"Alright, todays training will be with the boy-" our coach was cut off by everyone's groans and complaints.
The girls on my team hated sharing fields with the boys. I however didn't mind at all. "Yea I know but it's good for all of you to play with players that's re potentially better than you" he says with a regretful face and spins slowly on his heels. He greets the boys coach when they walk out of the stadium.
"Get partners, we'll be doing volleys for a bit, as a warmup" One of the coaches yell out.
The girls stalk around each other and ask if they want to be partners but I take off running across the pitch and hug both Pedri and Gavi.
"Okay we can do a three because there's always uneven numbers anyway" I say to them as I job over and grab a ball. I kick to Gavi and he laughs at Pedri saying he's the favorite I walk to Pedri and pat him on the back standing on my tippy toes saying "that's not true" he snorts and Gavi shakes his head and mumbles something I can't hear.
Gavi pops it up and we start playing. I head it to them, kick it behind my head, trap it with my chest. Gavi heads it to me low to the ground and I act like I'm gonna kick it back up but I walk forward more to hit it behind my back and it confuses them and Gavi couldn't get to it.
"LOSER" I say pointing at him with a smile on my face.
"You suck Gavi" Pedri pats his chest and laughs.
"Oh shut up, both of you, pedri your gonna lose anyway" he says going to grab another ball so he can juggle while me and Pedri finish playing.
I win against Pedri by hitting back with my chest only and not trapping it.
"I winnn" I raise my hands in the air and yell.
"Well done BR" Jonatan Giráldez, my coach, says walking around our group then walking away.
I smile to myself, first year being on this team. They're older than me. A few of the girls are 2-3 years older than me, making them about 20 and me still 17.
"Buen trabajo, amor (good job love)" Gavi says while patting my head.
"Buen trabajo, pero te voy a ganar la próxima ronda (Good job but I'm beating you next round" Pedri says and he chips the ball in the air to Gavi who kicks it to me, harder than last time. I settle it easily and give him a dirty look but he just smirks and raises his eyebrows.
"What you can't take it?" He asks as pedri heads it to him.
"And who won last round?...oh wait it wasn't you" I say trapping the ball with my chest and kicking it to pedri who laughs.
"Damn Gavi she got you there" He says and Gavi rolls his eyes.
We continue to pass the ball and after a while the coach tells us to switch up drills. We follow along and keep out partners the same.
*10 years ago*
"¿Quién eres? (Who are you) a boy walks up to me asking.
"Me llamo Brylie, soy nuevo en este club y tú?" ( my names Brylie I'm new to this club and you?) I extend my hand out and he looks at me with a kind smile.
"Pablo Gavi, do you want to be partners" he asks sweetly and I nod.
*Back to present*
Me and Gavi grew up together. From that moment on we stayed with each other everyday. We went to practices together, our mothers were best friends, hung out after schooling and training. We were inseparable. When I turned 14 we started to drift apart. He moved up a level so he could be with people older than him. He left me behind, I couldn't be mad at him because I know he needed to be the best so he could make it to where he is today but it still hurt when he left. We stopped hanging out on weekends and after school. We went separate ways. I started to advance in my skill and foot work when I was 16 so this year I could move up a level.
In moving up I became even with Gavi. In the years we had drifted he had meet Pedri. When me and Gavi started to have practices together again it wasn't just Brylie and Gavi, Gavi and Brylie like how it was it was Gavi, Pedri and Brylie, Pedri, Brylie, Gavi. I wasn't angry with it either. Gavi had meet the best person imaginable, Pedri was like my older brother.
"Increasing demands" yelled my coach.
I nod and kick the ball to the middle of the field. Gavi and Pedri look at me as if they're going to die as I start jogging.
"Oh it's not that bad" I say as I round the first corner of the field.
"Yes it is Brylie and stop acting like it's not, we both know your lying" Pedri says dramatically. I roll my eyes. "Siempre tan dramático" (always so dramatic) I say as I take off sprinting to the end of the field. I control my breathing and pick up my pace until I reach the corner and I smile, getting faster, I tell myself.
Pedri and Gavi appear next to me as I slowly start walking. "You know that's so rude" Pedri says.
I look at him with a look that says 'you're being dangerous right now' and he nods slowly in understanding.
