Being a leader

[Akirapryde]

Rebecca joined Richard in his laughter as she listened to the current situation revolving around their Cabal. She couldn't deny that what he was saying was pretty comical. She thought of how impossible the entire situation really was. Here she was, a rich girl from one of the most influential families in the State of Texas siting and talking with a self-absorb arrogant man whore. She laughed at her own assessment of the situation. She moved on her knees and looked at Richard laughing nearly uncontrollably. She couldn’t deny it.

It wasn’t that she saw him like anymore. ‘Well he is still pretty arrogant for his age’ she thought with a smile. But she knew all too well that in that chest beat the heart of a good man. She also knew how incredible hard it was for her to relate to Richard. The assumption that it was just as hard for him to relate to her was logical. The jokes and laughs helped push out a lot of those painful emotions. Rebecca got up from her place before the Tass and walked over to where he was sitting. As she made the short journey her smile shined through. "What about Milk and Cookies?" Rebecca said softly as she set down next to him.

The man she once had incredibly mixed emotions over had been seriously misguided by her. He was selfless in his actions in dealing with issues like Kira’s fake kidnapping. He was true to his word about giving up pot. However on the other side of that coin, she wondered and hoped that she had at some degree lived up to his expectations of her. She knew that she angered him during their worst patches of rough times. But her hopes were that those times were behind them. His smile towards her was almost reassuring for her. Watching her sit down next to him, Richard replied with, "I will bring the plastic cups." (OOC: Reply by Player’s Permission)

Rebecca leaned her head up against the wall looking in to the Tass. "You are a lot like my brothers. Just like they are, you are so gifted in all that you do. For me it’s the opponent, everything I have accomplished I had to struggle for. No matter how hard it was, I never gave up. I would just push myself harder till I accomplished it.” She paused while looking at the Tass. She figured that if they were to be Cabal members, they should also be friends.

She wanted to tell him what was bothering her, but she had to trust him first. ‘Maybe if I let him in a bit, he will do the same,’ she thought as she hoped for the best. ‘This way we could build trust with each other.’ She continued speaking, “It wasn't easy for me. Nothing growing up in my family was ever easy. My father always insisted the very best from each of us. He encourage us to compete with each other over everything. He would say that this helps build stronger individuals. Perfection was easy for my brothers but not for me. I had to work for each and every victory I had.”

She paused and laughed a bit. “I used to play soccer when I was a kid and teenage. In fact, all my siblings played. A love for soccer was one of few things we all had in common. When it was my turn to join a team, my father wanted me on the best team in the state. It was just like with my brothers. But the only team that fit the bill was the Bandits, a private club team," She said softly.

"The Bandits were out of Dallas, three hours away from where I lived. It wasn't so bad cause I was home schooled. On days I had practice, my teacher just came with me to Dallas. We used to go over my lessons on the way there and I would do my homework on the way back. It was taxing on me, but I really wanted to play on the Bandits." She paused for a moment as her smile lessened. "I wasn't accepted at first. ‘I was too young,’ they would say. ‘I didn't have what it took,’ they would say. My favorite was, ‘my father couldn't buy me talent.’ Oh how they didn’t accept me in the beginning.”

She didn’t take her eyes off the Tass as she continued to speak, “I didn’t care about what they said.” Rebecca turned her head and looked at him as she spoke, "Getting on the team wasn’t easy. But in the end, I found that it was the easiest part of it. While I had worked so hard to earn a place on the Bandits. I had to work even harder to prove I belonged there. I practiced seven days a week while other girls my age were having sleep overs and talking about” she paused a moment, “well whatever girls talked about at that age. My father used to watch me practice. While I wanted to earn their respect, it made me feel ten feet tale to know that he was proud of me.”

She turned her gaze back to the Tass as she continued, "When the season officially started, they didn't play me at first. My father would come to the games only to watch me sit on the bench. I hated it. I could see in his eyes that he wasn’t proud of me sitting on the bench. But I would have my chance to prove to everyone I belonged. Two untimely injuries gave me a chance to play. They put me in the mid-field." She gave off a smile that reflected her heart in that moment. "You should have seen it, Richard. They were calling me the Little Lion. I was fierce and bold. I didn’t let those larger kids push me around. I used my smaller size against them. I wouldn't let anything get past me." Her smile grew as she spoke, “Oh and how my father was so proud of me. I bet I glowed out there on that field.”

But as her story continued, her smile faded as she continued, "we went up to State Finals that year. We were playing the Shadow Foxes. My brother Jason was their captain. You would have loved it Richard, it was epic," she said with a smile. "Both teams were more than worthy of being in the finals that year. I couldn't have imagine a pair of teams that were better match. Like you, Jason was gifted at everything he does. I knew how much he wanted to win his first championship but this was my chance as well.

"During the game I was told to play defender with another girl. We were a good team together and worked hard at keeping our goal safe. My brother was an attacker and the competition between us was fierce. I did everything to stop each of his attacks. He only got one shot past my partner after they tripled teamed us. I wouldn’t let his trick work again. Oh how my brother was mad each time I blocked his shots. My partner and I communicated like one mind. It was masterful. But Jason wasn’t happy that we shut him down like that.”

"Our own attackers however, they weren't able to get a score past the Shadow’s defenses. Near the middle of the second half, our team captain got hurt during an attack. It was our second injury of the game. Some questioned intensity of the game. But for us, the players, we had to finish it. How we wanted to win. God how much I wanted to win. My father was watching the game from my side of the field. He choose to sit behind me. Coach told me to change positions and led the charge as Center Striker."

Her smile grew once more, “they were calling out my nickname. ‘Little Lion’ they chanted as I led our team. Within five minutes of my move, I was able to score our first point. The crowds were on their feet with excitement. I had never felt so alive before. The way I fly through the air and executed a near flawless scissor kick. I remember landing on my back and everyone was yelling so loud and jumping up and down. But I just saw my father standing up and looking at me with a smile on his face. I didn’t care that we tied the game. He was proud of me.”

Her smile faded once more, "my brother moved his position back to defender after my score. We were running out of time and I had an idea that I knew would work. With three minutes left, we could win the game. It was complex but I knew my brother well. I told my teammates of the plan and they executed it perfectly. We were passing the ball and I knew he would expect me to make the goal and I counted on that. As he was charging me, I passed the ball to my partner, but he didn’t change his course for the ball. Instead he fouled me. He kicked my cafe ripping open a nasty cut. The move was underhanded and I should have expected it. Their defenders broke our attack, but the foul got us a penalty kick.”

"I couldn’t stand to take the kick, so one of my teammates did. I had to sit there and watch the game from the bench. Despite the game going in to over time and then a shot off, my father never stood back up. I looked back many times to see him no longer watching me. Instead he was watching Jason. I felt so horrible I had let him down. I should have seen the foul coming. Jason got his championship and on the trip home he got the praise for a hard fought victory. I hated it when he suggested that if my father wanted to sit in the winning section, he should have set in the Shadow’s bleachers. My father’s reply hurt more than the defeat. He just said, perhaps.”

Her smile returned as she finished, “The next championship would belong to the Bandits and me. We had beaten my brother and his team three to nothing. The Bandits would go nearly undefeated for the next three years. Each game, I made sure my father would not find a need to sit down. I even heard his voice cheering on his ‘Little Lion.’ Once more, I felt as if I could do anything.” She turned to face him, “Tell me about you and your childhood please.”