Stargirl; Pedri González

Chapter One - A New Beginning

The first thing I noticed when I stepped off the plane wasn't the airport or the unfamiliar language echoing through the terminal.

It was the heat.

Barcelona felt nothing like Bergen. Warm air wrapped around me the moment the automatic doors slid open, carrying the scent of the sea and late summer. I instinctively tugged the sleeves of my hoodie over my hands, a habit that suddenly felt ridiculous under the Catalan sun.

"You'll have to get used to this, Amélia," I told myself.

Outside the terminal, a sleek black SUV waited beside the curb, the FC Barcelona crest discreetly displayed on the door. Leaning against it, the driver held a small white sign with my name printed neatly across the middle.

AMÉLIA BERG

That was the moment everything became real.

Not signing the contract.

Not filming the announcement video.

Not reading thousands of comments from strangers who had already decided whether I'd succeed or fail.

Seeing my name waiting for me in a city I'd only dreamed about.

Barcelona had been expecting me.

I climbed into the car, unable to stop smiling as we pulled away from the airport. The city unfolded outside my window, busy and sunlit, lined with palm trees and cafés overflowing onto the sidewalks. Scooters slipped effortlessly through traffic, and almost every few blocks someone walked by wearing a Barça shirt as if supporting the club wasn't just a hobby, but part of everyday life.

Back home, football had always been my escape.

Here...

It was my job.

My dream.

And my responsibility.

My phone vibrated against my leg.

Mamma 💕

"Did you arrive safely?"

A smile spread across my face before I even unlocked the screen.

Me: Yes. Barcelona is beautiful.

The typing bubble appeared almost immediately.

"We're so proud of you."

I let out a quiet breath.

For just a second, I wished my parents were sitting beside me instead of thousands of kilometers away. I wanted them to see everything through the car window with me— the streets, the palm trees, the sea glimmering in the distance.

Then I smiled to myself.

This was exactly why I'd left.

A few minutes later, the driver slowed as we approached the gates of the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper.

The moment the Barça crest came into view, something tightened in my chest.

"We're here," he said warmly.

The training center somehow looked even more impressive than it had in every video I'd watched online. Every pitch was perfectly cut, every building spotless, every detail carrying the quiet confidence of a club that expected excellence every single day.

A member of the women's staff greeted me at reception before offering to show me around.

She walked me through the gym, the recovery facilities, the medical department and finally toward the main training pitch.