BAD DAY

He was envisioning his upcoming performance, but his thoughts were clouded with anxiety. Then it hit him that the Gustavo Academy was the reigning champion and quite formidable. His thoughts wandered back to his school days.

The team worked very hard for the upcoming game. When they finally got to the restaurant, Alonso asked for permission to go train. He quickly ran to the apartment where they were staying.

He jogged down the streets without getting tired. Within a few minutes, he reached the house. He climbed the wooden stairs to their room.

He pushed open the gate to their room and took a glance inside. He said, "Huh, when will Dad, Mom, and Sister be home? I'm missing my family." He went straight to his room.

He approached his wardrobe and took out the boot he earned from the match between his school and San Ignacio. He kissed it and said to himself, "I'll wear you on Friday." He kissed it again and placed it back in the wardrobe.

He stretched his back, and the only sportswear he had was the athlete's gear. He picked up his bag and sneakers and left for training. On his way, he met Javi, but he didn't say a word.

He walked past him, but Javi called out, "Yo, why don't you wait for me so we can get there together?" Alonso paused for a moment before responding. "I thought you were not cool with me," Alonso replied.

 "I'm sorry, Alonso. Can we be friends now?" Alonso was surprised because he had never seen Javi act like this before. He hesitated but eventually said, "Yeah, bro."

Javi excitedly joined him, and they continued walking. They started conversing as if nothing had happened before. They both forgot what had transpired in the past. It was a great moment for them.

When they arrived at the pitch, almost all the boys who were there turned to see what was happening. They were amazed to see the two of them arriving for training and having a conversation.

They walked past the boys and headed to the locker room. When they entered, Martin was the first to see them. Martin knew about the rivalry between the two but didn't say a word for now. 

Miguel, who was putting on his sneakers, exclaimed, "What am I seeing? Is this real?" Javi replied, "Don't be surprised. We are cool now. We have to work as a team to get our school to the top." Javi tapped Alonso on the shoulder, "Are you with me?"

Alonso smiled, "Of course." All the boys gathered with smiles on their faces. "Hail Bilbao Central School!" Within a few minutes, Coach Herrera arrived. He asked them what the noise was about.

They all said, "We were planning on winning the game." He said, "That's good of you. Now let's get to the pitch." They all jogged to the pitch. The training began after they said their prayers.

They started warming up by running around the pitch. It continued for about 25 minutes. After that, they all lined up for sprinting and divided themselves into two teams. They began to sprint, and the more they sprinted, the more exhausted they became.

Now it was time for shooting trials. Alonso was the first to shoot. He curled the ball, but the goalkeeper saved it from entering the goalpost. That was a poor shot from Alonso. Next up was Javi.

He shot the ball, and this time the goalkeeper was unable to save it. That was a great goal from Javi. All his teammates, including Alonso, clapped for him. The shots continued; some scored while others didn't. Alonso was back on the ball. He curled the ball again, but unfortunately, it hit the bar.

His teammates were surprised to see this performance from the boy they had all believed in. Coach Herrera didn't say a word to either of them. At the end of the first shooting trial, Javi had the best shot.

The second shooting trial continued, and once again, Javi scored. The team was taken aback by Javi's remarkable progress this time. The teammates and Coach Herrera were amazed by Javi's performance. 

Coach Herrera called an end to the day's practice. They all went back to the locker room. When Coach Herrera entered, he told them that most of them were not ready for the game, especially Alonso.

In the hospital, Mr. Emilio was now being discharged. Alonso's mom and Lucia took Mr. Emilio back to their apartment. Mama was busy in the kitchen, preparing dinner for the family.

The doctor's report on Mr. Emilio's condition stated that he had been overworked and needed much rest. Lucia helped her mother prepare dinner. After that, she went to the bathroom to freshen up.

She then returned to her studies because she had not studied since her dad was admitted to the hospital. Mama served her husband after cooking dinner. She had made a special soup for Papa to warm him up and fed him while Lucia studied.

They heard a knock on the door. Lucia rushed to see who was there. When she opened it, it was Uncle Pedro. She helped him with the things he was carrying and welcomed him inside. 

Mama saw him and said, "My lovely brother is here, Emilio." He went to Papa and greeted him, asking how he was.

 He went to Papa and greeted him. He asked him how he was feeling now.

 Papa replied, ''Is nothing much. Just need some rest and everything will be fine.'' Uncle Pedro asked Lucia to bring the stuff he had brought along to him. He opened the stuff and it was fruits, foodstuffs, a dress, and brand brand-new jersey.

 Lucia began to wonder who the dress was for because she knew it would be for her. Uncle Pedro told Lucia, ''I got this dress for you. I know you'll love it''. 

''Yeah, Uncle Pedro. I love it so much. Thank you so much.''

Uncle Pedro took the brand-new jersey and told them it was for Alonso. That's the birthday present he got for him. Mama thanked him for visiting the family.

Back at training, Alonso felt very bad for today's performance. He didn't say a word to anyone and took his bad to head back to his house. He was just thinking of the health condition of his dad and he knew it was the reason behind his performance.