I've Got A Secret, Please Don't Repeat It

Rebecca felt like the world was spinning out of control. Hadn’t Fernando just told her that he had broken up with Olalla? After everything he had told her about Olalla just two days, didn’t that mean anything?

She looked up to see a guilty and confused looking Fernando with Olalla attached to his arm. Olalla was smirking, knowing she had “won.”

“That’s great news. Congratulations to the both of you,” Rebecca said through clenched teeth.

Rebecca spun on her heel and walked back into her room to see an equally fuming Sergio. Sergio looked up to see Rebecca on the verge of tears, sliding down the door she had just slammed.

Sergio bent down to be on the same level as Rebecca, “Shh…it’s going to be alright.”

Rebecca fought Sergio off, “I’ve heard that one too many times and every time the person was wrong.”

Sergio was hurt, why was his best friend pushing him away?

“Just tell that bastard, I never want to speak or see him every again. And he can forget about asking to speak to me. The only time we will speak is on the pitch.”

Sergio nodded, picking up Rebecca and tucking her into bed. He walked back into the hall to find Olalla and Fernando arguing. This is either good or bad news, he thought to himself.

Sergio cleared his throat to gain the attention of Fernando and Olalla, “I have a message for you,” he said, glaring at Fernando.

Fernando whispered to Olalla to go into the room, “Is it from Rebecca?” he asked, hopeful.

“Yes, and it will be the last. You are to never speak or be in the presence of Rebecca. And to make things clear, she will not listen to anything you say. The only time you will speak with her is on the pitch.”

And with that Sergio walked back into his room to find Rebecca sound asleep with tear stained cheeks. He hoped that this precious girl would suffer no more, because she had suffered enough.

Fernando stormed into his room, completely enraged. “What the HELL was that?”

Olalla smirked, “What was what darling?” Olalla wrapped her arms around Fernando’s neck and started nibbling on his ear.

Fernando pushed Olalla off, “We aren’t engaged anymore!”

Olalla was shocked, “But…but you said the next time you saw me, we’d get married!”

Fernando pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to calm down. “That doesn’t make sense. YOU found me, not the other way around.”

Olalla was on the verge of tears, “I LOVE you, can’t you see that!”

Fernando instantly felt guilty, “Come here, we’ll see if things work out during the tournament. And then something might happen.”

Olalla squealed in delight, launching herself at Fernando.

Rebecca woke up in the middle of the night, hearing a strange noise. She walked out into the hallway, walking towards the noise. She wasn’t surprised that it was coming from Fernando’s room.

“Horndogs,” She muttered to herself.

“What was that?”

Rebecca looked up in shock to see Iker leaning against the wall.

“Is that some Canadian slang?” Iker asked with a smirk on his face.

Rebecca chuckled, “Kind of, more American than Canadian. It means…”

“I know what it means. But I have a question for you.”

Rebecca nodded.

“How bad did Fernando hurt you?” Iker asked finally.

Rebecca looked down to the floor, not able to meet Iker’s gaze. “Enough that I thought of possibly leaving. Enough that I thought of hurting myself again. Enough that I thought of leaving the sport. For good.”

Iker was silent, how could one boy do this to an amazingly talented girl?

Iker opened his mouth to reply, but Rebecca cut him off. “But that’s not going to happen, because I have people like you, Sergio, Luis. Hell, even Lukas.”

Iker winced at the mention of the German striker.

“Sorry.”

Iker waved her off, “Get to bed; we have to wake up early for Wimbledon.”

Rebecca gasped, she had totally forgotten about Wimbledon. Even about going to watch some of Rafa’s matches!

Iker winked at Rebecca and returned to his room. Rebecca did the same, quietly, not wanting to wake up Sergio.

The gap between the Quarter-final and the Semi-final was 4 days. And a lot happened in those four days. Wimbledon started, which evoked even more Spanish spirit, with Rafa playing so well. Iker and Rebecca horded the television, wanting to watch every single one of Rafa’s matches, screaming at the television like they were at the match.

But the most astonishing event that happened was Spain suffered its first loss. Not in the actual tournament, but the starting XI against the Reserves. Rebecca led the Reserves to a win, using her anger and fury towards Fernando to her advantage. Luis tried his best to give his starting XI the chance to win, giving corner kicks and free kicks like they were candy. Fernando was not playing his best soccer; Olalla and Rebecca were on his mind.

Rebecca was finally over Fernando, or so she thought. It was the day before their semi-final match, against Russia. The PR Manager of the Spanish National Team, announced there was going to be a photo shoot, for the most wanted players on the team. Rebecca laughed to herself, seriously? Most wanted players? She instantly thought of a couple, including one that hadn’t entered her mind for almost 3 days.

“And the players are….Fernando Torres and Rebecca Cortez!”

Everyone cheered, congratulating the two players. But Fernando and Rebecca were equally shocked. Rebecca glared at Fernando, as if it was his fault. Fernando was just giving her a blank look. The PR Manager whisked Fernando and Rebecca off to the awaiting car. The two sat on opposite sides of the car, not wanting to be any closer.

The PR Manager was describing the shoot; they would be taking both colour and black and white pictures. The theme would be males vs. females. They would be facing off against each other, playing one-on-one soccer.

They got to the photo shoot and immediately pulled into hair and make-up. Rebecca was focusing on what the hairdresser was doing to her hair because it was fabulous! Fernando was trying to figure out a way to talk to Rebecca, without causing a scene. Rebecca heard someone trying to get her attention, but she knew who it was.

It was him.

But she ignored him, listening to the make-up artist who was amazed at Rebecca’s natural beauty, exclaiming that he had basically nothing to do. But Fernando on the other hand had some work to do. Rebecca smirked when she heard this.

The shoot started, they had brought in some soccer turf, and the plan was to have Fernando and Rebecca basically play a one-on-one game. The photographer was amazed at the “tension” and “passion” that both the players were putting into the shoot.

“Okay, and now for the last scene!” The photographer shouted.

Rebecca sighed, why couldn’t this just be over?!

Rebecca and Fernando shared puzzled looks when they brought indoor rain system. The photographer laughed, “The plan for our last scene is to have a kiss in the rain.”

Rebecca froze, “No way.”

Fernando growled, “That’s not happening. It’s not good for soccer.”

“Too bad. We already went it over with your PR, so it’s good to go.”

Rebecca huffed in defeat, while Fernando just glared at the photographer.

The photographer was describing the scene he wanted, “Okay, so go back to the soccer game. And now I just want the passion to take over both of you.”

Rebecca snorted, what passion?

“Rebecca. I want to you almost body check Fernando when you’re going around him. And then, you’re both going to fall to the ground, and share a kiss in the rain,” the photographer finished, clapping his hands in approval.

Rebecca nodded, but her look was still cold. She positioned herself to side-step Fernando, but stepped on the ball to “fall” into Fernando. Rebecca had planned to just fall into Fernando and the both of them go down. But that didn’t happen.

Fernando saw what was coming and caught Rebecca, turning in the air so he landed on top. Fernando smirked down at Rebecca, “Now, this looks familiar.”

Rebecca was speechless; it was déjà vu all over. Fernando looked angelic, with the rain rolling down his face onto hers. Rebecca was hesitant to close the gap between herself and Fernando. But Fernando noticed this and made the first move.

Rebecca felt the work she had accomplished over the past few days of forgetting Fernando start crumbling down, as Fernando kissed her. She tried not to enjoy the kiss, but she had missed this.

A little too much.