The sun entered through the blinds illuminating the small grains of dust that floated in the air. Ethan slowly woke up, groggily from another night of solo practice.

"What a weird dream... I think I have been playing too much recently, I should probably take the team leader's advice and take it easy..."

The defeat of team Silverforge in the E-Sports championship struck him badly. The rest of the team didn't talk about it, but he knew that it was his fault they lost. A slightly mistake of his part made them lose in the semifinals. they had never come this close to winning the championship before, they probably won't ever come this close again. they were, each member of the team, going on with their lives, soon they will probably be wasting away in some "decent" job, as his father like to call it, never having the chance to chase their dreams again.

he walked to the cupboard and fumbled for his glasses. His eyesight wasn't that bad, but his eyes tire fast while reading. He checked his clock and saw that was still 7:00, there was still an hour for the class to start.

He started his morning ritual: piss, teeth, bath, dress. He did it that way, in that order, every day. That's how he liked to do things, slowly but efficient...

Slowly was important.

He checked his image in the mirror. He still looked bad, even after bathing. There were purple bags under his eyes, and his hair had seen better days; it was long and unkempt, already reaching his neck. He should have cut it before the E-Sports, but he kept it long to "Look cool"

It didn't work. It seems nerd gatherings aren't the best kind of place to get a girl.

"I need to cut this shit." he grimaced, grabbing his locks.

He took his backpack and started filling it with useless books. He should probably get a locker soon. It was getting tiresome going to school with a 10 kilos backpack. he should probably start buying e-books instead of walking around with it. his 2th year's books are as big as hell, it wasn't that bad last year.

"Weird dream that one..."

it was really bizarre, in his dream he was "Shakushan", a character of Champions League. He was walking though the enemy camp in the "Midgard" map. Halfway in his walk he received a giant "Pillar of Judgment" in the face and was respawned back in the base. There's a saying he had heard before "If you are playing so much that you start to dream you are a character from a game...just stop".

He should really take the leader's advice...

He descended the stairs ready to some moral destruction and confidence sabotage. He had already mastered his "Self Esteem Reflection Wall", if life was a game, it would be an SS skill.

"You wasted your night playing again, didn't you." his sister asked as she saw him coming, she smirked "I could hear the sound of you typing in the keyboard all night, you have been playing to much recently. You might become dumber if you keep at it..." She said.

He smiled, while scratching his stubs "yeah, yeah..." He ignored her snarky comment. "You shouldn't worry, It's just a little playing, I am keeping my grades ain't I?"

They walked together until they reached the dinner room. breakfast have been served by the maids and the thick smell of coffee floated in the air, he inhaled it strongly and already felt a little more awake. Gods... how he loved coffee.

His brother was already seated in the table together with his father, not a welcoming morning scene. It was a rare occasion for his father to be at the house. He was the owner of a medium sized food chain. Always traveling, going to meetings abroad or planning his businesses. Always busing himself with his work. For a man like his father, Ethan's behavior and interests were unacceptable and would condemn him to defeat in life.

"Good morning." he said. trying and failing to fake a smile. His mother was helping the maids in the kitchen. She briefly waved to him with a smile "Good morning honey!" and went back to her work. His father looked at him and nodded, his brother said between mouthfuls "Did you even sleep?"

"Well enough" he half lied. His brother was trying to expose his late night playing to his father, the little bastard... He wouldn't play along. His brother arched his eyebrows, but dismissed it.

"So, Carl." His father called his brother "how has it been in the school with the soccer team? I heard that your School are going to compete with Sierra White team soon, is it true?

His brother smiled and proudly declared. "Yeah, I probably be running the quarterback position again. It seems the manager really liked my performance last year. But the Horvai School was trash though...Sierra White will be far tougher, we are upping the practice to face them."

His father smiled... He knew that smile, it wasn't a smile for him. It was a smile that said "That is my son!"

It was never meant to him.

He had a pretty unstructured family life. His father didn't say it out loud, but he knew he didn't see much valor in Ethan. His younger brother, Carl, on the other side, was like a mirror image of his father on his younger years. He was two years younger than Ethan, but was already taller and burlier than him. He was successful in sports, studies and, probably the most important thing for a the family of a businessman, he had more social skills, something Ethan lacked completely.

