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Chapter 7

Cameron Santiago POV

"I want to invite you for our friendly match against Brazil in a few weeks. I see your potential. I see how effortless you make the game seem. That takes a lot. You have adjusted to our corrections without a single complaint. We push you and you push back. So let me be the first to say congratulations on making the roster for the upcoming game." Coach Vlatko tells me as we finish our last workout of the camp.

"No way. Wow, appreciate it, Coach! I won't let you down. Thanks for believing in me." I excitedly say back trying to absorb the news.

On the bus back to the hotel, I am sitting across from Ali and Ash.

"So, where are you going to stay until the game?" Ash asks.

"Going back to school. I still need an education. There's also another team waiting for me to play for them," I chuckle.

"Well if you ever want, you can stay and live with Ali and I." She states.

"I appreciate the offer, but I think I am set for now."

"When do you finish college?" Ali asks me.

"I have two years left but the way I set up my schedule, I should be done in less than a year."

"What are you studying?" Tobin joins in on the conversation.

"Criminal Justice Studies and Psychology. Maybe become a lawyer or something. I want to do something with the law and the people caught up in it that don't have a voice."

"Aye that's what's up!" I hear Carli speak from behind me.

"What made you interested in that?" Tobin asks.

"Personal reasons. I didn't have the best upbringing after my parents passed away. Got in trouble with the law many times and people never believe the foster kid. I want to change the justice system, so it's fair. It's naive to ever think it'll be fair, but just a little bit of improvement will go a long way." I explain.

"We got a badass chick on this team." O'Hara comments. The whole team laughs and nods in agreement.

Ashlyn Harris POV

Flashback

"So how old are you kid?" I asked my roommate.

"Just turned seventeen." Cam replies.

"So what's your story?"

"Wow right into it. Kind of rude don't you think" She smirks back.

"We have spent two weeks in here together. All I know about you is that you love Twix, ice cream, and sushi. You are a light sleeper and keep to yourself. You are kind and want what's best for people. You don't talk about your family much. How does someone like you end up here?" I ask. Like I said we have spent two weeks together and all I know are the superficial things. Her counselors came up to me to ask me to open Cameron up a little. She's been very hesitant to open up about herself in therapy. They thought I would help open her up. To my surprise she opens up right away.

"It was between here or juvie. I've been to juvie before so decided to give this a go." That was not the answer I expected.

"I'm not the stereotypical foster kid the system plays them out to be. My parents and siblings passed away when I was fourteen. I didn't have any family who wanted to take me in so the social worker threw me into the system. My first year in the system, I bounced around in four homes. I was abused mentally and physically. Then I got put into juvie for a few months because I was defending myself, but the law didn't see it that way. Nothing I couldn't handle. At the age of fifteen, I got put into a home I didn't expect. The government checks were used to get drugs. I minded my business and wanted nothing to do with them or their drugs. They thought that I thought I was better than them one night, so they wanted to prove me wrong. That night changed me forever. They held me down as they struck a needle with heroin in my arm. They did that every day when I got back from school. One day they stopped giving the drug to me. They would want me to beg for it. My body craved it. They got me hooked. I wanted more so I started using painkillers too. It was a bad mix. Eventually, I left the home and started living on the street. I found a boyfriend on the streets. His name was Kyle. At first, I only stayed with him because he got me free drugs, but then my feelings actually grew for him. He was my soulmate. Even though we were on drugs, our big dream was to become clean. Get our lives together and eventually have a family. We never thought we would be caught up in drugs. Right before my seventeenth birthday, he overdosed. Cops and the coroner came. Cops arrested me. Judge told me I had one chance to get my life together if I wanted to take it. I had a week to decide what I wanted to do as I was again placed in another home. The last foster family told me I could do it. They didn't want to see another kid be failed by the system. They told me to accept what the judge was offering."

I am in shock to say the least. This girl was innocent and was only here because the foster system failed her. That was a lot. I don't do much but hug her.

End of Flashback

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AN: So I am updating these chapters as if I have chapters lined up. I have exams coming up so updates may not be as frequent, but here's the content you have been waiting for. If there's anything you want to see let me know and I'll try my best to incorporate it. I hope you all like this story so far. 

Stay happy and safe,

AK