From Me To You

Chapter 8 - Miami to New Jersey

He wakes up and runs his hand past his face and through his hair and looks at me. I say nothing and take my book out from the bag.

"Do they not teach manners in the US?" He chuckles.

"Is everyone arrogant in Brazil?" I bite back.

I can see his facial expression change and I know I have no right to be a bitch but I am truly angry about the goal he made, which is stupid, I know.

"Tell me again why Marcelo put you on a pedestal?" He inquires.

I stay quiet and decide to read my book. I lean past him and to the window to open the shutter.

He puts his hand on mine when I lift it halfway up and shuts it harshly.

"Some people are trying to sleep," he whispers a couple of inches from my face.

I rip my hand out from under his. I can feel him staring at me, thinking of something to say.

"You know, American parents might not teach manners after all, seeing as how you basically ran past the whole team yesterday in the halls," Neymar says.

"My parents are Colombian," I respond sharply.

He begins to laugh and puts a hand on his chin.

"Oh I see, that's why you hate me."

I bite back a smile and contemplate whether to apologize or not.

"I do not hate you," I clarify. "I am livid about your goal though."

"I truly am sorry," he starts. "I really like the Colombian national team, and Colombians in general..."

I shut my book and place it back in my bag.

"I'm a huge fan of yours Neymar, so congratulations on the goal," I whisper. "But also, fuck you," I try not to laugh.

Neymar just starts to laugh in response and I just smile at him.

"You're not in the right mind," he says.

"That's just the way I like it," I smile back.

We talk to each other about our lives the rest of the way there, after I apologize of course, and I can mark Neymar off as another player on the team I'm close with.

We arrive in Newark and the rented bus takes us to the team's hotel.

I sit with Oscar this time around but have Neymar on my other side and feel his eyes on me the whole ride there as we all have a laugh talking with some of the other guys on the team.

We arrive at the hotel and I stay with David in his room for a while since I myself didn't book one. I help him unpack and insist he rests his knee, he has a check up in about an hour or so to see if he can play on Tuesday but it's not looking so good. Oscar drops by after he finishes unpacking and the official doctor arrives.

Oscar and I head to his room and are greeted by Marcelo at the door. I lay myself on the bed as Marcelo sits on the edge of it and Oscar stays standing, leaning against a doorway to his bathroom. We chat for a bit about David and the match on Tuesday before Marcelo and I tell him about Miami, about the match and dinner we had with James.

Just then there's a knock at the door and Oscar yells out for whoever it is to come in.

"It could be a crazy stalker, you know that right?" I ask him before Neymar steps in and puts his hands together.

"New Jersey?" He asks.

"New Jersey," I respond.

"Any ideas of where the five of us should go to tonight?" He asks me as he sits down in a chair across from the bed.