The Highlight of Matchday 3 - A Short Story

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In a room that seemed dark in spite of all the lights switched on, Al lays on his bed wearing the same outfit he wore three nights before, scrolling through the pictures of his phone. Tied to his phone just as much as the phone is tied to its charger. Al ignores all the lights and sounds in the world. Dimming the sunlight with his eyes until all the beams looked no different than a clouded moon.

The knocking on the apartment door seems like a mixture of memories and fragments of imagination. This time the sounds of the knocking on the door is getting louder but the picture of Al with Christine seem to have grown hands holding him down to his bed. The picture faded and turned into a screen showing the name "Mark" with the option to either answer or ignore. Al ignored the call few times before hearing Mark's from behind the apartment door.

"I am not leaving until you answer"

Al ignores the call one last time before hearing Mark screaming.

"I will call the police if you don't answer"

Fed up, Al gets up and goes to open the door.

"What do you want?" Al asks after opening the door.

"Are you still in the same clothes from three days ago?" Mark wonders as he lets himself into the apartment.

"Sure, come in" Al says sarcastically.

"Dude, today is the match" Mark tells Al "We agreed to go watch it"

"I don't feel like going to watch it" Al says "In fact, I don't feel like going anywhere"

"Dude, we are meeting Larry after the match" Mark explains "Don't you want to rub it in his face when he shows up after Arsenal kicks United's ass to the curb?"

"I don't care" Al answers "I don't want to go, and that's final"

Staring into Mark's look of disapproval, Al adds "Listen, you let yourself in, you can let yourself out" before going to his bedroom.

Shortly after, Mark follows Al into his room to find him laying in his bed. Al notices Mark walking in then puts down his phone.

"Listen" Mark says as he sits next to Al "I know you and Christine had a good thing going, but you can't just sit here and wallow in sadness. That's not good, just talk to me"

Al paused for few seconds before realizing it will be useless to ignore Mark. "Okay, you know what?" Al says with a tone of anger "I will join you to watch the damn match!"

"That's all I wanted to hear" Mark says with excitement as Al goes into the bathroom "I will be waiting for you downstairs"

Al starts to take off his clothes, then quickly in behind him rushes Christine. Al continues to go under the water as naked Christine follows him as the water goes down on both of them. They start kissing before she says "Are you ready for the match?". Al quickly finds himself waking up from the fantasy and suddenly finds himself sitting in front of mark at a sports bar looking at the television broadcasting the match between Arsenal and Manchester United.

"So.." Mark looks at Al "What happened?"

"I don't know" Al explains "She was upset before we even went to Kevin's party. I noticed but didn't want to say anything. It was few hours in before she told me she had enough making up excuses. For what? I don't know"

"Well" Mark says a sympathetic smile "It is only a matter before you find someone else"

Minute 22, Welbeck scores the first goal for Manchester United

"Jeez!" Mark screams "What is going on with this team?"

"Well" Al answers "The coach is trying to build a youthful team and had sold the best players to pay for the stadium"

Arsenal get a penalty in hopes of drawing the game

"Do you think we are doing well?" Christine asks inside Al's memories

"Uhhh, yes" He answers.

"Chance missed" Al hears Mark yelling "This guy had a perfect chance to show responsibility, yet didn't"

Minute 28, Ashley Young scores the second goal for Manchester United

"The team is crumbling, man Mark tells Al "They don't seem to be actually trying"

"The.. uh.." Al struggles for words "There are a lot of injuries in the team"

"Whatever you say, dude" Mark shrugs off Al's notes.

The loud game commentary and the sounds in the bar are heard in Al's ears three days before as he stands facing Christine while she talks

"I tried to make excuses for you" Christine says as Al stares onto the space between them.

Minute 41, Wayne Rooney scores the third goal for Manchester United

"I don't see any future between us" Christine says "It feels like you're going through the motions. We are just staying together so you could say that we are staying together, not actual work is done. All you come up with is excuses"

Back the bar Mark asks Al "What is it this time? They can't focus because the government kidnapped their loved ones. How many more goals do they have to concede before you realize that this team sucks now?"

"Listen" Al responds angrily "It is not like they are not fucking trying! Yes, they are having weak moments. But it's a process"

Minute 45+3, Walcott scores the first goal for Arsenal

"See? They are fucking trying to make things right"

First half ends 3-1 for Manchester United

"What do you mean when you say "Trying", huh?" Christine yells at Al "There's more than just apologizing and promising things will get better. You are just there, that is the best thing I could I say about you. And I am just here. You like me because I am at a close distance. You wouldn't cross the street for me"

"Dude, those players are just going through the motions" Mark tells Al "They are there because the shirt they wear has their names on it"

"So you're just there is what you're saying?" Al explodes in Mark's face "They are not trying? No, they are, you are just overlooking all of their efforts and focus on the things they do wrong"

Second half begins

"It seems like you're just the first thing that comes to mind just to save face" Mark tells Al "Don't you think if they were genuinely giving it their all, it would show?"

"There" Al tries to explain "There are a lot of things happening. All you see is what's on the pitch. You don't know what is happening at home or at work. You are just judging what you see, not what you don't"

Minute 64, Wayne Rooney scores the fourth goal for Manchester United

"How the fuck am I supposed to know what is going on if you won't tell me?" Christine asks "Am I supposed to guess?"

Minute 67, Nani scores the fifth goal for Manchester United

"You say all the different things to just be excuses. When the time comes, you don't deliver. You are willing to make everything a factor, except for your actions"

Minute 70, Park Ji-Sung scores the sixth goal for Manchester United

"Woah, it is enough" Mark says while laughing is dismay "Throw in the towels already!"

Minute 74, Robin van Persie scores the second goal for Arsenal

"Okay, now" Al enthusiastically says "They just need to get it together and they will get back in"

"What?" Al hears Mark and Christine speaking in unison "Do you honestly believe there is still a chance?"

"I just..." Al breaks down "I need this! there has to be a way to make this right?"

Minute 81, Rooney scores the seventh goal for Manchester United

"I know" Christine says "But, it is just not working. It kept going for so long just because a brighter future seemed ahead. But now the past is too broken to begin with"

Minute 9+1, Ashley Young scores the eighth goal for Manchester United

"Who knows, man" Mark tries to consolidate Al "Maybe this is what they needed so they can work on themselves and realize what went wrong and what they should focus for the games ahead"

The match ends 8-2 for Manchester United

Al and Mark sit in silent before Larry joins them wearing a red Manchester United jersey and a gloating smile.

"Jeez!" Larry says with a smug smile "What is going on with this team?"

"I guess" Al shortly stops before continuing "They just weren't ready to begin with"

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