Change of Location - Pedri González

iii. realisation

***

It's slightly awkward in the car as Pedri drives them away. Mostly because Pedri and Ferran were finding it really hard to deal with their national team's boss's daughter hitching a ride with them. And also because Ferran got them all into this mess in the first place. He apologised, but it still felt awkward.

Until a phone rings.

"I think it's mine," Sophia says in her exhausted voice. Because the ring was muffled, and everyone else's phones were out, and Sophia remembers putting hers in her purse. Sira had taken her purse.

The older girl takes it out and looks at the caller ID.

"It's Katherine," says Sira. "Why's she calling at this time? Is it not, like, 1am in England?"

"I told her I'd be clubbing tonight," says Sophia. Pedri and Ferran look back at her in curiosity. "My cousin from England's calling." She tells Sira, "Answer it."

So Sira does, and puts it on speaker.

"Hey, Soph!" The pleasant tone of her cousin's English accent filled her phone speakers. "You home yet?"

Sira answered with a slight grimace, "Not Soph, actually."

"Sira? You okay? Where's Sophia? What happened?"

"She's right here, Kat. We're okay."

To prove a point, Sophia said into the speaker, "Hey, Kat."

"Soph, what's happened? You sound ill."

"We ran into a little trouble at the club...—"

"WHAT?"

"We're okay. Heading to out-of-hours just now."

"Out of hours? Explain EVERYTHING."

"Please, Katherine. I'm fine, really. Just had a bit of a fall at the club, got ran into. It's a hideous bump, but I'm hoping that's all it is. I really don't see the need for a check-up, but..."

"You're getting one, Soph. End of discussion. Sira, you have my permission to take away Sophia's Disney+ privileges if she steps out of line."

"Got it, Kat."

"How are you guys getting there? Please tell me neither of you are driving."

"We're not, as much as I wanted to. We have a lift."

"Who's your lift?"

"You are full of questions, Katherine Adams."

"I don't stay up this late for nothing."

"These two guys at the club. One of them's also needing the hospital, he fell into me and sprained his ankle. They're both Spanish footballers."

"Wait... Spanish footballers?"

"Yep," Sophia spares a glance to a highly exasperated Sira. "They both train under Sira's dad, actually. You might know them, depending on what club they play for. Pedri and Ferran."

"Wait... Ferran?"

"...Yes?"

"Ferran... his last name...?"

Ferran's head shoots to the back. "Sophia," he says, voice shallow with fear. "What... what was your cousin's name, again?"

"Katherine Adams," says Sophia, frowning.

Ferran's face drops.

Then Sophia tells Katherine, "Ferran Torres."

They can just hear the realisation settling in.