Ethan had a far smoother relationship with his mother. But mothers is always like that. They have a heart for each member of the family. He also used to have a good relationship with his sister, but she has been growing distant recently, it's probably adolescence coming.

'What about you, Ethan." his father smiled. It was a smile as false as his own "How has it been going in the school."

At least he tried to interact with his son.

"Same old." he said. there was nothing more to say. His days in the school wasn't as excitable as his brother's. He went to the school....met his friends, talked nerd things with them, and went back home. Goldenfalls high wasn't a school meant for him. It was one of the most expansive schools in the USA. About half of the kids were rich, 5% of the kids were really, really rich, 40% percent of the school wasn't rich, but still could pay the cost, and about 10% of the kids weren't rich at all, but were way too intelligent to be left to anyone else. The school was a real brain drain, they had a 100% scholarship police for young promising students. It was a smart move, after all, most times it is the student that makes the school, not the opposite.

"You should try doing a sport, Ethan." his father said, "you don't try enought, your brother is in his second year on high Scholl and is already working his way up in the football team." he sighed, he stared at him, expressionless "if you don't like sports, then you should try something else, there are other activities worth doing."

Ethan breathed deeply not to explode in rage... He had tried before. There was an elective class on music. He had always wanted to play the cello. His father vehemently prohibited him, saying that music was a wimp's hobby and that he wouldn't have his son become a musician. Really, he didn't understand his father most of the times.

"There's nothing that really catches my eye." he said.

At that moment his brother interjected "I'm sure you would love if there was a elective in playing CL." he said snickering.

His father narrowed his eyes "I you have been spending too much time in this game, Ethan."

Shit...what did his brother tell his father? or was it his sister? He was already feeling a headache coming. "Only the usual."

"Spending the entire night on a game is usual to you?" his brother said.

"The night?" his father asked "You spent you entire night playing a game? What about Scholl? This can't be good for your health."

"He has been doing it since he came back from the championship." his brother said. "He comes back from school, waste half an hour studying and go play. He plays until 2:00 am."

His father looked at him and sighed. "I should have know..." he said. His face hardened up "Until the end of the week I want to hear that you entered one of the school teams, even if as a gopher. If I don't get that notice, you are going to say goodbye to your internet."

Ethan eyes widened. "What?!" he stood up "Why?!"

"Don't whine." his father said "you, quite obviously, need some workout. Maybe a sport will also fix your inability to deal with other people."

"You can't do that!" he screamed

"No, I can." his father said. "I am your father."

You are only my father when it matters to you?

His mother choose that moment to enter through the door that led to the kitchen "what's going on?" she said, crossing her arms.

Ethan sat back grumpily. His brother answered for him "Father wants Ethan to enter one of the school teams. He didn't like it and is throwing a fit." he said, did he find irt funny?

"I am not throwing a fit, damn it!" Ethan said, banging his hands on the table. His mother reproached him "language young man!".

Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at him. His sister was just behind her mother with an unreadable face. His brother was snickering.

"Stop being a child." his father said. "No one will take you seriously if you behave like that. This conversation is over." his father said, while wiping his mouth with a napkin. His brother laughed. Ethan shot a furious glance at him and rose up from the table abruptly. He went to his bedroom and gathered his things.

When he was almost leaving his house, his mother appeared at his side, smiling. "You are probably thinking that your family is being mean and that your father is being irrational, aren't you." she said, with a knowing smile.

Ethan simply ignored her and adjusted his backpack with more strength than needed.

"Your father is doing what he thinks is the best for you." she said. "it might not be the same thing you think is the best, but he is still thinking about you well being. Your brother also has his own way in trying to support you."

What a good lie. His brother would laugh if he was burning in a stake, and all his father really wanted was to mold Ethan into a clone of himself. He completely ignored Ethan's individuality, or his ambitions.

"I won't waste my time discussing this with you, mom..." he said. Without looking back at her. "You people decided to make an enemy out of me." He knew he was just sounding ridiculous now, but he was already babbling it out. He was probably sounding like a demented chuunibyou "I will do as you people want. You want me to do sports? You want me to stop playing? Very well..." He would make them regret, someday.