Back home || Alexia Putellas

XV

The voices of the Manchester United players could easily be heard throughout the entire stadium. They jumped, shouted, clapped, and cheered. Showers and celebrations were taking turns while Alexia Putellas attended to the media.

"Guys! We're in the semifinals!" exclaimed Harry, earning cheers from everyone present.

"And you, mate," Josh Jackson pointed at the academy player, "you're a freaking genius."

The players continued hugging, giving the debutant some playful slaps on the back. Owen Spencer was truly living a dream. He couldn't stop smiling.

"I still can't believe it," he said sincerely.

"No, neither could I when the coach put you on the field," Frank Richard, the team's starting goalkeeper, laughed. All his teammates joined in the laughter. "But look, it seems she has a good eye."

"Damn right she does!" exclaimed León Harper, the right winger. "You got a free ball out of nowhere because you were in the perfect spot."

Arthur laughed heartily, still putting on the new jersey.

"And you're telling me. How long had it been since I scored a goal? Three seasons?"

"It's not that bad, okay?" Mason shouted from one corner of the room. "Wolves are a crap team."

"Ooh... Someone's mad about riding the bench."

"Shut up, Josh," he spat. Josh just laughed. "I could have scored the same number of goals or more if I had been on the field."

"Bro, she was the best player in the world," he rolled his eyes, not stopping his mockery of the striker. He had remained silent while the others criticized her in the training sessions leading up to the match, but after today, Josh saw no need to stay quiet anymore. "She might teach you a thing or two."

Alexia, on her part, had nothing more to do there; there was nothing more to say to the players. She walked confidently towards the back, where Malcolm would be waiting to take her back to her apartment. She greeted him politely and sat in the back. Her phone began to ring.

"Irene?"

"Alexia! Congratulations. I just found out," Irene Lozano's voice celebrated from the other end of the line. "I had no doubt that you were the right one for the job. It was an incredible tactic; you turned the game around."

"Thank you, Irene. It means a lot to me that you trusted me with this opportunity," Alexia responded sincerely as she settled into the car seat. "It was... exciting. It's been a while since I felt like this."

"Alexia, you're a natural leader. I'm sure this is just the beginning," Irene added. "I know you'll silence many mouths from that bench."

Alexia smiled, grateful for Irene's words. Despite everything that had happened, this opportunity at Manchester United was a new beginning for her, and she was determined to make the most of it.

"I plan to silence everyone."

"I know you will. Also, I wanted to let you know that we are making progress in some investigations into the federation. There are people willing to speak up and collaborate with us to expose some unethical practices that have been happening in the organization."

Irene's words sparked Alexia's curiosity. She knew things in the federation were not entirely clean, but she didn't imagine that there were advances in an investigation.

"Really?"

"Yes. Papers, witnesses, everything. That federation is a real mess," Alexia sighed upon hearing the words. It was a relief that they were finding so much evidence of what was happening inside the federation, but if everything was so straightforward, the magnitude of what was really hidden there should be colossal. "I also had to warn you that there will be a meeting to get everyone up to date and plan the next steps. In Madrid, in a few weeks. You will receive all the information. It shouldn't clash with anything in your schedule."

"Okay."

"And Alexia, keep it up."

The former footballer thanked her, motivated. They ended the conversation with words of encouragement and motivation, and Alexia hung up the phone, ready to face the next challenge. The feeling of being back on top was awakening emotions in her that she hadn't had in years; a pleasant vertigo had permanently settled in the center of her stomach.

While the car moved through the streets, Alexia lost herself in her thoughts. The conversation with Irene gave her a different perspective on her future and what she could achieve with the organization. The opportunity to expose the unethical practices of the federation was a unique chance to make a difference in the world of football. She felt grateful to be surrounded by people who shared her passion and were willing to fight for what was right.

Upon reaching her apartment, Alexia thanked Malcolm for the ride and entered her home. She was tired but also nervous. The meeting in Madrid would be a crucial occasion to learn more about the team and get involved definitively. She wanted to be in, she wanted to truly be a part of it all.

After leaving some things scattered in the hallway that she would pick up later, Alexia collapsed onto the sofa. She couldn't help but think about Elena. She had managed to completely erase her from her mind in the past few days, but now that she could finally rest from so much stress, her sickeningly tireless mind needed worries again.

Would she have to see her again? She shuddered at the thought of having seen her just three days ago, of having touched her again. She felt a bit invaded remembering her there, having such easy access to her. That unsettled her. She still didn't know how to feel around her, how to make fear, hatred, and the affection she still felt, despite herself, for someone who had been so important in her life, fit into the same space, towards the same person. It was simply overwhelming; she completely lost control of what she was, what she thought, and what she did. Her emotions were indecipherable and volatile.

Fortunately, while her mind got lost in that endless whirlwind of thoughts that only served to make her feel scared of her own head again, the doorbell of her apartment finished scaring her off completely but for a much more appropriate reason.

She rubbed her eyes as she sat on the sofa. Who the hell would come to her house? She had barely lived there for three days. The suitcases were still not completely unpacked.

With laziness and almost convinced that they would try to sell her something or recruit her for some sect, Alexia finally got up and walked the mere three steps that separated her from the front door. She cursed realizing that the intercom didn't have a camera. She rolled her eyes and opened it without further ado. She had no intention of fighting to understand Manchester English through a crappy intercom.

She stood there, waiting, listening to the deafening noises of whoever had opened the door to her. Shortly after, the commotion ceased, giving way to two giggles and three knocks on the door. Alexia frowned a lot and opened the door instantly, with a slight intuition of what was behind the door.