Page 1 of Trading Yesterday

CHASE

I was flying high. Disbelieving. Excited… but, torn.

This was the chance of a lifetime; one that I’d be a fool to turn down, but the timing was off. I’d wanted to play professional soccer since I was ten years old when I watched Pele’ name David Beckham to the FIFA 100 greatest living players on ESPN. They, and other ballers like them, were my heroes.

I’d been playing since I could walk, and had somehow landed a full ride at Clemson. My college career rocked; my team was ranked in the top 10 nationally and had played in the NCAA championship series all four of my years at the university. We made the elite eight last season, and this year, we won the whole damn thing. If there ever was a team sport; soccer was it, but I was named MVP of the final game of this season, and it was a fitting culmination and was the rocket that put my entire career in motion.

When Coach Noonan pulled me into his office right out of the shower after the game, I was intrigued, but I about fell over when I saw Arsène Wenger through the glass of his office walls.

Call it football or soccer, every player who kicked the black and white ball anywhere on the globe knew who Arsène Wenger was; the manager of Arsenal Football Club in London. Beckham hadn’t played for his team, but it was damn close enough. The man was a legend in his own right.

I took his proffered hand in sort of a stunned haze, still damp from my shower, and my hair dripping water down the muscles of my back. I was dressed only in the large white towel wrapped around me, low on my hips, and didn’t know what to say in that moment; utterly amazed by what I was hearing. One of their forwards broke his leg and was benched for the season, and they were recruiting for a replacement. If I did well enough, it was a chance to earn a permanent place on the team.

It was as if the planets aligned and dropped a big golden egg in my lap. I mean, we won NCAA, by some miracle I was MVP, and I played the same position they needed to fill—it all fit. Shit like that just doesn’t happen, even if you do spend twenty years working your ass off to make it so.

The whole thing took less than ten minutes, and I was walking out of that office, using the small towel around my neck to dry my hair; a smile a mile wide plastered across my face. My teammates had all been staring into the office, practically plastered up against the glass, and straining to hear what was said. When I emerged and told them what was up; the locker room erupted in a chorus of cheers, laughs, pats on the back, amid a few disappointed groans.

It was fucking beautiful.

I couldn’t stop grinning while I threw on my clothes in a mad haste, already lagging behind the rest of my team. I was itching to get to Teagan so I could tell her the news. My impatience made it hard to get out of the locker room because I was constantly bombarded by questions and congratulations by my friends. A few of them had jealousy behind their eyes, but I could understand how they felt. I was walking on rainbows, but I knew they had acid eating at their guts because it was me, and not one of them. I was sure that I’d feel the same way if it were anyone else.

Mr. Wenger gave me twenty-four hours to make up my mind, but seriously, there was no decision to be made. My parents were lower middle class and my dad had always worked two jobs. My scholarship had been like a magic wand opening the door to a future I could never have had without it. I was sure they’d both worry that I wouldn’t finish up my bachelor’s degree at Clemson, but they knew soccer had always been my dream. I didn’t want to disappoint them, but their reaction wasn’t my main consideration. I had only one semester left, and yeah, maybe it wouldn’t be on scholarship, but I could always finish up later.

I wanted it badly, but it would mean leaving Teagan behind, and that thought alone made my heart seize painfully. For the first time since I walked out of that office, my heart paused and the happy euphoria I was feeling dwindled, literally pausing me mid-step. Life had a way of offering up succulent morsels, but there was always a price to be paid.

It would suck in a major way but I couldn’t ask her to ditch her degree just to follow me halfway around the globe. Plus, I’d be playing all over the world, and she had no friends in London and I couldn’t leave her sitting in England while I was gone. To expect that would be selfish.

Plus, I had enough issues with her old man. Her father didn’t appreciate my career aspirations and would rather I pursue a career in business or law, and I hoped this opportunity would show him that football was a real career, and I truly was worthy of his daughter; a chance to prove she’d have a secure future with me. I understood his concern; she was his only child and he wanted the best for her; though there were plenty of times when he made it plain he prioritized a consistent paycheck over big dreams.

