The sky always did have a certain rhythm with it, that i just couldn't notice. The way the clouds drifted aimlessly in a cycle. The way the blue and shining sky pressed down on us as the wind howled past our ears. And also not to forget, the way dreams were just like it.
.
.
.
A young man stood in the middle of a pitch, the noise of the crowd a background noise which slowly faded ever and ever into obscurity. He stood, hands dangling at his sides, as rain fell down from the sky in rhythm, splattering unto the green and grassy pitch.
As he stood there, rain splattering on his jet black hair, imagining of all the things it could have ever been, the sounds of screaming slowly began edging closer and closer.
Suddenly he felt a hand grab him from behind and a sudden yank pulling at him.
He fell back into reality, gasping like someone who had just been saved from drowning.
"Snap out of it Reid!" A young man barked.
He was dressed in the same clothing as Reid-- A white football kit drenched in mud, as well as a shield and a ball emblem carved into the chest of it like a heart.
Reid slowly turned his head to look at the young man whose name was Callum.
A 19 year old blonde brown eyed centre midfielder, who had just be put on by the manager to control things in the game and maybe just maybe, which it will definitely not, help them salvage the game.
"You've been subbed." He spoke.
The words came like a blow straight to the gut. Reid said nothing, instead he just nodded and walked calmly off the pitch, the fourth official showing his number that read "46" on the board as he made his way towards the bench.
The coach, a bald man wearing a track suit with his hands clutching a board didnt even spare a glance at Reid, as Reid made his way to the bench and just sat, eyes blank. Not because he was defeated and he had no other option, but rather because he knew he just couldnt do it like he always thought he could
The game proceeded on as normal with the opposition team, coming for the finishing blow as each pass was a weapon and each clearance was a test to the teams defense.
The game read 0-1, with the opposition team in the lead, controlling and holding onto the press as though their lives were on the line, which it was not. They hammered at the defending team, almost like how a hammer landed on a nail and soon after a crack appeared.
"Tch!"
Reid heard the coach hiss, as he turned his face away from the field, just before the opposition slotted the ball into the net as any person here would have predicted.
The players ran to the side, hugging and smiling, while the few crowd of fans present simply turned into a dead silence
The game continued on with its usual rhythm— That is, the home team being battered and hammered, until finally it came to an end.
3-0.
It had been a disaster- A usual disaster infact, but that still didnt take away the sting of it. Reid who had been staring at his palms, raised his head up and walked away from the bench and into the tunnel and right into the dressing room as the players had already gathered there, sweat and mud clutching onto them.
He sat down on one of the bench, as players wiped with towels sweat, grime and mud.
A young man, with blue eyes and brown hair approached Reid and he sat down. He stared intently at Reid for a moment, to which he tilted his head in confusion, before the young man spoke in a tone which didn't even try to hide the disdain oozing out of it.
"You're shit." His voice came, heavy and piercing.
The entire dressing room froze as they turned their heads, wanting to watch the spectacle in front of them unfold.
The young man whose name was Daniel continued.
"You're utter shit, you know that right?" He said In a neutral tone almost like he was stating a fact.
Naturally, the usual act for a normal person is to get angry and rush in to attack or defend himself but Reid did neither.
Instead he just turned away and began to unlace his boots.
Daniel seeing this, didn't feel a bruise to his pride or ego. This was not because he was a perfectly and fully dominant person in control of his emotions, rather instead, the reason he didn't continue was because Reid was simply this simple.
Reid wasn't the average human in any means. He was much much worse. His lack of talent made him horrific in football. His lack of self esteem made him an easy target for others and the worst part was simple. He would never retaliate.
Why?
Because he always viewed it as an hassle. An hassle to fight. An hassle to contest and fight for more playing time. An hassle to defend. An hassle to be.
He was average, no worse than that. He was content with being average, and that was always the biggest killer of a man.
Daniel stood up and walked away towards some other group of older teens, while Ried just continued going on about his day.