Chapter 82: The Transfer Rumor
The Derby County senior team was in the locker room, catching up after months apart. The room buzzed with laughter and chatter as they changed into their training tracksuits.
"Hey, what do you think the gaffer called David for?" Duane Holmes asked, his voice curious as he laced up his boots.
Ben Hamer, the team’s starting goalkeeper, smirked and said, "He probably misses his little star and wanted to have breakfast with him." His comment earned a round of laughter from the players.
Curtis Davies, the team captain, who had been slowly losing his spot as a starter, raised his voice over the laughter. "Hey, hey, that’s not funny. Why are you guys laughing?" His serious tone hushed the room for a moment.
Then, with a grin, he added, "They’re probably drinking a protein shake or something—knowing those two."
The entire locker room burst into laughter again, the camaraderie in full swing
Chris Martin, the team’s substitute striker, let out a deep sigh. "Man, I’m just glad to be out of the house. I really needed this," he said, slumping on the bench.
Max Bird, his close friend on the team, raised an eyebrow. "What’s got you so wound up? I figured you, of all people, would enjoy the break."
The rest of the team nodded in agreement, curiosity piqued. Chris had a reputation for being the laziest player on the squad—always the last to arrive and the first to leave. Yet, despite his lack of effort, he managed to keep his playing time. This was partly because the starting striker, Martyn, struggled with consistency, and partly because Chris had a knack for being in the right place at the right time. He held the record for the most last-minute goals on the team this season—a fact that kept him indispensable.
Chris sighed again, looking up at the ceiling as if reliving a painful memory. "Well," he began, "right before the pandemic hit, my mother-in-law came to visit. Then the lockdown happened... and she was stuck with us."
The locker room erupted in laughter as Chris shook his head, his weariness giving away the ordeal he’d endured at home.