The Dream

2.

That all happened 2 years ago. I'm not that little girl anymore. I'm that girl who is still incredibly immature for a 16 year old. I'm that girl who got 15 small tattoos, some being my mum and dads name and Pedri's name in Arabic. A couple of kangaroos, koalas, butterflies and cockatoos as well as a couple smiley faces, love hearts and an outline of Australia. All that happened. I haven't seen my family since Lili got married which was exactly 2 years ago. I'm not even in Spain anymore, I'm in England playing for Manchester City's ladies. I used to play with Sam Kerr but now that she left to go to FC Barcelona I've only got our goalie, Mackenzie or Macca Arnold and Mary Fowler. Sam left to play with Hailey Raso, Ellie Carpenter and Cortnee Vine as well as my ex teammates. 

Now I'm touching down in Australia ready to go train with my team before we go to America and Mexico for the Women's FIFA World Cup. Now... the only thing I'm afraid of is seeing Pedri and all the other peeps because the men are all on holidays so most of them are most likely watching their team play. 

                                                                                  *****

We're up against France for the quarter finals and when I tell you we've got this, SAM AND I GOT THIS! 

I take a sneaky glance at the family and friends seating area and I see Kylian Mbappe, his family and some other footballers from France's National Football Team. They all look really judgemental but not as us when we look at our opponents. The nerves man, I can't explain it. 

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No one has scored, we need to win this to go onto the semi- finals. My face is sweaty and I look like a real- life, walking tomato. I had a blood nose and my face is sunburnt because I can feel the skin slowly peeling off my face. 

Then, Mackenzie kicks the ball like a footy and it bounces onto the other half, just where I am standing. I don't wait for the ball to come to me, I sprint to it and the second I touch it I turn around and run until I'm a few metres away from the goalie. I cross her and go to the other side unaware there are a couple of defenders surrounding me, without a doubt I kick the ball, it curving and landing on the top-right corner and it goes in! 

I run to the corner and I do my celebration. It being 2 backflips and a somersault. The team runs to me and we all scream our chant. 

"AUSSIE, AUSSIE AUSSIE, OI, OI, OIIII!" with the crowd joining in with us while chanting our last 3 words. 

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I jump onto my bed and Hayley walking in after me. 

"Night Lanie" 

"Night Hailes" 

What a night.