On the way back David and I went with Oscar and his girlfriend since Juninho had taken David's car. We dropped her off and then continued to Granja Comary, arriving there a little before dawn.
"How are you guys going to practice in the morning is beyond me." I said getting out of the car.
"Oh it won't be just us love." David said grabbing me in his arms and messing my hair with his hands.
"Yeah but I won't have to physically move. Just run simulations." I said as we walked towards the compound.
They both laughed. "You don't know Scolari well. Everyone does the exercises. Even the coaches."
"You may not do anything with a football but you'll do the rest." Oscar said.
"Oh God. Then we shouldn't have gone out tonight." I murmured already visualizing how tired I will be tomorrow.
"That is true. But we knew the consequences." David said as we reached the hall. The player rooms were on the left and ours on the right.
"See you guys in the morning. I had a very good time today." I told them and gave each of them a little hug.
"Sweet dreams Liv."
I walked towards my room but I saw a shadow on the corridor and froze. The figure started moving towards me and I took a step back. When he came into the light I saw it was Juninho.
"Juninho! You scared the shit out of me!" I told him punching him in the chest. He gave me an apologetic look. He looked miserable. "What's wrong?" I asked him. "Why did you leave without saying anything?" I asked.
"I wasn't feeling good." He told me. He was looking down the whole time.
"I hope you feel better by tomorrow. Is it something you drank or...?" I started but he nodded no. "Do you want some tea?" He nodded negatively again. "Then why are you here?" I finally asked.
"I am so sorry Livvie."
"What for?" I asked him. "I'm not mad that you left, if that's it."
"No, that's not it." He told me.
"Then what is it?" I asked him.
We heard a door open and close down the hall. If I remembered correctly it was Scolari's door.
"Shit! Why is he up already?" I asked Juninho. If he found us here he would be mad. "You have to go! We will talk about this tomorrow, okay?" I told him, urging him to leave.
I turned around and got in my room quickly. I put on my pajamas and laid down. I was so tired; I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.
~
Waking up in the morning I felt as bad as I thought I would. My eyes had black circles below them.
"You look like you had a good time." Marina commented.
"I did." I said choosing not to mention Juninho at all. "How about you?"
"Me too." She said and giggled.
As we were getting ready I made her tell me about her dinner with Peter.
"After dinner we walked around the compound talking. It was like a date. We kissed goodnight."
"How was it?" I asked.
"It was good."
"So you are considering it?" I asked her.
"I am. But... Oh God, 4 years in the same university, same major, why didn't we meet earlier?"
"Well look at the bright side. You did meet." I told her.
"You're right. Are you ready?" She asked me.
I looked in the mirror. I hadn't used any makeup since we were going to practice so my dark circles were visible. A light bruise had formed below my left eye from being elbowed yesterday but it wasn't that bad. I had worn black shorts and a white t-shirt with my athletic shoes. They weren't cleats but I hoped they'd be good enough in the slippery grass. I pulled my hair up in a ponytail.
When we arrived at the restaurant everyone was already eating and we quickly joined them.
The guys I was with yesterday all looked like me, dark circles and tired but everyone was in a good mood and talking excitedly.
After breakfast Mr. Jones and Scolari asked me, Marina, Peter and Alex to approach them.
"I want you guys to follow the coach to the locker room, to give you your training equipment and get ready." We nodded and followed Scolari.
He gave each of us a duffel bag. "You can change here with the players." He told Alex and Peter and motioned me and Marina to follow him. "Girls since we don't have a locker room for women, this is for you to change." He said opening the door to a tiny storage room. "My suggestion would be to get ready in your room from now on."
We both nodded in agreement but since we didn't have much time today we went inside the storage room.
"There are spider webs!" Marina yelled.
I opened my duffel bag. There was a water bottle, a few CBF jerseys, two of each color and matching shorts, socks and cleats.
"I didn't know they'd give us the clothes." I said wondering why I had worn my own today.
"Oops, I forgot to tell you." Marina said already dressing. "The fuchsia jersey is for us. The team wears the lime ones."
"Then why is there a lime one too?" I asked looking at my shirts.
"Scolari said we can wear whatever we want now, but in the practices that are open to the public we have to wear the fuchsia one. It's the one for the technical staff. And at the games we wear the white one, like the one he is wearing today." Marina informed me. "And that pretty blue jacket." She said pointing at it.
We both decided to put the fuchsia jersey today since it was the first practice.
When we went outside the team and the coaches started gathering around Scolari. He started talking in Portuguese and one of his assistants translated for us.
"We will start with warm up and gather up again in half an hour." He said.
The players and assistant coaches started running around all five fields, while Scolari, the four head coaches of each department and Mr. Jones remained behind talking to each other.
We weren't sure what to do but then I remembered what Oscar told me yesterday and I motioned to the others to start running.
"You've got to be kidding me!" Marina exclaimed. We caught up to the others.
