Back to us | Alexia Putellas

Struggling.

"What's that supposed to mean Isy?" I called after her, feeling that her words had a deeper meaning than simply just what she had said.
"Isy?!"

The only answer I got was the sound of the bathroom door slamming closed.

I was due to leave in about 15 minutes, but I knew that I couldn't leave things like this... I couldn't leave her like this, so I quickly made my way up the stairs and towards the closed bathroom door.

I turned the handle and tried to open the door, but it was locked. I could hear her sobbing on the other side, the sound immediately breaking my heart.

"Isy, please open the door" I said, gently knocking on the wooden door between us.
"Carino, please let me in... I just want to give you a hug, I hate seeing you like this"

"Just go Ale" She mumbled through the door.

"I'm not going anywhere until you open the door"

After a few moments of silence, the door unlocked and Isy appeared in the doorway, her head bowed as she stared directly at the floor.
"It's open, you can go now"

"I don't want to leave you like this..."

"I'm fine Ale" She smiled sarcastically, brushing past me and heading towards the bedroom.

I followed her down the hall and into our bedroom, watching as she sat on the end of the bed and buried her head in her hands. I crouched down in front of her, placing my hands on her knees.

"I'm so sorry that this happened to you Carino, if I could swap places with you I would, because I hate seeing you like this... I hate that you are hurting and I can't do anything to fix it. I'm sorry that I have been away so much, every time I have to leave you here on your own to go to training or a match I hate myself. I hate that I can't take your pain away, I hate that I haven't been here when you've needed me and hate that I have to leave you like this"

My phone buzzed in my pocket a few moments after I had finished speaking, it was Mapi. She was waiting in her car outside the house as she was giving me a lift to the airport.

"That's Mapi... I need to go" I mumbled as I got to my feet.
"I love you" I mumbled into her hair as I placed a kiss on top of her head. 

I picked up my bag and made my way out of the bedroom. Just as I reached the top of the stairs, Isy's voice stopped me in my tracks.

"I love you too" She spoke softly, her voice cracking slightly.

The next twenty four hours flew by, and before I knew it the game was over, the season was over and we were champions. After lifting the trophy and celebrating on the pitch we all made our way back into the locker room, the music was blaring and the team were over the moon, but I only had one thing on my mind... one person on my mind. Isy

I had sent her multiple texts since I left, checking in and making sure she was ok, but had had no response. I knew that she just probably didn't want to talk, but I was worried, so I had asked Alba to drop in on her and check that she was ok.

I was sitting watching the team celebrations, Mapi and Leila dancing around the locker room singing at the top of their voices, the rest of the girls either joining in or filming them on their phones, when my phone started to ring in my bag. I pulled my phone out of my kitbag and saw that it was Alba calling, I answered the call immediately, hoping that she was just calling to let me know that Isy was fine, but that wasn't the case.

"Hey Albs"
"Ale... h-have you seen any of my texts?" She asked, her voice sounding stressed.
"No, I've only just come off the pitch. Is everything ok?"
"Um- Isy's on her way to the hospital. She-"
"WHAT?! What happened?"
"I don't know... she was passed out on the floor when I got here"
"Is she hurt!?"
"She has a cut on her head, but it doesn't look too bad"
"Was she drunk??"