Merking The Coach?

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The next two days or so passed by very quickly for Jerry. He found himself locked in a repetitive but productive schedule. He would sleep, eat, go for training with the under sixteens, and then stay back to do additional training with Jeremiah, who had surprisingly become a great help to him.

Jeremiah, though not a winger himself, had spent most of his career as a striker. That experience gave him a unique perspective on what a striker wanted from a winger. He used this knowledge to help Jerry improve his playmaking, providing valuable insight into delivering precise crosses, timing passes, and creating space for attacking opportunities. Jerry had never seen his father commit to helping him like this before, and it caught him off guard. Though grateful, he said nothing about it, fearing that acknowledging it might somehow jinx whatever was happening.

The days blended into one another until, before Jerry realized it, Friday morning arrived. All the Manchester United under sixteens players gathered around the coach, their excitement and nerves palpable as they waited to hear who would be traveling to Spain later in the day.

"The goalkeepers are..." Tom began, his voice clear and commanding.

Jerry crossed his fingers nervously as Tom started announcing the names of the traveling squad. When Tom reached the forwards, Jerry felt his heart pounding so hard he thought it might burst from his chest.

"Right wingers: Casey Simpson, Albert Phillips. Strikers: Justin Blake, Jackson Tiller, Adam Sandler. Left wingers..." Tom paused and glanced directly at Jerry before coughing slightly. "You know what? I think I'm feeling a bit parched. Could someone get me a bit of wat—"

Tom burst into laughter before finishing his sentence. He had noticed the tense expression on Jerry's face and decided to have a bit of fun with him. But as soon as he mentioned needing water, he caught the glare Jerry shot his way. That look alone was enough to make him break into laughter.

"Left wingers," Tom said after composing himself and faking another small coughing fit, "David Jerome and Jeremiah Hayes Junior."

The relief was immediate and overwhelming for Jerry. Tom finished by addressing the rest of the group. "For those of you who didn't hear your names, take this as a message to work harder, train more, and do better so you'll be selected for the next tournament."

After a few more words of encouragement, the group moved on to some light training drills to round off the session. When training was dismissed, Jerry considered staying back to do extra drills, but he decided against it. With their flight to Spain scheduled for the evening, he needed to head home and pack. From what he'd heard, the tournament could last several weeks.

Jeremiah was still busy working with the under eighteens, so Jerry's older brother, Jude, came to pick him up. The ride home was short, but the pair bonded more than usual during the trip. Jude even decided to stick around and help Jerry pack his things.

Later that afternoon, Jude dropped Jerry back at Carrington, where Casey was already waiting.

"This brother and coming early," Jerry muttered under his breath as he said goodbye to Jude and hauled his bags into the locker room.

"Isn't it crazy?" Casey said suddenly once Jerry had finished arranging his things. The two had grown closer over the past few days. Being the "newbies" in the squad and already having met in a previous local tournament gave them a shared sense of camaraderie.

"Two weeks ago, we were playing against each other in a local tournament, and now we're traveling to Spain to represent Manchester United in an under sixteens tournament," Casey said, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Yeah," Jerry nodded. "It's pretty crazy when you think about it."

"Crazy," Casey echoed with a grin.

A brief silence fell between them, but Jerry wasn't in the mood for somber reflection. He was about to fly to Spain, after all. This was no time to get lost in his thoughts.

"You must've been excited when you got picked," Jerry said, steering the conversation in a lighter direction.

"I was," Casey admitted, his grin widening. "But I probably wasn't as excited as you."

Jerry arched an eyebrow, intrigued. "What do you mean?"

"Come on, man," Casey laughed. "You looked like you wanted to lose it when Tom was announcing the squad list. And the way you stared at him when he said he needed water? Priceless."

"How did I look at him?" Jerry asked, his curiosity piqued.

"Man, you looked like you wanted to merk him," Casey said, breaking into another fit of laughter. "One slip-up, and I swear he knew he'd be done for. That's probably—" He paused to catch his breath. "—that's probably why he stopped messing with you and just announced the names."

"Wow," Jerry muttered, shaking his head. He hadn't realized he'd been so transparent.

"Yeah," Casey said, his laughter finally subsiding. His expression turned serious. "But I am excited, though. And I hope to get a lot of minutes on the pitch. I'm turning sixteen next week. You're probably turning sixteen soon, too, right? We don't have much time to impress."

"You're right," Jerry said, nodding. He would be turning sixteen in a couple of months. His father's name might have helped him get noticed initially, but Jerry knew it wouldn't keep him at Manchester United. If anything, it added extra pressure. He'd need to work twice as hard to prove himself.

After a brief pause, Jerry spoke again. "We have to work hard," he said, his voice resolute.

"We have to work very hard," Casey echoed, meeting Jerry's determined gaze.

For a moment there was a serious atmosphere between the pair, but as Casey locked onto Jerry's gaze for an extended period of time, Jerry stared to become uncomfortable. Finally, after a few moments he asked a question.

"Why are you gay?"

A/N: I'm not homophobic please, just someone with a sense of humor in regards to gay jokes.

On a completely related note. I'm thinking of implementing a new system

One extra chapter every 50 power stones

One extra chapter every 5 gifts

One extra chapter for every chapter that gets 15 comments