010
you know him
Aaliyah was sat in Jamal's car as he was dropping her off at the hotel he booked her in. After her encounter with Jude, she had never wanted to leave somewhere so quickly. It was uncomfortable and awkward. The tense atmosphere could be sensed miles away, she was stubborn about the situation thinking what she done was for the best.
Humming along to the music, Aaliyah sunk down in the passenger seat as she closed her eyes.
Aaliyah spoke, "Jamal."
"Yeah?" He responded, Aaliyah really needed to stop saying his name only. It kind of made him scared, it was just unexpected.
Aaliyah began, "You know the guy who stood me up?"
"Go on."
"You literally just met him." She said simply, awaiting for his response.
He sat confused on his seat as he looked at her during the red light, "I'm losing you here Marie, who have I just met?" Jamal was thinking of everyone who he had just met.
"Jude."
"Jude?" He shouted, staring at her face in disbelief. "As in Jude Bellingham? Like the guy I was gonna give my shirt to?"
"Yeah, that guy. He stood me up. You kind of did make it awkward when you said someone stood me up but-"
"Bro, how did you guys even meet? You haven't spoken to him since then." He questioned, he was confused. Maybe this was the reason Aaliyah had not mentioned anything.
"Grocery shop, he broke my phone." She sighed loudly, it felt weird describing it to someone other than her best friend. "Then we met in a café again in Dortmund and a couple more times and then we were supposed to go on the date but you already know what happened."
"Did you guys speak when I left? I was hoping you guys would but I never knew you guys knew each other already. Otherwise I wouldn't have done that."
"I didn't want to talk to him there, some decorum is needed. You know next thing you know someone is hearing us argue and then there he is on the front of a newspaper."
"You've got a kind heart Marie," He spoke, looking at her briefly before turning around. "It's kind of crazy, clearly you want to talk to him."
"I don't really." She lied, rubbing her nose. "Honestly I just said the café tomorrow but I feel like I'm gonna be tired after coming back from here."
"Now Jude is gonna annoy me kmt."
"Sorry I didn't want to drag you into anything, I mean it."
"I know, I know. I'm just kidding, whatever it is I got you yeah." He nodded, not looking at Aaliyah when he said that otherwise she'd mock him. "Share me the deets though."
"Look at you, bare nosy. Little gossip girl."
The two drove in comfortable silence until they reached the hotel where Jamal stopped.
"I booked the hotel in your name. Be safe, I'll see you soon," Jamal smiled at her.
"Thanks Jamal, I owe you. I'll catch you later."
"You do owe me." He replied. "Aaliyah."
"Hm?" She was shocked that he'd finally used her first name to address her after all this time.
"Don't be too harsh on my boy. Don't lose your temper and listen to him speak, he's a good guy I promise. Okay?"
"Fine. Bye Jamal, message me when you get home safe."
"Cool, bye Marie."
-
Jude was flying back from Munich in the teams aeroplane. He was next to Jadon, who was listening to his music with his eyes closed. It wouldn't take them long to return back, the latest 1hr and 45 minutes but that gave him all the time to think about what had just happened.
It felt like he'd just witnessed a ghost when he saw Aaliyah exit the box and approach him and Jamal. He'd been wanting to see her and she was right in front of him at that moment but he could barely open his mouth and utter a word.
He didn't even know that Jamal knew her, he hadn't mentioned anything about a girl.
Jude couldn't believe his ears when he addressed her as Marie, was they that close already? He couldn't help but feel a hint of jealousy, I mean how would anyone feel after that?
He hated how obsessed he had become with the girl within a couple days and hours, she was like a drug. She was so intoxicating, her presence just simply lit him up.
Once Jamal had sprinted off leaving the two, he felt like he could finally get the chance to talk to her until she had declined to talk until tomorrow.
He could just sense the disappointment and anger in her voice whenever she'd retort something back about him forgetting, the other blow was when Jamal confirmed himself indirectly as her date when Jude had forgotten about his date.
It was just the couple hours he could've spent with Aaliyah was taken away from him like a toddler with a toy.
Although, he was grateful that Aaliyah had given him the chance to explain himself and his situation tomorrow.