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[Twenty One]

.:Chapter Twenty One:.

♚Neymar's POV♚

They lost.

No.

We lost.

I refused to believe it. It wasn't possible. We couldn't have suffered such an embarrassing defeat. Someone, please, tell me I'm dreaming. Tell me I'm stuck in some sort of parallel universe where everything is topsy turvy and the wrong way around.

Tell me we didn't just destroy our chances of winning the World Cup.

A hollow feeling took over my senses. I was alone. Alone in a white room with no one else around. No distractions, nothing. There was no tv displaying the words 'Germany beat Brazil to go through to the finals of the World Cup' in big, bold letters. There were no pitiful glances and taking chances to reassure me that everything would be okay. There was no one and nothing.

I blinked. And I blinked again. Someone was calling me, saying my name, once, twice. My white surroundings crumbled into dust around me, until I was back in my living room, Lena and my family close by.

I turned my head to the right. A worried Lena was looking at me, her eyebrows scrunched together and her bottom lip rolled in between her teeth as she gently bit on it.

"Are you okay?" She asked, concern lacing her tone.

I nodded once, the tears pooling in my eyes. I looked away as one gently slid down the contours of my face, and then, a whole torrential storm rained down. I never learned to cry with style, silently, the pearl-shaped tears rolling down my cheeks from wide luminous eyes, like on the covers of True Love comics, leaving no smears or streaks. I wish I had; then I could cry properly in front of strangers, letting them know of my pain, instead of in bathrooms, in darkened movie theatres, shrubberies and empty bedrooms, among the party coats on the bed. I couldn't stop the tears from overflowing. I couldn't stop my heart from breaking in two. I couldn't stop my dreams from being crushed into tiny, useless little pieces.

I couldn't do anything.

"You're clearly not." I heard her mutter softly to herself before wrapping her arms tight around me, bringing me closer to her. I could hear her heartbeat thudding in her chest, coinciding with mine.

A choked chuckle escaped my lips at her puny attempt at being remotely amusing. At least she tried. I pulled away and wiped my face with my hands. Standing up, the world revolved around me as if it was a basketball being spun by a B-Baller. Woah.

"You 'kay?" Lena stood up and steadied me, cautiously monitoring my every move, but not stalkishly or anything.

"Mhm." I mumbled and stumbled my way to Davi, who was playing with his toy trucks on the ground. I could feel the unwavering gazes of my parents and Lena on my back as I sat down next to him. After all, they were kinda concerned about my wellbeing and all since Brazil just endured the worst defeat in the history of the team.

"Neymar?" My mum called out softly. You could hear the concern laced in her voice, and it hurt.

"Sim, Mamãe?"

"Honestly, are you okay?" Her facial expression mirrored Lena's, and in that moment, I knew that I was blessed to have such caring people around me. People who were always going to be around for me. People I wanted for them to be around.

I nodded twice. "I'll be fine. Don't worry about me. There's always next time, right?"

"Right."

A sudden knocking on the door caught my attention. How did that person get in without pressing the button on the intercom and alerting us all? The only person who wasn't here was Rafa because she had to do some research for a paper with Peyton. I smacked my head as I realised it could be her. That was such a dumb thought.