NOVEL WEB Chapter 28: Decisions in the Dark
---
Chapter 28 – Decisions in the Dark
Lisbon nights hit differently when you can't sleep.
João lay on his dorm bed, staring at the cracked ceiling, his phone screen lighting up his face. It was 2:13 a.m., and his group chat wouldn't shut up.
Rafa Leão:
Bro, I'm telling you, I megged him clean.
Bruno Paz:
In your dreams, Rafa.
Tiago:
Go to sleep. We've got fitness tests tomorrow.
João smirked, tossing the phone onto the pillow. He should've turned it off, but the noise was better than the silence.
---
His mind kept replaying the January Tests.
The assist. The mistake. The coaches are whispering. The clipboard.
Coach Martins' voice stuck in his head:
"Simplify the game, João."
But that wasn't him. He didn't play simply. He played sharp, risky. It was who he was.
---
His stomach growled. Midnight hunger again. He slipped out of bed quietly and padded down the hall to the kitchen, hoodie over his head.
The fridge had one sad-looking yogurt and a banana bruised like it had been through a Benfica-Sporting derby.
He grabbed both.
---
"Couldn't sleep either?"
João jumped, yogurt nearly slipping from his hand.
It was Mr. Carlos, the night security guy. Bald, glasses, always wearing the same tracksuit.
"Yeah," João muttered.
Carlos smiled, leaning against the counter. "Big test, huh?"
João peeled the banana. "I guess."
"You guess?" Carlos laughed softly. "Kid, you looked like your life depended on it."
João chewed slowly. He wanted to joke back, say something cool, but it stuck in his throat.
Carlos noticed.
"Look," he said, voice softer now. "It's okay to care. But don't lose your head over it."
João sighed. "Easier for you to say."
Carlos smiled, tapping his temple. "I've seen it, you know. All of you kids. Some go pro. Some don't. But you know who stays sane? The ones who don't forget they're human."
---
João finished the banana and tossed the peel.
"Yeah. But what if being human isn't enough?"
Carlos chuckled, wiping his glasses. "Then be the best human you can be. The rest? It's football."
---
Back in his room, João texted his dad. It was late, but his father always answered.
João:
Pai, I think I messed up today.
Carlos Sequeira (Dad):
Messed up how?
João:
I took too many risks.
There was a pause.
Then:
Carlos Sequeira:
That's who you are. Don't let them take that away. But learn when to pick your moments.
João blinked at the screen.
---
Hugo sent a message next.
Hugo Félix:
Bro did you die or what? Play FIFA with me.
João laughed quietly. His little brother, already trying to chip at his ankles from 300 kilometers away.
---
As he plugged his phone back in, João looked at the ceiling again.
Maybe it wasn't about being perfect. Maybe it was about learning when to go for the impossible—and when to just keep the ball.
For now, he was still here. Still playing. Still dreaming.
And in the dark, with half a yogurt left on the nightstand, that felt like a win.
---