Khrysopos ✔

FORTY FIVE

- Alex's POV -

A month had passed.

He was in the middle of a football match. The coach was yelling at him.

"Do you not care about this game?" Macintosh yelled.

Alex sighed.

"These are your teammates! If you can't give a shit about them then how do you give a shit about your friends and family?"

Alex wondered what time it was. Nine? Ten? He was hungry.

"If you can't even depend on your teammates, then god help your girlfriend. If you even have one, that is, with your bland, uncaring personality."

Alex stiffened. He paid more attention now. And the coach noticed.

He sneered, "oh? Paying attention the second I mention a girlfriend? I'm surprised. Did you bully her into it?"

And Alex suddenly smiled. "Technically, she forced me to be her boyfriend."

The coach blinked. He had not intended to make the boy smile. "Is she blind? What self respecting girl would want a boyfriend who doesn't even give a shit about anyone? Do you take anything seriously?"

"Of course I do," Alex said, annoyed.

"Well, if it isn't this team, then I wonder if you even take your relationship seriously," the coach spat, noting the anger on Alex's face. He had discovered a loophole.

Alex scowled. "Of course I do. I would rather give up my new edition of tales of the heroes than mess anything up with her."

The coach stared for a second. "If you can't cooperate with the boys, forget learning how to cooperate with your girlie. The match is next week, and you're here, not even trying."

Alex just stared at his coach.

The coach asked, "What do you want to be, boy?"

"I don't know," Alex muttered.

"You already have some law firm, don't you?"

"Yes."

"Well. Then you already have a job. I don't understand why you tried out for the football team."

"My father made me."

"Do you like your law firm?"

Alex thought about it, and quietly said, "no." He had never admitted it to anyone before. He didn't know why he told his coach. Maybe he just wanted someone to know.

"So you hate your job and you don't know what you're going to do in the future?"

Alex clenched his jaw. "Yes."

The coach sighed. "Alex. Boy. Do you even have a little interest in football?"

"I usually don't have much interest in sports. Just ice hockey." That was something he and Juliet had in common.

He stared at Alex. "You don't even watch football?"

"No."

"Goddamnit boy. That's it. You're off the team."

Alex blinked. "What?"

"You're off the team," Macintosh repeated. "You can forget the match."

Alex was quiet. "That can't happen. I have to play at this match."

The coach asked, tauntingly, "why? Is someone coming to this game?"

"My siblings, friends, girlfriend," Alex admitted flatly.