Family and Football

Danver Rios was a tall and lean man, with long black hair that hung below his shoulders. He looked quite sophisticated and yet, formidable. Right then, though, the kind, public image of Danver Rios was lost.

He was shouting. "You will do as I say! I am tired of having a shame of a son in you, Jason Rios. Do you have any idea what will happen if they find out about your current condition?! You need to set yourself in track!"

"You're just an obnoxious, old man! You have absolutely no right to guideline my life!" Jason spat out angrily. His hands were curled into fists, as if he was having an inner battle with himself. To stop himself from punching something.

"Well, son, let me inform you that I still control your miserable life. And I am no longer willing to pull yourself up from your miserable pits," he said too calmly.

Danver Rios continued, "So you listen to me good. You get your grades up, stay out of trouble, and stay out of your...other activities, or I'll not think twice before chucking you into a mental institute. Your choice."

His face was a raging calmness. A threat. But not a mere one.

Jason seethed. He trembled slightly. But then, there seemed to be real fear in his eyes. Whatever threat his father had given him had apparently scared him enough for him to calm down.

Alyssa couldn't understand either threat or reaction. What kind of father would threaten to chuck their kid into a mental institution, as if he was some madman?

Alyssa's image of Danver Rios had been so different from what she was seeing now. He was supposed to have been an understanding, kind man. Even towards a son like Jason Rios.

And Jason seemed to be scared enough to actually think his father would work on it.

Jason shook his head, as if he was unable to speak any longer. His fists clenched and unclenched. His teeth gritted.

"Good," Mr. Rios hissed, his face contorted with expressions that Alyssa could not understand at all. He continued, "You follow by my guidelines and we'll consider all debts between me and you as gone."

Debts? Alyssa wondered in confusion. Parents help their kids, but was that to be considered as debts?

For some reason, at that moment, Alyssa felt a strange pity for Jason. But then she remembered her own miserable existence. At least he had a father...

Jason nodded stiffly.

Mr. Rios contemplated his son for a few more seconds, before heaving a deep sigh. As if he wanted to say, "No more. I give up now."

He turned away from Jason. His piercing green eyes struck both Alyssa and the librarian, the only two people there apart from him, his son and the scrawny boy. Alyssa blinked. His glare seemed to be even more intimidating than Jason's.

He sharply said, "Not a word gets out of this room, or you're dead."

Danver Rios swished out of the library, as if he hadn't even been there. The scrawny boy followed him out.

Jason, who seemed to have been on detention duty too, probably for some fight, picked up a stack of heavy books and went to the very back of the library.

Alyssa shoved her books onto the shelf, not even caring if they were arranged properly. Even the librarian went back to what he was doing previously. No one uttered another word.

After about an hour, her detention ended and she was packing her bag, getting ready to leave. Only then did she see Jason Rios again.

Not the arrogant, spoilt, sadistic bastard she'd seen the first day, but the vulnerable, sad seventeen year old boy as he was. He was walking towards her. If Alyssa was surprised, she tried not to show it.

Alyssa could make a pretty good guess what he wanted to talk to her about.

His voice was a bit hoarse, but he calmly said, "You are supposed to be my history project partner, right? Jaden told me about it yesterday."

Alyssa gave out a sigh of relief. Things looked good so far. "Yes, about that, I was wondering when we could get started."

"Sunday at yours," he said, rubbing his chin lightly. Alyssa found that that was a habit he shared with Jaden. Apparently, best friends did share some characteristics.

"No," Alyssa said coolly. "I stay at the hostel. At yours?"

Jason seemed reluctant, but considering the 'conversation' he'd just had with his great father, he had no option but to agree.

Alyssa almost felt inclined to sneer at him, "Think of me as insufferable all you will, but when I say I stay at the hostel, I say the truth. And I doubt you'll want to make videos there since your father just decided that you'll have to get good marks on your own and not pass with your petty priviledge."

But she managed to confine the sneering voice only to her head.

Finally, Jason nodded. "Fine. At 5 in the evening."

Ever a man of few words with someone he had no particular wish to talk with.

He walked away.

***

"So, you talked to him?" Alyssa asked Jaden, smiling as she saw the tall boy standing near his car, fresh out of sports practice.

His eyes twinkled as he saw her approaching. "Of course, I'm a genius, why wouldn't I do it?"

Alyssa raised her eyebrows. When had he become so cocky?

Jaden continued, "To say the truth, Jason being Jason, didn't seem to eager to do it. But his father decided that it was high time he paid his son a visit. I heard what happened. And from your smile, I'm guessing his father's talk managed to do what I couldn't."

Alyssa nodded, remembering Mr. Rios' words. She didn't feel that continuing that topic would do them any good. She asked him, "How was practice?"

At that, Jaden's smile withered. He looked tense. "Eh. About that, Maxxon fell down and broke his leg, so naturally, coach has asked me to lead the team. The next match is very vital for us. A famous ex-footballer is coming as a guest. If I mess up... " He shuddered involuntarily. "It's just that, I've never led a team before."

Jaden, with his dream of becoming a footballer, was a great player. But he had nerves, and bad ones too. Alyssa knew that, even though she'd known him for only over a month.

And Alyssa would stand by him. Because she knew that being in the spotlight could be hard. One just had to get used to it, as Alyssa had.

So she gripped Jaden's arm as tightly as she could. "You are an amazing player, an amazing leader. You can do it, Jaden! Think of your dreams, think of your future, think of your life, your family, your friends, your crabby father. And play for them. You lead your team for them."

And if Alyssa could see herself, she would see the determination in her own eyes. For him.

Jaden looked grateful. And he gave a nervous chuckle. "Thank you. Now I know that I'll at least think of you."