Family

“Focus, boys focus!!” shouted Coach Thompson, as he could see the boys were passing the sloppily.

“YaYa” Kyle shouted, as he made a run to the near post corner. After receiving the ball at his feet because of a perfect pass from his brother Nick, Kyle in one swift motion, turned the defender and slotted the ball across the penalty kick spot, where Mark, his teammate slipped the ball passed their goalkeeper and into the back of the net.

“Good Kyle!” Shouted coach with a smile, “Strong finish Mark,” glancing down at his watch, “We will end on that note, bring it in boys.”

Quickly the boys soccer team hustled into the team huddle, “good practice boys now mentally focus for the game, get a good meal, nice sleep and hydrate. See Travis for any nagging injuries and stretch out tonight. The starting line-up will be announced tomorrow during the pregame meal, be ready to warm up an hour before the game. Captains?”

“Good work boys” Kyle stated, “See you tomorrow,” then putting his hand in the middle, “Eagles on three, ONE! TWO! THREE!”

“Eagles” the entire team shouted and then broke apart, some going towards the locker rooms, and others to the benches to grab some stuff.

“Kyle, Nick, John, can I speak to you please?” Coach Thompson said before they left the field.

John spoke first, “Yes coach?”

“As you know tomorrow we play our rivals, I don’t know if you remember last year’s game, but I don’t want a repeat of it. It was sloppy and very not sportsman like on our part. You are the captains this year, you need to make sure the team stays in control and keep level heads.” He finished.

“Yes coach” Nick said. This is why he liked coach he was quick and to the point, making conversations with him easy.

After Nick and Kyle changed, “You ready to head home?” Nick asked.

“Yup, just need to grab my backpack, you?”

“Ya I’ll meet you in the car.” Nick said walking out of the smelly locker room.

Quickly Kyle gathered up his things. He found the car keys and smirked, then met Nick, who was waiting by the car, “Looking for these?” He said jokingly dangling the car keys in front of his face.

“Give me those” Nick said irritated, and knowing that Kyle always hides the keys to their blue Acura. Because they were twins Kyle drove in the morning while Nick drove in the afternoon.

“Geese, no reason to be ornery” Kyle responded under his breath. “Do you have a lot of homework tonight?”

“A pile,” Nick said pulling out of the parking lot. “Crap and tonight is family dinner!!!” He finished coming to realization. “This whole family dinner is really starting to get obnoxious” A family dinner once on a weekday and every Sunday was a Zulinick family tradition. Every branch of the family did it. In their family it varied on the day it occurred because Nick and Kyle and their younger sister Abby had soccer games and practice, while their dad was often gone because he was a trainer for the gopher hockey team, which sometimes made it difficult. The only person exempt from all family meals while in school is Patrick because he is in college although he is only 30 minutes away from home.

“Ohh yeah, I forgot about that, You know what mom says about missing dinners” Kyle responded rolling his eyes along with his twins. “Have you done physics yet?”

“Parts” Nick responded, “I understand it so I don’t think it is worth it for me to do the review.” He finished off shrugging.

“Well since you understand it you are going to help me because there is one thing that I am not quite grasping”

“Fine, but you will help me finish me English”

“Fine” Kyle said rolling his eyes.

“Hey, what’s fair is fair”

“Whatever”
The rest of the drive home was full of conversation between the two brothers. When they were back at the house…

“Hey Mom, Dad, Abby” They said greeting everyone s they walked through the kitchen

“Hey Bros!” Abby their younger sister at age 8 said trying to be all gangster like.

“Welcome home boys, dinner will be done in five minutes, go wash up” Mom said shooing them out of the kitchen. “Sweetie, are you sure you are okay. You have been coughing all night.”

“Yes mom, it’s just a cold.”

“It sure doesn’t seem like it” Mom mumbled under her breath, “Abs can you help me set the table?”

