“Fairs.”Sol turns to me, grin widening. “What about you, Titan? You in?”
“I don’t know, man.” I shrug. “Your useless arse dragged your feet with finding me a spot, so now I’m moving all my shit over to a hotel ‘til you get it together.”
“One,” Sol holds a finger up. “I don’t work for you.”
I scoff. “You’re on my team, of course you work for me.”
“Ourteam,” Amin corrects.
Sol ignores us both and continues his rant with another finger sticking up.
“Two. I got you in touch with my guy for the car. Don’t I get credit for that?”
Amon nods in agreement. “It’s a nice car, Jabari.”
“So nice! And so expensive!”
The way Solace exclaims has me thinking he paid for it. But I specifically remember the money leaving my account.
“And three,” he wraps up his verbal presentation. “I gave you options and you turned all of them down! I was convinced you didn’t really need a flat that badly. Mum’s house must not be as bad as you say it is.”
“I wouldn’t know.” I answer. I haven’t been home that much other than to sleep. Majority of my free time has been spent at Za’s driving a certain green-eyed woman to madness. It’s almost fun how easy it is for her to cuss me out.
But as entertaining as it is, messing around with Francine is a distraction. Getting woken up by my parents to do somethinglike take out the trash is also a distraction. I need my own spot to focus. And with the tournament season coming up? I can not do distractions.
Especially if I wanna make it to the big three.
“Doesn’t matter anyway. I need to catch up on sleep.”
“Sleep?” Solace repeats, deadpan. “You’re in a city full of beautiful women who love footballers. Specifically, footballers who win, like we just did. And you’re talking about sleep?”
“Sleep’s important,” Amir says without looking up.
Solace ignores him. “Come on, Jabari. We’re going out. We got a whole season to worry about sleep and practice and bullshit. We deserve one last hurrah.”
When he puts it like that…
A drink sounds good. The sound of music, too.
“Fine,” I say, standing. “One drink.”
Solace grins. “That’s the spirit. But it won’t stop at one.”
He’s probably right.
“No it won’t.” Amin adds. “So I’ll pray for you both because the bullshit starts.”
Right again.
You see? They get me.
I might actually miss them when I leave this team for better. But this is a necessary evil. I can’t stay at entry level forever. Hopefully we would see each other again on the opposite sides of the pitch.
However, it won't be happening tonight so I’ll enjoy my last distraction.
I hop in my expensive car and head home after practice for the last time.
The McKingsley houseis loud as always. Something frying in the kitchen, my mum’s gospel playlist going off, and my dad’syelling football stats from the living room like the players can hear him through the TV.
