Terry was sitting in his living room in Manchester one chilly Saturday morning, feeling more tense than ever. He had completed exit trials, which is how professional scouts for soccer clubs find out if someone has talent for the game,  just a few days ago. The scouts told everyone at the exit trials that a letter would be sent later this week, and that’s what Terry was waiting for. The letter that would shape his future.

  Terry hadn’t always lived in England. He was born and raised in Los Angeles, near the south central area in a rather poor neighborhood. Back then, Terry had cornrows and an olive shaped head. He would spend hours a day polishing his skills, his jet black hair and milk chocolate colored skin ending up glossy because he would sweat so much. Terry also had to watch out for himself, since there was always danger lurking somewhere. He had to be apprehensive and watch out for gangs or even a car that drove by. For all he knew, it could’ve been a drive-by. Terry managed to balance schoolwork and playing for a local soccer club. His mom worked three low-paying jobs, and his dad left him when he was only four years old.

  At his soccer club, Terry was always the best player on his team. During his U11 season, he had been playing spectacularly, and Terry performed so well that he got called up to the club’s top team in the U14 age group. He was playing with bigger and faster kids now, but he had no trouble keeping up. His combination of pace, athleticism, and skill was too much for the older kids to handle. Terry wasn’t that small of a kid at the time. At ten years of age, he was five feet tall and weighed around 100 pounds. Whenever a big kid tried to bump him, Terry would fight off the tackle and use his pace to blow past the player.

  Then, at fourteen years old, he was five feet, eight inches tall. He weighed 145 pounds and looked a lot older than his age, like a man child. His hair had been dyed blonde, and it resembled Odell Beckham Jr.’s hair, curly faux hawk with a fade. Terry was doing great at school, and his performance for his club was fantastic. Terry was enjoying life for once. However, one day everything changed. Terry’s mom had just married a British businessman named Joseph a couple of weeks ago, and what she was about to tell Terry would be shocking.

  “Honey, I hate to tell you the news, but we’re moving to Manchester with Joseph,” Serena, Terry’s mom, announced.

  “Are you serious?” Terry replied, sounding bewildered. “Things just started getting better, and now I have to leave my soccer club and my friends?” Terry sounded furious now.

  “Terry, think about it for a moment. Life here isn’t actually great. We barely ever eat a good meal and it’s dangerous in this area. We’re much better off in England with Joseph. He and I will both be working, and we’ll have more than enough money to support the three of us. Anyway, you need to pack your things. We’ll be leaving in three weeks. A new chapter in our lives will be born.”

  Serena paused, waiting for a response from Terry, but he stayed silent. The tension in the air was so powerful, and both of them could feel it. “Yeah,” he finally murmured, “a new chapter.”

****

  Terry had quickly made a name for himself the first two years he was in Manchester. Playing on a local Sunday League team, he drew compliments from all the amatuer coaches and players. He scored bangers from outside the box, and heard the cheers from the crowd. The audience would eventually get sizable, since Terry’s neighborhood had heard all the chatter about him. Then one day, he decided it was time to go to the next level. He was going to attend the exit trials.

  Terry arrived to the pitch an hour before the trials were supposed to start. He started juggling next to the sideline, when a stranger, who Terry thought was another player, walked up to him.

“Hey, Newbie. My name is Gordon. I’m already on a Premier League team, just to let you know. I’m not here to play. I’m just here to help the scouts find some players with talent. I hope you have some.”

  Terry wasn’t sure how to respond to Gordon. He was probably the most unusual and straightforward person Terry had ever met. He didn’t seem welcoming to new players. Gordon was standing there, chest up, looking cocky and confident, with his spiky brown hair and very pale skin.

  “Oh, I’ll show up, just you watch.” Terry assured Gordon.

  “We’ll see.”

  Then Gordon walked back to the scouts on the other side of the pitch, and Terry went back to warming up. Over time, players started arriving at the field, and it was getting closer to the start time for the trials. Eventually, the head scout whistled, indicating that all the players should huddle up around him.

  “Welcome, all, to an opportunity of a lifetime.” the head scout yelled out loudly. “Today, you will have a chance to showcase your skills and your knowledge of the game. Keep in mind, football is a team sport, so don’t ball hog and don’t be selfish. We will not be looking for self-centered players. Now, I will split you all into your preferred positions. Goalkeepers here,” the scout commanded and pointed in front of him. “Center backs, fullbacks, wing backs there.” Now, he pointed to his right. “Midfielders there.” He pointed to his left. “Finally, attacking players there.” He pointed directly behind himself. “Go to your spot, lads.”

