Faded Love

.5

Guro POV

After walking around the pitch and thanking the fans the whole team headed into the dressing room to freshen up, get ready to leave and go home.

LJ and I are some of the first players to walk into the dressing room and she notices a sticky note stuck to what should be Naomi's locker but her name tag has disappeared from there.

"Hey Guro come read this" She says to me, her voice laced with uncertainty. All that is written on the sticky note is 'Sorry - Nai'. I look in Naomi's locker and it's empty. I'm so confused. Some of the girls have started to crowd round to see what LJ and I are looking at and that's when someone says "Guys look on Instagram quick" I immediately get my phone out my locker and open Instagram. My jaw drops.

"This can't be happening" A voice shouts.
"She wouldn't just leave like that" Another person says.
"It has to be a prank" That's all that is said as Emma Hayes walks into the room.

"Does anyone know what is going on?" Emma asks.

No one dares make a noise until Emma turns to where LJ and I are standing. "So girls, do you know what's happening? Guro I know you're pretty close with Naomi, what is she doing?" She says. "We want to know the same thing. If she wanted to leave she definitely would have told me so I don't know why she's just posted this out of nowhere." I answer her. "Can you call her or something?" She asks me. "Yes I will try to now" I reply.

I hesitantly open her contact on my phone and click call. The only thing you can hear in this room is the ringing of my phone. Everyone waits in suspense.

One ring...

Two rings...

Three rings...

Then the sound of the call being declined echos around the room. I stand there a little shocked and some girls even gasp.

It's not at all like her to decline a phone call, especially from me, I need to find out what's happening.

"Guro" I look up at LJ and I know she's thinking the exact same thing as me "I'll drive" I say while practically sprinting out the changing rooms.

•

As we're driving to her house I start thinking about why she might be doing this, I haven't noticed anything off about her recently only that she seems a little down. That can't be why, can it?

The car ride is dead silent except for the faint noise of the song 'The Man Who Can't Be Moved' coming from the radio. I remember me and Naomi singing our hearts out to this song on our frequent car rides together. A smile slowly creeps onto my face remembering these times and I can see LJ look at me "What's got you smiling?" She asks "Me and Nai love this song so much, I really hope she's okay." My voice trails out on the last bit of my sentence. "I do too." LJ says with a hint of sadness to her voice.

We eventually pull up to the building where she lives and park. I can see her car in her usual spot so I know she's here. Me and LJ get out of the car and start walking into the building to get to her flat. "Give her phone one last go" LJ tells me, so I take my phone out of my pocket and call her number. "Declined. Straight away." I sigh out. LJ doesn't even do anything.

We make it to her door and I take the liberty of knocking.

I wait 10 seconds and there's nothing. No noise, no sign of movement. Absolutely nothing.

I knock again but this time I hear the sound of someone groaning and getting up then steps that get louder and louder until the door is unlocked and I see Naomi standing right in front of me. She is in her pyjamas

I look inside the flat and it's a mess. There is rubbish falling out of the bin, dirty dishes all over the place and old takeaway boxes. I know she isn't the most tidy person but I wasn't expecting this.

Naomi stumbles aside to let us in. LJ and I walk towards the settee and sit down on it. I can't place my finger on what it smells like in this room but it is not nice. My guess is the takeaway containers that have been left on the coffee table.

"So why are you girls here?" Naomi asks us. "I'm sorry what do you mean 'why are you here'?" LJ answers. "Well you guys have shown up here out of nowhere and I want to know why." "Naomi you've posted on Instagram saying that you are retiring, I think we deserve to know what you are doing and why." I say. "Oh yes I forgot about that. Well I am just sick of football. I hate it. I never want to play it again or watch it again or even have to hear about it ever again, I am just done." She is slightly slurring her words as she speaks which worries me. I know she gets bad but I haven't seen her like this before.

Then it clicks.

I stand up and start walking around, inspecting the flat to see if my hunch is right.

Walking towards her bedroom the smell gets stronger and Naomi blocks my entrance into the room. "Don't go in there." She says sternly but I just push her aside, open the door and walk in. The smell hits me like a brick wall and I start coughing. I notice a smoked joint on her bedside cabinet.

"Are you kidding me Naomi!" I shout at her. "I'm sorry I just needed it just once, I promise I won't do it again." "I thought you had stopped, you told me you had stopped." I am really starting to get annoyed. "Like I said I just needed it this time." "No I'm not dealing with this right now." I storm out the room back to LJ "Come on we are leaving." I then turn back to Naomi "I'm coming back tomorrow morning at 11 and we are sorting this out."

I slam the door behind me and LJ and I make our way to the car and back to our houses.

A/N
So I may have already forgotten about this, sorry!!