"So where are we going to eat afterwards" Gavi says as we pick out pace up back to a jog.
"Oh don't even talk about food right now" I say in a disgusted way. We've been in the heat since 8 am this morning and we haven't had lunch, yes I'm hungry but can't even imagine having food because it's so hot out and I'm out of breath just ugh.
"Agree with Brylie" Pedri says and we finish the length of the field slowing ourselves back to a walk.
Gavi nods and shuts his mouth. We continue to do our increasing demands and on the final sprint we race. I started before them and laugh as the curse me for cheating. I pick up my pace instantly and use the tips I was given about sprinting when I joined this team. I continue to pick up pace as I can sense one of them on my heels. I pick up pace again as I stand up straighter.
I run past the final line and slow myslef done laughing. "I WON" I say as I do a little dancy dance.
"I BEAT YOU GUYS" I point at them as I take my shirt off. "You guys want an autograph or something" I say cockily. Then roll they're eyes and laugh with me.
"How the hell did you get so fast Brylie" Pedri leans down putting his hands on his knees out of breath.
"While you all were slacking off I was doing something" I say laughing and taking the penny off of Gavi. He watches me intently with something in his yes that I can't tell what. I look away as I take the penny over his head watching pedri still catching his breath. I snort again.
I walk the pennies over to the pile where the coaches are standing. I drop them and is about to walk away when I get called back by the coaches.
"¿Qué pasa?" (What's up?" I say confused.
"Great training today BR, your doing good kid" my coach pats me on the head with an encouraging nod and I smile.
"Gracias, señor" (thank you sir" I say as I walk away.
Megan and Tara run up to me as I walk back to Gavi and Pedri. I like them but I know by they're talking to me right now.
"So Gavi and Pedri huh?" Megan says wiggling her eyebrows at me. I smile sweetly but my heads telling me to flip her off and walk away.
"Yeah" I answer shortly.
"I didn't think you all were that close but you practiced with them all training today" Tara adds in and Megan nods her head.
"No we are like family" I say as I start walking away.
"Oh so you're not like dating or anything" Megan says more to herself than anyone.
"Good to know" Tara looks at Megan with a smirk.
"Adiós, Brylie" Megan says as they fall back and I smile at them again before turning my back to them and rolling my eyes.
"No son tus dos favoritos, ¿eh?" (Not your favorite two huh) Gavi says as he puts his arm around my shoulders.
"No" I look over at them and they're staring at Gavi and Pedri. "And get off me your all sweaty" I say quite moodily. "And put your damn shirt on" I walk away rolling my eyes once again as I see everyone of the girls looking at Gavi and Pedri, should've kept their shorts on.
"Brylie wait" Pedri says and jogs up to me.
I keep walking and don't respond. "Brylie" pedri walks in front of me and scoops me up over his shoulder. I punch his shoulder and squirm in his arms.
"Déjame ahora mismo Pedro González López!" (Put me down right now) I says angrily.
He walks into the stadium and walks me down the hall and takes a left towards his locker room then sets me down. Gavi took pictures of us while laughing and I slip him off with one hand and my other on my hip. He takes a picture of that and laughs so adorably that I can't help but smile.
"What happened" Pedri asks and I glare at him.
"Why does everyone have to be obsessed with you two. You're- you're- weird" I say dramatically with my hands and exasperatedly.
They glance at each other then back at me. "You both have your shirts off- so does every other guy out there- but they look at you and they all try to come up to me and act like we're friends because they're just trying to get closer to you" I say sadly.
I've been on this team for about a year. I've never had someone click with me, I've had Gavi and Pedri. They try to use me. I hate it but I have to have an ally on the field when it comes down to a game.
"Aww my baby's protective of me" Pedri says and wraps his arms around me and picks me up off the ground. I laugh and Gavi laughs with me.
"You're sweaty put me down"
"Your sweaty too" pedri says putting me down.
Pedri pats my head and walks away saying he needs to change and shower that he will see us in a bit.
Gavi says he needs to also but he wraps his arms around me before he leaves. He kisses the top of my head and i my cheeks redden. "Nos vemos en un rato, mi amor" (I'll see you in a bit my love) he says and walks towards the men's locker room. My face still red from what he did and from the heat outside I enter the girls locker room and get changed.
The cold water hits my back and I sigh. The best feeling in the world.