Fever Dream ~ Neymar Jr

Chapter 82

2018

When the warm up finished, Kylian and I started walking towards the farthest field where we usually held our practice. I saw Ian was already there. With Coto gone, Ian was unfortunately back on the regular. So, this being the last practice had one perk too, and that was not having to see Ian again until preseason.

"Start warming up." Ian said without sparing a look our way, when Kylian and I reached him.

"He didn't insult me." I observed as Kylian and I started running. "Is he feeling okay?"

Kylian laughed. "Maybe even he has his limits. It's one day before your last game of the season, that will either place you second or first in the division. I'd like to think he wants to see the team do well."

"I'd also like to think that." I said looking at Kylian in a way that made him understand I didn't.

"Ney told me he has a girlfriend."

"He does. Me. Weren't you there?" I asked Kylian incredulously. "Trust me we're way past needing to have the boyfriend/girlfriend talk."

"Not you dufus. Ian."

"Ian has a girlfriend?" I asked, a little too loudly, because Ian turned to look at us, probably having heard his name. "Poor girl." I whispered.

"That's what Neymar said too. And that's why I call you mini Ney." Kylian said, elbowing me.

"Is this a practice session or an excuse to joke around?" Ian yelled at us.

"Kylian, can you please kill Ian?" I whispered and Kylian burst into laughter but tried to mask it as a coughing fit, when he saw Ian walk towards us.

"Bring the mannequins." Ian told me, motioning towards the mannequins by the bench. He could have brought them here with him, instead of telling me to go get them.

"Ian, I don't want to pull rank but you're here to oversee. I'm leading the practice. As per Emery's last decision before Coto arrived."

"I don't think so. That arrangement became null and void when Coto arrived. I'm replacing him now. Therefore, I'm leading the practice. Now got get the mannequins and don't waste my time."

I was not about to be a pushover one more time with him. I opened my mouth to reply but Kylian spoke first: "C'mon Liv, let's get them. I'll help you." He said and dragged me with him. "You're right, but it's not worth it."

"He's so frustrating!" I said, my hands clenched in fists. "I'm really sorry for that girl, whoever she is."

The rest of the individual practice followed as usual, with Ian being unnecessarily nasty towards me and Kylian trying to stop it from becoming an actual fight.

"I think I appreciate what referees are going through on every match now." He told me when we walked back to the rest of the team and joined them for the reminder of practice.

~*~

"Hi Liv." I heard and looked up.

"Hi Xavi. Thanks for coming." I told him as he took a seat across from me. He looked the same as he always did, in jeans, an untucked shirt and his thick glasses. His hair was longer and was now falling into his eyes, but it suited him.

"I knew you'd get in touch sooner or later." He said, taking the menu in his hand but not really looking at it. We were at a coffee shop near the university. The menu had only five things and Xavi always had black coffee.

"You knew before I did then." I told him. Of course, in the last few months I had thought about our break up a lot and especially about how bad I handled it. But I wasn't ready to think about meeting him and apologizing, not until very recently.