Pilot

3 years later.

Netz Highschool, São Paulo.

"... And that's how it is done. Any doubts?"

Just as the teacher said this, the bell rang. I woke up from my daydreaming and looked around. As always, everyone on the class was happy now. And in this moment, I heard Pedro calling me.

"Hey Igor!! C'mon, class is already over. Are you that enthusiastic about studying? HAHAHA"

Just as he said that, sound of laughter came over me. I looked around and his group -my friends- were all laughing.

"Not enthusiastic at all. But there's no other way, is there?"

"There's always another way. You--"

"I think you're right." said Pedro. "But you're really smart. Do you really have to study this much? It's not like you're like me... You can get good grades even without studying! Such unfairness!" he said in a joking tone, again taking a laugh of everyone. I just laughed his comment off.

"Well, what are you guys going to do? Do you have training this afternoon?"

"Yes, we do" said Gabriel. "the quarter-finals are coming, so we have to train harder these next days. Wanna hang out at night?"

"You do know that today is still Monday, right?"

"What, are you energetic enough to think about hanging out at night? Seems like today's training needs to be harder."

"What? There's no need of it at all!! I was just joking!!"

"HAHAHAHAHAHA" Everyone laughed. When we guys were together, it was always like that.

"Well, so I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah, see you tomorrow"

Having said my goodbyes, I started to walk home. 'Seems like the guys are in good shape this tournament. Normally, they wouldn't even reach the round of 16.' With other thoughts in mind, I entered my house. My mom and brother were working in the shop across the street. Yeah, my brother Bruno, the future star of the beautiful game, was now working on a shop. He would smile to me, and say that it was all in the past, but that wasn't the truth. Ever since the discovery of his heart condition, he was never the same. He just seemed... dispirited. Which was normal, I guess. But it was truly saddening. The guy was said to be a mix between Pirlo and Iniesta. They said he would seat in the same table as Messi, Maradona, Cruijff and Pelé. But he never made it.

Taking these depressing thoughts off my mind, I walked to the kitchen, where I had lunch. After that, I would play some videogames and stay idling all day. As always.

At night, my mom and brother came home from the shop. We talked and gone out to have dinner. At the table, my mom would do most of the talking, with me and my brother giving some commentaries here and there. It may look like there was nothing wrong with it, but we were not like this before. I think my brother's disease just hit us too hard.

Just like that, we came back home and I went to sleep, thinking if the next day would give something good.

In the next morning, I went downstairs to have breakfast. When I got to the kitchen, my brother Bruno and my mother Sarah where already eating. They seemed to discuss something about the shop, but stopped when they saw me.

"Good morning, son. Did you slept well?"

"Yep, very well."

I grabbed a toad and a cup of milk and started eating, making some small talk with the two. After breakfast, I went to grab my backpack and my brother drove me to school, then went to manage the shop with my brother.

Just as I entered class, I saw the guys together discussing something.

"Hey, what happened?"

"Hm?" -Pedro looked back and saw me approaching- "Oh, we're just discussing strategies to the next game."

I shot him a look, as if saying 'elaborate'.

"Well, given the very offensive oriented game style of Morrie's Highschool, their fullbacks need to support in the attacks. I plan to play in a defensive manner, using Gabriel and Juninho to play on the space left by the fullbacks. With their speed, it could work out. The problem is: I don't know if we can manage to resist their relentless attacks and, more importantly, I don't know if we can make a fast enough transition between defense-attack."

"Hm, so that's how it is." I said, nodding.

"And there's more to it." Said Matt "Yesterday, Tomas got injured in the training, and we don't have any substitute with his capabilities"

"Oh, that make things more complicated"

Tomas was a midfielder with good passing, who would be critical to their strategy.

"Well, it seems you guys have a big problem. Best of luck to you."

Having said that, I retracted and sat at my chair, waiting for class to start.

As the bell rang, another day of classes had came to an end. Knowing the guys would have to train this afternoon, I just said my goodbyes and left for my home. As I passed the school gates, I heard someone calling me.

"Igoooor, wait for me"

"Hey Angie, what's up?"

The girl made an irritated face.

"It's already 4 days since school started, and you have yet to talk to me!! Come, let's go grab a lunch."

"Oh, sorry about that. Have been kinda busy with the studies these days."

That was half the truth. The other half was that I was kinda depressed these days, just a little sad and disappointed with everything and everyone. It happen to me sometimes.

"But yes, let's have lunch together. I was going to eat alone at home, anyway."

Angie was my childhood friend. She had a beautiful face, brown colored long wavy hairs and a beautiful face. Coupled with a slim body, most would say she was a beauty. But to me, she was a precious friend, who was with me trough difficult times.

After 5 minutes of walking, we got to some place, where we ordered burgers for us.

"So, how have you been? You seemed a little down these days..."

"No, I feel good. Just thinking too much about my future, I think" I said, making up some excuse.

"You shouldn't be so worried about that. Being smart as you are, you can simply chose anything and you will do good at it."

We made some small talk and the burgers we ordered came. As we were eating, she looked at me and said:

"Igor, have you been thinking about 'that' these days?"

"No, I'm--"

"Cut it. I can see it at your face."

"..."

"...Yes, I have. I think is inevitable, right?"

"Maybe. But it doesn't matter. Let's do something, cheer you up. Wanna go to the cine?"

"Actually I--" As I was going to decline, she made a face, stopping me from doing so.

"Yeah, seems good."

With this, we finished our burgers and left.

At the end of the day, I was in the front of her house, 2 blocks away from my home. During the entire day, she didn't mentioned my previous depressed state. We just said goodbye to each other and I headed home, feeling much better.