-ALEJANDROS POV-
Training at Camp Nou was always intense, but today my mind was elsewhere. Despite my best efforts to focus on the drills and tactics, my thoughts kept drifting back to Indiyah. Our attempts to be friends had ended in disaster, and I couldn't shake the frustration that came with our every interaction.
As we wrapped up our morning session, I found myself lingering on the pitch, lost in thought. My teammate, Ansu Fati, jogged over, a curious expression on his face.
"Hey, Balde, you okay?" he asked, wiping the sweat from his brow.
"Yeah, I'm fine," I lied, trying to sound casual.
Ansu raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. "You sure? You've been off your game all morning."
I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "It's nothing. Just some personal stuff."
Ansu nodded, a knowing look in his eyes. "Is it about that girl, Indiyah?"
I stiffened, surprised that he had picked up on it. "How do you know about her?"
He shrugged, leaning against the goalpost. "I've seen you two together a few times. Plus, you talk about her more than you realize."
I frowned, not sure how to respond. Ansu was one of my closest friends on the team, but I wasn't used to opening up about my personal life.
"It's complicated," I said finally.
"It always is," Ansu replied with a chuckle. "But talking about it might help. What's going on?"
I took a deep breath, deciding to trust him. "Indiyah and I have known each other since we were kids. Our families are close, but we've never gotten along. We tried to be friends recently, but it didn't work out. We always end up fighting."
Ansu nodded thoughtfully. "Sounds tough. Do you know why you fight so much?"
"I don't know," I admitted. "We just seem to bring out the worst in each other."
"Or maybe you bring out something else," Ansu suggested, a hint of a smile playing on his lips.
I frowned, not understanding. "What do you mean?"
"Sometimes, when two people have that much tension, it's because there's something deeper going on," he explained. "Maybe you both have feelings you're not ready to admit."
I scoffed, shaking my head. "That's ridiculous. We hate each other."
"Do you?" Ansu asked, his gaze steady. "Or are you just afraid to admit that you don't?"
His words hit me harder than I expected. I had always thought of Indiyah as an adversary, someone who constantly challenged me. But Ansu's perspective made me question everything.
Before I could respond, another teammate, Pedri, joined us. "What's going on here? Talking about girls again?"
"Just giving Balde some advice," Ansu said with a grin. "He's got girl trouble."
Pedri laughed, clapping me on the shoulder. "Well, that's no surprise. Who's the lucky lady?"
"Her name's Indiyah," I said reluctantly. "But it's not what you think. We don't get along."
"Ah, the classic enemies-to-lovers trope," Pedri teased. "Maybe you just need to figure out what's really going on between you two."
I rolled my eyes, but their words stayed with me. "Thanks, guys. I'll figure it out."
"Just don't overthink it," Ansu advised. "Sometimes, the answer is simpler than you think."
As we headed back to the locker room, I couldn't shake the conversation from my mind. Was it possible that my feelings for Indiyah were more complicated than I realized? Could Ansu and Pedri be right about there being something deeper between us?
After showering and changing, I found myself scrolling through my phone, staring at Indiyah's number. I wanted to talk to her, to try and understand why we kept clashing. But I knew it wouldn't be easy. Our history was full of misunderstandings and hurt feelings, and breaking through that barrier seemed almost impossible.
With a sigh, I put my phone away and headed out of the stadium. I needed to clear my head, to figure out what I really wanted. Maybe Ansu was right; maybe there was something deeper between Indiyah and me. But until I could sort out my own feelings, I knew I wouldn't be able to face her.
As I walked through the streets of Barcelona, the familiar sights and sounds brought me a sense of comfort. This city was my home, and it had always been a place where I felt grounded. But now, with everything going on with Indiyah, even that felt uncertain.
I stopped at a small café, ordering a coffee and sitting down to think. I needed to find a way to make things right with Indiyah, to at least try to understand her better. Maybe then we could find some common ground, a way to coexist without the constant fighting.
Pulling out my phone again, I composed a message to her.
Alejandro: Hey, can we talk? I think we need to figure this out.
I hesitated for a moment before hitting send. The message felt like a small step, but it was a step nonetheless. And as I waited for her response, I couldn't help but hope that maybe, just maybe, we could find a way to move forward.
