Part VII

The year 2002

'Déjà Vu just like four years ago, Shin and his mother stood in the same spot, the same field, and in a similar situation in front of my father. Everything is in place and the actors are ready, just like that year, every single point…..but the only difference this time is….I did it, I took my revenge….just like how it should have been….according to William Shakespeare, "All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players: They have their exits and their entrances, And one man in his time plays many parts." If the world is a stage and people are merely it's players….then I would love to become a manipulator….that's what my father has turned me into and that's what I want to do. Everyone is mere puppets on my stage. Those who can be controlled, used and disposed of. I stared at Shin and his mother emotionlessly, while giving Shin's friends who were standing behind them a deadly glare making them have cold sweats, they shiver as if being stared upon by the devil himself. They looked at each other before taking a step back.

shin's mother : Mr. Douglas, your daughter has crossed her limits! She made my son get bitten by rats and throw marble balls on the road as they tried to catch her. He didn't only get bitten but also broke his ankle. (She screams like a mad woman trying to attract audience)

Douglas : (He looked at Shin from head to toe before turning back to his mom with uninterested eyes with a hint of coldness in his tone) So?

shin's mother : (she stares at him for few seconds stupefied before raising her tone annoyed) So?! You asking me, so??? I want you to pay my son's medical bills or else am going to the police station! I will make sure that your daughter goes to the delinquent center! (As she shouts some of her salivae spits out from her mouth)

Douglas : heh~ (he smirks as if he had heard some joke before getting serious) Do you have any proof that it was done by my daughter? Or is it like the last time?

Shin's mother : (she gulps her spit) C-Cant you see that I brought Shin's friends as eyewitnesses?

Douglas : (looks behind her at the empty ground uninterested) looks like your evidence ran away.

Shin and his mother turned around to check if Dad was cracking some kind of sick joke, only to find that they were backstabbed by their own witnesses.

Douglas : (in a low grunting voice) Leave before I call the police.

Shin's mother : (bites her lower lip embarrassed) W-We aren't lying this time….your daughter really hit my son….

I smirked knowing that the fish has bitten the hook, and had nowhere to escape now. I just waited patiently for my father's reaction, will he finally take my side?.... Why do I still keep expectations?.... Pathetic…I hate being weak….especially towards that man…standing there like an unapproachable Devil.

Douglas : (he gives out a dangerous aura before bursting into laughter like an unleashed psycho, his behavior not only scared shin and his mother but also his students who were crowding behind me for some free entertainment) So, you are confessing that last time, you made up a lie, to get my daughter into trouble. And every bit of evidence you showed me, was fake, apologize.

Me : (mind) yes!

Shin's mother : N-No….I…I mean….(she steps back hesitating)

Douglas : (sighs) Start running…before I change my mind.

Shin's mother grabs Shin's hand and disappears from our eyes never to come in front of us again, I stared at my dad, dumbfounded wondering why he let such a golden opportunity slip out of his hand. I bite my lower lip frustrated, I didn't expect him to support me, but leaving those bastards so easily? Don't you care about me, even a little bit? As I was looking at him with hatred, Dad glared at me with a meaningful look, as if saying, 'fuck off before I lose control over my head', I stormed out of the field biting my lower lip to calm my anger.

"My life sucks with unwanted dramas", whoever decided to write my story, I really hate you, why so much drama, dude! Fuck you! You know what? I will turn the game someday and take everything under my control. Fuck it, was this shit less stressful? Now even my sidekick is leaving me, her father got transferred again. I sighed while standing in front of Maria's apartment, her balcony door was closed. "Must be busy packing their luggage" I thought to myself before starting to walk down the road, toward my house. Tomorrow will be the last time we play in a match before she leaves for Russia, my chest felt tight thinking that it might as well be the last time, we will play football together. After tomorrow, we may never see each other again. "What is this feeling?" I don't like it, feels like something important is disappearing. I shook my head, trying to forget unwanted emotions. "My brain is playing tricks," I thought to myself, unnecessary emotions are a drag. All I can hope is that she finally meets people who will befriend her, she deserves someone, who isn't like 'Me'.

