The Boy with a Dream

The Dream and the Pressure Jack tapped his pen against the edge of his desk, the steady rhythm doing little to drown out the drone of his history teacher’s voice. His eyes flicked to the clock at the front of the room. Forty-five minutes left. He sighed softly and stared at the open textbook in front of him, the words swimming before his eyes like they were written in another language. What was the point? he thought, glancing around the room at his classmates, all seemingly absorbed in their work. Jack tried, he really did, but history, homework, exams—all of it felt like it was pulling him in directions he didn’t want to go. The pile of assignments waiting at home grew bigger each day, each one demanding time and energy he’d rather put into something that actually mattered to him. His gaze drifted to the window, where he could see the outline of the school’s football field in the distance. That field was where he felt alive, where he felt he belonged. In just a couple of hours, he’d be out there again, feeling the weight of the gloves on his hands, the rush of adrenaline as he protected the goal. The thought made him sit up a bit straighter, a faint smile tugging at his lips. That’s where I want to be. Not here. Jack thought back to that moment two summers ago when everything changed. The 2020 Euros—England versus Germany. He still remembered the crackling tension in the air as he sat in his living room, eyes glued to the television. Then, just before the end of the first half, it happened. Kai Havertz launched a blistering volley, the ball cutting through the air like a bullet toward the top corner. Jack’s heart had stopped, convinced there was no stopping it. But then… Jordan Pickford. In what seemed like the blink of an eye, England’s goalkeeper leaped across the goal, his fingers just brushing the ball, tipping it over the bar. A save that defied belief. The crowd exploded, and Jack—watching from his sofa—had felt goosebumps spread across his skin. In that moment, something clicked. He wanted to be a goalkeeper. The bell rang, pulling him out of his thoughts. The classroom burst into movement as students packed up, heading to their next class. Jack followed, the excitement building as the end of the school day drew closer. All he wanted was to be out there on that field, training, chasing his dream. Meeting Aunt Clara The Monday morning air was crisp as Jack stepped out of the tube station and walked toward the towering glass building where Aunt Clara worked. He couldn’t shake the flutter of nerves in his stomach. The building itself felt intimidating, gleaming in the early light and bustling with people in sharp suits, all hurrying to their offices with purpose. Jack wasn’t sure how he’d fit into a place like this, a world that felt a thousand miles from the football field. He checked the time and stepped into the lobby, glancing around as he searched for his aunt. A wave of relief washed over him when he spotted her—dressed smartly in a dark suit, a warm smile breaking through her otherwise focused expression. “Jack!” she greeted him, her voice calm yet friendly. “Ready for your first day?” “Yeah,” he replied, trying to match her confidence. “As ready as I’ll ever be.” As they walked toward the elevators, Aunt Clara explained a bit about her job. “I’m a trader,” she began, “and I specialise in S&P futures. That means I work with contracts that predict the future movement of the S&P 500—the stock market index that represents some of the biggest companies in the U.S.” Jack nodded, though he wasn’t sure he fully understood. Futures trading, predicting market movements—it all sounded intense, a far cry from the simple school assignments and games he was used to. When they reached her floor, he was greeted by the quiet hum of the trading office. Rows of monitors displayed flashing charts, lines zigzagging up and down, while analysts and traders moved between desks, eyes glued to their screens. There was a low murmur of conversations, people discussing numbers and predictions in quick, hushed tones. Jack could feel the energy in the room, a quiet urgency that made him feel both out of place and strangely curious. Clara led him to her desk, which was set up with multiple monitors, each one showing different charts and market trends. “I know it looks overwhelming,” she said, gesturing to the screens. “But once you understand the basics, it becomes more like second nature.” She pulled up a chart on the main monitor and explained, “This is the S&P 500 futures market. Every line here represents the collective actions and expectations of traders around the world. People are constantly buying and selling, trying to predict whether the market will go up or down. My job is to study these patterns and make decisions based on what I think will happen next.” Jack watched as her eyes scanned the data, her fingers moving quickly across the keyboard as she adjusted charts and checked statistics. He could see the focus in her expression, the way her entire attention was locked onto the screens. She had a steady calmness about her, a focus that he rarely saw outside of the football field. “Trading is all about timing and discipline,” she continued. “When you trade futures, you’re making predictions about where the market will go. Sometimes, you’re right, and sometimes, you’re wrong. The key is to stay calm, to not let emotions guide your decisions. Even a split-second hesitation or an emotional reaction can lead to big losses.” Jack listened carefully, taking in each word. He couldn’t imagine the pressure of making decisions that involved real money, real stakes, and the kind of mental control it would take to stay calm with so much at risk. Clara seemed to pick up on his thoughts. “You know, Jack, most people think trading is about luck or intelligence,” she said. “But really, it’s about mental strength. To succeed, you have to be disciplined, you have to stay focused, and you have to learn from every mistake without letting it affect your confidence.” Jack nodded slowly, his mind drifting back to his own struggles on the field. He remembered the tension he felt before each game, the worry about letting his teammates down, the self-doubt that crept in whenever he made a mistake. Watching Aunt Clara now, he realised she faced pressure that was far more intense—and she did it with a calm focus he couldn’t help but admire. This preview introduces readers to Jack’s passion, his internal struggles, and the beginning of his learning experience with Aunt Clara, setting up the themes of resilience and mental strength that run through The Dream.