might aswell be real- joão félix

nove

We get inside the restaurant. Barely. Paparazzi is crazy, how did they even know we were here? Andre and Camila probably had something to do with it. We get seated and I decide to break the silence.

"so tell me about yourself." If I'm gonna have to fake date her, I need to know about her in case I get asked questions.

"umm, I'm pretty boring," she says. I don't believe her, I feel like she's really interesting.

"I'll be the judge of that," I say making her giggle.

"my name is Tatijana Cam Aviero, I'm 22- 23, I'm Portugese, I'm a succesful singer, I have a sister and brother, I love helping people and animals, I want to start a charity to help homeless people in Portugal, yeah that's it really." She really is as nice as she seems. All Magui did was spend my money and act like she supported me, but Tati has aspirations to help people from the place she came from. That's a really good person I'm glad I met her and I'm spending this time with her.

"are you the oldest?" I ask, she seems really mature.

"middle." She fiddles with her bracelet, "my sister is older, what about you?"

"I'm Joao Felix Sequiera, I'm 24, I'm also Portugese, I'm a footballer currently on loan at Barcelona from Atletico Madrid, I have a younger brother, I don't have any big aspirations yet, but I hope to become a better footballer and person in the future." We've finally got the basics out the way.

"is your brother a footballer aswell?" She asks. She seems to want to talk about me more than herself, but that doesn't matter to me much right now.

"yeah, he plays for Benfica." She nods her head to show she's listening, even though she's looking behind me. I turn around and there's nothing there, so maybe she's just in a trance. The waiter comes up to us and we order.

"when did you become famous?" I already know she was 19, but she seems kind of shy so I'm trying to bring out a different side of her.

"I was 19 almost 20 and I wrote a song about my ex and it blew up I guess," she shrugs her shoulders.

"why don't you sound happy about it?" Celebrities love talking about their life so why isn't she?

"I regret uploading the video, I regret making music, I hate this life so, so much. I hate the spotlight. I hate having no privacy. I hate the good treatment I get for being lucky, when there's people out there who really need it and I hate the situation it's put me and you in." Whoa and now she's going in deep. I don't mind listening to her vent though. It's healthy, I think?

"you don't like it a little?" I know it can be overwhelming sometimes, but I wouldn't trade it for the world.

"I love my fans, people who don't really know me but will back me for whatever even if I know I'm wrong. I love thinking I can fend for my family and don't need to worry about my future or that my kids that won't have to worry about money but that's most of it." She's totally out of it.

"that's fair," I agree with her.

"sorry you probably don't care," she wipes a tear from her eye.

"no, it's just no one I know feels like that and sometimes I feel like that aswell," I feel bad I wanted to bring out a happier, more confident side of her but I just ruined the mood.

"I just wish I was normal. That I didn't have to wear sunglasses and a hat to not be seen by paparazzi." I didn't mean to make her cry, I swear if paparazzi see this we're fucked.

"no, I understand exactly where you're coming from." My mind wanders off to her and Pedri earlier and the way they seemed so comfortable together and how, maybe Alba's right, maybe she likes him and maybe I was jealous. I don't know, I'm not sure if maybe, I'm just thinking myself into this but I'm an overthinker so.

"what's up?" She asks, snapping me out my thoughts. "Sorry, you just seemed a little out of it."

"do you like Pedri?" It just comes out, it wasn't supposed to but it did.

"he's a fun guy to be around sure," she shrugs her shoulders. I don't know if she's always like this depressed and numb or if it's just me and now.

"but do you want to be with him?" What is wrong with me? Why am I asking these questions?

She looks shocked, "what of course not?"

I nod my head slowly, "oh okay."

"why where's this coming from?" She asks confused.

"it's just he was flirting with you so." Now I'm shrugging my shoulders.

"I know he was," She laughs? "You'd have to be blind not to. I don't know if he's joking or not but I don't like him like that and I like you, technically."

I laugh, more out of relief then anything, "oh okay you two just seemed close."

"why would you care? Wait." She stops herself, "no, sorry, that seemed aggressive. I just meant this is fake so as long as we're transparent, it shouldn't matter if I liked him, right?"

"no, yeah, of course, it's just I don't know. Alba tried to make it seem like you liked each other and that I was jealous but I didn't think I was jealous." I'm really confused now.

"of course Alba would do that. I'm sorry about her. She loves getting involved in my dating life ever since my ex. He wa-" She cuts herself off. Maybe it was toxic? I don't know but she clearly doesn't want to speak about him. "She just wants me to happy and find someone, just ignore her, she'll try anything to make anyone make a move on me."

We laugh, "good to know."

"can I post you on my Instagram?" At first I was taken aback but then I understood what she meant.

"to tell people we're official?" She nods her head, "sure."

She posts a picture of me 'meu garoto, obrigada por fazer do meu dia o melhor, eu te amo muito'

I do the same with a similar context.

"thank you Joao, genuinely. Today has been amazing due to the circumstances and yeah just thank you." She looks sincere and even though I still don't fully understand her, I'm ready to get closer to her and just get this over with.

"don't even worry about it, its the least I can do," I give her a sincere smile. She seems like she's struggling a bit and I don't know what with but I'm gonna be there for her.

A couple of hours later

"do you wanna head out?" I really do, I just wanna rest it's been a long day.

"yeah, we are gonna need good luck getting out with all this paparazzi though," I joke.

"this is really weird but should we kiss for the cameras outside?" She asks, and she's right it is weird but it makes everything believable.

"lets get up and do it, so they can see it properly," I get up and grab her hand to help her up.

I kiss her. It's a nice kiss, fake yeah, but still her soft lips against mine just felt natural and I know I shouldn't think like this, but I'm glad I kissed her before Pedri. I put my arm around her waist pulling her in to me as we walk out the restaurant.

Tatijana's POV

I know he put his arm around me for the camera's but I kinda wish he did it when paparazzi wasn't there even though I don't like him like that.

arsenal fucking lost to the team with 115 charges, how am i supposed to go to school tomorrow guys kill me, next season is our season im telling you COYG

hope you like this chapter i'm very sad atm but we move cause there is the Euros soon

please don't forget to vote!!

enjoy hope you're living your best life cause i know i'm not!!