I had to take one of the buses back to the hotel with the rest of the team, and though Teagan had come to the game, she’d be waiting for me there. I’d never been to Philadelphia before and Talen Energy Stadium was an awesome facility right on the Delaware River, but the wind coming off the water was cold as hell. The December temperatures were a good twenty-five degrees less than what we were used to in South Carolina, and the light jacket I had with me wasn’t enough. I started shivering on the short walk through the parking lot toward the two waiting luxury buses. As I climbed aboard the first one I was thankful for the heated interior, realizing this was a preview of what I could expect of English weather in winter.

More shouts and cheers confronted me as I took a seat next to my best friend, Jensen Jeffers. I smiled and waved at the guys as they started shouting more congratulations and questions about when I had to leave. “Soon,” was all I’d say. “I don’t even know if I’m going yet.” A roar filled the small space as they all started in with incredulous disbelief that I was even hesitating on my decision to join Arsenal.

Jensen just watched me with his usual contemplative demeanor. He was logical and supportive, and we’d have plenty of time to discuss it, but it would be more like a talk-through of the pros and cons; he wouldn’t try to influence me either way.

He’d been my dorm roommate my freshman year and he knew me better than anyone other than my girlfriend, Teagan. Jensen was the Tiger’s senior goalkeeper and one of the best in Division I. There was no doubt the Tigers would take a huge dump with our record if it weren’t for him saving our asses. Offense was only half of it, and he was good enough to play professionally, but it wasn’t what he wanted. He was as competitive as me, but solid as a rock, and grounded. Both of us were lean and cut; the game keeping us in top shape, though he was a bit bigger than me. He was the type of guy girls flock to, smooth and polished. He had his own plans for life after Clemson, and I was positive he’d be successful either way. Jensen always had women hanging around, but he spent a ton of time with Teagan and me.

He was casually smiling as I approached, and he nodded to the open seat across the aisle from him. I was finally feeling the exhaustion left by the miles I’d just run during the game.

“Ugh,” I groaned as my fatigued body fell into the seat. I ran a hand through my hair, which was still a bit damp to the touch, but it flopped back down into place immediately. “Jesus, I’m tired.”

“Want some?” He had an open bag of Crunchy Cheetos and offered it to me so I could take a handful, but I shook my head in refusal.

“Thanks, dude, but I’m meeting Teagan in a minute.” Under normal circumstances, I’d invite him to go with us to dinner; that was normal at away games. There were rare occasions Jensen’s “girl-of-the-moment” would carpool with Teagan to away games and we’d double, but most often, it was just the three of us; Teagan called us the Three Musketeers.

“Figured.” He nodded and reached into the bag for another helping. “Dude. Wow. The MVP, the Arsenal thing, and Teags waiting for you; jackpot night ahead.” He nodded wryly. “You’ve got it made. How do you think she’ll take it? You are going, right?”

He was the first guy to congratulate me in the locker room, and he’d already heard what was said in the office; he wasn’t just my teammate, and I was grateful for our friendship. I lifted my right shoulder in a half shrug and turned my head to the side so I could look at him. “She’ll be happy. This will set us up for life. It’s only a year until she graduates.”

“Famous last words. I’m sure she’ll support you, Chase, but it’s a year and a half last time I checked. She’ll put on a good show for you, but you’re kidding yourself if you think this won’t hit her hard.”

I sighed, wishing she could go with me right away. Of course, I wanted her with me, but it was selfish to even consider. A dark cloud of struggle hung over a decision that should be the easiest one of my life, but one I had to make for the future I wanted for us… for Teagan.

I tried to shake off the sadness that could potentially change my mind. “You’re just gonna miss being my bitch.” The corners of my mouth lifted in a wry smile, and I huffed out a laugh.

Jensen burst out laughing right along with me. “Yeah, that’s it, for sure,” he agreed with amusement. “Because we both know, I’m such a pussy.” Grinning, he shoved a few more Cheetos into his mouth and chewed, being obnoxious on purpose. “Seriously, she could go with you. She’ll want to.” Players were filling the seats around us, and I was impatient to get the bus moving on its way back to the hotel.

The laughter died away as I considered his comment. “Yeah, I know, but I can’t let her. Her dad already has a huge hard-on for me. You know he thinks soccer is shit and I should be a fucking accountant or something.”

---