THAT NIGHT

Chapter 1

My best friend Pedri
GAVI
The sun is shining and not even a light brise is blowing over the training grounds at Ciudad Deportiva although it is already late October. I find myself breathing heavily and drained of energy the end of todays Training session. It was an intense Practice. Xavi and his staff were not going easy on us today. Of course. Tomorrow is match day, against Valencia at home. The expectations are high. If we win we can move to the top one point above Real Madrid, after they drew against Sevilla last week. To be honest it feels like Barca must win every game nowadays . The critics have been very hard on the club and Xavi lately. The fans want Barca to go back to their peak and be able to celebrate many titles, like back in 2015. I understand because I consider myself not just a player, but also a fan of this club. That's not a secret. FC Barcelona is obviously the club of my dreams which is why i always give it my all, even when its just a training session like today.
My thoughts get interrupted by loud cheers. As i hear, what i think was Araújo's voice shouting: "Yess, get it Pedri !", i turn my head to watch the action. Some of the players are shooting free kicks which we sometimes like to do after sessions, just to have fun a little. Apparently Pedri managed to get a spectacular free kick in the back of the net. Of course he did. He's just too good. I catch myself smiling unconsciously. When i first met Pedro Gonzáles López, I  just knew that he would become someone special in my life. Back in La Masia when word of his transfer spread, we did not really know much about that kid that was only rumrede to join before. But one thing was clear, someone who manages to get transferred to the first team of Barcelona at that age must be a gem. And i gotta admit, i kind of fell in love with him. Not like that, not romantically. I like to call this a football crush, like a role-model or even fan girl type of situation. Pedro's play style is just so composed and elegant, like he is already thirty years old. What also fascinated me about him was the way he got here in the first place. Pure talent and hard work. It's easier when you get support from a renovated Academy, for example La Masia. So that was the reason that when I was watching the main teams games, I just could not take my eyes of our new youngster. And when i got promoted to train with the first team I was beyond exited to finally meet him in person, not just cross his path in the hall, a flush creeping up my face when we would make eye contact. Our first interactions were really awkward though. I was stuttering a lot when he first introduced himself kindly. But after a few sessions in the team i got more comfortable around him, he was human after all. I noticed him playing around and laughing a lot with our other teammates and could tell that he is loved by everyone. We quickly clicked on the field and played, to Koeman's surprise, spectacular together in the midfield. Our connection truly strengthened when Pedri started picking me up for practice or games with his car. Surely now i would call Pedri my best friend. Don't get me wrong I am very close to my other teammates and grateful for them but when with Pedri it is just different. Maybe ist because we compliment each other. Me being a naturally shy person, often doubting myself, Pedro seems to be the opposite. His cool demeanor off and on the pitch shows that he is very sure of who he is and what he does and somehow this calms me down as well. Teammates often make jokes that we are twins because we spend so much time together without getting sick of the other. Well, the truth is that I couldn't imagine my life without Pedri now. But up to this day i still notice that same feeling of pure admiration and respect for him like back then, although now we are in the same team and he's not much older than me. After these few months starting for the first team, I've kind of made a name of myself too, so people started to compare me to Pedri or calling us the new Xavi and Iniesta. It's truly flattering, but deep down i think that he's indeed better than me. Of course I wont ever admit that to him, his ego couldn't handle that.
"Gaviito" -Eric's voice shrieks over the training ground, stressing the "i" -"You coming? After showers we want to play a quick FIFA in the leisure room." I look over to them and also see Ferran, Ansu and Pedri with him. Honestly I feel tired and sightly nervous for the game tomorrow. In addition to that my social battery is kinda low.  My sister will pick me up today, so I don't have to worry that Pedri can't stay with them because he has to drive me. "I'll head home right away, you guy's have fun though"- I answer them. "You're so boring"-Ferran groans. Pedri looks at me intently, studies me, trying to find out what's wrong. I look down, feeling his intense gaze in my stomach. Seconds later, that felt like an eternity for me, I see his expression soften. "Come on Gav"-he speaks up- " it'll be fun, you can loosen up before the game. It won't take long, plus I can drive you home later." He gives me, what some would call a puppy face, and just like that I'm folded. "Okay, but one for a little bit." - I give in. He grins victoriously. "Hey, why is it always so easy for Pedri to convince you but you're so stubborn with the rest of us, that's not fair" -Ansu complains, frowning offended. "Shut up" - I say, slightly annoyed because i know Ansu just called me out. And once again I realise how much Power Pedri actually holds over me when he's probably not even aware of it.