Chapter 110: past week
The past few weeks went by in a flash—well, more like a blur of pain and agony mixed with brief moments of excitement. For David, it was a constant battle to focus on his leg, the source of all the discomfort. He’d wake up in the middle of the night, sharp pains shooting through his injured knee, and he didn’t hide them from the doctor. His discomfort had been normal, the doctor assured him. Ice was his best friend during those moments, and he followed the advice, even though it never seemed to help enough.
It wasn’t just the injury that weighed on him. Moving around his big house—so big that sometimes, it felt like he was living in a maze of empty rooms—was a struggle, especially alone. Sure, he had the money, but David didn’t have much of a motivation to move boxes, assemble furniture, or fix the place up. Why bother? he’d tell himself. The house was huge, way bigger than he ever needed, and yet it seemed to swallow him whole. The real issue was his foot.
He couldn’t blame himself for not fixing anything. Every time he tried to get up and do something productive, the pain would remind him he wasn’t ready. And then, of course, there was the whole Covid situation—making it even harder to find workers to help him. "Yeah, it’s not laziness, it’s just... bad timing," David reasoned, trying to console himself as he let the clutter pile up.
Despite the mess, David couldn’t help but enjoy his extravagant spending spree. He’d bought all the things that seemed necessary in the moment: a large-sized tennis table (because who wouldn’t need a full-size table when they had the space for it?), a brand new MacBook to complete his tech ecosystem, and the pièce de résistance—an LG CX OLED TV, a screen so stunning it had people online fighting to get their hands on one. Well, technically, he got it for a steal.
His gamer friend Notzoeyblack had recommended the TV, saying it was the best in the world. And while the 77-inch monster did cost a pretty penny—$5,000—David, with his rich new lifestyle, could care less. It was worth it, right? Sure, he could’ve gone for a 49-inch one for just $1,500, but why not go bigger? He had the space, and the money. He also grabbed an Xbox Series X, something he’d argued against for years, claiming PlayStation was better. But now? Well, now that he could afford it, he bought both systems. Best of both worlds Rigth?, it was broke people who argued over what was better.
For all the excess, though, David couldn’t help but feel proud that, at 16, he was living what most could only dream of. He was in Manchester, living alone in a house of his own, eating whatever he felt like at the moment. And, sure, it would have been easy to take full advantage of the junk food lifestyle—he loved his takeout, his junk food, and all the sugary cereals. But somewhere in the back of his mind, David knew his career mattered more than anything else. He was following the advice of his doctors, making sure to stick to a high-protein and zinc-packed diet to aid his recovery. So, while he still indulged every now and then, he was balancing it out with healthy meals: grilled chicken, salmon, spinach, eggs, quinoa, nuts, and Greek yogurt. All the right things to keep him on track while his body healed.
Despite the injuries, the struggles with the house, and the occasional frustration of being unable to get back to the field, David knew he was living the dream. But the real kicker? That wasn’t even the best part yet.
The best part? Well, David had been in Manchester for three weeks now, and the highlight of it all was watching his club—his club as a fan, and his club as a player. Despite the frustration of not being able to fully join the team yet, the excitement of being so close to the action made everything feel worthwhile.
Since arriving, Manchester United had played eight games, and while David had only been able to watch three of them live, the experience was unforgettable. The rest of the games had been away, and with his injuries, he couldn’t travel with the team. But those three home games? They were nothing short of electric. Manchester had won six of those eight matches, drawing two—both away games. Unfortunately, he hadn’t been there for the draws, one against Tottenham and another against Southampton. But the wins were what mattered most.