madrid ✦ álvaro morata

four

16TH JULY 2016 || MADRID, SPAIN

SHE FELT TRAPPED. Madrid was slowly closing in on her and seeping through every crack in her broken body which was sprawled out on the concrete floors of the road.

Klara woke up sweating with a start that night. It was just past 4 AM and the sky was lighter than it was at 12 AM. The sun would rise soon and the birds would be out, but Klara would not really smile the whole day, she knew for herself.

Her phone was going off crazily and she knew exactly why.

"Hola Raphaël," she whispered into the phone, "¿Como Estas?"

"Why are you asking me how I am? How are you? I'm so sorry for forgetting, i'm the worst best friend," he said softly, "And the fact that you're awake right now worries me,"

"I'm going alone, Raph. I've just got to make it through the whole day," she sighed, "It's alright, you were busy at training and probably tired,"

"That doesn't make me a better best friend though. We'll still come over later of course," he said into the phone.

"I'd love that," she thought back to the same day exactly a year ago where the Real Madrid boys came over with every single comfort food and funny movies to soothe her because she really needed it, "But you don't have to,"

-

"Honey we're home!" Sergio's comical comment rang through the house making Klara flinch.

"I'm right here," she deadpanned from the couch and shook off the baby blue blanket draped over her pyjamas.

"We brought lots of food," Raphaël held up a few shopping bags and she noticed James was carrying a few too.

"Gracias," she hugged them each and kissed their cheeks, "You guys didn't have to come. You're off to America tomorrow and need to train,"

"Please," Sergio scoffed, "We're the best team in the world. We don't need training. Besides, America is training,"

Klara simply rolled her eyes playfully, "You watch, Sese. You'll lose your first match,"

The 7 boys laughed and settled themselves on her two couches. They were familiar and at home with Klara since she was everyone's little sister- even if they were younger than her.

"So what first?" Marcelo rested his hands on his hips in thought.

"Yeah. Would you like to talk first or just watch the movies?" Karim picked out a few movies from her movie stand, "Or play FIFA?"

"Talk, then FIFA," she reasoned, "I don't feel like watching movies,"

The boys looked at her intently, and then at each other as if to say: 'who wants to ask first?'

Klara looked resigned and tired with dark eye bags under her eyes with her head rested on Raphaël's shoulder. If you didn't know what was happening, you'd think they were a couple, which just shows how close they were after all the pain and heartbreak Klara had been through.

"You were up at 4 this morning," Isco began slowly, "Did you sleep at all?"

"I did," she closed her eyes and relaxed even more onto Raph, "I woke up with a nightmare,"

"Same one as last year and the year before after?" Marcelo questioned.

"No," she frowned and then looked up at them all, "Different this year and even scarier. I was in the car but I wasn't alone. Álvaro was there too and I just remembered seeing him bleeding from his head on the dashboard. It was worse,"