I Told The Stars About You

9. Tasks

Alex's Point Of View:

Today we had a training session before playing against Barcelona in the next day. A bus picked us early in the morning and drove us to a training centre. Training was exhausting, most of us weren't used to the high temperatures of Spain. We practiced some counter attack techniques and some physical training. Then, we headed to the gym. Everyone was clearly exhausted, but that didn't stop me from giving the best of me in each exercise.
"Look at her go." Beth said out loud with a proud smile plastered on her face.
"Oh Beth, shut up." I laughed as I did push ups.

We got back to the hotel, where everyone got some rest. Leah was still a little bit off, and I still didn't really understand why I kept worrying about her, if I already knew she hated me. Well, that's what I thought. She hated me, didn't she?
Someone knocked the door of our room, making me jump a little bit.
"I'll open." I said as I saw Leah was woken up by the noise. She didn't reply, she got back to her sleep.
"Well hello there!" I said at the blonde that leaned in the doorframe.
"We're going to play ping pong with Viv, Jill Danielle, Manuela and Katie. Are you up for it? Sorry if I woke you up." Beth asked with excitement.
"Of course! Hold on I'll grab my phone." I said looking for my phone in the room. Beth stayed outside, while I searched it. I finally found it, under my pillow. Before leaving I looked at Leah, she was sleeping peacefully in her bed. I lowered the blinds in the room to keep the light out so Leah could sleep.
'What the hell? Why did I even do that?' I thought of my actions. Was I caring? I turned off all the lights apart from a little lamp that was in a small table next to Leah's bed. I walked out of the room with my phone on my hand, Beth was waiting outside while looking something on her phone. I closed the door without making any noise before I started to walk through the hallway.
"Wait for me!" Beth said as she jogged trying to catch me up. We used the lift and went to the 6th floor, that was the chilling area of the hotel. There was an arcade, a pool table, ping pong tables, and a door that led to a huge swimming pool with sights of all the Barcelona city. As we got there, we saw the girls around the ping pong table.
"Oi! Look who decided to come!" Katie shouted opening her arms for me to hug her. I ran and threw myself into Katie's arms, my arms around her neck and my legs wrapped around her waist, as if I was a koala.

It was finally the day. We were going to play against Barcelona. It was a friendly match, but all of us felt like if it wasn't. I was shitting myself, I was going to make my first appearance with Arsenal.
We walked through the empty field, everyone was focused, lost in their own thoughts as they walked inspecting the pitch. I kneeled down, and checked the grass, a thing that I always do. Some people walked in groups, Lia and Jen were next to me. I saw Leah walk alone, while she listened to some music in her headphones. She looked so focused on something, like if she was thinking something concerning.
I felt someone walking behind me and wrapping their arms around my neck.
"Are you okay, Allie?" Viv said knowing I was overwhelmed.
"Yeah." I answered feeling comfort in her arms.

I was currently putting my shin pads as I talked with Lucy. You could tell by the sound of her voice she was worried, and she knew I was struggling.
"We'll be watching you. We're very proud." Lucy said and I could feel her smile through the phone.
"I'll do my best for you guys." I told her remembering all the time I spent in the gym and how hard I worked in training.
"Someone wants to talk to you." Lucy said excited.
"Hi there, how you feeling?" I heard another woman talk.
"Ellie! I'm a bit nervous but I'll be fine." I shrugged my shoulders, but they couldn't see as we were on a call.
"Go make us proud! We love you kid!" Ellie cheered and I heard people in the background saying things like 'you got this!' 'we love you!'
"Thanks Ellie, I'll try." A nostalgic memory rushed my mind. Ellie hugging me from the behind, kissing my cheek. 'Don't be nervous, you'll do great.' She ruffed my hair, making me giggle.
"Alex!" Jill shook my shoulder making me realise I zoned out, a concerned look in the blonde's face.
"Huh? Excuse me im going to the bathroom."
I said without looking at her and ran to the bathroom of the changing rooms. As I opened the door I saw Leah. Her hands were leaning on the bathroom sink. She kept her head down, and her breathing was heavy.
"Leah?" She didn't answer. I closed the door and slowly walked to her. I was behind her, but I could see from the mirror that she was crying.
"Leah." I told her turning her around with my hands in her shoulder. She moved away from me without saying a word and leaned her back in the wall, slowly sliding down to the floor with her hands in her face.
My heart flinched seeing her like that. Why though?
"What's the matter?" I kneeled down. She shook her head, letting out quiet sobs. I soon realised what was happening, and I felt awful, because the girl was in pain. Leah was in pain. The same girl that was cold to me, that yelled at me. The one who brought all the memories back, that now haunted me. And all of a sudden, I cared. I did care. Why? This girl had something, something I sensed the night she cried while looking at the in the Barcelona nightscape .
"Leah breathe." I said in panic. I hated seeing people having panic attacks, even thought it was something that I used to suffer in my diary life.
Her arms wrapped her knees, where she hid her face. I got closer, and tried to hug her. She hesitated, but finally let me in.
"Breathe." I said as the girl was curled in a ball while I held her. She grabbed my hand and squeezed it, trying to breathe. She was holding me for dear life, making obvious the fact that she struggled with breathing.
"That's it, you're almost there. Breathe." I said stroking her hair, making the girl hold my arm tighter.
After a while, her breathing slowed down, making me relax. I looked at her, her blue eyes were avoiding my brown ones, like if our gazes weren't meant to be met. A silence invaded the bathroom, making Leah's breathing audible. Her hand let go from mine harshly, like if she burned in our touch.
"Go away." She said coldly, her voice has stern.
"W-what?" I said in confusion, now my eyes beginning to water a little bit, but not enough to cry. I couldn't cry, not because of this girl.
"I said go away." She told me sternly, and then moved away from me. I stood up, and looked at her another time. She was sat on the floor, without looking at me. Her blue eyes, that now were grey avoided my gaze. I shook my head, remembering to myself to never trust someone.
I walked out, I wasn't annoyed, I was upset. Some people sensed that, but they decided to stay quiet.