Playing with fire - barca femeni x oc

twelve

"Okay Lucy it's your turn to ask"

She looked around and her eyes rested on her international teammate.

"M, truth or dare?"

MJ considered her options and decided truth might be the best way to avoid embarrassing herself.

"Truth."

"Hmmmm. Why do you and Ale hate each other so much?"

Everyone sat up a little straighter, eager to hear what they had wondered for so long.

MJ on the other hand, let her eyes drop to her hands as she fidgeted, begging for the ground to swallow her up.

"Well- it's just I- something that she did a while ago, I don't want to talk about it please."
She looked to Lucy with pure distress in her eyes and the right back seemed to understand that this was an incident not to be discussed.

"Sorry that was a bit personal, why did you leave United so soon?"
Lucy settled on this instead.

MJ's shoulders relaxed slightly as this was an answer she had practiced. She painted a small smile on her face and looked around.

"I just missed my family. I loved the team, don't get me wrong, but you guys were the family I never had, I couldn't live without you."
This was actually somewhat true, she couldn't live without them.

The girls hummed in response and returned MJ's smile.

Obviously, this was not the case for the balon d'or winner, as Alexia rose and scoffed.

"Bullshit. Families don't lie to each other and they don't abandon each other either."
She began to walk towards the patio doors, with the intention of going inside, and on the way past MJ, nudged the defender.

Unfortunately, MJ was already precariously dangling her legs into the pool, so this force, although it was not large, sent her flailing into the water.

Everyone awaited MJ to resurface but this was not the case. She was no longer visible under the turquoise liquid as she splashed around in an effort to stay afloat.

Ana-Maria quickly realised that MJ wasn't rising and jumped in after her. The Swiss international grabbed her and pulled her to the stairs where MJ was able to lift herself up.

She looked around at the rest of the team who simply sat in shock and hastily whispered a thank you to Ana before running back into the hotel in the direction of her room.

She sped past Mapi who was all but berating Alexia in the reception of the hotel, and left in a blur up the stairs.

Meanwhile, outside, Asisat broke the stunned silence that had fallen upon the team.

"Why'd you jump in too Ana, why can she not swim?"
The question was genuine as most wondered how they'd gone this long without knowing.

Aitana stood to leave.

"Some people just don't like water. I'm going to bed, goodnight everyone."
The midfielder walked the same direction as MJ had, except at a notably slower pace.

Moments later, Mapi walked back out to the pool area as an air of heavy tension sat above the group.

"What happened?"
She turned to Ingrid and as she noted her partner's pale visage, Mapi's thoughts careened through a maze of worst-case scenarios, each possibility more concerning than the last as worry hijacked any peace she took from setting one of her best friends and captains, straight.

"When you went after Alexia MJ couldn't swim when she fell in and just panicked in the water. Ana jumped to get her but she ran off."

Mapi put her head in her hands. She roughly knew why MJ didn't like the water but not the full story - and she knew the attention of everyone witnessing the fear would have made MJ feel worse.

"I'm just going to check on her then go to bed. Goodnight."
Mapi kissed Ingrid's cheek, acknowledging the rest of the team and went inside, pressing the button for the elevator.

She was deep into instagram stories while she was waiting when she was interrupted by a call on her phone from Aitana.

"Hey Tana. Everything oka-"

"Mapi, help it's MJ, and I don't know what to do"
Her voice caught in her throat, a strangled whisper that betrayed the fear coiling within her, her voice a fragile thread threatened to snap under the weight of panic.

Mapi repeatedly pressed the close door button as she entered the elevator, praying it would make the doors move faster- though it felt like they were moving slower to spite her, the quiet creaking becoming a jeer at her.

"Just breathe Aitana. I'm on my way. What happened?"

"I- room and no MJ- so bathroom- on the floor- blood- she's crying- get Mapi"
Her voice quivered, words stumbling out in disjointed fragments. Fear had tied Aitana's tongue in knots, rendering coherent speech impossible.

Thirty seconds later, Mapi slowly entered the room, out of breath from running there, as she knew any more commotion may make things worse.

"Oh MJ"