Growing up, Alicia and her older sister Alessia Russo had loved to play football together. They had both joined many clubs together and they were inseparable. That was until Alicia had gotten a call from Arsenal to join them, meaning leaving Alessi...
As the sun gently streamed through my window, I slowly opened my eyes, feeling the warmth of a new day. Suddenly, my phone buzzed with a video call from Lucy. I quickly reached for it, still half-asleep, and propped myself up in bed. "Lucy? What's the rush? Why are you calling so early?" I asked, my voice filled with a mix of confusion and sleepiness.
With a hint of excitement in her voice, Lucy reminded me of our plans for the day. It was meant to be a fun outing with Leah, Keira, Georgia, a few others, and of course, Lucy herself. I glanced at the time on my phone, 10:37 am, and panic struck me. I was supposed to be up and ready by 11 am. I only had over 20 minutes to prepare before they come and pick me up.
Realizing my mistake, I quickly apologized to Lucy. "Oh shoot, sorry Luce. I just woke up. I'll get ready as fast as I can." I assured her, my voice filled with determination. However, there was one small request I had. "But, could you do me a favor? Can you swing by Maccies before you come? I won't have time for breakfast before you arrive," I asked, a mischievous smile forming on my face as I imagined the delicious food awaiting me.
I stumble out of bed, half asleep, and make my way to the wardrobe. I rummage through the clothes, searching for the perfect outfit for the day out. After a bit of searching, I settle on a pair of black jeans and a cute long-sleeved top. To complete the look, I slip on some short-heeled black boots and throw on a stylish leather jacket. Feeling a bit more put together, I head to the bathroom to freshen up. I brush my teeth and take the time to style my hair because, you know, it's always nice to make an effort when hanging out with friends.
(The outfit):
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I hear a knock on my door and rush downstairs to open it, finding Lucy patiently waiting for me.
"Oh my god, Lucy, again, I'm sorry, I completely forgot about today," I apologize, hurrying out of the house.
"No worries, Alicia. It's all good. At least you're ready on time," Lucy chuckles.
We make our way to the car, with Keira sitting in the passenger seat next to Lucy, and Georgia squeezed in next to Leah. I take a seat beside Leah, making her sandwiched between me and Georgia.
Keira hands me a McDonald's bag and says, "Here, I got you a McMuffin and a hashbrown. There's also one for Leah since she wasn't too hungry earlier."
"Thanks, Kei," I say, eagerly diving into my delicious sausage McMuffin that I had been craving all morning.
About 20 minutes later, we finally make it to the shopping center, where we meet up with Ona, Hempo, Rachel, and Millie at one of the shops. We split up and head to different stores, mostly checking out the sports shops for some new gear.
As we leisurely strolled past a charming bookshop, Leah's eyes lit up with enthusiasm, and she couldn't resist pulling Georgia and Keira inside. Turns out, Leah just released her new book, 'The Wonder Team and the Forgotten Footballers,' and she was eager to see it proudly displayed on the shelves. Intrigued, the rest of us followed suit, eager to support our talented friend.
Amidst the cozy ambiance of the bookshop, our eyes scanned the shelves in search of Leah's masterpiece. Finally, Lucy's sharp gaze spotted it, nestled among other captivating titles. We all gathered around, a mix of pride and curiosity filling our hearts. "It looks absolutely amazing, Leah! I have a feeling this book is going to captivate readers everywhere," Georgia exclaimed, her voice brimming with excitement.
Unable to contain my mischievous grin, I chimed in, "I must admit, Leah, the plot sounds incredibly intriguing. I might just have to grab a copy for myself!"
Suddenly, a little girl approaches us, completely starstruck. "Oh my god! Leah Williamson!! Georgia Stanway! Lucy Bronze!! Alicia Russo!! I can't believe you're all here!" she says, brimming with excitement. "Leah, I'm getting your new book. Could you please sign it for me? And can all of you sign it too?" Her pleading eyes make it impossible to say no, so we grab pens from the front desk and take turns signing the little girl's book. In the end, she leaves with all nine signatures and a huge smile on her face, having met nine famous women footballers in one day.
But the surprises didn't end there. Word spread like wildfire, and soon a crowd of young boys and girls gathered around us, each clutching a copy of Leah's book, asking for autographs from most of us. Many fans also want to take photos with some of us, and let me tell you, Leah and Lucy are definitely fan favourites. They have the most photos taken with them and the most signatures in the books. This whole fan frenzy lasts for about 30 minutes before we left to go and stroll somewhere else.
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As the day went on, the group started to split off, leaving just me, Leah, Lucy, and Keira. It was getting close to 5pm, and we decided to head to Wetherspoons for dinner and to celebrate Leah's new book release. We were all excited to unwind and have a little mini celebration.
We spent about an hour and a half at Wetherspoons, enjoying our time together. Each of us ordered two drinks, except for Lucy who opted for a non-alcoholic beverage since she was driving. Our food choices varied: Leah went for her usual plain meals, while Keira and I decided to try the spicy chicken meal. Lucy treated herself to a mouthwatering juicy burger.
After finishing our meals, we decided to continue the fun by visiting a couple of local pubs for more drinks. Leah and Keira were in high spirits and indulged in a few more drinks, even getting up to do some karaoke and belting out tunes from ABBA. I tried to keep a clear head so that Lucy wouldn't have to take care of all three of us on her own.
It was a lively and memorable evening, filled with laughter, good food, and great company. We all had a fantastic time celebrating Leah's book release and creating lasting memories together.
