Soccer Camp

On the Road

I looked down on my little, 9 year old brother, Luke, and asked "are you absolutely certain that you packed everything?" we were just about to go on a 2 week soccer camp, well his soccer camp and I was being a chaperone, seeing as how they needed 2 people over the age of 18, being 21, I volunteered after being harassed by Luke for 2 days straight, so there was me and their coach, Sam.

"Yes So, I'm absolutely certain that I packed everything!" he replied while rolling his eyes at me.

"Good, coz we're leaving to go to the meeting place as soon as Sam shows up." I reminded him, Sam offered to drive us because even though I could've easily taken my own car, I felt worried by leaving it in a random car park over the two weeks that we will be gone for. Luke walked away from me, so I went to finish applying my tiny bit of make up, well, really just a bit of light eyeliner and mascara. When I had finished I heard a knock on the door, so I quickly scooped up my bags and headed to it. When I got there, I saw Sam talking to mum. "Hey Sam!" I called out cheerfully.

"Hey Sophia!" he replied with the same tone, "exited to go?" I don't know hoe exactly to explain my relationship with Sam, I know that we're friends, we went to the same high school, now the same uni, he always says hi when hd sees me, sometimes goes put of his way to say hi, especially when he's with his off again on again girlfriend Charlie. Also we play soccer for the uni team together sometimes, other then that, it's confusing, like, in public, he always calls me Sophia, but on the occasion that it's just the two of us, he calls me Fia, like no one calls me Fia, it's weird.

"Ready and pumped!" I replied, then Luke came charging down, carrying his stuff, and almost hit us.

"Wow, Captain, save that speed for when we're on the field." laughed Sam.

"Sammy, make sure you look after my children," Mum ordered.

"Don't worry Mrs. T, both your children are safe with me, but we better get going, or we'll be the last ones at the club ground." replied Sam. Mum gave both me and Luke a kiss goodbye, and Sam grabbed both my bah and pillow and carried them to his car for me. Left with only my backpack and handbag, I headed for the front passenger seat in his car. I waved goodbye to mum and got in.

We didn't talk much on the way to the grounds, we were the first to arrive, so Sam parked and got out, over the next 15 minutes, one by one, the boys started to arrive with their parents, there were 13 boys all in all. Sam organized car pooling with the parents that were happy to drive to the campsite, and then we were off. The trip took 2 hours, Sam took me, Luke, Tom and Austin. The three boys fell asleep after half an hour.

"I am really glad you came Fia, I was really hoping you would volunteer when I was planning this Camp." Sam looked at me for a split second, then looked back at the road.

"Well, it was either volunteering to go, or get harassed by Luke, I thought volunteering was the best option." I joked, even if Luke hadn't asked and asked and asked, I would've volunteered to go anyway, I loved the team of boys and my little bro, I would bend over backwards any do anything for all of them, especially Luke.

Sam chuckled and we were quiet for a few minutes, it wasn't an awkward silence, it was more of a peaceful one.

"Hey Sam," I said after a minute of two, "why do you call me Fia when we're alone?" I asked.

"I don't know, I like your name, it's very Italian, which I like, so I guess, when we're alone, I shorten it to my liking." It's true that my name is Italian, my mum is from Italy, so she was determined that my name should be Italian.

"Oh, thanks," I replied lamely, "so, how's Charlie?" I asked changing the topic.

"I broke up with her, she was being all bitchy about you all the time, so I just dumped her, I'm not having her say shit about my best friend." he got angry then, I could see his knuckles going white from clutching the wheel hard.

"Sorry I asked," I mumbled, secretly, I was quite happy, so, I was his best friend then hey :)

"It's not your fault, you didn't know. So, do you have a boyfriend at the moment?" he asked me.

"Well, since I'm your 'best friend' shouldn't you know," I teased.

"Yeah well I don't know everything about you, and even though I consider you as my best friend, doesn't mean that you consider me as the same." he replied rationally.

"I am very much single, after Tyler, I can safely say that I hope to stay that way until I've fully recovered." That was supposed to be a joke, but Sam got angry at the mention of Tyler's name. Tyler was my boyfriend, emphasis on the WAS, he started off nice and all, but then he got over protective and abusive, he punched and hit me in a fit of rage, then he would apologize a minute later, I believed that he was genuinely sorry after the first couple of times, but then, when he kept doing it. I felt stuck, so I confided in Sam, it was at lunch time, after I finished talking, because I was crying so hard, Sam pulled me into a tight bear hug and let me soak his shirt with my tears. Tyler was watching when Sam kissed the top of my head, rubbed my back, whispered comforting words in my ear, so in a jealous rage, Tyler stormed over to me and Sam, he grabbed me around the waist and yanked me away from Sam and tossed me to the ground, I was knocked out for three weeks, the rest of the fight, Charlie filmed on her mobile and sent it to me, Sam, being extremely athletic, dodged half of Tyler's punches, and put a few good punches in Tyler, kicked him in the nuts, yelled is he ever so much as come near me again, he would beat the living daylights out of Tyler. I had a cracked skull, because I had got thrown onto a rock , but my head healed nicely, didn't even scar. Someone had called the police on Tyler, and a weeks after I had regained consciousness, and though I still had to stay in hospital because my head was still healing, I went to court, testified against Tyler, and now he is in jail for a minimum of three years.

We arrived at the campsite at 3pm, Sam had to help me out the car because I was having a really bad dizzy spell, citrusy of having my head smashed against a rock 7 weeks ago. Though my head is completely healed, no scar or anything, the doctor said I may keep experiencing side effects, such as dizziness, for up to six months afterwards. The boys said goodbye to the parents who had taken them here, after being told by me, there was an hour break before training will begin at 4.