Sixty

Cameron

Sitting on the bench frustrated the hell out of me, especially knowing I wasn’t going to play. Coach Nate tried to encourage me because he didn't understand why I had given up.

"Come on, Cameron," he said, watching me closely. "I've seen you play in training. You were unstoppable when you were younger. You need to conquer this fear and try again.”

I shook my head, unwilling to join the others on the field. "Justin’s more than capable. The team is in safe hands."

He looked at me, confused. "How long will you let this ‘break’ go on?"

I shrugged, not giving a clear answer. "We’ll see," I muttered, avoiding his gaze.

The coach sighed and walked away, leaving me to my thoughts. I watched him disappear in the distance. Maybe it was time to give up on my soccer career altogether. I couldn't keep pretending like I could handle this.

I was sacrificing my passion for Athena and I knew it was worth it. One day, I’d grow older and weaker, probably lose my hair, and settle into being a