Shay was training with a soccer legend and Rome's old teammate, Vido Core, in his mansion with a soccer field in his backyard. "You're doing great, Player, work on that curl, and for sure, that ball will hit the net," Vido said.

It was like he boot camp, yet the young soccer player was having fun practicing, "I can't believe Vido Core is teaching me score goals," Shay said in glee.

A butler came back with a tray of glasses of juice, Rome, and Vido took them. When Shay took his glass, his grip felt weak, so it slipped off from his hands that it shattered on the ground.

"Oh! shit, I'm sorry," Shay apologized and freaking out to Vido for breaking his glassware.

"Son, you have to be more careful," Rome scolded his son.

"It's alright," Vido assured him."Walton."

The butler quickly ran and cleaned the mess up. Shay felt uneasy, and he couldn't understand why, "I'm sorry, I'll pay for that glass," Rome apologized to Vido.

"Don't worry about it. I know he didn't mean to do that, right, Duke?"

"Duke?" Rome called his son, but it was like Shay zoned out. "DUKE!"

"I'm sorry, what?" Shay finally came back to reality.

"Son, are you okay?" his father noticed something was not right about him.

"Yeah, yeah, just a little... shock, that's all," Shay stammered.

"I think maybe you're tired, we can continue this tomorrow," Vido suggested.

"Alright," Rome answered. Shay agreed and just nodded at them.

Later, the two old pals were talking while the teenager wandered around the house. There was a soccer shrine, and Shay got intrigued that he stared at them. There were old photos of his father and Vido Core with the other Super Tundra team winning finals after after finals before Rome got injured.

There were newspaper clippings about them and saw a photo of Rome winning fifty-five straight goals. Shay was amazed that his own father had broken a record. "No way," he gasped. "Dad! did you really win fifty-five goals?"

The men went to the shrine and glanced at the cut-out newspaper. "That's right," Vido confirmed. "Let's just say it made such a history."

"Cool!"

"I almost forgot about that," Rome said as he looked back at it.

"Maybe you should stop sulking," Shay joked.

"Oh, shut up." His father playfully smacks his back.

"Who knows, maybe you'll win fifty-six goals." Vido had this smirk on his face.

'"Pfft... riiight," Rome snickered.

Shay knew that his father was just teasing him. "Is that a challenge?" he bantered.

"What? you think you can do it?"

"Yeah, I could do fifty-seven or maybe even sixty."

His father gazed at his son with pride. "Well then, you better prove it to me."

"Okay, that's enough from you two," Vido chuckled. "Come on, Walton made sandwiches. And we'll talk about how you can win sixty goals to beat your father's ego."

Shay laughed while his father glared at his old. "I like to see you try," Rome replied.

Once the father and son arrived home. They entered their house with all smiles and laughs, which Mame noticed while getting a glass of water from the refrigerator, which made her happy to finally see those two not fighting for once.

"Mame, you're still awake." Shay noticed. "It's kinda late. Why are you still up?"

"Woke up from a nightmare. I'm just getting a drink," the housekeeper replied as she began pouring cold water in her tumbler. "I see you two had a good day."

"Well, my boy here has a great chance of getting in the team," Rome boasted.

"That's amazing, so you boys want to celebrate with a beer?"

"Oh, no, it's late. Duke has training again tomorrow."

"It'll be late in the afternoon anyway, Dad," Shay reminded.

"Still, you need plenty of rest. Remember, overnight oatmeal for breakfast, Mame."

"Yes, sir, there's a batch in the fridge ready to be eaten in the morning," Mame assured his employer.

"Good."

"Thank you, Mame," Shay said to her. After that, he turned to his father. "I think I'm getting better with that move, don't you think?"

"Definitely," Rome replied. "It's an advance move. You'll wipe out the other rookies in the tryouts."

"I can't wait when that happened." Shay yawned afterward and stretched his body. "I'm beat. I better get some goodnights rest."

"Son, wait."

"What is it, Dad?"

The man took a deep breath, and his mood became changed but not in a bad way. "Before you leave for tryouts, why don't you have a farewell party with your friends?"

Shay never expected his father to suggest anything to do with the party after everything. "Seriously? Or this is some kind of test that I have to say: that's not necessary, Dad?"

"No, no," Rome chuckled. "After we fought, It got me thinking. I feel bad that you had to miss your prom and graduation, also that party."

"It's okay, I get it..."

"No, no, it's not. Sometimes, I forgot what it was like being a teenager."

"I bet," Shay snickered.

"As was I'm saying," Rome grumbled. "I should've been more understanding. So go have fun for ones, and you can invite Erika too while you're at it."

Shay could tell that his father was sincere in his words and then gave him a hug. "Thanks, Dad, but actually, about... Erika."