“Yup!” she said popping up from the table. After was set, everyone was settled in their seat, and the dinner prayers were said conversations about the day ensued.

“So boys, how was your day?”

“Long, glad it’s over can’t wait to play tomorrow.” Kyle said, not really wanting to go into detail although he knew mom was going to pry more out of him later.

“It was alright” Nick continued, “Same, old same old.” trying to use the same tactic as Kyle.

“Fun!” Abby said with a smile and then coughing. “We played educational games all day, and I got a new book from the library” She coughs some more.

“I remember the days.” Nick said as he took another bite of spaghetti.

“What book did you get?” Kyle asked, pretending to show interest.

“The next A to Z Mystery. I only have a couple left. This one is called ‘X is for x-ray’”.

“That’s great Abby!” Dad said enthused, happy that at least one of his children was a bookworm. In fact Abby read two to three books a week. “Boys, how was practice?”

Nick started to speak but then Kyle interrupted him, “Well, big game tomorrow, so light scrimmage
and good warm up”

“Are you coming tomorrow?” Nick asked.

“I will be late, sorry, I’ll make the last 20-30 minutes.” Dad saw the twin’s faces fall, “I’m really sorry,
something came up at work.”

“No, no, I get it. Mom, are you coming.” Nick said quickly.

“Sorry, no it is parent teacher conferences, you know like the only night of the year that I miss your games, sorry it has to be this one.” She said guiltily.

“Can I go Mom, PLEASE PLEASE!” Abby begged. Watching her older brothers play soccer was one of her favorite thing to do. She often was so mesmerized by the game; you couldn’t get her attention unless you waved your hand in front of her.

“If you are feeling okay” She said reluctantly, “and you have all of your homework done”

“Mom, it’s just a cold I’ll be fine I promise and it is no homework tomorrow because of parent teacher conferences.” Abby said as if she was annoyed.

“Okay you can go.”

“Yes!” She screamed and started coughing again. All the boys could de was laugh at theirs sisters excitement, but it also made them feel pleased inside.

“Dinner was great mom, but I’ve got a load of homework to do so can I be excused?” Nick asked

“Sure honey,” Mom said, “Kyle you can be excused to. Put your dishes in the sink please.”

“Thanks Mom.” They both said leaving the table.

A few moments later the boys walked into their room, which had blue walls covered with posters of athletes and many shelves with trophies and books. “Thank god mom didn’t ask about homecoming, she is always so nosy.” Kyle said lying out on the bed and pulling his phone out of his backpack.

“I guess it’s not that bad.”

“Says the guy who has a girlfriend and already has a date to homecoming” Kyle retorted in response.

“Any ideas of who you are going to take. I noticed you’ve been hanging out with that Kayla girl a lot.
She seems pretty nice.” Nick finished pulling out his laptop so that he could edit his English to give to Kyle.

“Ya I guess, I mean, I kinda like her.”

“Admit it bro, you like her, so how are you going to ask?” Nick said jumping to conclusions.

“Whoa, dude, I didn’t say I was going to ask her, I was saying it was an option.”

“Suck it up; you know you have a crush and that she’s the right girl”

“Fine, but that doesn’t leave this room.” Kyle said sternly “Twin brother swear it”

“Fine,” Nick said reluctantly, not like he wasn’t telling his girl, Taylor, but what Kyle doesn’t know won’t hurt him. “I do swear on behalf of my birth mate to not tell,” He said while making some weird hand motion, and then standing up and spinning in a circle 5 times. “This is starting to seem more and more childish” Nick said sitting back down. “So back to the point; ideas on how to ask her?”

“None,” Kyle said grabbing his physics book out from his backpack and then moving to his desk.

“Want me to ask Taylor if she’s got any ideas?”

“No, I will ask her myself if I need help, but after the game, can’t focus on girls now.”

“Fine” Nick said annoyed.

Diligently the boys worked on their homework, when at 11:30 they called it quits and went to bed.