see you later // Pablo Gavi

Chapter 115

~ Author's Note ~

Guys, so shout to my friend and loyal reader Hannah on this website, because she helped me realise that Give Me A Kiss by Crash Adams is literally a really good song to summarise this fan fiction. I've decided it's kind of the theme song of this story, currently, and for what I have in the long-term future for this book. So I encourage you to go listen to it, like, literally, please do if you care. And also thanks Hannah for suggesting that <3

btw censored swearing again. just like one or two tho

In this chapter, Ember and Sira go on an Atletico Madrid adventure, I suppose.

𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒐𝒏 𝒎𝒚 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕.

𝐍𝐀𝐕𝐈𝐆𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐏𝐎𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐎 𝐈𝐍 𝐌𝐀𝐃𝐑𝐈𝐃, 𝐀𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐁𝐀𝐑𝐂𝐄𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐀 𝐅𝐀𝐍𝐒 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐃 𝐎𝐍 𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐇, 𝐀𝐒 𝐖𝐄'𝐑𝐄 𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐁𝐀𝐑𝐂𝐀 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐘𝐄𝐑𝐒, 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐌𝐄 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐒𝐈𝐑𝐀, 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘, 𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘 𝐃𝐈𝐅𝐅𝐈𝐂𝐔𝐋𝐓. I mean, to begin with, I'm awful with directions, and have already been lost in this building once today, but Sira isn't. So I let her lead the way, and I soon learn that was a bad decision. We have no idea where we are, and I can't believe it should be this difficult. All we did was exit the pitch area- how hard is it to get out of the stadium? Apparently, quite difficult for the both of us...?

I'm starting to get nervous about how lost we are, and I keep checking the time, to see how long 'til kickoff, sure we're going to run into someone and get into huge trouble for ending up here... Wherever here even is. All the halls look the same- red. Very red, everything, with little signs to remind you we're in Atletico de Madrid's stadium. A place where no one knows us and I'm sure there would be no understanding. This is greatly stressing me out.

Sira, on the other hand, seems very calm and casual. She voices that if anyone finds us, we can explain we were with Barcelona and took the door the wrong way out and it'd be fine, and it wouldn't even be lying. I'm still not so sure. Who knows what Atleti workers are like...

We're walking, and suddenly, I whisper to Sira, who's talking away about Ferran and how much she loves him, "Shut up-!"

She looks over in surprise, and we're silent.

And then by her face, she hears it, too, apparently. Someone talking, nearby, coming from the hall we just turned from. The male man's voice is saying, "Sure, it's okay. I understand. Things happen, right?"

I suck in air, grab Sira's hand, and shove her around the next corner with me, against the wall. She whispers, "Who is it?"

"Shut up," I whisper back. Crap, crap, crap. Someone's coming! This man has a very, very, very slight accent, and I think it's French. The only reason I notice it is because of my ability to speak French and Spanish.

After a bit of a pause, voice says, "Yeah, I look forward to seeing you. I'll think of you when I play." Silence for a few seconds, before the man finally finishes what I assume is a phone call with, "Okay, yeah, I love you, Erika, bye." And, with that, my suspicions are confirmed: This man is Antoine Griezmann.

Freaking crap, and his voice is coming closer.

Crap, crap, crap. Don't turn down this hall. This would be so freaking awkward... What's going to happen...?

Sira still looks very confused.

Of course she does.

And then I listen to the steps, and I hold my breath, waiting to let out the sigh of relief that's waiting as I hear the direction of his footsteps start to change.

Yes! He's not going to see u-!

And then my cell phone starts ringing. It takes all I can not to scream at the noise, but it's too late now. I fumble with my phone, trying to hang up on the caller, but my f***ing loud phone is way too much.

And just like that, Griezmann asks, "Hello?" before peeking right around the corner.

Me and Antoine Griezmann stand face to face.

Ah, oh my f***ing God, it's Antoine Griezmann!

He's about to open his mouth to say something, a look of the most amazing confusion all over his face, when Sira suddenly doubles over, bursting out laughing, covering her mouth. I'm pretty sure it's half real laughter and half nervous laughter, though.

So there he is, blazing pink hair and all. It's even brighter in real life, this close up. He's wearing an earring in one ear, and very plain clothes. I stare.

Wow, what the hell?

Finally, he says, after looking in concerned at the cracking up Sira and the deer-in-headlights me, "You two are...?"

I pull Sira up, forcing her to stop laughing, and she says, "Sorry... I'm Sira Martinez."

"I'm... Ember... Escarro," I get out. We are making this so awkward.

"Nice to meet you...?" His eyebrows are furrowing, and he seems genuinely concerned. He also seems like he genuinely is concerned. "Are you two fans?"

"No, no, no. I'm Ferran Torres's girlfriend," Sira sighs, her face fading from bright red to normal as she contains her shock.

"Oh," he nods simply, eyebrows furrowing more. "And your friend."

"Yes," she says, shifting, taking a step towards me.

I know it's my turn to talk now, and I sound very stupid when I decide to blurt out, "You're... Antoine Griezmann...!"

Wow, no??? Seriously? That can't be! I sound like such a f***ing idiot right now.

"I am," he says, a smile coming onto his face. "It's true." There's a hint of casualness and kidding in his voice.

I forgot how it feels to be a fan.

Wow, it's so familiar.

Yet unlike what I'm used to.

"So, we're... uh... lost," I finally say.

"Oh?" his eyebrows raise again. He has serious eyebrow action. "Now we're getting places. You got lost in the Metropolitano, and you somehow ended up here. I'm not exactly sure how you even did. You must be really lost."

"We... are," I feel extremely embarrassed. "This is much more confusing than Camp Nou."

"Yeah, I guess it is," he nods, and he would know because he used to play for Barcelona.

Wow.

Okay, right anyway.

"Do you want help out, then?" he smiles. "Is that what you're asking?"

"Pretty much," I blurt.

God, this is the worst.

And sort of the best.

Pretty much just the worst, though.