Peyton Ackley - The Beginning of Change

Chapter 9 - I'll Make a Difference

"Leah, what have you done?" I asked as we sat in the Arsenal cafe.

"Just consider it PJ," she replied, but right now all my considerations were saying no. It wasn't practical, it wasn't thought through, it wasn't the best choice for me right now. I'm studying, I just got a new job, and I legit just moved to London about a month and a half ago.

You know the saying 'right person, wrong time', I'm suffering 'right career, wrong time'. My dream is about to be thrown away because it came at me at the wrong time. Leah Williamson, the girl I met earlier today has just given me the opportunity of a lifetime and my immediate response was no, maybe it is the wrong choice. Well, in reality, it's the right choice, but for me, maybe it's the wrong one.

My phone began to ring, and as I looked down I noticed Miles' name pinned at the top, he was calling me, why? "I've just got to take this," I told Leah as I jumped up and walked outside.

"What's up?" I spoke as I answered my phone.

"Nothing much, I'm bored," he replied and I soon realised that this wasn't an emergent phone call, thank god.

"Are you calling to ask me to hang out?" I asked him.

"Yes, PJ."

"Well, I'm currently up in London Colney at the Arsenal Training Centre with Leah Williamson..." I said trailing off as I saw the blonde standing by the door with two drinks.

"You're where?" he questioned in response.

"Just up in London Colney, I've been offered a new job, at Arsenal... as a physiotherapist to help study the problems with women's ACL injuries."

"Oh my god that's amazing PJ, you need to fill me in on all the details because that is legit so random but I'm so proud of you," replied Miles.

"I don't know if I'm going to take it," I replied.

"What? PJ, it's your dream. Why wouldn't you take it? You moved to London for this opportunity and even though you might not have planned on it this soon, take it and run with it."

I was staring at my shoes at this point, kicking them against the concrete underneath my feet. I stopped answering Miles even though he said my name multiple times down the phone to get my attention. Leah thankfully stepped in taking my phone out of my hand and saying goodbye to Miles. She told him that I would call him later which I made sure to make a mental note of.

Instead of asking me a bunch of questions or trying to convince me to take the job, Leah handed me the iced chai she'd got when I first left and began to walk towards the training pitches.

"Leah, where are we going?" I asked when I finally found my words.

"The pitches," she replied blatantly.

"Why?"

"Because you need to meet the team before you say no to this job, and you need them for your research anyway," she replied before picking up her pace.

"Leah, I can't take the job," I finally said after attempting the sentence many times.

"Why not?" asked Leah kind of offended.

"I have a life Leah, one that I left behind in Australia that I intend to bring over here in a couple of weeks when I get the chance, but this job makes it so much harder," I replied.

"Can you tell me what it is?" the blonde asked.

"No Leah, not yet."

She was going to ask another question but I found myself standing on the edge of the pitch. If I'm getting the opportunity to study these players I better take it even if I'm not going to accept the job. Leah doesn't understand the life I left behind in Australia, no one does. It sounds like I had everything, the beach, the sand, the waves, everything that there is to have in Byron Bay. It seems perfect, but my life was far from that, it is something I'm trying to leave behind.