"What is it?"

"I uhm... I will be seeing her tomorrow around lunchtime, if that's okay."

"Alright, no problem," his father nodded, allowing his son to see his girlfriend.

"The things is, I have been thinking about what you said earlier," Shay sighed.

"What about?"

"You're right. High school will be over soon, and I should be thinking about my future, like being in a Super Tundra player. Which means it's time for me to... make some changes in my life. I have to let go of some things... And someone."

Rome instantly knew what his son meant, "And that's Erika?" he questioned.

"Yes," the young man confirmed. Mame was shocked as she darted her head towards the teenager with her eyes widened that it could come out from its socket.

His father had the same reaction, though. Obviously, he was more thrilled about it, though he put on a sympathy mask in front of his son. "Oh... I see," he responded. "I'm so sorry to hear that."

----

"Yeah, I'll go home tomorrow. Her mom is out of town today," Chris called her parents on the phone to accompany her best friend in her bedroom, who was a wreck as she was trying to fathom everything. "Alright, thanks, mom. I love you, bye." When she put the phone down, and looked at her best friend with worry. "Uhmm... I also told Trevor to keep everything a secret."

"Thanks, Chris, you really are the best, and thanks for being here too," Erika sobbed as she sat on his bed and clutched her legs together.

"Of course, how are you feeling?"

"Disgusted, violated." Erika looked blankly on her bed and placed her hands to her face. "Tell me this isn't happening. Tell me that I wasn't... Oh! Good."

"Do you remember what happened at all?" Chris asked.

The poor girl shook her head as her eyes were pouring. "Not a lot. All I remember was I felt so sick and..." she suddenly recalled something. "A guy helped me."

"Who?"

"God! I don't know."

"What about what he wore? What did he look like, at least? Hair, eyes or his clothes?"

Erika tried to look back into it as she was already tearing up, "No, it was all a blur when someone put me in a room and I got unconscious and did what he did to me and took my... Oh, my God!" she cried. "How did I let this happen?"

"Erika. Nooo." The best friend gave her a hug.

"I should've been more careful."

"It wasn't your fault. It's never your fault." Chris began pacing and thinking about how it happened. "This was clearly a setup. Some jerks must've spiked your drink on purpose and locked me in the toilet."

Anger began inside Erika that anyone could be so despicable. She buried her face onto her pillows and screamed, "WHY?! Why would they do this?"

"Some people are real jerks like that, but we can't let them get away with this."

"How? I don't even know who raped me."

"Why don't we go to a clinic tomorrow? For one of those rape kits, we can also report it the right way when it's positive, and I think we can know from there. I'll go with you."

Erika felt this gleam of hope. "Yeah, yeah, we can do that."

"It's gonna be okay. I'm here for you."

"Thanks." The girls gave each other a hug that made Erika cry even harder afterward.

The next morning in the kitchen, the poor girl could barely have a good night sleep. She was a mess, her hair was messy, dark circles under her eyes, and they were also red and puffy from all the weeping.

All Erika wanted was to forget, or most of all, it did not happen in the first place, yet it was not easy to get over the feeling of being defiled that she had to wrapped herself with her arms.

"I ordered us some take-outs," Chris said. "It's on its way."

"Thanks, Chris," Erika said back. "You didn't have to be here."

"Are you kidding me? I can't leave you like this alone."

"Gosh, I still can't believe this is happening. I don't know how I can show my face in school on Monday."

"It doesn't seem like anyone knows anything yet. It'll be all over social media if they did. Probably the jerk knew he's gonna be in trouble if he got caught, and he should be."

"But... 'he'... he's there, and what's scary is that I don't know who he is." Erika became frantic once more.

"Which is why we have to go to a clinic," her best friend reminded.

"Right."

"By the way, when are you going to tell Shay?"

"Oh! shit, Shay." Erika just realized that there was another thing she had to stress over, and that was telling her boyfriend that she was raped, thinking about how he would react. "How on earth am I gonna tell him?"

"You have to," Chris advised.

"How? he's still having his training tomorrow."

"Is he that busy that he's not calling you since last night?"

"I'm not sure if I can tell him or my parents about this."

"What are you saying? You don't want to report it?" Chris questioned.

"I do, but it's not easy telling them that I was raped, or that I that I got drunk, and careless..." the poor girl sulked, and hysterical.

"You weren't careless, and even if you were drunk, it's no excuse to be raped."

"I know that, yet it happened! and I hate myself for it."

Chris felt bad for her best friend and watched her drown in this sadness. "We have to do something about it. We can figure out the rest some other time, so for now, we'll go to a clinic today and get that rape kit."

Erika just nodded in response. "Alright," she sighed. However, she was hesitant about that thought of reporting it.