Will men and women ever be able to play football together?
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Ever since she started to play football professionally, Tamira Singer's dream has been to start a new football competition: the respective male and female first teams of a club form a n...
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"I can NOT believe you're banging the enemy!" Neymar announced as soon as they came home.
"Watch your language, filho!" his father warned him. "I already told you on the ride home that this is none of your business. Whoever I date is my business only."
Neymar scoffed. "But it just so happens to be Tamira's mum! Dad, honestly, WHY? You had to know somewhere down the line who she was, right? You KNOW how me and Tamira don't get along, did you honestly think this would be of any help?"
"Honesty, that's what you want?" Pai replied. "Like I just said, this is mine and Emilia's business. This has nothing to do with you or Tamira or how you two get along! I don't even know what the fuss is about, really!"
"The fuss? Pai, she's already a pain in the ass!" Neymar said with a passion he wasn't sure himself where it came from. But the mere thought of having to do anything with Tamira outside the professional career of being a football player was – disturbing. Especially if things, as his father had told him not too long ago, could turn rather serious.
God, what if he had to accept her as his step-sister?! His stomach did a somersault – not the good kind. The kind that made you want to puke.
"So what?" Pai replied, suddenly calm all of a sudden. "You need to learn to get along with her anyhow. I don't see what the problem is if you might see her once in a while off the pitch as well."
Neymar's eyes widened. That's exactly what he feared. "Off the pitch? What, you plan to play house with her whole Australian clan anytime soon?"
"Neymar!" his father all but hissed at him. "What is wrong with you? Tell me, what is your problem?"
The footballer only shook his head, pulling a hand through his hair, already messy from him doing it so often today. He couldn't really explain it himself; he just didn't like the fact that he could have anything to do with the girl apart from the professional side of things. He'd been equally shocked as soon as he'd realized who is father was actually seeing. And then Tamira had reacted so heavily, accused him of playing cupid, and something inside of him had... snapped.
It was consoling to see that she was grossed out by the potential of their parents being together as well. And at the same time it was upsetting. He wasn't sure why the two of them didn't get along, really. She just pulled on every possible string she could with him, and he was pretty sure the same could be said the other way around. They pushed each other's buttons.
Pai sighed heavily. "Tell me when you're ready to be an adult again about this." He looked at Gil for a moment, then his father left them standing in the kitchen.
With a heavy heart, Neymar sat down at the table, taking a deep breath.
"Well," Gil said, joining him. "One thing's for certain now: everything you did to get along for the sake of the mixed gender team is down the drain now."