In front of our house, I opened the mailbox, and the house key was hidden perfectly under the mail, with the growing popularity of the internet, I am sure, people will soon start living in the virtual world than writing a postcard, who knows, where my mom will start to hide her house key at that time. Unlocking the door, I walked into the house, the lights are switched off, and it looks like a haunted place during the evening, but for now, it isn't much scary, moreover, am used to it, coming back to an empty home where no one waiting for your return, cold and dark as if it will eat you alive.

Taking off my shoes, I kept them on the shoe rack, putting on my slippers, I switched on the lights of the corridor, making my way into the kitchen, as I opened the fridge to check if there are any leftover food, only to find the fridge empty, except for a container with my father's horrible experiment stuffed inside, today was my father's turn to cook a meal, he is a horrible cook, his taste bud is dead, and is trying to kill ours as well, Angela even ended up in the hospital last month due to food poisoning after having the meal he made. Our house has a strict rule, everyone needs to help with household work daily according to the duties they get each day, you need to keep your own rooms clean, except for that cleaning, laundry, washing dishes, cooking, grocery shopping, and all such jobs falls on a rotational basis, though my mother tries to keep Father and Angela outside the kitchen to make sure people don't die after eating the food cooked by them, and ironically those days becomes my extra kitchen duty and guess what? I hate cooking.

Throwing the nasty poison in the dustbin, I started washing vegetables and rinsed the rice putting it into the rice cooker, then peeled and chopped vegetables while whistling a tone, I made vegetable curry and rice for dinner and kept them in utensils to cool them down, before grabbing wallet to go for grocery shopping. By the time I returned from grocery shopping, it was already late, I served myself dinner while looking at the empty chairs, picking up the chopsticks 'Itadakimasu' as I start eating.

Angela didn't come home today as well, she has been training to become a Japanese Popstar and currently going under training and also going to different television interviews to gain popularity. Leo also keeps being busy with his preparations for entering medical college and prefers to stay at his friend's house most of the time for a quieter environment. King must be at his friend's house for boy's night or with his girlfriend, he rarely stays at home because he hates seeing his father's face under the same roof after that Helena incident, guess many things changed after that day, our relationship with Father, my food habits, and….my self-harming tendency…which started with a simple scratching but now I enjoy bleeding… Dad and Mom went for candle light dinner to spend some time away from their children. Well, at least they are good couple than they could ever be parents. As usual, all that is left is me, keeping the house secure and clean while everyone is out there having fun. I slept early that night, and the next day my mother returned 2 hours before our match.

The match ended in our favor, after the match we had an ice cream party to celebrate our winning and Mother announced that soon there would be a reselection of captain so everyone needs to perform well if they want the position, I could feel some gazes over my shoulder during the announcement but choose to ignore them. The team members returned to their respective houses after the treat, I walked beside Maria licking ice cream, the sun has started setting, and the sky looked gorgeously orange and yellowish as if it is trying to seduce the moon to appear, a flock of birds returning to their nest while bats coming out for night preys, a soft wind blew past my wavy hair making them messy as I could hear Maria's giggles, but nothing bothered me, my face looked calm from outside while a huge storm was going on somewhere inside of my brain, the thoughts that Maria will be leaving ate me from within.

We heard a voice calling Maria, turning back we found a red hair Spanish girl with green eyes panting as she got tired of running, seems like she is being following us from the stadium where the match took place. Maria seemed to be overjoyed seeing her, as I felt a bit tight around my chest watching Maria's expression, 'This unpleasant feeling…' I hate this….it feels like she is being snatched from me….but I can't complain because, I don't deserve her kindness, I looked concentrated on my ice cream waiting for Maria to complete her chitchat so that we can go to her apartment.

Maria: Lucia? What are you doing here? (She hugs the redhead girl)

I never saw her hugging anyone

except for trying to hug me every now and then, what this uncomfortable emotion am I going through right now, it makes me feel weird, I don't want to feel like this....Is this jealousy? But isn't this something I feel when Dad shows favoritism towards Angela? Why would I feel such negative emotions watching Maria hug someone else….this doesn't makes sense.

