see you later // Pablo Gavi

Chapter 9

𝑨 𝒎𝒂𝒏'𝒔 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒉.

𝐆𝐀𝐕𝐈 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐈 𝐆𝐄𝐓 𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐄 𝐅𝐎𝐎𝐃 𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐀𝐓 𝐀 𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐔𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐓, 𝐁𝐔𝐓 𝐖𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐏 𝐎𝐔𝐓𝐒𝐈𝐃𝐄, 𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐈𝐃𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐔𝐈𝐋𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓, 𝐒𝐎 𝐆𝐀𝐕𝐈 𝐂𝐀𝐍 𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐄 𝐎𝐅𝐅 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐇𝐀𝐓, 𝐇𝐎𝐎𝐃, 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐊 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐂𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐍𝐎 𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐈𝐒 𝐆𝐎𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐎 𝐁𝐄 𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐎𝐏 𝐎𝐅 𝐇𝐈𝐌, 𝐀𝐒𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐎𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐏𝐇𝐒 𝐎𝐑 𝐀𝐍𝐘𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆. We sit against the wall, not caring that we're sitting on the blacktop. Who cares?

My bracelet keeps catching light in the sun, sending a few little glimmers to my eyes. It really is beautiful. I feel so thankful to Gavi. He seems like such a great guy.

We eat in silence, before I say, "Wait a second, did you end up paying for both our meals?"

"Yeah," he says, smiling. I wonder how many more times he smiled softly like that, but I just didn't see, because of his mask. Because it's not a large smile- just enough to upturn his mouth, but not nearly enough to brighten his eyes. "But I don't believe you're going to get it in your mind to try to pay me back for yours, will you?" His eyebrows raise in expectation.

"I kind of do have that in my mind, Gavi," I smile back.

"Well, you shouldn't. I don't know if you've forgotten, but I'm a relatively famous enough footballer with a salary that is way more than you could ever imagine. So I understand you're well off and able to pay for yourself, but I have more than enough money to buy you a bracelet, or treat you to a meal. So from here on, you should shut up about paying me back for kindness. I have way more money than you, so I think it's fair for me to buy you a thing or two." This is probably the most he has ever spoken to me. He doesn't say it rudely in any way, but there is a stern, honest tone to his voice. His brown eyes look a little lighter in this lighting, and very sincere.

I love how sincere his eyes look.

C'mon, now, Ember, I tell myself. Can't be starting to feel too many good feelings about this boy. He is a guy, you've got to remember, and a handsome, tempting guy at that, too.

I tell myself that I will, from now on, never think or say I love anything about this boy, no matter how charming he is. Because I cannot fall into the trap of love, even if it's with Gavi. Especially if it's with Gavi. I can't be falling in love with some cute footballer who I know doesn't and likely never will like me back anyway.

Well, he never will like me back. Because of how famous he is, if he wanted to, he could choose from so many girls. Why on earth would he choose me? I mean, he could marry the princess of Spain for God's sake, so I think I'm pretty low on the list, when it comes to girls he'd consider dating.

So, in conclusion, I have to be careful not to be just downright stupid about this whole thing. We're friends, and that's all. And that is as far as it's going to go. Period.

"Hey, earth to you," Gavi is saying as I'm snapped back into reality, waving a hand over my face.

"Huh, what?" I say stupidly. I don't know if I'll even be able to hold onto a friendship if I continue on like this, acting so stupid all the time.

"I was asking you a question, but obviously, you were totally off the face of planet Earth for a second."

"Oh, yeah, sorry. I guess I was just kind of zoning out, you know?"

He shrugs with a nod. "You looked deep in thought. What were you thinking about?"

"Oh, nothing."

"Tell me," he suddenly says, very sternly and seriously, which makes me jump out of my skin. 

"Jeez, you don't have to be so loud about it! I was actually thinking about you."

He nods, leaning back against the wall, looking slight smug.

"Are you cocky?" I question him, eyebrows narrowed, even though I don't think most arrogant people would casually admit that they are. Instead, maybe they'd just say they're the best.

He shrugs, shaking his head. "I don't know. Maybe. It's kind of hard not to be when you're me. Not to sound cocky... I mean, when you're me, with my career and lifestyle. It has got nothing to do with any more than that. And I asked you that so suddenly and loudly because I knew if I didn't you wouldn't tell me, and I knew you were thinking about me."

"Why?" I smirk. "Because you're cocky?"

"Maybe," he says again, with another shrug. "But not really. I just kind of knew, by looking at you. Don't ask me about it, because I'm not quite sure either."

I nod slowly. He's definitely an  interesting individual.

"What about me were you thinking about?"

"Oh, so you're cocky and nosy," I grin, winking at him.

This time, he shrugs with a "Maybe," again, but has nothing more to say than that.

"I was just thinking about how I hope our friendship works out, because you're certainly a neat guy to be friends with, for multiple reasons."

He nods. Of course, he expected me to say this. Because he's cocky. "I think you're an interesting girl," he responds simply. I find it interesting that he left out to 'to be friends with'. I don't know what I should make of that.

Maybe I'm just overthinking, and he's simply the kind of person to say as little as he possibly can.

I don't know. Maybe I'm kind of overthinking just about everything this guy does.

"Anyway," I smile up at him. "You said you were trying to ask me a question? You know, when I was all zoned out, thinking about you?"

He smirks at this comment, and nods, before saying, "I was just wondering if you'd like to meet Pedri sometime. Like, I know you've already met him that night you were drunk, but I mean really meet him. He's a close friend of mine... So you should meet my close friends, you know? And he's a really good guy. You'd like him."

I grin. "Aw, my God, Gavi. I would love to meet Pedri."