Kapitel 41: Game on

David spent nearly three hours playing on his PS4. Despite the temptation to keep going, his discipline kicked in. He reluctantly turned it off and went to bed. The next morning, a Saturday, he woke up feeling refreshed. After a quick bath, he got dressed, slipping on the new shoes he'd just bought. Curious to try them out, he paired them with his team's training kit. He grabbed his new iPhone 11 Pro, slid it into his phone pouch, and put on his headphones. The familiar notes of "Hall of Fame" by The Script filled his ears, the song always giving him an extra boost of motivation.

Energized, David stepped outside for his morning jog. Determined to make up for skipping yesterday, he pushed himself harder than usual, completing an extra lap. As he jogged past the park where he'd previously played against some teens, he noticed the group was at it again. This time, he decided not to join and focused on his run.

As he jogged by, a tap on his arm made him pause. Turning, he saw Max, the guy who'd invited him to play last time. Max was panting heavily, clearly having chased after him. David took off his headphones and greeted him.

"Hey, Max! What's up?"

Still catching his breath, Max held up a hand. "Hold on... been calling you since!" he managed between gasps.

David chuckled. "Sorry, man. I didn't hear you over my headphones. What's going on?"

"The guys wanted to know if you'd play with us again. We've been looking for you," Max said hopefully.

David gave an apologetic smile. "Sorry, not today. I'm busy right now. Maybe another time?"

Max sighed, disappointed. "That's a bummer, but okay."

As David prepared to continue jogging, Max stopped him again. "Wait! There's something else I wanted to ask."

David raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

From behind his back, Max pulled out a Derby County number 30 shirt with Jones printed on the back. "Could you please sign this?" he asked, holding out a pen.

David smiled as he took the pen and signed the shirt. As he wrote, Max hesitated. "Sorry about this..." he mumbled, and before David could ask what he meant, Max suddenly yelled, "He's signing, guys!"

Out of nowhere, a group of teens appeared—Tom, Leo, and about seven others from the last game—all holding their own Derby County shirts.

David was startled but quickly smiled sheepishly. He signed each shirt while the teens showered him with praise. It was overwhelming, but their enthusiasm was infectious. After the impromptu autograph session, David said his goodbyes and jogged home.

As soon as he entered the house, his phone rang. His mom's voice came through, emotional and grateful.

"David! I saw the £10,000 you sent us! Why would you do that? You should've kept it and saved it!" she exclaimed.

David's voice softened. "Mom, it's for you and Dad. Use it around the house, or for whatever you need. You've done so much for me. This is just a little something to say thank you. I love you."

In the background, his dad chimed in, his tone warm with pride. "You're our pride, David. Thank you."

The call left David in high spirits. Happy to have helped his parents, he took a long shower to unwind. Later, he sat on the couch, scrolling through his phone, bored. His only real friend from the club, Jason, had plans with his girlfriend, and team training wasn't until tomorrow.

Then he remembered the PS4. A grin spread across his face as he turned it on and decided to give Fortnite a try, curious about the hype. He set up his account, selecting the username The GOAT, laughing to himself. Browsing through the character options, he chose a sleek, futuristic female avatar in a black and red armored suit. She looked powerful and confident—exactly how he wanted to feel.

David skipped the tutorial, eager to jump into the action. Big mistake. His first match dropped him into a brightly colored map filled with elaborate structures and players armed to the teeth. The vibrant landscapes—forests, towns, and a massive neon-lit city—were teeming with danger.

Within minutes, he was ambushed while exploring a gas station. A player in a glowing rainbow unicorn costume eliminated him with a shotgun before he even figured out how to aim properly.

"Ugh, what was that?" David groaned, respawning for another attempt.

This time, he landed near a futuristic tower. He barely had time to collect a few weapons before a player wearing a banana suit rocketed toward him on a hoverboard, firing explosives and taking him out instantly.

"Come on!" he yelled at the screen, but he couldn't help laughing at the absurdity of it all.

Determined to do better, David pressed on. After a while, he noticed a player wearing a female Spider-Man skin standing nearby. As he hesitated, wondering whether to attack or flee, a soft, sweet voice came through his headphones.

"Hey, noob, want me to help you out?"

David froze, then laughed, unable to stay annoyed. Maybe Fortnite wasn't so bad after all.