covered himself with the blanket; now he was hot. Though he highly doubts that it was because of the blanket,One, two, three... he sneezed. Blinking his eyes open as he tried to process what he was feeling that morning.“Damn, I’m sick”, he concluded. That was the only logical explanation for how he was feeling. He touched his forehead with his left hand. Yeah, he was sick.With the way he had walked and stayed under the rain last night, it was certain that he had caught a cold.He tried to climb out of bed to relieve himself when he noticed for the first time that morning that since he woke up, he was not in his room, nor was he in the spare room at the shop; he was somewhere else.He tried to think back, remembering what had happened last night, how his manager had brought him home, and then Anthony. No wonder the bed felt