  Terry made his way to the attacking players’ spot. When he walked past the scouts, he glanced over and saw Gordon give him a nasty look. Terry could feel a rivalry brewing.

  Over the next two hours, Terry worked his butt off in scrimmages and drills. The competition was something he had never faced before. These players were faster and stronger, and overall as good as, if not better than Terry, physically. They were also smarter than his previous opponents. Throughout the entire trial, Terry couldn’t get his game going, and he was starting to think that the scouts weren’t convinced about his performance.

Before he knew it, the exit trials ended and the head scout whistled once again. The players all jogged and gathered around the scouts.

  “Good job out there, lads,” the head scout bellowed. “We saw lots of great plays out there, but a few of you still have to work on getting just a bit better. Overall, this group has been one of the more talented groups I have ever worked with, which is good for you guys. Later this week, all of you will be expecting a letter from us, which will tell you what we think of your level of play as of now. It will also say if we like your game and if we want to have you on the club that we work for. If the outcome isn’t what you have hoped for, don’t give up! Work extra hard and push harder than you have ever before, and come back next year stronger than ever. Good luck, everybody!” He finished his little speech and gave the signal for everyone to dismiss. Terry walked back to his car, his head down, and he didn’t have high hopes.

  There Terry was, in his living room in Manchester, later that week, waiting for that letter. He didn’t want to check the mail, since he knew what the letter would say. Then, the doorbell rang.

Terry walked over to the door and opened it. He was greeted by a familiar face.

  “It’s my boy, Terry!” Harvey, Terry’s only friend in England, yelped. Terry and Harvey met during a Sunday League match, and have been good friends ever since. Harvey was an average sized teen with luscious and flowing brown hair. His eyes were the color of hazelnuts and twinkled under the sun.

  “Hey, Harvey,” Terry replied, sorrowly.

  “Don’t look so sad. Look, I went into your mailbox and got your letter from the exit trial scouts.”

  “Harvey, I thought I told you not to go into my mailbox and get that for me.”

  “Well, to be honest, it didn’t look like you were ever going to pick that letter up. C’mon, let’s read it.”

  “Oh boy,” Terry muttered under his breath.

  The two teenagers went into the living room and plopped down on the couch. Terry unsealed the envelope, and read out loud, “Dear Terry Wilson, you were one of the more ‘tricky’ players to dissect. Your performance was above average, and we didn’t see quite enough of your game. We would like to have you scrimmage with the other players that we thought were also on the bubble. That scrimmage will take place one month from now, precisely on the date November 8th. We hope you will prepare for this moment. From, Patrick Ridley, Head Scout.” The two boys looked at each other and shared the same facial expression, jaws dropped and eyes wide open.

  “HOLY—” Harvey’s sentence was muffed by the scream from Terry. Luckily, no adults were home. If they heard all of this language and noise, they probably would have thought someone was dying.

  “Bruv, you better start working on your touches right now,” Harvey encouraged.

  “Way ahead of you,” Terry replied, as he was already on his way out onto the front lawn to start practicing.
  The next four weeks consisted of hard, raw, and gritty work.  Nonstop drive from Terry, while Harvey guided and encouraged him all the way through it. Mondays would be all about first touch, skill, fast feet, and receiving the ball. Tuesdays would be focusing on 1v1 attacking and defending situations, and Wednesday would focus on all types of passing, like through balls, driven ball, pinging the ball, lob passes, and direct passes. Thursdays were Terry’s least favorite, since it was all about conditioning, cardio, and working out in the gym. Fridays were his favorite. It consisted of shooting, finishing, and free kicks. Every day he would spend at least five hours working on his game. It was the most grueling four weeks he had ever endured. By the end of all of it, he felt he was more than ready.

  “Good session today, right?” Harvey asked Terry as they walked away from the practice pitch. “Your finishing has gotten loads better since the exit trials.”

  “Thanks man, but I have a long way to go before I’m at that elite level,” Terry replied.

  “The scrimmage is three days from now, and I’m feeling confident about you. I’m also feeling hungry. Let’s go get something to eat,” Harvey stated. Terry nodded, and the two adolescents jogged to their car. “We should go to a grill,” Harvey suggested as he entered the car. “I need some meat.”

