Fine Line

Bittersweet

The whistle blew and the ref pointed toward the sideline, as Alessia looked up she seen Ella's number 7 flashing on the board, her heart dropped as she knew it would be the last time she would be on the pitch in United shirt, alongside her best friend. To her surprise, on her way off the pitch, Tooney made a small detour, briefly hugging Alessia.

The blonde remained focused on trying to get a point on the board as they were still 0-0 with Liverpool in the 70th minute. She really wanted this game to be a W.

The match continued and just 2 minutes later, in the 72nd minute, Garcia scored.

Relief fell over her, she could finish her time with United on a win but she wanted a goal. She dug deep and kept pushing but the whistle blew and the ref pointed to the sideline once more in the 87th minute.

Looking over, Alessia seen her number on the board. She looked at the ground, clapping her hands. A bittersweet moment for her as she jogged across to sub out.

A rush of memories flooded her mind. All the achievements she has made with this club, her growth and the growth of the people around her, she slapped her team mates hands on her way to the bench, clapping to the crowd behind the bench as she stepped off the pitch.

In the pit of her stomach, a sense of dread, she knew that tonight, she would need to tell Ella that she was moving to London, that she had gone to Arsenal.

***

Crashing down on her bed face first, Ella let out a loud groan.

"I'm dead after that me" she spoke into her pillow .

Alessia smiled and exhaled as she switched the kettle on in their room. The blonde glancing over to Ella who was making herself comfortable on her bed. She had desperately avoided Ella's eyes since the end of the match, in fear that her best friend would read her feelings like an open book.

"Cuppa?" The striker looked over to Tooney who was trying to get something on the TV.

"Yes please!"

The two existed in silence as they so often would. Alessia handed Ella her cup.

Walking over to her own bed and sitting on its edge, facing Ella. It was time. Alessia looked down at her hands as she played with the ring on her thumb. Her nerves shot to pieces not knowing how her best friend was going to react.

"Ella?" She started, looking up she was greeted by Ella's eyes, the midfielder also sitting on the edge of her own bed, looking straight at her.
Her eyes told Alessia that she knew.

The striker opened her mouth but words wouldn't form, she felt her eyes start to well and her lip start to quiver, her eyes breaking from Ella's and back down to her hands.

"I'm going to miss you Less" Tooney said softly, her voice breaking, she reached for Alessias hands, standing up and pulling Alessia into a tight hug.

"I'm going to miss you too Tooney" Alessia sniffled.

"I'm sorry"

"Why you sorry for?" Ella moved back from the hug, her hand on Alessias shoulder. "You've done brilliant. I'm so unbelievably proud of you"

Alessia pulled her back into a hug "I don't know what I'm going to do without you" she tucked her head into the midfielders shoulder.

Ella had always been a constant in her life. Even when she went to UNC. She would always keep in touch with the midfielder, they would always send endless amounts of voice notes to one another throughout the day. A lot of them just pointless chit chat but Alessia always found comfort in it.