Snap Out Of It - Alexia Putellas

It Still Didn't Feel Real

Alana's POV

"Alana!" Gabby called up to me from the lower floor of my apartment, "Alana are you nearly ready? We're going to be late!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming," I made my way down the stairs, a smile spread across my face to see my sister waiting at the bottom  for me. 

Gabby, or Gabriella as my father still insisted on calling her, was two years younger than me, she'd recently turned twenty-one whereas I was nearing my twenty-fourth birthday. I still thought of her as my baby sister, and I think I always would, even if she was the slightly more rational one of our duo. I'd look after her forever; as a big sister, that felt like my purpose and responsibility, my world could be wrecked but as long as Gabby was okay, I'd be fine in the end. 

"I see you've already used your keys," my smile grew. 

Gabby rolled her eyes, never able to stay annoyed at me for long, "Well I had to! You were taking ages up there, what were you doing?"

"I have to look good for the first day," I shrugged, grabbing my bag and opening the front door which led into the hallway of the apartment complex we'd moved into just yesterday, Gabby's apartment was on the floor below mine. Jonatan recommended this building to us seeing as a few of the Barcelona girls already lived here and it was so close to the training facilities; the views of the city were also beautiful. 

Gabby chuckled, "I doubt anyone would ever think you look bad."

I quickly turned around, the energy coursing through my veins like a child after eating an entire bag of sugar. I pinched Gabby's cheek, it was a habit I found highly amusing and she hated, "You're just too sweet."

Gabby swatted me away, climbing into the passenger side of my new car which Phil, our cousin, had picked out for me. It was a slick black Mercedes, which was probably slightly impracticable for the size of our new kit bags, but simply too beautiful to resist once he'd sent the recommendation to me. It was shiny and had a convertible roof; two things which seemed impossible to resist in my rather simple mind. 

I turned on the radio, frowning when I heard it was the Spanish station, I tried to turn it over but Gabby pushed my hand away.

"I'm listening!" She defended herself.

I rolled my eyes, not able to hide my smile, "Well just fill me in if anything important is happening I guess," I chuckled. 

My sister could speak perfect Spanish and fairly fluent Catalan, whereas I struggled to pick up even the shortest sentence.

This move to Barcelona had been in Gabby's sight since we first kicked a ball in Phil's back garden, to say it was her biggest dream, would have still somehow been an understatement. My dream club? I had never been sure as a child, but Gabby's dream became my dream and that led us here today, pulling up in the car park of the Barcelona training grounds for our official contract signing and first day.

"You ready?" Gabby braced herself, she was less confident than I'd grown to be; it felt like because I was the older sister, I needed to be stronger, not in terms of competition, but to protect Gabs. 

I nodded, seeing the excitement in my sister's eyes filled me with such joy, my heart growing by at least two sizes because I knew today was the day when her dream became a reality. When our dream became a reality. 

We walked into the building, it was much larger than the Manchester City facilities, but that was to be expected, this was Barcelona; the club with the richest history in the world and in many eyes, the most iconic badge to wear on your chest. 

Jonatan, the manager, met us in the reception, greeting us both with a warm smile and hand shake. 

"How are you feeling? Is your rehab going well?" He asked me, clearly referring to the injury I'd sustained in the World Cup final, little under two weeks ago.