  “Yeah, I agree.”

  They went to a pub and grill, not for the drinks, of course. After they had sat down and ordered, they immediately started discussing the schedule for the next three days.

  “You need lots of rest,” Harvey suggested, “and no unhealthy foods.”

  “Uh . . . about that,” Terry pointed out the obvious. They weren’t at the healthiest place.

  “Today doesn’t count. This is a meal to reward you for all the great work you’ve done over the past month. Just enjoy the heck out of it.”

  “You’re right. This’ll also help us clear our minds right now, so we won’t have anything to think about.”
  “Exactly.”

  After their savory meal, the two friends went back to Terry’s house, where they reviewed all of the strong points and weak points to Terry’s game. For the final three days, Harvey helped Terry tweak his fundamentals. By Monday, Terry felt confident about the scrimmage.

  Terry and Harvey arrived at the training facility where the scrimmage would take place. Terry felt good when he walked through the front doors and into the building, but his emotions changed when he stepped on the pitch. He felt really anxious, and was unsure what might happen next. He warmed up with the other players on the field. Later, the head scout, the same one from the exit trials, blew his whistle, and the players jogged to him. As Terry trotted to the scout, he glanced to the sideline where the spectators were. He saw Harvey, who gave two thumbs up. Terry smiled, then looked away and focused his attention on the scout.

  “Gentleman, I wish you the best of luck,” the scout stated. “Now please get into your teams. You should have received an email explaining what team you should be on. Green team put on green pennies, and blue team put on the blue ones.”

  Terry jogged to the players’ sideline where the pennies lied on the ground. He picked up a blue penny and put it on. Then he jogged to his position on the field, which was striker. The lone one in a 4-2-3-1 formation. The rest of the players got into their positions and were ready to play. The ball was under Terry’s feet as the referee and assistant referees ran to their spots. Terry’s palms were clammy, and he was trembling all over. He could feel the hairs on his neck rise as the referee blew whistle.

  Tweeeeeet!

  Terry passed it back to his center mid. The ball traveled to the back line, and worked its way back to the midfield. The center mid ended up with the ball, and Terry stood in a gap between the defense. A passing lane opened up, and the center mid found Terry’s feet. Terry turned and was met by a defender. Terry took a touch by the defender and turned the play into a foot race. The defender was right on Terry, matching every one of his strides. Terry was so close to the defender that he could hear him panting. Terry dribbled into the box, but took one touch too many, which allowed the defender to poke it away and clear the ball.

  Terry didn’t get many opportunities after that, until the half was nearing an end. Terry received the ball and faced forward. He used a body feint to get around the first defender. The last defender closed in and pressured, and Terry noticed his legs were noticeably spread apart. He used an elastico and nutmegged the defender! Terry couldn’t believe how the play worked out and was in awe of his own action. All he could hear were the oohs and ahs from the crowd. Then there was Harvey, who was shrieking and yelling.

  “Mate, you got exposed!” Terry heard Harvey taunt the defender.

  Now Terry was 1v1 with the keeper. The keeper came out of the goal, and Terry composed himself. He got his foot under the ball and chipped it over the keeper, who dived but did not touch the ball at all. The ball traveled and landed softly in the back of the net, a majestic goal from Terry. 1-0 blue squad. The referee blew his whistle, and signaled for halftime. The spectators cheered and the atmosphere reminded Terry of his Sunday League games where the crowd would always roar when he scored.

  Terry joyfully jogged back to the sideline, grinning from ear to ear, and went to get a well deserved drink. His mindset was finally correct. All he could think about were positive thoughts, like how he would dominate in the second half and walk away with an offer to a big name club like Chelsea, Manchester United, or Manchester City. He truly believed no one could stop him.

  He was right. No one could.

  As soon as the second half started, the green squad passed the ball backwards to their center mid. Terry bursted to the ball handler and forced an error. The center mid was pressured and passed directly to a blue squad player, who intercepted the pass. Right away, he found Terry, who then received the ball and did a quick give and go combination with his teammate. A defender was closing in quickly in front Terry, but he stood no chance. The defender had too much momentum and could not stop on a dime, so Terry performed a roulette and spun right by the defender, making the defender foolish, drawing more praise from the audience.
  Now it was just one more defender and the goalie in between Terry and the goal. With one touch, Terry used his pace to zoom past the defender, and was 1v1 with the goalie once more. Terry composed himself again, and went with a smooth finish this time, finessing the ball into the top left corner.

