Football Imagines

Alli 💔Hope is a dangerous thing for a woman like me to have

Don't ask if I'm happy, you know I'm not. -Lana Del Rey

Dele Alli
🦁🦁🦁England National Team🦁🦁🦁
🔵⚪Tottenham Hotspur⚪🔵

I walk out of my house for what will be the last time to Dele's car waiting in the driveway.

I jump in the car to see him smiling like a kid

"You look way too happy about the fact that I'm leaving England in a few days," I say.
"I've been waiting for this moment for my whole life," he says sarcastically.
"And that's why you planned this so called, Grand Farewell Tour," I say raising an eyebrow.
"Giving you to the land down under with a bang," he says.
"So what have you got planned?" I ask as he reverses out of the driveway.
"I'm taking you around London for one final tour," he says.
"That doesn't help much on telling me what you have planned," I say.
"I'll tell you as we go on, right now we're on our way to Kamal's Kebab shop. Any idea why we're going there?" He asks.
"Obviously, that's where we met. I remember our friends hooked up that night. What was his name...Bryan, Brandon, that's the one," I say, "what's he doing with his life now?"
"Prison," he says without batting an eye.
"What? Are you serious?" I ask in shock.
"Nah I'm kidding. He moved to Cardiff a few years ago," he says chuckling.
"I was about to start worrying about your friend choice," I say.
"What about your friend that hooked up with him?" he asks.
"Stay at home mum to two kids," I say.
"Well, in hindsight, that relationship wasn't going to happen," he says.
"Definitely, at least we got one good friendship out of that night," I say shrugging my shoulders as Dele pulls into the parking lot in front of the Kebab shop.

"So the normal?" He asks as we walk into the relatively empty shop.
"Yup," I reply.

We order our normal and take a seat near the door.

"I seriously wonder what made me continue speaking to you after our friends broke up," I say.
"Definitely the teenage banter," he says.
"We got along like fire and gasoline, what could go wrong," I say with a laugh.
"I think we still do," he says.
"Last time I ever play a drinking game with you while watching rugby," I say with a laugh.
"Well you're still alive to tell the story, so I can't be blamed," he argues.
"Alcohol poisoning Dell. Poisoning," I say.

We grab out food and head back to the car.

"So first place we met, done." I say, "where to next?"

"Everywhere," he says with a mischievous smile.

We drive to a bar not far from the kebab shop.

"You know why we're here?" He asks putting the car off.
"This one I don't know, I've been here a few times, but nothing significant happened," I say confused.
"This was the bar you were in when I played my first game as a senior England player," he says.
"What? Has it been that long?" I ask.
"Feels like a lifetime ago," he says with a chuckle.

We walk into the bar that's relatively empty. The bartender looks pretty excited when he sees the face that walks in. They take a few pictures and we sit down at the bar.

"Nachos, let me take a guess," he says.
"You know my bar-nacho theory, I don't know why you still ask," I say with a laugh.

We wait for our nachos and talk about the move.

"So you excited?" He asks.
"I'm excited about getting a fresh start," I say.
"But..." He leads on.
"Not too happy about having to leave behind everything familiar back home," I say.
"But you're up for a pretty big promotion when you get there," he says.
"That and many sleepless nights, but I've always wanted to play a hand in opening a clothing store, so now's my chance," I say.
"Sydney has no idea what it's in for," he says.
"I just hope it'll be a success," I say.
"Well, if you're running most of it, there's no doubt in my mind it'll be great," he says.
"Thanks," I say with a smile.

We finish up at the bar and head to our last stop on the tour.

"Last stop, Shelby Marie Paulsen," he says dramatically.
"Wow, we're doing full names now," I say with a laugh.

"Here we are," he says pulling up to the parking lot of Wembley stadium.
"I know for a fact, I have never had any significant memories at Wembley stadium," I say with a laugh.
"No, but it is a symbol of how far we've come," he says.
"Meaning?" I ask.
"When we were teenagers, I would dream about playing at Wembley, scoring goals, playing for a big club. You would dream about working for a big clothing brand and opening your own store," he says.
"That just means only one of us achieved our goals," I say.
"I didn't mean it like that. Maybe this store isn't your own, but you've been trusted to start it in a whole new country. That counts for something. And it's just giving you the experience you need to one day open your own store," he says.
"Well when you put it like that," I say with a laugh.
"Are you happy?" He asks.
"You know you can't ask if I'm happy, you know that I'm not," I say.
"How come?" he asks.
"For starters, I feel like you got everything you wanted, and I got nothing," I say.
"That's not true," he says.
"Big club, playing Wembly stadium, kids wanna grow up and be you," I say
"There's still one thing I never got," he says, "you."
"Bullsh*t," I scoff, "you really wanna tell me that on my last few days in England. When you have a beautiful girlfriend, that really loves you?"
"It's been that way since high school," he says
"Then why didn't you tell me then? I've wanted to hear you say that for years," I say.
"I always felt like there was too much friendship behind us, and it would ruin us," he says.
"And you're right, but stupid me always held out for us. That maybe one day you'd see me as more than just your best friend," I say.
"I did, I was just afraid you didn't feel the same way," he says.
"It's funny, I felt the same way," I say with a laugh.
"So does this change things for us?" he asks.
"I wish I could say yes, but that would be a lie. I don't want you to break your girlfriend, who I actually like's, heart. And even so, a big reason why I'm moving is because Sydney is going to be a new start for me. I can stop holding out for us and maybe starting living a normal life. Maybe find someone I like, without thinking of you," I say.
"Out of sight, out of mind," he says.
"Exactly." I say.
"I'm sorry I never told you how I felt earlier," he says.
"I'm a big believer in "everything happens for a reason," and there's a reason why neither of us said anything. At least now I'm getting on that plane with all the closure I needed," I say with a smile.
"I did love you," he says.
"And I loved you too, but it'll always be as a friend," I say.
"But who knows what the future holds for us," he says.
"I can't allow myself to think of that possibility. You owe it to me to let me move on," I say.
"You're right, and I really do wish you all the success in the world in Sydney," he says grabbing my hand.
"Thanks Del, here's to my well deserved fresh start," I say.
"Just promise me you'll come home for Christmas," he says.
"A long as you still play drinking games with me during the next rugby world cup," I say with a laugh.
"Sounds like a plan Shel," he says.