Lucia: (Hugs Maria tightly) I missed you so much! My family came for a vacation so I thought why not use this chance to meet you. (she peaked over Maria's shoulder staring at my face)

Me: (gulps my spit glaring at her while thinking in my mind) Is she challenging me because Maria is showing her some importance? She must be mistaken because Maria is my sidekick and would only follow my orders. (I stared into her eyes as if challenging her for a dual)

But something was weird about this girl, instead of shivering in fear while looking into my eyes, she looks down her cheeks bit red, 'isn't that a shy expression rather than scared?'

Lucia: (She looks at Maria feeling shy) W-What is her name?...(she asks in a low voice)

Me: (I raised my eyebrow confused) Why don't you ask me directly? (My tone was somewhat annoyed)

Maria: Shh Anne, you will scare the child (She says before answering Lucia) Her name is Anne, don't mind her, she is like a coconut. (I glared at Maria only to be ignored)

Lucia: She is so cool! I saw her moves on the field and I….I….I want to become like her! (she leaves Maria and approaches me excitedly and grabs my hands tightly) Please teach me!! I am your fan!

Me: (I looked at her in disbelief) Did you hit your head somewhere before coming here or are you an idiot by birth?

Lucia starts tearing up as Maria knocks my head hurt I rubbed my head wincing in pain while glaring at her.

Maria: Sorry on behalf of this idiot, she says something but doesn't actually means it, she has a hard time expressing herself, just like she couldn't express that she would miss me. (she giggles) What this idiot meant was that she is really glad that you praised her.

Lucia: (her eyes sparkled with happiness and hope) Really??? (she looks at me)

Me: I neither meant that nor will I ever miss you Maria Lopez, you idiot bitch!! I hate you!! You are the worst sidekick ever!! (I said while turning around and running away from the spot feeling angry and frustrated)

Maria: Kids…you know….going through her rebellious period. (she says to Lucia) Alright then take care Lucia, I need to make sure my child is safe (winks that her before following me)

Unknowingly I was standing in front of Maria's apartment, and her parents were busy packing, Maria's hand patted my shoulder, and she laughed a bit.

Maria: Done with tantrums? (she had a knowing smile)

Me: (I sighed feeling like a kid) I hate you…

Maria: Hmm…I know (she holds my hand) Come to my room, I need to give you something.

I quietly followed her without any further argument, Maria closed the room door after her, the room was small and simple, with a single bed, cupboard, a table, and chair with a night lamp, the suitcase was already packed, her father's work always make them travel from one place to another, making it difficult for Maria to adjust to new places or make new friends, especially in new countries, this was the longest she has been to a place, her father tried to cancel the transfer for Maria's sake but his job is at stake, knowing the reality, Maria neither complains about the situation nor questions her parents' decisions, in-fact she didn't even make any friends while her 4 years in Japan, even when I insisted her to make some real friends instead of following me like a chick, she always replied 'Friendship is a curse when you know you won't be around for long'. Maria picked up her suitcase keeping it on the bed, I looked at her confused, opening the suitcase she takes out an orange bandana.

Maria: I remembered that you always wanted a bandana but couldn't ask your parents to buy you one. (she takes my hand and puts the bandana on my palm) put it on, and show me.

Me: (I tied the bandana on my head) I look like a clown.

Maria: Will you be my boyfriend? (she laughs) You look too handsome. Happy Birthday in Advance Miss Captain. (she hesitates wanting to hug me but knows that I hate intimate touches, especially hugs)

Me: (I felt touched looking at her as I pulled her into a tight hug) Thank you….Don't you dare forget me ever, or I will haunt you in your dreams, I know we will meet again someday, so please, remember me.

Maria: (Hugs back) Who will forget an idiot like you? What will you do without me…you can't even express your problems, those so-called teammates hate you, what if they bully you while I am gone? (she body was shaking with anger and fear)

Me: (I laughed still hugging her to reassure her) I am strong, who would even dare?

Maria: You are making me worry even more, you don't even know how to take care of yourself…(she sighed) Idiot.

Just like that Maria left from my life, we met again years later but that's not the focus for now, I started wearing the bandana on my head as a memory of her, and she was right as always, as soon as she left and the time for choosing captain drew nearer, some of the senior girls from my team started to bully and verbally abuse me behind my mother's back, especially Akane, a 15-year-old teenager along with her brother and boyfriend.

To be continued...