The time is now winter and I had decided to stop feeling sorry for myself about soccer and do something about it, so I joined a gym. At this time I had been going to the North Side Gym for one week and was just beginning my second. I went everyday at six o’ clock and I would always see the same guy there who often times I would catch watching me while I was working out. This man looked to be in about his mid-twenties and was always wearing a different colored Judson University shirt. One day as I was gathering my bag and putting on my sweats he approached me and introduced himself as Ryan. Ryan told me that he wasn’t trying to be a “creeper” but he had noticed my workout was a soccer one and asked if I was any good. I told him about my soccer back round and he informed me that he had played for Judson and was now currently training a young player about my age. Ryan told me that he could tell I had some natural athletic ability and most likely with his help I could start my season at exactly where I wanted to be. He gave me his number and my parents gave him a call later that night. They talked it over and agreed that Ryan could train me. The next day I was down in North Side’s indoor soccer fields lacing up my spikes for training, not knowing that the other kid Ryan was training was in fact Nick.

Nick being the other person ended up being one of the best things that could have happened. After just a few sessions with Ryan Nick and I had already become very close. We began talking every day and after a while we were even doing things together on the weekends. On December 1, 2010 my wish came true; Nick and I were officially together. We were meant for each other. We could talk about anything, and we were still able to push each other hard in our training sessions with Ryan. As soccer season began I was happier then ever. Nick and I were doing great, my grades were good, ideas for my writing were flowing right out of my finger tips and I was playing better then I ever had out on the soccer field. My high school coach was amazed and by the end of the season Ryan told me that I had far exceeded the expectations he had had for me, and couldn’t have been more proud. I finished off a perfect season with the goal that put my team into third place in the state tournament.

When my team arrived back home there was one more week until finial exams. That Monday, on top of being able to say that I scored the goal that got our school third place in the state tournament, I was also able to say that I was the first person ever from our school to have their writing published in a book that was a collection of writings from high school students. The very same day when I arrived at training, with out Nick because he had a doctor’s appointment, Ryan told me a piece of very exciting unexpected news. He informed me that I had been selected out of a very small number of high schools girls to spend the summer in Europe learning anything I could possibly think of from world class players. This was the opportunity of a lifetime, but it meant being apart from all of my friends, family and Nick for three months.

It was a hard decision but I knew I had to go, but I also knew that I could not say yes to this opportunity without the support of Nick. When he came to school the next morning I told him the life changing news I had received the previous day. When I had finished telling him he gave me a big hug and told me that it was great news and he was so excited for me. He looked me straight in the eyes and told me to go, but something was hiding behind those piercing blue eyes, and in my heart I knew he wanted me to stay. After this reaction I was not sure that I should go anymore, so I went to the only place I knew where I could just think, My Perfect Place. As I sat there with the warm night breeze quietly drying the tears that were falling form my eye’s I knew what I had to do.

It was the night before I was to leave for Europe and I was sitting in My Perfect Place, only for the first time I was not alone. I had decided to show Nick the one place I could always escape to no matter what happened in my life, because I knew there was something he was not telling me. I also knew I could not leave him here for the summer alone, so I showed My Perfect Place in hopes that he could somehow feel at home here as well. As I lay in My Perfect Place in Nick’s arms I turned to him and begged that he would tell me what was going on. He turned to me with loneliness in his eyes and lightly brushed my hair off of my face and said, “I promise you after you leave I will tell you.”