I honestly don't have much to say in an author note, so I'm just going to jump right into it!
Things couldn't have been any more tense or pumped up as the tension in the park the following day. The soccer field was being set up for the next challenge of the competition as all of the gathered families either stretched and/or went over their strategy to win, which is what the Monterios were in the middle of themselves. All of the families were given individually different colored tanks made of netting material over their clothes provided to set each family apart, mostly for the sake of the over-worked and easily-stressed announcer the committee had hired for the event; the Monterios had been given a bright, vibrant blue.
"Alright, just the way we planned," Linda said pointing at her husband, "I hold the ball and pass it to you."
"And I do some tricks with it and pass it back to you," Tulio nodded before motioning to their son, "And then give it to Fernando."
Fernando finished the recap, "And I bring it home!"
They all nodded determinedly to one another before putting their hands in the center between them, crying out in enthusiasm, "Go Monterios!" They threw their hands up high in cheer.
A few hours later, people were filling the stands, popcorn and drinks in hand as they waited for the game to start. On the field, the families were all doing one last stretch session.
"Nervous mom?" Fernando asked. "Oh no, I'm just anxious to beat those Conterios," Linda replied with a chuckle. "Don't we all," Tulio chuckled mostly to himself, his tone less than pleasant.
On the other side of the field, the Conterios were also stretching, wearing the same netted tanks, only theirs were a bold crimson.
"This is the day the Conterios beat the Monterios," Amelio said with a confident grin. "You said it dad," Bernardo agreed, "Its our turn to shine!"
Nevada couldn't help smirking, "They won't know what hit them."
"Good afternoon everyone!" The announcer almost literally boomed through his mic, signalling the start of the game, "Welcome to the second day of our friendly competition!" Everyone in the stands started to cheer as the announcer began to shuffle through his cards before adding, "Monterios and Conterios to the field please!"
Once both families met at the middle of the field where referee waited with a coin, the man asked the two fathers, "Heads or tails?"
Tulio answered first, "Heads."
The referee tossed the coin and announced once it landed, "Heads, its your ball first Mr. Monterio."
"Good luck," Linda wished politely to her Brazilian counterpart. "Same to you, Minnesota Girl," Nevada replied irking Linda a bit.
The referee placed the ball down and backed away before blowing his whistle, signaling the start of the game. Fernando immediately got the ball and passed it to Tulio, who became locked with Amelio, both going all out for control of the ball.
"All mine," Amelio smirked thinking he had the upper hand, making Tulio scoff. "You wish," Tulio huffed before performing a spin with the ball, catching Amelio off guard and throwing him off balance long enough for Tulio to score the first point, prompting cheers.
Next play, Nevada had the ball and Linda was trying her hardest to get it from her. "You know I was best hockey player back in Minnesota," Linda commented.
"That was in Minnesota," Nevada replied, "But here, Rio is my house." She hit the ball, scoring the next point and several people stood from their seats as they cheered.
Fernando was now doing some crazy tricks with the ball as Bernardo tried to get the ball away from him with little success.
"Not in this life time Fernando!" Bernardo exclaimed. "Well, I guess I'll have to make it happen," Fernando rebuffed before kicking the ball and scoring.
Soon it was half-time and the score was all tied up, a solid eight for eight.
"Linda? Fernando?" Tulio said, "I think its time to use our secret weapon."
"Right," Fernando nodded after taking a sip of Gatorade, "Let's do it."
"Anything to beat them," Linda agreed after snacking on a granola bar.
When it was time to play again, Tulio got the ball first and maneuvered around Amelio before passing it to Linda, who started doing a seemingly random series of tricks, confusing Nevada about what to do. Linda smirked and passed it to her son before the other woman could figure out what to do. Fernando was about to bring it home, when somehow, suddenly, Bernardo stole the ball, startling Fernando so badly, he nearly tripped up, but was quick to recover and tried to get the ball back, but Bernardo went backwards and spun around, this time actually causing Fernando to fall before he kicked the ball and scored the final point just as the timer ran out and the horn sounded.
The announcer then yelled, "AND THE CONTERIOS WIN!" And people cheered.
Fernando shook slightly as his eyes began to tear up as he let the fact sink in, his family lost. He caused his family to lose the game and the challenge.
(Flashback)
Three-year-old Fernando whimpered as he cowered back into a corner as a man he couldn't recognize, drunk, yelled and screamed at him, "CAN'T YOU DO ANYTHING RIGHT? I ASK FOR ONE THING TO BE DONE AND YOU CAN'T EVEN DO THAT! I DON'T KNOW WHAT I DID TO GET SADDLED WITH YOU!"
Fernando bit his lip, swallowing his cries and screams as the pain he knew always followed screaming and failure came. First came the punches, then swift kicks once he was unable to get to his feet. Then the stomps, then things usually start to black out...if he was lucky...
(Flashback End)
Fernando jumped as a hand was placed on his shoulder and quickly turned to see the concerned faces of Tulio and Linda. He quickly dried his eyes with his shirt sleeve, but it was too late.
"Honey, what's wrong?" Linda asked in concern. "I'm..." Fernando sniffled considering telling them he was fine, but knew he wouldn't be able to pull it off, not when they've seen how upset he was, if anything, it just made new tears run down his face, "I'm...so-sorry..."
