january fourth | neymar jr

chapter thirty-six

Neymar

January 30, 22

  When I finally let the medic check me out, I realized that Morgan wasn't standing by me anymore. I looked around for her, and when I turned behind me, I saw her in a group with all of the other guys who'd already come out.

  I saw Donnarumma come out with Sarabia and a few other guys. I wasn't really paying attention. The medic told me to sit down on the grass, and she did the same. She got really close to my face, which made me uncomfortable.

  "How long ago did you get, um, attacked?" She asked, looking at me. "Um," I scrunched my nose, thinking about it. "Two days ago, I guess," I shrugged. Really all we'd done since then was go to her appointment, apart from watching movies. 

  "Okay," the lady said, examining my cuts. "Are you hurt anywhere other than your face? Like, legs, chest, back? Anywhere else?" She questioned, raising her eyebrows. I bit the inside of my cheek. Yes. My chest was killing me. It felt like eternal heartburn. I learned to ignore it, though. 

  "No," I shook my head, lying. I felt bad, but I didn't want to miss the match, so I had to lie. I'd be fine for the match. "Good!" She smiled, reaching in to her kit. Coach just stood there observing what was going on. 

  I adjusted my position, lifting my legs up and hugging them. The lady turned back to me and gripped a Q-tip in her left hand. She raised it up to my eyebrow where a cut was. "I know you got antibiotics for this, but I'm going to put more on there, it doesn't hurt," she smiled, tilting her head to the side to see where she was applying it.

  I winced at the cold feeling when it made contact with my eyebrow. She saw and giggled. I almost rolled my eyes. She removed the Q-tip with the antibiotic and she reached back in to her bag. "I'm going to give you some of this bandaging that you'll be allowed to use on it during the match," she pulled out a roll of bandaging and ripped some off. "I'm going to put it on now just so the antibiotics don't wear off while you're training," she stuck the bandage to my eyebrow.

  She did the same to my upper-lip, and then smiled at me and stood up. I stood up after her. "So I can play?" I asked, raising my eyebrows. She looked at coach then back to me, and nodded. "Yes, you'll be able to play," she said a little enthusiastically. "But, Neymar," coach said, tapping me on the chest, "if you need to come out at all during the match, please request a sub, we'll take you out," he assured. I nodded.

  "Can I go now?" I pursed my lips. Coach nodded, and started talking to the medic. I walked over to the group. By now, everyone was out here, and were kicking balls around. Morgan was, too. She was doing the warm-ups everyone else was doing. 

  I went and stood beside Morgan. When she realized I was there, she stopped kicking the ball and turned to me. "So you're good to play?" She asked, concerned. I smiled. "I'm good," I paused, "now give me that ball." She passed the ball to me, and I started doing toe taps. 

  Thirty minutes later, we were all in groups, working on things coach told us to do. Lionel and I were in a group, practicing crosses, like we were told. Each week, coach gave us all personalized routines based on our performances at games. It was helpful, sure, but also dreadful. 

  Morgan was off to the side watching Leo and I. I wasn't really paying attention to what she was doing. 

  Leo completed a corner kick, which I took, and ultimately attempted to score, but Navas was quick to save it. "Good one!" Leo said, approaching me. "It wasn't good," I shrugged. "I didn't score."

  "Yeah, but that was hell of a good touch!" He defended. I rolled my eyes and kicked the ball, which Navas had given back to me. I ran over to the corner of the field and set the ball down to kick it. Lionel took position a few meters from Navas, who was still blocking the goal.

  I completed a lob pass, which made the ball go towards Lionel. He touched the ball and kicked it in to the goal. 

  "Now that," I ran over to him, "was a good one," I laughed. "Morgan!" I turned around to Morgan, who was on her phone. "Come take a pass or two!"

  Morgan got up from where she was sitting and ran over. "Fine," she said, walking over to the corner. Navas grabbed the ball from the goal and kicked it over to Morgan, who put it in to position.

  Lionel took our spots by the goal. I decided to go out the field a little bit towards the end of the box. Lionel opted for the goal post.

  Morgan backed up. "Ready?" She shouted. Lionel and I nodded. She completed the cross, which landed over to Lionel. I ran towards Lionel for backup. He passed the ball to me, and I was right in the center, parallel to Navas. I kicked the ball in to the left side, and he missed it. 

  "That was a good cross, Morgan!" I yelled to her. She continued to run over to where we were at. "Thanks," she shrugged.

  I saw coach walking over to us. "How's it going boys? And, Morgan?" He yelled from right outside the box, still approaching closer. "Good," Leo smiled. "How are you doing, coach?" 

  I rolled my eyes. What a teacher's pet. Morgan backed up beside me and stopped. I looked at her, and she smiled. "We're going to be meeting up in five minutes, so finish up whatever you're doing and come over," coach said with a clipboard in his hands. 

  "Okay, coach, thanks," Navas said, locking eyes with him. Coach started to walk away, and Lionel raised his eyebrows at Morgan and I. "What?" I said defensively. "Are you two dating yet?" He looked at Morgan, and she raised her eyebrows. "No, we're not," she eyed him. I heard Navas laugh.

--

  On the car ride home from training, Morgan told me that Sierra had called her. "When?" I asked, making a right out of the parking lot. "It was only like fifteen minutes ago while you were changing," she shrugged. It was past three when we finally got to leave. 

  "Well, what'd she have to say?" I looked at her for a second, and turned my eyes back to the road. "Nothing much, I told her about what happened with you and Christian," she laughed. "That's not funny," I deadpanned. She stopped laughing.

  "Okay, yeah, no, that wasn't funny," she said agreeing with me. "But Sierra thought it was hilarious, she said you deserved it," she defended. I turned to look at her, wide-eyed. "How did I deserve it?!" I questioned, turning back to the road.

  "I don't know," she shrugged, "but you did," she giggled. I rolled my eyes. "Okay, whatever."

  When Morgan and I got home, I was starving, so she said she'd make soup. I said I could, that was one thing I could make. She knew that. But after what happened earlier that morning, she insisted. So I let her.

  She walked over to the island with two bowls in her hand. She put one by me, and walked over to the other side of the island with the other. She put it down beside me, and sat down in the seat. "You're welcome," she sighed, getting comfortable. I picked up the spoon I had put there earlier and dipped it in. "Yeah, thanks," I said.

  "So, what do you want to do tomorrow?" I turned to her, taking a bite of the noodle in the soup. She looked at me and scrunched her nose. "Whatever you want, I don't care," she said simply. I pursed my lips. "Shopping?" I raised my eyebrows. 

  She turned back to me and her eyes widened. "I thought you'd never ask!" She exclaimed. I rolled my eyes. "Shopping it is, then."