Page 88 of The Sky Between Us

“Your turn,” he said when I stood from the bench and approached him. It was still zero-zero and we kept missing our windows every time we got close to the opponent’s Goal.

“Replace Anthony and show me why we picked you,” Erik muttered as the Brazilian player jogged off the field.

My heart pounded loud in my chest, as I threw my jacket and sweater off me and stretched my legs out, before taking his place. It was an incredible feeling experiencing the roar of the crowd as I reached my team and went straight back into the game. The energy buzzing from each player around me charged me and my eyes zeroed in on the ball watching it bounce between the players. I analyzed it quickly in my head, anticipating every two moves that could happen in the game.

Soccer was a dynamic game, but built purely on strategy, yet we needed to react quickly to any sudden, unanticipated move. I loved the team effort of putting the ball into the goal, but most of all, the fact that it never got dull.

An opportunity opened in front of me as we approached the opponent’s goal, I positioned myself a bit on the left, catching the eye of my team mate, David, to make the pass to me. I heard the roar of the crowd, their anticipation buzzing through me and the need to prove myself burning through me. I had a clear line onto the goal, as my defender didn’t bother to block me. He didn’t know me; he didn’t recognize me as a threat and I could use that as an advantage.

Taking a few steps forward, I waved at David, who was about to pass the ball to Kian who had two other players around him, making him a threat to lose the ball. But in the last split second, his foot stopped above the ball and reangling his body he shot it straight to me. I watched the ball roll towards me, everything slowing down, playing in slow-motion. My foot lifted even before the ball slowed down and in a straight line, I watched the ball fly across the air and land in the top right corner of the goal, right between the goalkeeper’s hands.

The crowd erupted into a crazy cheer as the whistle blew somewhere in the background, but I still stood motionless watching the ball entangled in the net.

I did it. My first professional game and my first professional goal. I made my mark.

My teammates jumped on me, screaming and congratulating me. Hands patted my back and head as a grin broke across me.

I was meant to do this. After all, I just did what none of them could do for almost 80 minutes; score.

“This is why we picked you,” said Erik to me, as I went off the field. “This is what I needed from you! Keep it up and you might be starting the next game.”

A huge grin crept on my face as I went into the changing room, and as my happiness was still riding high, a little piece of hope tickled me, encouraging me to take a look at my phone.Maybe someone watched the game.

I didn’t need hope to know my team back from San Francisco was glued to the screen watching the game as most of them spammed me with messages. Even my father and Coach.

Coach: Nice goal, son!

Benin: What a shot, bro! Congrats!

Howard: Man, don’t forget me when you become famous.

Dad: Amazing game! We are so proud of you, son!

Elliot: I knew you were going to put it in! Proud of you, bro! Keep doing what you do best, we all support you.

Elliot attached a picture of a group of people watching my game on our big TV. Zooming in, I saw my teammates, and some girls, and looking closer, I found Hazel in the corner of the image, sitting with Sarah and Giselle, not looking in the camera, but at least being present. I watched her straight hair being tied up into a high ponytail, a red cup in her hand and her legs crossed in those skinny jeans that drove me crazy.

My heart beat in a strange, painful rhythm, every contraction causing me pain. The person with whom I wanted to share my happiness was thousands of miles away. An ocean was spread between us, not just the sky this time.

Keeping up with the torture, I moved to our chat with Hazel, anticipating to see the three black dots pop up. But there was nothing, just silence.

The tiny fraction of hope dissolved in my chest, making my heart ache with every breath I took. The inside of my body burned with bitter taste and tears pooled in my eyes. I should have been happy, this was my dream, everything I worked for, yet my heart ached for the girl I left behind. I once told her, no matter where two people are, as long as they are under the same sky, they are connected. But now, hundreds of miles away, it felt like the sky was indeed standing in our way.

APRIL

“Hazel!”

Camilla’s voice travelled through the busy lobby as she ran towards me and almost jumped into my arms. With a small laugh, I hugged her back squeezing her tiny body close to mine.

“I’m so happy you are here!” she squealed. “I was particularly screaming when I realized you will be assisting Mark with our lyrical and jazz!”

“Me too,” I agreed, letting her go.

It was part of my Teaching diploma that I started doing back in January to assist on Dance Conventions. I reached out to my old agency that cut ties with me when I got pregnant and flashed some of my new achievements and explained them. I was back to training and I wanted to get into teaching. They didn’t say they would represent me again, but they didn’t act as if I didn’t exist either, so that was a start.

I’ve spent years running from the past just to come knocking on its door again.

So, there I was at one of the last conventions before Nationals and The Dance Awards.

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