It's A Game, But Who's Keeping Score?

“Why is she at my stall?” Fernando growled.

I turned around, my jaw on the floor. I was speechless, wasn’t this supposed to be my stall? I swear I had seen my name on the plaque. I couldn’t meet Fernando’s fiery gaze.

“Easy now Fernando,” Steve said, stepping in between us. “Rebecca’s stall isn’t finished being built, so you’re going to have to share,” he finished with a smirk.

I turned around, the blush starting to creep up my beck onto my cheeks. I heard Fernando walk p behind me, the heart radiating off his body, as he reach up to grab his gear. Fernando’s persistent glare burned holes in my back, making me feel even more uncomfortable.

“This doesn’t change anything,” Fernando growled at me.

I turned around, mouth agape. “I…I wouldn’t expect anything less,” I managed to choke out.

Fernando smirked and proceeded to peel off his shirt. I couldn’t lie; this was one thing I did miss. Fernando looked better than ever.

“Why don’t you take a picture? It will last longer.”

I snapped my mouth shut and fought the tears back. I was no longer in the locker room, but in the park in Austria. I could feel the mist hanging in the air and the mud beneath my feet. What Fernando had said was repeating over and over in my head. We had spent the day together, we finally understood each other.

Then I was pulled back as Pepe urged me on, I couldn’t forget the look on Fernando’s face as he realized the meaning of what he said. He opened his mouth to say something, but I had already sprinted out of the dressing room.

Practice went by quickly, Rafa made it light as the game yesterday had gone longer than expected. The team didn’t seem that into the practice, the lost was taking a toll on everyone. The dressing room was deadly quiet as everyone was showering and getting changed, as I stood awkwardly in the middle of the room.

“Uh…Steven, where can I shower?” I said quietly.

Steve looked up at me and laughed. “Don’t worry, we have that covered,” he said, pointing me in the direction of a shower room off to the side. “It used to be the massage room, but we moved that down the hall, just for you of course.”

I blushed, the club had sacrificed a lot for me to come and play for them. I was indebted to the team. The shower helped relax my tight muscles, as I hadn’t played competitively for almost a year. I had barely covered my body with a towel, when somebody came barreling through the door.

“Oh, you’re not the masseuse,” Fernando said, his eyes trailing my body.

I couldn’t help the blush creep up my necks and onto my cheeks, I was speechless; my usual witty comments escaped me as I stood in front of Fernando almost naked. Fernando smirked at me as he realized the control he had over me, although it had been almost a year, he knew how I felt.

“Glad to see I still have that affect on you,” he said with his infamous smirk, as he walked into the room. “Now are you going to tell me what you’re really doing here?”

I could feel my blood starting to boil, was Fernando really this bipolar? And really this obnoxious? “I’m here to play football, isn’t that obvious? Oh, sorry! I forget it was you I was talking to, I have to spell it out for you; unlike in Austria. Me coming to Liverpool has absolutely nothing to do with you! Why can’t you get that through your big head?!” I yelled at him.

Fernando looked defeated, as he realized his charm hadn’t worked on me. “Well…uh…if that’s how you feel. I…I’ll just go,” he said, stumbling out the door. I shook my head in despair; Fernando was honestly the most confusing person I had ever met. I quickly got dressed, before heading back out to the dressing room to meet up with Xabi and Pepe.

“What took you so long?” Pepe asked me, as we walked out to his car.

I looked over to Fernando, who was getting into his own car. “I was rudely interrupted by someone, who shall remain unnamed.”

“Ten bucks says I can guess,” Xabi said, excitedly.

“I’ll give you ten bucks if you shut your trap,” I snapped back.

“Oh, fine then. Maybe I won’t tell you about the movie night that everyone’s going to.”

“Wait…MOVIE NIGHT?!?!” I screamed into Xabi’s face. “TELL ME NOW!!!”

Xabi laughed before running around to the other side of the car. I huffed before running after him. Half an hour later, after running after Xabi throughout the entire parking lot, we arrived back at the house when Xabi finally told me about the movie night.

“It’s a tradition for someone to host a movie night every week, we watched movies the entire night.”

“Cool, I’m totally in,” I said, excitedly.

“Um…are you sure?” Xabi asked hesitantly.

I gave him a funny look and nodded, “I’ll go get changed and we can head over.” My closet was overly full, so finding an outfit to wear wasn’t that hard. I slipped into my favourite pair of faded jeans and my Nike track jacket. I didn’t put on any make-up or fix my hair, I was with the guys; no one to impress. Within 15 minutes, I was back in the foyer where Xabi and Pepe were waiting for me.

“That was extremely fast for a girl,” Pepe said with a smile.

“That can be debated.”

Xabi looked over at me, with an uneasy expression. “Are you absolutely sure you want to come?”

“Yes Xabi, if I’m going to be part of the team, I should probably hang out with the team.”

He nodded and then we headed over to where the movie night was being held. There were already several cars parked outside a very large house that had Spanish accents. I poked my head into the front seat as we pulled into the driveway, “Whose house is this?”

Pepe and Xabi didn’t have time to answer, as the owner of the house came outside to greet us. Or rather Pepe and Xabi. Fernando was beaming as he saw his friends climb out of the car, but his expression fell as he saw me.

“Don’t look too surprised to see me,” I said as I breezed past him into the magnificent house.

“I don’t remember inviting you,” he snapped back at me.

“Are we seriously going to go over this Nando?” I said, before clamping a hand over my mouth.

Fernando smirked and walked towards me till he was inches away. “What did you call me?” he whispered, so only I could hear.

“I-I…uh…what’s that? Steven calling me?” I said hurriedly, before sprinting into what seemed like the entertainment room.

Pepe walked up to his friend, placing a hand on Fernando’s shoulder, “Are you seriously going to go through with this?”

Fernando winked at his friend, “I’m going to make her like me again.”