Game Theory × NH

107 | bohrium

× Mercury

Everything happens for a reason. I wouldn't be standing where I was if I didn't believe that, even if that place wasn't were I actually wanted to be.

In the beginning, it was. Standing on the field was the only thing on my mind from first grade and up until only a month ago. Now my opinion had changed. I had been opened up to new possibilities, and now that I had, soccer wasn't my main priority anymore. Don't get me wrong, I loved the sport, but I had recently discovered that I wasn't playing for myself, and more for the winning and making my dad proud. It was exhausting trying to please someone I couldn't even talk to anymore.

But I had to be there, even if my heart wasn't in the game. I made a commitment to the team the moment I accepted the maroon and gold jersey and I was going to play it though until the end.

Despite my bad choices on walking on my ankle that time in the gym, I had gone into the hospital and had it checked out, and to my surprised, it had healed nicely and I was able to play in the game. I had the option to sit out, but they needed me and I had to make up for the mess I created the last game.

Five minutes until half time and we were losing by one. But I wasn't too worried. The last time we played against Cambridge, we ended up winning by five. We had this in the bag.

The harmony of Niall and I were better this game, not to my surprise. The last game had been rough due to the fact that I broke his heart in half. So it was a complete flip around since I had glued it back together, as well as my own.

The Royal Duo, that's what everyone was calling us.

The first time I was mentioned as the Queen kind of ticked me off, especially since the King was Niall, but that was during a bad time in our relationship. Now I thought it was rather fitting. Niall had called me princess the moment I had stepped foot in London, so it was about damn time I had a promotion.

By the time the whistle blew for half time, I was cold, I was wet, and I was tired.

Everyone wasn't better off than I was. During the night, Mother Nature must have figured out that it was the end of January because when I looked out my window, it had snowed. The temperature dropped below freezing, and even thought I was bundled up, the cold easily slipped through the material. Despite the chill, I was still sweating. Not to mention I had also woken up with a runny nose, so if I didn't already have a cold, then this game would ultimately fate me with one.

"You alright out there, Mercury?" Coach asked once I stepped off the field to the sidelines. Coach had on a fleece winter coat, wool gloves, and a London Lions winter hat with a little ball attached to the top that I thought to be rather adorable. "I know you're not used to this kind of weather."

"Doing fine, Coach," I assured him with a smile.

I myself had on a cotton long sleeved shirt under my maroon jersey with matching mittens on my hands. I had replaced the usual headband with a thinker, warmer one that covered my ears. I may have been from California, but I spent a lot of my winter vacations up in the mountains. I wasn't foreign to the idea of snow.

"You're doing a lot better than some of the lads," he observed, looking over at Matt who was sitting on the bench, totally submerged in a blanket he had brought from his room.

"I thought you knew by now that Lynn's a lot tougher than us," Andrew added.

Coach laughed. "You're right about that."