Andy Minyard

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To yourself:

He doesn't feel sorry for himself. Doesn't love. Doesn't hate. She just lives because she promised. "I'm not broken. I wasn't put together for you."

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Fears:

Lose control.

Get attached.

To be touched without permission.

That someone will find out the whole truth and leave. "I'm not afraid of pain. I'm afraid of trust."

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Weaknesses:

A difficult past that never goes away.

Medicines without which everything collapses.

The few I let in - because now they can hurt

To people in general:

Doesn't trust. Everyone is a potential threat. Checks, tests, repels. "It's better to be alone than betrayed."

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To my own (inner circle):

Silently betrayed. He doesn’t say “I value it” – he shows it with his actions. "If you are mine, I will protect you. But don't ask for affection."

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To strangers:

Sharp, prickly, closed. Doesn't expect good and doesn't give it just like that. If he smiles, it's alarming.

To Exie:

Doesn't love. Doesn't hate. He plays because everything is under control there. On the field there are rules. In life there is chaos. Exi is the only place where pain is honest.

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To life:

Lives because he has to. Without a goal, without a dream, without faith in “later”. Control is more important than happiness. "If you don't love, you won't suffer. If you don't expect, you won't be disappointed."

Quiet, dangerous, cold. She speaks little, but every word is a shot. Looks at people as a threat. Controls everything: himself, others, the distance between them.

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She doesn't know what love is.

Not because she can't - she just never felt safe around anyone. No one was really there for her. Everything that was called "love" in her life was pain, pressure or a lie. That's why she doesn't believe in love. She doesn't look for it. And she certainly doesn't expect anyone to love her for who she is.

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How does she feel about feelings in general:

Feelings are weakness.

Love is danger.

Tenderness causes panic.

Pity makes you angry.

She doesn't show emotion because she doesn't believe she has the right to.

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But:

If you are one of the few people she lets into her life... You are under her protection. You are part of her world. She won't say "I love you." But he will do everything to ensure that you survive.

Neil Josten Position: Backliner Function: Runs fast, reads the field as an escape map. In life: Hiding from the past, living under a false name. Constantly on the verge of disappearing.

Kevin Day Position: Midfielder (Striker, master of passes) Function: Chief strategist and technician. Trains everyone, control freak. In life: Obsessed with Exy. There's nothing else left. Past: Former Ravens star, escaped hell but remains trapped.

Andy Minyard Position: Goalkeeper Function: Last line of defense. Ruthless, cold-blooded. In life: Under the influence of drugs. Doesn't trust anyone except "his own". Past: Survived violence, rehabilitation, mental hospital. Lives by his own rules.

Aaron Minyard Position: Defender Function: Sharp, technical, not a team player. In life: Studies to become a doctor. Silent, detached, reserved. Past: Same as Andy, but doesn't say it out loud. Hates his brother for everything.

Nicky Hemic Position: Forward Function: Stable but not flashy. Does the job. In life: Cheerful, loud, gay. The only one on the team who expresses himself openly. Past: Was in Germany, now lives with Carey. Always balancing between fun and despair.

Cary Schneider Position: Forward Function: Power, reliability, support. In life: Quiet. Always close to Niki. Past: Virtually unknown. It just exists, and that's enough.

Matt Boyd Position: Forward Function: Powerful, assertive. One of the most stable players. In life: Kind, in a relationship with Dan. Loves the team, believes in it. Past: Drug problems. Got out. Holding on for dear life.

Dan Wymore Position: Captain, Forward Function: Leads the team, manages on and off the field. In life: Strong, loud, passionate. Considers the team a family. Past: She was a stripper, supporting herself and her younger sister.

Renee Woods Position: Defender Function: Calm, precise, wise. Doesn't break down, holds the line. In life: Religious, reads the Bible Past: Committed a grave crime. Now lives to atone.

Memory

(past, before the Foxes)

She was lying on the bathroom floor. The tile was cold, the bruise on my thigh slowly darkened. The soap slid aside. Someone slammed the door. Laughter behind the wall - loud, fake. As if someone was trying to erase everything that had just happened with this sound.

She looked at the ceiling. Where the crack ran crosswise, as if the house was trying not to fall apart, too. "I'm okay," she thought. Because if you don't say it out loud, everything becomes even worse.

She was 13 then.

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Then there was the orphanage. A room for two. A girl with intrusive hands and evil eyes, a teacher with empty promises. Andrea didn't speak. She didn't answer. She didn't explain why she slept in her clothes at night. She hid the drugs under her mattress. Sometimes she took them, sometimes she didn't. She wanted to check who she really was: with them or without them.

When her brother came to her, she did not look him in the eye.

• You should have been there. — I was a child.
• Me too.

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She was sent to a psychologist. He was soft, with warm eyes. He asked questions as if he was afraid to destroy her. She was silent for the first three sessions. On the fourth she said:

• Everything that was done to me is not my fault. But now I have to live with it every day. And there is nothing you can do about it. He nodded. He didn't argue. She almost respected him for that.

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She learned to look people in the eye - as a challenge. I learned to say “no” so that no one would ask again. I learned to hide the trembling in my fingers when someone in the crowd shouted too loudly. Learned to be a threat. Because if they are afraid of you, they won't touch you.

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When she joined the Foxes team, no one knew who she was. And this was the first time she didn't have to explain.

Withdrawn, tough, caustic. Every word she says is a shot.

She is absolutely loyal to “her own people”, but it is almost impossible to let anyone into this circle.

Takes medication, suffers from bipolar disorder, controls dosage and environment herself.

Doesn't tolerate pity, is afraid of losing control over himself, and defends his personal boundaries with fury.

Height: small, about 155 cm. Short stature is often misleading - but in vain.

Body type: strong, hardy, muscular, but not bulky. Closer to "dry strength".

Skin color: light, almost porcelain, with light freckles.

Eyes: light brown, with a golden tint. Deep, alert. They look as if through you.

Hair: shoulder-length, light, as if hastily cut with scissors. Sometimes sticking out chaotically, sometimes hidden under a hood. Blond.

Facial expressions: almost none. Always a flat face. A smile appears rarely and more often as a warning.

Cloth:

Always closed: black sweatshirt, hood, T-shirt, jeans, sneakers.

Often fingerless gloves.

Everything is dark, comfortable, and discreet.

Peculiarities:

Wears a bracelet with medicine.

There are scars on his body that he doesn't show.

He moves quietly. You can barely hear him enter the room.

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Energy:

She's small, but she exudes menace. People retreat without understanding why. There's something on edge about her, as if something inside is always buzzing and kept locked.