I liked to drink. I liked to fuck shit up—on and off the pitch. I had a low tolerance for people’s bullshit and maybe used my fists more than my brain sometimes.
When I was slapped with an Anti-social Behavioral Order for punching a guy outside of a local pub two years ago, Mo almost went apocalyptic.
“You’re going to screw everything up, Lucas!” he had screamed into the phone after I had been released from jail.
“It’s fine. I’m not the first footballer to get into a little trouble,” I had told him, suffering from the world’s worst hangover.
“Yeah, well sponsors don’t touch a footballer with a rep. The big clubs won’t want you if you’re too much trouble. Remember that. You’re on the track to go all the way. Now get your shit together,” he had demanded.
And I had listened. Mostly because I saw the pain in my mum’s eyes when I had gotten home, sporting a nasty shiner, and a chipped tooth from the incident.
My mother deserved better.
Anna deserved better.
So I tried, for their sakes, to get it together.
But some days were easier than others. Because once a lad, always a lad. I liked my beer. And I liked my women. And I liked putting my fist into assholes’ faces if they pissed me off.
When I scored a contract with Chester Athletic a year and a half ago, I could hardly believe it. Gaz had seen me playing in a cup match and contacted my agent the next day. I bought my mother her dream house on the Dorset coast with the signing bonus and was even able to afford myself a nice place on the outskirts of Chester.
Anna decided to move with me to Chester when the time came. She had been accepted to the local university and was going to train to be a teacher. Mum hadn’t been particularly happy when Anna chose to go with me rather than move in with her to Dorset. Anna placated her by spending a weekend a month by the sea.
So far, we were doing okay. I kept an eye on my sister, but she didn’t seem to be following in my rule-breaking footsteps. She had her head on straight and had a clear plan for her future.
I could probably learn a thing or two from her when it came to buckling down.
And once Chester made it to the big league and my contract was renewed, I saw a pay increase that had made my head spin.
£4 million over four years to play football and my agent seemed to think it would only go up from there.
So keeping a level head when you were being paid stupid money and were revered as a god was difficult. I still struggled with the attention I garnered just going to the grocery store. And it was only getting crazier now that we were getting national attention.
“This is only the beginning, Lucas,” Mo professed with pound signs in his eyes.
Opening the morning paper and seeing my face under the headline “Football’s Newest Bad Boy?” Accompanied by a detailed account of my past misdeeds was not something I thought I’d ever get used to. Having the world privy to the details of your life wasn’t fun.
But I sucked it up. Because this is how I made life better for my mum and for my baby sister.
Because I was the one they depended on. And at twenty-three years old, I was learning how important that was.
I got out of the shower and dressed before my teammates had finished with practice. I could hear my phone ringing in my bag so I fished it out, groaning loudly when I saw Mo’s name on the screen.
I wasn’t in the mood for his daily round of what Lucas Bradley should and shouldn’t be doing. But I also knew that if I ignored him, he’d only call back until I answered.
“What?” I said by way of greeting.
“Don’t be such a nasty cunt, Bradley,” he barked in my ear.
Mo was one of the few people who could call me a cunt and still have his teeth. We had a relationship built on honesty and a healthy dose of trash talk.
I wrapped a towel around my waist and pulled my clothes out of my locker. I could hear voices just outside and knew practice was finally over.
“Been talking to the people at Liverpool some more. They’re willing to double the offer to sign you before the transfer deadline.” Mo sounded excited. I could tell he was trying to contain it, but was doing a really bad job. His voice went a little high pitched when he was trying not to squeal like a bitch.
“Oh yeah?” I had no desire to go to Liverpool. I had a plan that involved staying with Chester to see where the season took us. I had a good feeling about our chances in the Premier League. It was history making. I wanted to see it through. Mo thought I was an idiot.
“Loyalty only gets you so far, Lucas. You should really look over what they’re offering—”
