see you later // Pablo Gavi

Chapter 2

𝑺𝒖𝒄𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍, 𝒇𝒂𝒊𝒍𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒇𝒂𝒕𝒂𝒍: 𝒊𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒖𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒔.

𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐈𝐒 𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐄𝐋𝐒𝐄 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐌𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐆𝐎𝐓 𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓. And it's a pretty important part of me, too, I'd say. 

I love football. And I have, ever since I was a little girl. Now, being born and raised in Bilbao and everything you would expect I'd be, like, an extremely devoted Athletic Club supporter or something. And I actually used to be, when I was really really little. As a kid, before the age of ten, I loved Athletic Club. They were my team.

But then I went to a home game at age ten, against Barcelona, and ironically enough, I fell in love with the opposing team. I bought a Barcelona scarf with probably all the money I had at that time, and I still have and wear it today, believe it or not. I love it. I love Barcelona. I have been a devoted Barcelona fan for eight years now, and I plan to continue that passion for such an amazing team.

And, by the way, my parents know my extreme passion for the Barcelona football team. I mean, of course they know all about it. They're the ones that got my interested in football in the first place, at such a young age. They're major Arsenal fans, and, of course, when we moved to Bilbao, they became supporters of Athletic Club, too. So me, being born Spanish, and obviously knowing more about Spain than England, was encouraged to love Athletic Club, too.

Sorry. It just wasn't good enough for ten-year-old me. Ten-year-old me was smart enough to see which team I should really be a fan of. Ten-year-old me was smart enough to become a die hard FC Barcelona fan.

So for my parents to just casually drop that they're moving to Barcelona, and that I can just stay here in Montpellier, France? That's like an insult to my character. I mean, this is hard. And it's hard for them to just drop this on me! I have friends here in Montpellier. I also have a friend back in Bilbao. And I have the best football club on earth in Barcelona, the club I am completely devoted to! So what the heck do I even say to this?

Whenever I don't know what to say, stupid things come out of my mouth. So I say, in a tone that is a little too obnoxious, "Why on earth are you two moving to Barcelona? You hate Barcelona, don't you?"

My mother rolls her eyes. "Listen to me, Ember. Just because you absolutely love football and are obsessed with your team, and we're not, does not mean that somehow we automatically just despise the city of Barcelona. Your father has a great job offer there, and we've decided we're sick of Montpellier. We've been here too long, and since you're an adult now, we have the freedom to move around frequently again, as we did before you were born."

"Guys, but, do you know how much I would love  to move to Barcelona? And even though I'm adult now, I don't know if I'm ready for you to live in a whole different country than me, for God's sake!"

"Well, that's understandable, Ember, completely. I get where you're coming from," my father says with a thoughtful nod. "My mother and I, though, have already made our decision that we will be moving to Barcelona in October, or even sooner, if time permits it. So if you want to switch all your plans that you've made for your life so far just to come to Barcelona with us, you're welcome to do that, but you're an adult now, and that is not our concern, understand?"

I stare at him for a few seconds, before sighing, with a nod. This is going to be a very hard decision to make, that is for sure.

"I would like you to have your decision made by the end of this month, though, Ember, so that your mother and I know what you're going to be doing. Because if you're coming with us, we'll probably leave even sooner. We originally were planning October because he wanted to make sure you were settled into college and what not before we left, believe it or not. So trust us, it's not like we're trying to leave you here or anything. Of course we love you so much, but just like you, we have our plans, hopes, and dreams for life. It doesn't matter if you're eighteen and we're in our forties- we're still young enough to have plans of going different places and doing different things."

"Right, yeah," I sigh at my father's long, intense babbling. "It's not like I doubted even for a second your love for me. I just couldn't believe my ears, because I've always had dreams about Barcelona..."

"I'm sure, Ember," my mother chuckles, who I am sure still remembers my twelve, thirteen, fourteen-year-old self who would sit and tell her about all my celebrity crushes and dream about them who play football. And trust me, a lot of them weren't just Barcelona players. I have always been prone to having crushes on strong football players.

The only guy I've ever dated was a high school jock guy who had the kicks. Boy, could he play football, and could he play football good. Well, of course, no matter my passion for playing the sport, watching the sport, and the people who professionally play the sport, I still hold it of great importance to stay away from romance, because that's not my concern, and it will only slow me down.

I have always had the dream of being a professional footballer, and when I was younger, I'd try. As I kid, I'd wake up early every morning and practice, and after I finished all my chores, go out and practice some more. But I just have never had a natural knack, despite my extreme passion for it. I became very good at the sport- and I still am- but never good enough. Especially when I started to get older, and went through puberty, my body slowly started transforming from the thin little stick into a curvy frame with a larger chest and waist, which really angered me when it came to playing football. I still kept playing, and I'd make all the school and kid's clubs that I tried out for- I just wouldn't play much. Some boys at school used to tease me with the flattering nickname of 'Benchwarming Em'. Nobody gave me a chance, and nobody worked with me. No matter how much I tried on my own, I just couldn't get any farther than little league, because no one cared, or trained with me.

There's a part of me that is still bitter about that, but I'm mostly over it by now. Football is still a major hobby, but by now, I've mostly accepted that it's too late to ever become a pro, and if it really were in my destiny or future, it would have happened by now.

I mean, oh well. There are other dreams I have, like being a physical trainer, or maybe someday coaching some sort of school little league. That might be fun.

Yeah, I think that'd be fun.