"Top of the morning to ya!" Hulk told me.
"And the rest of the day to yourself!" I answered laughing.
"How many laps do we have to do?" Marina asked.
"Not many." Hulk answered.
"Define that." She said.
"Better don't." I said before he could speak. "Think of every lap as the last one."
When we were done with warming up everyone was very sweaty. I noticed Juninho looking at me. I mouthed "hi" but he didn't say anything. I wondered when we'd have a break to talk.
We gathered around Scolari again.
"I want the goalkeepers on field number 1, defense on field 2, middle on field number 3 and attack on field number 4." Scolari said.
The players started heading to their respective directions. Juninho started walking towards field 4. What was he doing? Why didn't he wait with the coaches?
Mr. Jones asked us to approach him. "Guys, we have separated you too." Mr. Jones said. "Marina and Peter, since you two weren't in the second meeting you will each assist coach Santos and Tandres. That means that you Marina are going to field 1 with the goalkeepers and you Peter to field 2 with the defense." Mr Jones continued.
As they left Marina whispered: "Just my luck."
"I will be supervising all the fields, so I will see you guys later." Mr. Jones told them. "Report to your coaches and do what they tell you."
"Neymar!" Scolari who was still standing next to us yelled raising his hand. I turned towards field 4 eager to finally see who the guy everyone was talking about was.
I froze. Juninho had turned around and was running towards Scolari and Coto, his eyes looking at me, a worried expression on his face.
"As for you guys, Alex you are in the midfield and Olivia you're with coach Coto in the attack. He was very impressed with you." Mr. Jones said but it barely registered.
Juninho approached them and Scolari put his hands on Juninho's shoulder. Like a proud father. Or a proud coach?
I forgot how to breathe. Juninho laughed at something Scolari said but his laugh was anxious. He had realized that I was watching him intently.
"Olivia? Are you okay?" I heard as a hand touched my shoulder. I turned my gaze; Alex and Mr. Jones were looking at me worried.
"I... I..." I started saying, my eyes fixed on Juninho. He gave me sideways glances, his face visibly worried. I felt like throwing up. "I..."
Now they were all looking at me, Mr. Jones, Alex, Scolari, Coto and him.
"Drink some water, child." Scolari said. Alex dug my water bottle from my duffel bag and put it in my hands.
"I am fine." I managed to say. I had to get out of there quickly.
"You look pale Olivia. Did you have anything for breakfast?" Mr. Jones asked me. I felt my stomach turn, but I realized this was my chance.
"No." I lied.
"Straight to the kitchen." Scolari scolded me.
I nodded and started walking- no running. When I reached the corner of the compound and I was out of sight I stopped.
I couldn't believe what had just happened. Juninho was Neymar. Neymar was Juninho. He lied to me. The star of the Brazilian team, the one everyone was talking about, the football prodigy, it was Juninho all along. He played me and I fell for it like a fool.
I couldn't take it anymore. I couldn't keep my breakfast down. I kneeled to the ground and vomited. Tears started escaping my eyes. I wiped my mouth. I stood up and came face to face with Juninho.
"Get away from me." I said, retreating.
"Please, please, let me explain." He begged. He looked distraught.
"You lied to me! From the moment we met! YOU LIED! And you made everyone else lie for you too! Everyone was part of your stupid joke and the joke was on me!" I pushed him hard on the chest. He backed away a few steps.
I started running but he immediately followed me. "I am sorry, please let me explain!"
"NO! Don't follow me!" I yelled and he finally obeyed.
I got to my room. I collapsed to the ground, crying. I wanted to stop feeling, I wanted to be numb.
A few minutes later there was a knock on the door.
"Olivia, how are you?" It was Mr. Jones. Now what? I asked myself. I couldn't let him see me like this. I was a mess.
"I will be right there in a minute." I said through the door.
I went to the bathroom quickly and poured water on my face. It was red as were my eyes but I had no way to conceal them. I took out my CBF hat and put it on, hoping it would obscure my eyes. I opened the door.
"Olivia, are you okay?"
I nodded. "It was the sun, Mr. Jones. I wasn't wearing a hat and I felt dizzy for a second. I drank some water and I am okay now." I said trying to sound cheerful. I was the best at faking it. It was sad but it came in handy at times like this. He bought it.
"Okay let's go back. Everyone is worried."
I nodded. Now I only had to endure the whole practice without crying or breaking down.
We walked back to the fields. "Are you alright?" Scolari asked me. I nodded. "Alright, coach Coto is on field number 4."
I started walking towards them. They were doing dribbling exercises. I saw Juninho. Neymar, I corrected myself. His name is Neymar. It took everything I had not to cry again. I approached Coto.
He gathered everyone and introduced them to me. I nodded and shook hands but none of the names of players I didn't know registered in my brain. Lastly he introduced Neymar. "Now, Neymar you know." He said. "I saw you playing football together the other day."
"Yeah, I know him." I said shaking his hand.