"What for kiddo?" Tulio asked confused, gently guiding his son and wife aside so the next family could get ready for the next game, "You were great out there!"
"But we...we l-l-lost..." Fernando said between sniffles and sobs, flinching slightly as Linda pulled him into a hug. "So, we did our best, and that's what counts," Linda assured a little startled by the flinch, "The Conterios just did a bit better, that's all."
Speaking of, the Conterios were nearby, raising a brow at how upset Fernando was. Though, a thoughtful expression was on Bernardo's face.
"We've lost things before, Fernando," Tulio said trying to understand what had his son so upset, "What honestly makes this so different?"
"Nothing, I guess...its just..." Fernando sniffled borrowing his face into Linda's shirt, "The last time...I...I failed like that...I..." Realization dawned on parents and they stiffened in horror, not that Fernando noticed, too lost in his own memories, however hazy they were, "I don't really remember all that much...the punches and kicks usually knocked me clean out if I was really lucky, if not the bat, but...I remember once...they couldn't find their bat so..." He pulled back and pulled down his shirt collar so they could see a faint scar, a scar from a knife wound.
Linda immediately pulled Fernando into a slightly tighter hug, trying to control herself at the revelation, while Tulio glared furiously at a random direction, teeth ground tight together and clenched his hands. Never before in all his life has Tulio ever cursed someone out so badly, despite Fernando not giving a name, he could hazard a guess who the 'they' was. But knowing how anger wasn't going to help the situation at hand, Tulio counted down from ten mentally and breathed out, feeling calmer, before joining his wife in gently hugging his still sniffling son.
At this point, the Conterios had wondered over and upon seeing just how upset the Monterios were, knew there was more going on then just losing the game and it made Amelio and Nevada very concerned, while Bernardo was worried for his peer. Despite their heavy, and admittedly petty at most times, competitive streak with the Monterios, that didn't mean they didn't care for their well-being. They weren't heartless jerks after all. Besides, Bernardo and Fernando's rivalry tended to be more friendly on most days, almost brotherly, something their parents figured stemmed from them coming from the same orphanage before Fernando took the loner route and began living on the streets.
"Is everything alright?" Nevada asked in genuine concern, reflecting the expression on her and husband's face. Linda looked to Fernando with one last warm smile, before she and Tulio took their Conterio counterparts aside. "We never did bring up Fernando's life before he came to the agency, did we?" Linda said though it was phrased like a question, she spoke it like a fact.
Nevada and Amelio shared a look, not sure where this was going, but something in Nevada gut told her she wasn't going to like it. When they turned back to their counterparts, they both shook their heads. Linda sucked in a breath, trying not to tremble as they weight of what her baby boy had gone through pulled heavily on her mind and heart.
"When Fernando was an infant, he lost his parents to a house-fire, somehow he was spared," Tulio took over for his wife, closing his eyes as Nevada gasped in shock, eyes widening, as did Amelio's, "Unfortunately, his grandfather," Both Conterios took a step back at how Tulio spat out the family term as if it were worse then poison, never having heard such a tone from the normally gentle man before, "Didn't take it too well, by the time the police had gotten there, he was barely alive."
Now Nevada was covering her mouth in utter horror, while Amelio looked downright furious as he asked, "Please tell the bastard's dead."
"No," Tulio spat, before smirking, "But never going to see the light of day again."
Now Amelio smirked, "Good."
Meanwhile, Fernando had sat down, having an idea what the adults were talking about, despite not actually being able to hear them, nor being at the right to angle to read their lips. He glanced up when he heard someone sit next to him and was a bit surprised to see it was Bernardo.
"You know...I thought you were really amazing out there on the field," Bernardo said, surprisingly, though it didn't stop the disbelieving snort to escape Fernando's throat, "I mean it, it was pure luck I was able to get the ball away from you at all, you've gotten way better since Rio de Esperanza*," Fernando cracked a tiny smile at the memories of their orphanage, "Though, losing a game isn't the end of the world, you were always better at basketball anyways."
"True," Fernando finally spoke, surprising Bernardo slightly before a little smirk slid onto Fernando's face, "Me and Tierra always managed to kick yours and Keyon's butts every time."
"Oi!" Bernando said huffily, "Not every time, or do I need to remind of that one game two years ago during summer!"
Fernando laughed, a genuine laugh that surprised the adults from their serious conversation, as he batted away the finger Bernardo had pointed at him in his huff, retorting, "Like I asked, High-Strung!" Both boys burst out with good-natured laughter and the parents couldn't help sharing a little smile themselves.
"Feel better?" Linda asked as the two pairs of parents walked over. "Yeah," Fernando smiled a little in response.
"How about a good-natured, truce-celebratory ice cream?" Surprisingly, it was Amelio who suggested it, catching both boys and wives by surprise, even Tulio was a bit surprised, but no one could say no, in fact, they could really go for some ice cream. "Can we Mom? Dad?" Fernando asked hopefully. "I don't see why not," Linda smiled taking her son's hand, Nevada doing the same with her own. "There is good hour before they start preparing for the next challenge," Tulio nodded in agreement, making both boys cheer.
A rare sight could found a short walking distance away as the Monterios and Conterios laughed and conversed civilly over ice cream.
And I'm going to end it right there, sorry if it seems a little sort, but I think I hit the emotion-quota for this chapter with the return of Fernando's memories and I feel the need to update. Let me know what you guys think.