Everybody's Romeo, Nobody's Juliet

Chapter Eight: The Westfalenstadion

Thanks for the ride." Rose said as she opened the car door.

Kristopher had offered to drive her to the stadium. "Don't mention it." He replied. "Do you want me to pick you up later?"

She shook her head. "I'll manage. Thanks though." She closed the door behind her.

Kristopher rolled down the passenger window. "Have fun, cheer loud."

"Of course." She smiled, giving him two thumbs up.

She gave one last look at the car as it drove away before wrapping the BVB scarf, which Mr. Steiner had given her last night, around her neck. She straightened the complimentary BVB kit she got when she claimed her ticket. It was a bit baggy compared to the black skinny jeans she wore. She scooped up her brown hair and let it hung over her left shoulder as she gazed at the enormous arena, feeling like a tiny fish in a big lake. "This is it," she exhaled. 'My very first home game inside the greatest stadium in the world.' From every direction, people clad in black and yellow walked their way to the stadium entrance resembling ants rendezvousing with the rest of the colony. She marched forward and, with every step of her yellow sneakers on the concrete, she ingested everything. The chilly air smelled of the mixture of muffler fumes and different perfumes drifting in the open air. She found the sound of squeaking cars as they park and the drone of passersby hypnotic. The sky was a swirl of fiery amber and dark indigo as the sun slowly melted into the ascending dusk setting a stark backdrop against the glaring lights that lined the stadium. She fell in line with the rest of the crowd, her heart giddy with excitement. After the bag inspection, she made her way to the stands. She passed by the concession stands and got a whiff of melted cheese and butter. The aroma of caramelized onion filled her nostrils next: somebody had walked by carrying two slices of pizza on a paper plate. Her stomach growled. She just had soup and crackers as a late lunch, fearing she'd vomit everything if she ate too much. She couldn't resist, especially when another person passed by with a hamburger. The smell of freshly cooked patty and barbecue sauce made her mouth water. She stood in line and bought herself a bratwurst in a bun and a tall plastic cup of iced tea. She took a small bite.

'God, that's good.' She thought, tasting the pasty bread and chewy meat in her mouth. The mustard added a nice zing to it. She carefully made her way back to the pitch but there were so many people bumping her, her drink was reduced to three-fourths of the content. But it didn't matter, she was here. She just smiled and trudged forward. As soon as she stepped out to the stands, her eyes were greeted by an explosion of blacks and yellows meshing together like a finely woven wool blanket. Making her way to her designated seat, she ogled at everything in sight. The Sudtribune or the Yellow Wall, which was the standing areas, was already in high spirits. As the band started playing loudly, other spectators join the pregame buildup by singing one of their homespun songs and swinging their hands back and forth simultaneously. It made her think of a field of wheat blowing with the breeze. Hundreds of flags, big and small, flapped majestically in the air.

She stood there, awestruck at the breathtaking spectacle. 'I can't believe I'm here.'

She sat down and rested her food on her lap. She placed her iced tea on the floor behind her legs as a safety measure. Everyone was buzzing with anticipation. She felt like a grain of sand in a huge stretch of beach. She took out her phone from her bag and pointed it at the pitch. More than a dozen people lined the edges, twirling BVB flags with all their might. In the middle of the pitch, a massive BVB logo was being hoisted above the ground by several people. The teams were already done with their pre-game warm up drills and had went back inside to change into their uniforms. She snapped a picture and sent it to Kristopher with the message: This place is amazing!