Chapter 2

"Payton, wake up, we're here," my mom shook me awake.

I opened my eyes to see that after my long flight, we arrived in London. I sighed and my parents and I left the plane. It was a short walk to baggage claim, and there was a driver waiting for my family and I, with a sign in his hand that said 'Fosters'.

I got into the Range Rover and plugged in my headphones, opening my playlist and closing my eyes again. This flight really screwed up my sleeping schedule. My eyes crept open once I noticed that the car stopped. Our driver Isaac opened the door for me, and my parents got out in the front. I saw my brother Sean standing outside of the house, waiting for us. I ran up to him and hugged him. Me and my brother have always been close, but he's been in London for a football (soccer but now that they're in London I'm calling it football) camp for a while. After my short conversation catching up with Sean, my mom came up to me followed by my dad.

"Well? What do you think Pay?" She said excitedly while we all walked through the tall double doors of the house.

"Loving the house, hating the location," I said coldly. It actually wasn't that bad here, but I couldn't have my parents knowing this or they would never shut up about being right about moving here being a better opportunity for us.

"It'll grown on you, London's wonderful, especially this time of year," my dad chimed in, setting his bags near the apparent elevator. I rolled my eyes and took my bags up the stairs with Isaac trailing behind me with the rest of my belongings.

"Where shall I set these Miss Payton?" Isaac motioned to the bags in his hands.

"Anywhere's fine," I smiled. "thanks Isaac," he nodded and headed off. I started unpacking my stuff and hanging up clothes, making sure that this was real life and that we actually moved across the world every couple of minutes. After 2 hours I looked at my iPhone screen that was still on airplane mode. I turned it off and looked at all of my unread texts, calls and notifications. Jet lag was really getting to me.. but according to my phone it was only 2pm here. I needed to stay awake and pull it through till tonight to not screw up my sleeping schedule. I knew what I needed. Coffee. I grabbed my Celine mini tote and googled the nearest Starbucks while walking down the stairs. Thank god that there was a Starbucks just two blocks from here, so I decided to walk there.

It was a short distance there, and I didn't mind the light exercise. When I pulled open the glass doors of a crowded Starbucks, the smell of coffee beans hit me hard. I got in line, and pulled up my Starbucks app to pay with. While waiting, I looked around me, trying to figure out where to sit. There were so many people there, there was only a seat across from this guy around my age, wearing a snapback, white tee shirt, jeans in a khaki color, and white vans. Literally how every guy looks like, but about 44times hotter. Holy shit that's Kaden. As the guy looked up, I soon recognized him as mine and my brother Sean's best friend since childhood, Kaden Messi.

And did I just call him hot?

Well now I can feel my lunch come up, or whatever you call airplane food.

My drink was called up, and I went to go grab it off the counter.

"Pappy, why didn't you tell me you were in town?!" I heard someone speak from behind me as I took the straw wrapper off and poked it into my drink. Spinning around when I heard Kaden's unmistakable voice, I nearly jumped onto him, but restrained myself into a hug.

Wow, I didn't realize how much I've missed Kaden since he's left LA.

"I just got off the plane a few hours ago, coffee first though," I laughed. "I was gonna call you, but I figured I'd surprise you at some point."

"Well consider me surprised then," he smiled. "So you're visiting?"

"No, more like forced here against my will.." I explained as we headed back to where he was sitting previously. "My parents thought LA ruined me and I needed a change, packed us up in a day and now I'm here. Honestly I think they just needed an excuse to be closer with Sean again.... He never calls anymore, you know." I pursed my lips, not sure what to think of the matter. I understand that he's been busy and all, but a few texts a month considers us more distant than my friends that I'm not even that close with.

"We've all been caught up in training, early practices, often playing when it's already pitch black outside. We're all working towards the scholarship, it's just a matter of who puts in more time and work on the field. You have to understand that it's hard not having the time to even talk to your family. We're just doing what we need to do."

"I know, I get that. I just missed you guys a lot. Didn't really have anyone real anymore," I said quietly, looking down at the ground in thought.

A lot's happened since we were all together in LA. Kaden, Sean, myself, and our other friends Matt and Alicia were our own group, closely knit for a couple of years, but all broke apart somehow, leaving me by myself.

Matt and Sean moved to London temporarily, Kaden to Spain, Alicia, well, no one knows where Alicia went.. But point blank, I was left friendless, consuming myself in my work for the last year.

"What're you thinking about?" Kaden asked noticing my sudden quietness.

"Just how everything's so different now. I barely talk to you, Matt or Alicia anymore. Not even my own twin brother. We're all in our own worlds now. I miss us."

"Well now you're here, so I guess I'll have to make up for Matt and Alicia's time slots. Call me up whenever, I'll be over and we can watch Disney movies until it gets dark and attempt to bake cookies until your mom yells at us for nearly burning down the kitchen. Just like old times," he smiled at me, and I felt my insides warm at the thought of reuniting with everyone again. Maybe this move isn't all that bad for me.

~~~~~~~

Since I was bored when I got home, I decided to make the best of this move and use the built in turf field in our backyard. I changed into my football stuff, grabbed my cleats, a ball, and my phone and walked downstairs to see that the movers were still here settling in our living room furniture. Since we moved so far, we basically had to start over, so we bought all new furniture before we came here. Awkwardly navigating around the strangers in my living room, I plugged in my headphones and realized that my dad was already occupying the turf field with some of his old friends from England teams.

"Hey, Payton, come say hi," my dad yelled as he noticed me. I almost got away with going unnoticed if it weren't for my cleats making a clicking sound every time I made a step. I sighed and made my way toward the field.

"Hi, I'm Payton.. but you probably already knew that," I giggled.

"Pay, these are some of my old teammates, Jack Wilshere, Robin Van Persie, and David Beckham," my dad introduced.

"Well I've heard you're quite the footballer, Payton," David says to me. I'm completely frozen. My dad was talking about me?! To David Beckham?! Okay chill Payton.. get yourself together and think of something not idiotic to say.

"Well thank you Mr. Beckham, but it's really nothing compared to you all," I looked down at my feet. What else was I supposed to say?

"I've seen you play, and it's not just nothing," he says, "and please, call me David."

"How about a little 2v2? Do you mind Payton?" Robin asks. Oh wonderful, I'm gonna screw up in front of some of the world's greatest footballers in my own backyard.

"Uh, sure that'd be really fun," I smile. Then that smile widens as I realize that our goal posts haven't been set up yet and we don't have to play. "But our goal posts aren't set up.." I say trying to hide my excitement.

"We can play at my house, it's just across the street and we have a full field just reinstalled," David says. OF course you do, I think to myself. What if I invite Kaden? Would anyone care? It'd for sure be less awkward, and my dad loves Kaden.

"Okay, would you mind me inviting a friend over to play as well?" I asked David.

"Of course not, I'd love the company," he said. I pulled out my phone and scrolled through my contacts and found the new number Kaden put into my phone, then texted him.

To;Kaden (pooh bear)Wanna come play football with me and my dad's friends? Don't wanna be the only non-adult there haha. It's at the Beckham's right across the street from my new house, I'm sure Sean has the address if you text him.

In a couple of minutes he responded as I was gathering my football stuff and small talking with my dad's friends.

From;Kaden (pooh bear)Of course, what kind of question is that? Who'd pass up on playing football and hanging out with you?! I'll be over in 15.

Grabbing my stuff, I headed to the Beckham's, along with everyone else who was coming with.