After visiting Amelia's art exhibition, Conner couldn't help but feel a deep empathy for her. He knew the sting of defeat all too well. Seeing Amelia confront her loss with such grace was both inspiring and humbling.
But Conner felt anxious about going to football training. The previous day's game with Wisdom and the kids had shaken his confidence, making him feel insecure. He couldn't shake the feeling of jealousy towards Wisdom. Everyone seemed to like Wisdom, and despite not wanting to be a footballer, Wisdom was naturally better than Conner. The thought irritated him.
Lost in his thoughts, Conner arrived at the training grounds just in time. The rest of the team was already on the pitch warming up. Conner hurried to join them but was intercepted by his coach in the locker room. The coach's disappointed look sent chills down Conner's spine.
Conner and his coach had a complicated relationship. The coach had known Conner since high school and had always supported him. But as Conner's skills improved, so did his arrogance and selfishness on the field. This led to numerous arguments, with the coach trying to emphasize the importance of teamwork. Today, the coach didn't say anything. He simply walked out with a sigh, leaving Conner feeling worse than if he had been yelled at.
On the pitch, Conner's performance was noticeably poor. The new guy, who had only joined a month ago, was already outperforming him and had secured a spot on the first team. The team seemed to like the new guy, making Conner feel even more isolated.
As the drills progressed, Conner's mind kept drifting to the new guy. Faster, stronger, more skilled—everything Conner aspired to be. The weight of his expectations and the comparisons he made ate at him, causing him to falter during practice.
"Focus, Conner!" the coach yelled, snapping him back to reality. But the damage was done. Conner continued to struggle, his mind clouded with insecurities.
The coach called the team together to announce the lineup for the next game. Conner felt his stomach churn as the names were read out. As expected, he was relegated to the bench, while the new guy was in the starting lineup. Frustration and resentment boiled within him.
When practice ended, Conner stormed off, ignoring his teammates and the coach's words. The walk home was a blur. When he walked through the door, his mother greeted him warmly, but he brushed past her and went straight to his room.
"Conner, how was practice?" his sister asked excitedly, unaware of what had transpired. Her enthusiasm only made him feel worse. He mumbled a noncommittal reply and shut himself in his room.
Conner didn't show up for the next training session. Instead, he stayed in bed, feeling defeated. The coach called his mother to inquire about his absence. Knowing the stakes, she lied, saying Conner had fallen ill and needed rest.
After the call, Conner's mother gently knocked on his door. "Honey, are you alright? Do you need anything?"
"No, Mom. Just leave me alone," Conner replied, his voice muffled by the pillow. He refused to talk to anyone, not even his sisters, and his mother didn't know how to help him. She decided to give him space, hoping he would come around.
Conner's younger sister couldn't watch this anymore. She missed her happy big brother. Conner's sister was a sweet girl, very impulsive, and always followed her heart. She knew how close Conner was to Wisdom, so she decided to take matters into her own hands. She knocked on Wisdom's door, surprising him.
"Wisdom, Conner needs you," she said, tears streaming down her face.
Wisdom started to panic, offering her a sweet to calm her down and asking what had happened. He didn't know Conner's sister well, but he knew how kind she was and how much she cared for her brother.
"He won't talk to anyone. He traps himself in his room, an-and he might get kicked off the team," she said, nearly crying again. "Mom has been lying to the coach, saying he is ill to give him time, but he doesn't care," she added.
Wisdom comforted her, telling her to go back home. "I'll handle it. I promise everything will be fine," he assured her.
Later that night, after finishing work with Freya, Wisdom headed straight to Conner's house. He climbed through Conner's window, a move they had perfected when sneaking in and out of each other's houses. The locks were still broken, making the entry easy.
"Get up, Conner," Wisdom said firmly, shaking his friend. Conner ignored him, burying himself deeper under the covers.
Frustrated, Wisdom dragged him out of bed. "If you don't get up, I'm going to the coach myself. You better be at practice tomorrow at 6 a.m."
Conner was confused and irritated. "Why so early, Wisdom? What's the point?"
"Just trust me. Be there," Wisdom replied with a determined look. Conner reluctantly agreed, though he wasn't sure what Wisdom had planned.
When Conner arrived at the football pitch early the next morning, he was still confused about why Wisdom had insisted on meeting at such an hour. His confusion turned to surprise when he saw Wisdom already dressed up and stretching, doing cone drills with intense focus.
As Conner watched, he couldn't help but notice how good Wisdom was. Despite knowing Wisdom's natural talent, seeing him in action made Conner feel even worse about his own skills. Just then, Wisdom glanced up and saw him.
"Jealous?" Wisdom called out. "You think I'm way better than you, more talented, right?"
Conner felt agitated and shocked by Wisdom's bluntness. He had never seen his friend act this way. Before he could respond, Wisdom motioned for him to join in. "Come on, follow my training."
Training alongside Wisdom, Conner quickly realized how much he had been slacking. Wisdom was faster, more agile, and had better control. The only advantage Conner had was his height and build, but even that felt insignificant against Wisdom's well-rounded abilities.
After an exhausting session, they both sat down, catching their breath. Conner felt like he was about to die from the intensity.
"I do this every day," Wisdom said, almost casually.
Conner, still gasping for air, was shocked. "What? Why?"
"Because I like training. I like improving," Wisdom replied. "Don't you remember when you were better than me? I like challenging myself."
Conner stayed silent, reflecting on Wisdom's words.
"I brought you out here to show you what you don't see," Wisdom continued. "In your eyes, you just see talented people. But for me, it's different."
Conner listened intently.
"When I see someone talented, I think about how hard they worked, what they sacrificed. The most important thing in football—in life—is mindset. If you think you're going to lose, you're going to lose. It affects your decisions, everything."
Wisdom's words hit Conner hard. He realized that he had been focusing too much on comparing himself to others rather than improving himself.
"I think at some point down the road, you forgot that it's not about being the best, but being the best you. That should be the ultimate goal because only you can decide if you're at your limit or not," Wisdom said.
Conner started to think more deeply. He even began to reflect on how he only trained during official practices. Was that enough?
"You don't realize how good you are, Conner. You have good genetics; you should be able to body me, yet I'm stronger than you? You don't train, yet you've made it this far. Why did you start playing football?" Wisdom asked.
Conner thought for a bit, trying to remember his reason. The first thing that came to mind was his little sister. "I want to make my family proud," he said with a small spark of determination in his eyes.
Wisdom stared at him coldly. "And what are you doing now?"
Conner said nothing.
"Your sister told me to come. She said how worried she was," Wisdom continued.
Conner felt a jolt of realization. Wisdom's sudden appearance made sense now. His sister's concern was a wake-up call. He had relied too much on his talent, assuming everyone better than him was simply more talented, ignoring the hard work they put in.
Wisdom stood up, ready to leave. "Meet me here at the same time," he said.
Conner, still processing everything, asked, "But why are you doing this every day? You don't even want to be a footballer."
Wisdom looked at him and smiled slightly. "Don't you remember what I said in high school? I'll help you become the best you. After all, you're the one who scouted me out, remember?"
Conner put his hand out, remembering their promise. "Thank you for keeping it."
They shook hands, sealing a renewed commitment.
A big change was about to happen in Conner, but only time would tell how it would unfold.