Peace - Erling Haaland Fanfiction

Chapter 22

The weekend approached, it was finally match day, and no one was more excited about the match than Tilly and Mum. Even though Erling had offered to upgrade our tickets and include a hospitality package, I couldn't justify the exorbitant prices and didn't want any special treatment. If I was going to be a fan, I'd rather cheer alongside the other Cityzens. Thankfully, the Etihad staff had provided us with seats that had extra space for Mum's accessibility needs, giving us a clear view of the field. The energy of the fans around me was electric, reminiscent of my first live City match. It felt like home. It was City against Tottenham, and I knew just how scary Spurs could be at times. This wouldn't be an easy match.

The crowd buzzed with energy as the players approached the field and lined up. Erling looked as focused as ever, but there was something different about him today. Despite his concentration, he exuded a calm aura, his body relaxed and his expression eased. I watched as his eyes subtly scanned the stadium until they found me. His lips curved into a smile, and I smiled back, giving him a double thumbs-up as a sign of good luck. He gave a subtle nod.

After the match commenced, Spurs had the upper hand. They played exceptionally well, creating multiple chances and breaking through the defense, which had me on my toes. Thankfully, Ederson saved many of those attempts. City finally created a chance when Gvardiol pushed the ball forward to De Bruyne, who passed it to Erling up front. With finesse, Erling dribbled and scored a beautiful goal. My heart raced as I cheered along with all the fans around me. City's goal-scoring machine was back. He ran closer to the stand where I was and looked up at me before pulling a double thumbs-up as a celebration, mirroring my earlier good luck gesture to him. I cheered louder, my cheeks turning warm.

The match continued, and Erling scored another stunning goal just before halftime, making the score 2-0. I was thrilled to see him playing so well. Spurs was strong, but City was stronger, with Erling leading them to victory. Just as the whistle for halftime blew, I felt an odd sensation in my head—a headache accompanied by a sharp ringing sound. I tried to look at Tilly beside me, but suddenly everything turned blurry and shaky. My vision blacked out, and the last thing I remembered was Tilly grabbing me as I collapsed.

Upon opening my eyes, I realised I was no longer in the stands. I quickly sat up and found myself on a bed. Though my vision was still a bit blurry, I could discern my surroundings clearly enough.

"You're finally awake." The familiar voice broke through my haze, and I turned to see Mum and Tilly standing by my bedside. "Thank goodness. We were so scared, Aria," Tilly said, her eyes filled with relief.

"Mum, Tilly, what just happened?" I said as I held my head in my hand, feeling it throb. I then remembered the match and looked at them instantly. "Did City win?"

They seemed surprised by my concern for the match, but they understood. Both nodded, and I sighed in relief.

"Aria, we need to tell you something," Tilly said, grabbing my hand and letting out a deep sigh. "You collapsed because of exhaustion. Your body cannot tolerate sleeping pills."

Confused, I shifted my gaze from her to Mum. "What do you mean?" I asked.

Just then, a nurse approached us with a smile. "Aria, is it? I know you're confused," she said, flipping through her notes. "You've been here for a little over five hours. We did a thorough checkup and found that your body is showing signs of intolerance to sleeping aids. Just in case, I'd like to ask a few questions."

My mind couldn't fully process what was happening, but I stayed calm for the sake of those around me and nodded.

The nurse glanced at her notes and asked, "How many times a week do you take sleeping aids?"

"Every day," I replied.

"And how many per day?" she asked, continuing her questioning.

"About two to three per day," I replied, noticing her eyebrows raising at my answer.

"Have you experienced any unusual symptoms like skin rashes, fatigue, headaches, or anything similar?" she inquired, causing me to pause and reflect.

I touched my face where the rash had appeared and looked at her. "Yes, I have a rash here, and today's headache was unbearable," I admitted.

She jotted down my responses and then looked up at me. "I'm afraid you'll have to stop using those sleeping aids. All these symptoms are allergic reactions caused by the medication you've been taking," she explained.

My heart sank upon hearing the news, and I immediately turned to Mum, who grabbed my hand to calm me. Sleeping pills had been my salvation, the last resort to easing my insomnia. Maybe this was a sign that I didn't deserve even a moment of rest. Unintentionally, I broke down into tears. Mum squeezed my hand in an attempt to console me, but it wasn't enough. My mind was flooded with thoughts: why couldn't my body just sleep? Why did it always bring forth tormenting thoughts when I tried to rest? The mere idea of lying in bed, tossing and turning, filled me with dread. I felt like I was back to my miserable state.

The nurse went to get my clearance to leave, and while waiting, I resorted to distracting myself from my thoughts by checking my phone. I realised I had received a couple of messages from Erling. I felt terrible for not replying or even acknowledging his outstanding performance.

The text messages read:

"Thank you for coming to watch me. It means a lot."

"I think you're my lucky charm. I couldn't have scored that hat-trick if you weren't there."

"What did you think of my new celebration?"

"Aria?"

"Do you want to drop by?"

"You okay?"

I felt a pang of guilt for not responding. He had clearly been waiting for a reply, and I had been too wrapped up in my own turmoil.