parity | trent alexander-arnold²

six.

projecting the expectations

Once Wynter touched down in France, she soon found herself in her mother's arms after a dreadfully long one month wait. Claire had business to take care of in Paris with youth players so she took it upon herself to tag along with her daughter to Clairefontaine before going about her own adult duties.

With the driver's eyes focused on the road, Claire and Wynter were seated in the back, a peaceful silence lingering amongst the three french residents, the car's radio and Claire's authoritative voice drowning out any silence whenever it was obtained. While the mother directed her attention to the person on the other side of the phone, with her AirPods on, Wynter managed to wash out her mother's voice as she fixated her focus on the iPad in her grasps, jotting down ideas with her Apple Pen whenever something came to mind.

Like her mother, Wynter liked to be a productive person whenever she could, even when her work wasn't needed in that moment of time. Knowing that she'd to be in France for the international break, she couldn't bring her any of her project's stationery nor her detailed board with her on the trip, so she made sure to have all the information converted into a virtual format on her device in case an idea came about while she was abroad for the next few days.

As her lips twitched to the side, Wynter zoomed in and out of the digital format of her data with the pen, attempting to spot some kind of imperfection in her works or pretty much anything that she could edit.

"Winnie, we're almost at the grounds so you should put that away soon," Claire stated once she got off the phone. When Wynter didn't respond, she glanced her way, instantly noticing the wireless earphones blocking out her daughter's sense of sound. She sighed, leaning over to pull one AirPod out of her ear which soon gained a yelp from Wynter.

"Mom, what the hell!" Wynter groaned, a hand immediately flying up to her AirPod-less ear. "I was really feeling the song I was listening to."

"Wow, what a shame," Claire spoke with a hint of sarcasm in her voice. "Honestly, kids nowadays are just so addicted to technology. It's ridiculous."

Wynter's face scrunched up at her mother's words.

I mean, your job literally just involves you constantly on the phone with athletes, but hey what do I know?

She kept her thoughts to herself, instead simply shaking her head as she turned off her iPad. "Whatever you say, mom," Wynter said, placing her iPad back in her carrier bag only to retrieve her phone.

kylian | winnie

winnie l'ourson
According to my mom, I'm almost at the grounds. Have you arrived yet?

donny
You didn't hear?

winnie l'ourson
Hear what?

donny
I recently got injured, so I wasn't even called up.

winnie l'ourson
And I'm only hearing about this now because. . .

donny
. . . Because you don't tune into french football news anymore?

winnie l'ourson
That's not even my fault that I don't live in France anymore. Anyway, you okay? Is it a bad one?

donny
Eh, I'm alright but I'm kind of bummed out that I'm missing the qualifiers

winnie l'ourson
Well, at least you don't have to be surrounded by the idiots we call our teammates.

donny
They aren't even that bad, Winnie. You're just overreacting 😂