7am my alarm goes off
I practically jumped out of bed, I don't know if I'm excited or nervous for today probably both I can't really tell the difference
I quickly shower and get ready for my first day of training and also the first time I will be meeting the whole team and the captain Alexia Putellas
I've played her a handful of times in my career most recently at the World Cup, we haven't really interacted with each other except for the pre and post game handshakes but I have to admit I admire her, her demeanor, her passion for football, the ways she plays it's like poetry in motion, and how the city treats her I mean they literally call her "la reina"
I leave my apartment at 7:30, the training ground isn't that far away about a 10 minute drive I ordered a Uber cause I don't have a car here yet, this is going to be my main form of transportation I guess
I arrived at the facility, I see my new manager Jona
"Im so glad you're here, hi Sydney it's so nice to finally meet you, how is your move going?" He asked me shaking my hand
"Nice to meet you too, move is good just waiting for everything to get here"
"Very nice and how are you liking your apartment?"
"It nice thank you for the accommodations."
"All right come in we need to take a photo of you signing then you can meet the girls for training"
I follow him inside as I admire all the Barca art throughout the building
He leads me to the press room
I quickly sign and take a photo with my Barca jersey
Number nine, the same as city
Admiring the jersey I start feeling a little spark for football again..... I've missed it
"Here let me give you a quick tour while we wait for everyone to show up for training"
I follow him around the facility admiring how much Barca gives to the womens side of the club
At city we always got the short end of the stick compared to the guys, but don't get me wrong city was not the worst
After the tour was done he quickly checks his phone, " do you mind waiting outside my office I have a player wanting to talk to me, it'll be quick"
"Oh yeah no problem"
I wait outside as he goes in, all I here is arguing in Spanish, which I don't understand a word of
I really need to learn, which leads me to my phone as I look up, 'how to learn Spanish quick for dummies'
A few moments later his door swings open as I see someone with a hoodie storm out
As she lifts up her head I realized it was Alexia, I was in pure shock, I was looking forward to meeting her formally, and hopefully making a good impression on the captain, from my experience you want the captain on your good side they can make your life a living hell if not
I get up to greet her but she just struts right past me, my eyes following her as she walks down the hallway
damn okay, maybe she didn't actually see me, or she thinks I'm a janitor..... I don't know
Jona pops his head out of his office has he looks down the hallway sighing
"Um here let's go meet the girls they should be warming up for weights, follow me this way" he says as he leads the way taking the opposite route as I just saw Alexia take
He leads me the weights area of the training facility
There I see the team warming up
"Syd you're finally here" Keira says running up to me wrapping me in a big hug
I see Lucy running to me as she jumped on us knocking us down on the floor
"I've missed you guys too" I say laughing
"Okay no need to get the new player hurt on her first day." Jona says laughing
We get back to our feet as Keira and Lucy introduce me to my new teammates. Honestly all of them are just as cool as I thought they would be I'm low key fan girling meeting them all but I did notice that Alexia was missing.....
"Would one of you please take Sydney to the locker room to see her locker and get changed for practice" Jona asked
"I will" Keira replied
I soon follow her as we go down the same hallway Alexia went down early, Keira was my best friend at city I didn't realize how much I missed her, me and her are laughing as she leads me to the locker room opening the door
My first impression was that it was a lot nicer than city's
She points to my locker, I walk over seeing my name on the locker, there's the spark again
"We'll be waiting in the weight room get changed into the training gear and meet us out there, I'm so happy that your here" she says leaving me to take in all of this by myself
I sit down looking around at the names on the lockers, so many big names, so many names that I've looked up to, I look straight ahead to the locker in front of me and see her name Alexia #11
I grab my training kit when I hear the sink turn on in connecting bathroom
I turn my head that way when I hear the sink suddenly turn off
My eyes still on the entrance to the bathroom as I see a figure start making their way out
Alexia