  “Bend it like Beckham, Terry!” Harvey exclaimed, and Terry looked at him and winked, his confidence now soaring through the roof.

  As the half went on, Terry continued to shine. He made the players on the opposing squad look silly, and had many opportunities, one of which was a beautiful goal. The ball got served into the box, Terry turned his body, and side volleyed it into the top corner. The keeper didn’t even have a chance to react, as he stood there, absolutely shocked at the performance Terry was putting on.

  Deep into the half, with about five minutes left, Terry’s teammate was fouled just outside of the box, and a free kick was awarded.        “Terry, you should take it,” Terry’s teammate strongly suggested. Terry nodded and placed the ball where the foul took place. As the opposing team set up a wall, Terry envisioned what he had imagined repeatedly in his head during those Friday training sessions, when he worked on all types of shooting. He was extremely focused, and blocked out all outside noises. All he could hear was the thump sound of his beating heart.

  He took five steps backwards, three steps to his left. The starting position he had always known, dating back to when he was ten years old. Terry decided he would go with a curving and dipping free kick. He took a deep breath, did his runup, and struck the ball. When Terry looked up, he saw the movement of the ball, up over the wall and curving to the left, and finally an extreme dip. The ball found the back of the net in the top left corner.
  All Terry did after that was smile and survey his surroundings on the field. He saw the spectators going crazy, especially Harvey, and he swore he saw some of the scouts with grins on their faces. Then he noticed someone familiar on the players’ sideline. It was Gordon, the player he met at exit trials, who Terry thought was ignorant and cocky. They made eye contact, and Gordon showed a half smile. Terry smirked, in a good way, to respond.

  The final whistle was blown by the ref that ended the game. All players went around and shook hands and then jogged toward the scouts.

  “Good scrimmage lads,” the head scout began. “We saw great performances today and many good signs for all players. I can tell that all of your hard work paid off. An email will be sent to each of you that will tell you if we’re interested in you. Again good job. I’ll see you later.”

  Terry walked over to pick up his belongings and was about to leave, but he was approached by the head scout and Gordon.

  “Terry, you did outstanding today. Absolutely exceptional and phenomenal. I’m Patrick Ridley, head scout for Manchester United Football Club. Gordon here is on the roster, and we both discussed and agreed that you should have a spot on the squad.”

  “That’s unbelievable!” Terry exclaimed. “I’m blessed, thank you so much.”

  “You did magnificent out there, mate,” Gordon complimented. “I want to apologize for how I introduced myself when we first met.”

  “That’s fine. We got off on the wrong foot but I think it can only get better from now on.”

  “Agreed.”

  Patrick handed Terry an informational packet about training times with the team.

  “You’ll find a lot of info in there,” Patrick explained. “Read it and give me a call when you have made your decision. Believe me, we really want you on the squad. My number is in there. Congrats, Terry.”

  “Thank you, sir,” Terry replied. “I will definitely look over it.”

  “See you around, mate,” Gordon added.

  “Seeya.”

  Gordon and Patrick walked away from the pitch, and Terry walked over to Harvey.

  “Bruv, you killed it out there!” Harvey exclaimed. Then he saw the packet. “What’s that?” Terry showed Harvey the packet. After examining it, Harvey whooped as loud as he could.

  “Oh yeah, bruv! We have to get home and show your mum and dad this.”

  “Definitely.”

  The two best friends sprinted out of the building and into the parking lot to the car. They drove home as quick as they could. When they arrived, they opened the front door and dashed to the kitchen, where Terry’s mom was cooking.

  “Hey, Terry!” Serena greeted. “Hello, Harvey. So, how did it go?”

Terry and Harvey gave each other a look, and they smiled. Then Terry handed the informational packet to his mom.

  “Oh my God! Terry, congratulations! I’m so proud of you, honey! We need to celebrate this.”

  “How?”

  “I made a whole tub of fried chicken!”

  “I love fried chicken,” Harvey addressed randomly.

  There Terry was, ten minutes later, devouring fried chicken and knowing he had accomplished his lifelong goal, however, his journey had really just begun. He sat there munching away and thinking to himself.

  Life is good, he concluded. Indeed it was.