Sunshine in our Pockets

Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Amelie

I was feeling fine the day after my night out with the girls and the attack of the reporters later. The previous night, I had returned to Clairefontaine shocked and shaken up, but my outburst when Antoine had shown up in our room helped me calm down. I realized that I had just not expected people to surround me like that and that was the reason why I reacted the way I did.

Now, even the headache I had been experiencing the previous day was thankfully gone.

In the evening, after our lunch at the luxurious restaurant, Antoine dropped Fernando and me off at the hotel and he left immediately for the football centre for a meeting with the French team.

"What time does Antoine's family arrive?" Fernando asked as we entered the lobby.

I checked the time on my wristwatch and calculated in how many minutes my friends would arrive at the hotel. They would be staying at the same place as Fernando until the match with Ireland took place. Mâcon was about an hour away from Lyon by car.

"They'll be here in about ten minutes" I replied, taking a seat on one of the unoccupied armchairs next to the receptionist's desk. "You don't have to wait here with me".

He fixed me with a skeptical look.

"Are you going to be okay? Grizi will have my head if anything happens to you" he said.

"I'll be alright, don't worry" I stated.

Fernando seemed to think about it for a few seconds, before nodding and turning his back to me to walk over to where the lifts that led to the upper levels of the hotel were. I turned my gaze to the front doors and waited patiently for my best friend's family.

He was supposed to be there himself to greet them, but unfortunately he had to return to Clairefontaine. However, I had reassured him that I could meet up with them and he could join us later.

"Can I do something for you, Miss?" a young woman behind the receptionist's desk asked.

"No, thank you. I'm just waiting for some friends" I smiled at her politely.

Right at that moment, a very familiar voice called my name, followed by other familiar voices of different people. I turned around and a huge smile formed on my face at the sight of my good friends.

Maud was the first one to engulf me into a tight hug, while Theo approached us a moment later. Alain and Isabelle, their parents, trailed behind them, smiling widely.

"How are you, sister?" Maud asked me, pulling away from the hug to look at me.

"I'm great" I replied and then turned towards Theo.

The tall boy put his hands around me and lifted me off the ground. When I was back on my feet, I hugged Antoine's parents. The last time I had seen them was at their house in Mâcon, when Isabelle had invited me for lunch with the family and it felt so good to be with them again.

My eyes fell on someone standing a little aside from the rest of us. The girl was about our age and had perfectly styled blonde hair. Her blue eyes were looking at us, her lips curled up into a smile.

"Hi" I said politely.

She looked familiar, but I couldn't put my finger on how I knew her.

"Amelie, this is Penny, she used to live next to us. Do you remember her?" Maud explained.