I'm with you // Adnan Januzaj

Chapter 3 // Ava

AVA

AFTER Daley introduced Alfie and I to the players in his table, Alfie sat with them leaving me on my own to find another table. "You could manage right, Ava?" He asked in front of them. That arse, knew I was always the shyer one yet insisted to leave me.

I gingerly looked around for an empty seat, trying not to look too nervous in front of the team.

Grandpa Louis raised his hand and screamed "Ava dear, here! Here!" As if I couldn't see his flailing arm, he had to cause a scene to further attract attention to everyone. "Sit here!" He shouted again, "I have the cutest ones in my table!" just to tease and push my buttons more.

The famous Louis Van Gaal was always too loud and spirited.

I walked towards gramps and sat beside him, smiling at Ryan and Wayne who were sat in the table too. Did he really think Wayne Rooney was cute? Huh.

Placing a hand to pat my back, gramps said, "Ryan, Wayne, my granddaughter, Ava—and her brother, is somewhere with the other boys," whilst pointing to Alfie, who was sat in between Daley and Adnan four tables away. "You've met her before, right Giggsy?"

"Pleasure to meet you, Ava" "Nice to see you again," Wayne and Ryan said simultaneously.

For the remainder of the lunch, I was sat peacefully eating my meal, taking my time while listening to the strategies Wayne and Ryan had come up and suggested for their next match in Santa Clara. They were going to face treble winners Barcelona and it would be a huge deal to beat them—even if it was just a preseason tour.

I was spacing out, counting the number of corn kernels on my plate, staring aimlessly at the gold lining decoration on the plate chargers when Alfie nudged me on my back, "Hey, some of the lads are going to play FIFA in the other function room, want to watch?" I was about to give in when grandpa sighed and grunted. I looked at gramps, whispering under my breath, "No?"

My grandpa surely has aged, now with wrinkles visible around his eyes and forehead, still overbearing and overprotective said, "It's really up to you, Ava." His tone though, was not too pleased.

"I think I'll pass, I have to help Patricia and Tony anyway." I replied, looking back at my brother, hoping he wouldn't mind leaving me for a while.

Gramps was now grinning back at me and carried on his conversation with Ryan and Wayne.

Darragh, Alfie and I grew up inseparable; even though Darragh was 2 years older, everyone had always assumed we were triplets with how we constantly did everything together, our stepmom even dressed us all alike.

We lived in a quaint little town in Ballyclare, Ireland; a population not more than 9,000. Most of the kids in town knew each other or of each other at least. Darragh and Alfie belonged to the same circle of friends, however, I was not allowed to join them, merely because they feared one of their mates would start a liking towards me.

I have only been in Manchester for three days before I jetted off to San Francisco, needless to say, most of my things were still in boxes in my gamma and gramps house in Altrincham. I was accepted in to Manchester School of Architecture and gamma suggested I live with them first to save some money, I didn't turn down the offer, obviously.

Alfie was accepted in Imperial College of London for Engineering, he now lives with Darragh in London. Darragh on the other hand, my only brother who didn't see the need to continue on his studies, works in a pub not too far from their flat. Sean, only 11, still lived with my parents in Ireland.

This is the first time Alfie and I would live independently. This trip is my last hurrah before he would leave for London.

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