DROPPING WALLS (MANXMAN) ~UNDER REVIEW~

Thomas rides on Vizanno's car

   On the second day at the training center the tryouts watched speeches about how to behave and portrait in public, it was mandatory to wear something from the team every time they were in public, if they had anything that could implicate their image they should talk to the PR team, all the problems they had should not be brought to the public but to the coach.
Most of the boys afternoon was a class on how to talk, how to avoid complicated questions and how to pose for pictures and how to deal with photoshoot sessions. That was fame .

  In the afternoon more speeches, this time about their personal social media accounts, and how they used to behave online, and how they should behave now that they were public people. Thomas was about to block all the information out of his mind since he didn't have any social media at all, but it seemed that if one of them didn't have social media they could let the PR team create one and take care of them. They would have the password too, but the team would make sure it was well maintained. Thomas didn't want people posting things pretending to be him, he'd create his own accounts and figure them out by himself, as long as he remembered himself to post something every once in a while he'd be fine.

   The rest of the week doing tests and taking advice was a blur but also really slow and torturing, most of the tryouts were in the same state as Thomas, bored and anxious for football. On Friday the results of the tests they made came from the labs and all the boys were clear to play. They would all get their training kit before each training and their match kit before the matches. They talked to the nutritionist to eat the best way they could to improve their performance and keep their health.

   The first under 19 game would be played in two weeks and the first game for the first team would be in a week from now, the tryouts were all excited, it would be the first time they'd be seeing a game from the Crocodile as part of the team.

  Before they left on Friday, they were informed they were free for the weekend, to go anywhere they wanted, as long as they followed the rules it would be fine. Their first time out as the star tryouts of the season.

  Thomas knew he'd be staying at the house and at the training center the whole weekend, but he saw his tryouts mates making plans to explore the town and having fun with style, after all, they were all rising stars now, they would be able to go anywhere for free, it was a matter of publicity.

  "Thomas!" Before the boy had the chance to leave, Lucas called him up, he was smiling and Thomas wasn't surprised at all. The players and tryouts didn't share the same space again the whole week, their schedule would match in the following week for they'd be training too, but every time the younger ones watched the professionals playing he saw Lucas smiling or laughing like he was constantly hearing a joke. The boy didn't say anything as he watched the player approaching, waiting for the player to talk first. "So, how has your week been so far? I bet you wouldn't last the first two days after we talked... How did you manage?"

"That's called focus... I knew it was temporary... Didn't like some stuff they said was important for us, but yeah, survived ok, next week we gonna be practicing so it will be better." Lucas laughed, he had a loud laughter.

"You gonna regret this eager to train. The first days are just the worst, and when you think you got the handle of the thing they switch to a harder one..." Thomas looked anxious for that feeling, Lucas rolled his eyes, "of course you want just that, so, lemme ask you, any plans for tonight? I'm having some friends over to my place, wanna come?"

"Why? I'm not your friend." Said Thomas, he didn't mean it to be rude or cruel, Lucas just laughed, Thomas' obnoxiousness was delightful.

"Maybe if you came that would change," said Lucas and Thomas made his mind stop drifting. He wasn't used to people trying to befriend him, the only tryouts he talked with were his roommates and he barely knew the names of at least 15 of the tryouts so far. He wasn't wired to make friends, he was ready to avoid them at all chances he got.