When Does the Pretending End?

Cristiano’s POV

“Ronaldo Scores Again” the headline read. “What the hell is it with these newspapers” i say out loudly causing Nuno to look up from the cooker. The good think about having Nuno staying with me was I didn’t have to cook. “Showing you in a good light again Cristiano” Nuno laughs. I give him a don’t start look and get up to show him the paper.” Seriously why do they care who I was with, nothing even happened with those girls” I say as Nuno reads about how I supposedly took two blondes home with me on Friday night.

To say I have been in the papers a lot is putting it mildly. Just because one of their players got sent off against Portugal in the World Cup, the English press love to portray me a bad guy. Its mid-September and the stories are still never ending.
Ok so I like to go out and have fun. If I meet a girl who I like, well then all the better. What do people expect me to do at my age? So I’ve been with a few different girls in the last few months, after Merche I need to cool off. I’m lucky every girl finds me irresistible.

I ended it with Merche just before pre-season. I learnt that even if you like a girl that if your family scratch that if your mother doesn’t like her, it’s impossible to stay together. Oh and that big thing that she was a cheating bitch. The only problem is the type of girls I meet. I don’t have the best record at choosing girls, I’d be the first to admit.

“Well I did tell you not to go out and then that they weren’t nice girls” Nuno points out. “Ya thanks for that, it didn’t stop you from taking them two girls home the other night though did it?” I smirk as I put the eggs from the pan onto a plate. ”I’m starting to get sick off reading about you Cris, you really should be asking for royalties the amount of times they write about you” Nuno says while frowning at me whilst I shake salt over my eggs.

“Ever considered becoming a comedian Nuno, cos you really know how to make me laugh”, I say to him as eat my eggs. Thank God I don’t have training today. I think to myself. The lads on the team love to tease me about all the attention I’m getting. “Better you then me” Nani always says.
“So who do you think will ring first?” Nuno says as I head to the couch. I let out a grown. “It was Elma last time so Katia maybe”. I shrug looking at the pictures of my family on the table.
The picture of me, Katia, Elma, Hugo, with our parents taken two Christmases ago here in Manchester. It’s just been over a year since my Pai past away. And ever since my family have decided to moan and nag at me about everything I do with my life. Especially my love life.
Don’t get me wrong I love my máe and brother and sisters but having them here the last few weeks to remember Pai as Rio would say “drove me around the bend”. “I know a lovely girl who would love to meet you son” is what Máe says every time I talk to her. I’m sure she does. Someone boring and dull if shes anything like the girl I went on a date with a few weeks ago.

“Maybe if you did meet a nice girl they wouldn’t give out all the time” Nuno suggests. I laugh. “I could date a princess and she wouldn’t be good enough for them. When I’m dating a girl they want me to be single and when I’m…..”Dating a lot of girls at once” Nuno interrupts. “Ya ok when I’m dating lots of girls they complain. See I can’t win”.

“You can’t choose your family Cristiano” jokes Nuno. I start to get off the couch when the phone rings. “But I can choose when to talk to them” I say throwing the phone over to Nuno. “Tell whoever, I’m not here” I say. “Like they’ll believe that and why me” Nuno says whilst throwing the phone back to me. “Because I have to listen to listen Jorge next week about how my partying affects my image all that crap and don’t need any more crap from my family” I beg flinging the phone into his hand.
“Olá” Nuno says into the phone as a place my plate into the dishwasher.” “No he’s not here” I hear him say. “No he’s not avoiding you and yes i’ll tell him you rang. Adeus” he says as he hangs up the phone.

“Your Maé says to ring her and that you should act more that your cousin Nuno” he says with a smirk.
“Maybe I should tell her that it was you and not me who slept with those girls” I say. Not that she’ll believe me if I did, I think to myself.

“Lets go to Angelo’s for lunch” I suggest to Nuno. He looks at me. “One you just had breakfast, two why always Angelo’s Cris” He smirks back at me. “We can go after my run” I say ignoring his last remark and begin to head upstairs. “She might not even be there” Nuno shouts after me. I turn around to look down at him “I have no idea what you are talking about Nuno, so shut up” I say as turn to continue upstairs.

“Cris, just for the record, no princess would ever date you, she’d be too afraid you would steal her jewels and take up too much space in her closet” Nuno yells after me. “Idito” I reply waiting for the scream to after throwing a glass of water over the balcony onto Nuno.