see you later // Pablo Gavi

Chapter 24

𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒔𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒆.

"𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐓𝐎 𝐃𝐎 𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐇𝐎𝐖 𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐘 𝐏𝐄𝐎𝐏𝐋𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐊 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐀 𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃. As I was watching this stupid French cooking show, I was thinking about how you could do that."

He glances over at me with those eyes, before zoning out again on the muted television. "Yeah? What are your ideas? I haven't checked online. Is it bad? I have my social media notifs muted, because I started just getting way to many from random fans thinking they could talk to Pablo Gavi."

I smile at this comment for some reason, although I really am not sure why. "Well, you should make a post on Instagram. Something simple, you know? It's kind of bad, the rumors from fans, I mean. And then, get in the way of the reporters tomorrow after the game, and let them interview you. Of course they will ask about football, but obviously they will also ask about a girlfriend. Then you just explain the truth. Just a friend. Maybe even put a few lies in there, like it wasn't actually a kiss, it just looks like it, and she was whispering something in my ear. Or that I'm actually not some random girl, but I actually am a Barcelona worker. Like a journalist or photographer, you know?"

He thinks a few seconds about this, his face still blank. It's not often he shows extreme emotions, I find. I like that. It makes him seem tough.

It's kind of hard sometimes to find him so tough, though, right now, as he's zoning out at a television wearing the cutest sweater on earth. And his next comment doesn't have much of a tough ring to it, either: "I don't know... Would a post be enough? I don't like the reporters." He talks so soft. Almost as if he's embarrassed, even though I already know this about him.

Somehow, I still see him as tough, though.

I think I just see about every good adjective in him, though.

"I know you don't, but surely just once wouldn't be so bad, no?"

Gavi chuckles, which surprises me. He says, "You sound just like everyone else. Teammates, manager... All of them. You sound like them."

"See, maybe it's good for you to actually try talking to a reporter. And this is important. Just a post is not enough, you know. It really isn't. People need to hear what they believe proved wrong at least twice by a reliable source in order to consider otherwise."

"Is that scientific fact?" Gavi looks over, eyebrows slightly scrunched up on his forehead. 

I giggle. "No, it just sounded right."

He smiles, looking relieved as in he as not a care in the world. He looks beautiful, and our faces are so close.

"Alright, Ember," Gavi suddenly laughs, his cheeks looking slightly pink. "I'll talk to the stupid reporters, okay? Only because I know you want me to."

For some reason, he looks so happy.

And I love it.

I love to see him so happy. It's not like he's grinning. He just has a beautiful twinkle in his eyes and his mouth is quirked up to own side. That sideways, crooked, little smile that I find so, so charming.

I love it when he smiles. When he smiles like that.

He leans closer to me, but then stops, and leans away.

Curious.

"Well, Ember, I've got to go now. Have to have good sleep for tomorrow, it being a big day and all."

"Sure," I smile. "See you later, Gavi."

"See you later."

The next day, the boys are busy all day. I do catch Lewy, Gavi, and Pedri at breakfast, though, and it's really nice to eat with them. Gavi is pretty quiet, like usual, but Pedri, being Pedri, is laughing the whole time as he eats as Lewy tells us different things. It's a good breakfast. I think Pedri could brighten anyone's morning, and Gavi certainly brightens mine. So at the beginning of the day, I'm feeling great.

Later on in the day, as I'm getting ready for the game, I put on my Gavi jersey, a pair of red shorts, my sneakers, and leave my long silky dark hair down. I smile at myself in the mirror, then grab the ticket Gavi got for me and my purse. Then I head outside, and grab a cab.

"Where to?" the driver asks.

I realise I look pretty stupid. I'm obviously going to a football, and I'm obviously cheering for the away team. So it's pretty obnoxious and stupid when somehow, I forget on the spot the same of Atletico's stadium. So I say stupidly, "Uh... you know, uh, the stadium."

"Football stadium?" the young driver says in judgment. "Which one?"

"Uhm..."  clear my throat, embarrassed. "Well, you see..." I finally blurt, "I'm going to Atletico de Madrid's stadium to watch their home game with Barcelona."

He snorts, muttering very quietly under his breath, "Average Barca fan." I catch it, though. This guy probably is devoted to Real Madrid all the way or something. Stupid Real Madrid fans.

"What does that even mean?" I say in complete confusion and slight offense.

"Nothin', nothin'. I think you mean Civitas Metropolitan."

"Oh, yeah, right," I say, my face heating in embarrassment that I forgot that. I knew that! Of course I knew that!

After a painfully silent ride, because this cabbie is playing no music at all, I finally make it to the stadium. 

I actually have an easier time getting through security and getting to my seat than I did in Barcelona with Charli, which surprises me. I'm alone now, in a unfamiliar city. Maybe I'm just having a luckier day or something.

By the end of the game with a lot of loud cheering, my voice is nearly completely gone. I'm sitting amongst a few other Barca fans. Barca fans are devoted. I think we take pride in that. So luckily, since I'm sitting next to them, and not a bunch of Atleti fans, they don't find my cheering obnoxious as we beat Atletico de Madrid's butt.

Okay, I shouldn't be so mean to Atletico. I'll give them the credit that they really do play extremely well. They fight.

We still win.

The score at the end is another 0-2. There are a few attempts at goal from Atletico that are good. Excellent. One is made, but is offsides, another is nearly too high for Ter Stegen, but not quite. He leaps up to block it. And the other almost sneaks in on the left side. Again, Ter Stegen dived for it, knocking it out, and Alonso kicked it out of the area.

One of our goals is scored by Raphinha, and boy, is it impressive. He slips it in, right past the goalkeeper's outstretched right foot. Right in the middle.

The other one we scored was by Dembele, who worked his magic. It was an assist from De Jong, and was easily kicked in past the goalkeeper.

It is a great win.