Jill's POV
"So out of all the things in Barcelona, you've taken us to an aquarium?" Jen sighed, looking up as we stood in the tunnel surrounded by water and all manner of fish.
I had to admit, it had caught me slightly off guard, but I would rather be here than looking around old monuments which deep down meant nothing. At least here, the view was a little more interesting.
"Yeah," Hunter nodded, her so eyes so alive as she stared at the fish.
Jen tilted her head, hands in pockets, "Can I ask why?" She winced.
Hunter shrugged, "Why not?"
It seemed like a standard enough answer, especially from what I heard about Hunter but somehow I felt like this had a deeper meaning, it seemed a little too random. Though maybe I looked into things too much when they concerned Hunter, I just felt like there was always so much beneath the surface; like every decision was influenced by something she hid from us. Or perhaps they all just didn't ask.
"Did you use to come here a lot when you lived in Spain?" Lia asked, I could see her always making an effort with Hunter when others slightly overlooked her usually.
Hunter nodded, seeming entranced by the fish swimming over her head, "Yeah. Me and my best friend always used to come here."
"Oh Mapi?" Lia assumed, trying to follow the fish that Hunter watched.
Hunter shook her head, holding her breath.
A lot of the girls had walked further ahead but a few of us had stayed back; we were on holiday, we should be taking things slowly.
"Who was it?" Lia tried to continue the conversation, always seeming so sweet.
The name came out like a whisper, "Maya," I couldn't see Hunter's expressions though because she still stared at the fish above.
Leah's head quickly turned towards the brunette, worry hiding in her eyes as she tensed her jaw. Leah didn't say anything though, no one did, but Leah just watched as if something was about to explode, the time bomb ticking her brain.
That was it. The dots connected again. There was a deeper meaning in this whole trip to the aquarium but I didn't know why. It's not as if I would push for answers, I just found it interesting to watch the puzzle all piece together. In my head, everything Hunter did had a meaning behind it, crazy or not, she had her reasons. That thought intrigued me, because how did someone who people talked about like an open book, seem so hidden to me? There was a surface but the rest was locked.
"Guys look," Viv chuckled, a little further down the tunnel, "There's a shark."
Hunter snapped out of her thoughts, "I wanna see!" She shouted back to Viv, I felt as if for a moment the walls had lowered but they were now straight back up.
We spent a while longer in the aquarium, it was a strangely calming experience until Hunter and Leah decided to put ideas in our minds.
"Imagine if this tunnel just cracked and then all this water came down on us," Hunter looked around, nodding her head, "We'd drown right?" She asked comically.
"Or we'd be eaten by the sharks," Leah laughed.
Hunter looked towards the blonde, seeming proud of her response as they nodded at one another. They were like siblings; troublesome when they worked with each other and equally as troublesome when they worked against each other.
"Guys don't say that," Lia looked genuinely worried now, "I feel like we're all about to die."
Hunter pulled Lia into a playful hug, "Oh come on Wally, I was just kidding. You know I'd protect you from all those flesh eating sea creatures."
Lia looked up at her, smiling warmly, "I know you would Hunts."
It was a sweet interaction, I could see the pair genuinely cared about one another. I'd seen that Hunter cared about all the team, she thought as highly of them to consider them all her own family but I didn't see any love which they returned to her. Lia and Leah clearly loved her, Kim thought of her as a troublesome daughter who you still loved deep down. But it felt like half the time they forgot she was there until they needed some entertainment and then would look for her to do something. Hunter was the topic of so many conversations but they were never kind, they never showed love.
It was sad to watch it unfold, especially when I don't think Hunter could even see it for herself.
Leah looked highly offended, "And what about me? How are you going to save the both of us?"
Hunter glared back at Leah, "I think I'd point the sharks in your direction."
"Ouch," Leah acted wounded, "And I thought we were friends."
We left the aquarium a little later, seeing as everyone was growing hungry and this team didn't do well when hungry, they all became rather grouchy. Hunter led us to this tapas restaraunt, claiming that it was the best in the city.
Hunter turned around, surprising me, "Come sit next to me Jill," She pulled out the chair besides her.
I'd only interacted with Hunter a handful of times yet every time it started with me being surprised she was talking to me, then ended with countless questions.
Lia and Leah sat across from us, the rest of the team finding a seat further down the table.
"What should we get Hunts?" Lia asked, looking up from the menu.
Hunter started explaining every dish, recommending certain platers to us and warning us about particular things. She was in her light here in Barcelona.
Eventually, after much debate, everyone ordered dishes for their own little group seeing as we'd never decide on things all together.
"Alexia and Mapi are joining us for dinner tonight," Hunter told us, smiling immediately at the mention of those two names.
"I though Alexia was sick, no?" Lia questioned.
"She's fine now," Leah quickly answered.
"Oh okay," Lia nodded, "That's good."
Leah sighed, leaning back into her chair, "How are you finding London so far Jill?"
"A lot of parties," I laughed, "But I like it."
"Where abouts do you live?" Lia asked.
"I actually live with Viv and Lisa," I nodded towards the couple down the other end of the table.
"So you spend your life third wheeling?" Hunter put it bluntly.
I tilted my head, "Yep," I had to admit, "Pretty much."
Some might have been offended or put off by Hunter's constant bluntness but I found it amusing, it's as if things just fell out of her mouth and I don't think she'd have wanted it any other way; I certainly didn't.
Lia leaned forwards, "Are you missing home?"
"I guess," I sighed, "though not as much as I'd expected."
"Must be because of the great company here," Hunter smiled playfully.
"Maybe," I laughed, looking towards her.
"Anything you left behind at home?" Leah asked vaguely, it was too cryptic for me to understand.
I just furrowed my eyebrows.
"You know?" Leah assumed I'd infer something, "Leave anyone behind?"
"My family?" I questioned.
"Oh my god Leah," Hunter groaned, "Why can't you just ask it bluntly?"
I looked towards Hunter, hoping she'd fill me in.
Hunter rolled her eyes, "Leah's asking if you're single basically. Just too much of a wuss to be honest."
"Am not!" Leah challenged.
"Why do you want to know anyway?" Hunter fired back, the two of them seemed to be bickering slightly.
"Cause I'm trying to get to know her," Leah widened her eyes, leaning forward.
Lia shook her head, "Ignore them," she mouthed to me.
"Then why didn't you just ask?" Hunter scoffed, "You seem a little nervous for someone 'just asking'."
"Fucks sake Hunter. I was just trying to be polite," Leah scowled.
It was nothing aggressive, they just seemed like two siblings bickering over the last chocolate bar or something. If anything, it was rather funny to watch.
Lia interrupted the pair, "Shush you two!" Leah and Hunter sat back, refusing to look at one another for a moment, "Jill please answer the question before they start at it again."
I chuckled, "no. No one left at home."
"See," Leah sighed, looking at Hunter, "This is all I was asking. I'm trying to open up a conversation."
"Bravo Leah," Hunter clapped sarcastically, "You've finally learnt some social skills."
Leah went to argue back but decided to move on and be the bigger person, "What do you miss most from Amsterdam?"
"My family," I answered simply, "We're all very close."
I did miss my family and it was strange to be so far from home. Everything I did was to make them proud so them not being here to see it upset me slightly, but it was the move I needed to make for my career. And Bayern Munich had never made me happy though I was begining to feel like Arsenal might hold some joy for me.
"I'm close with my family too," Leah nodded, "It must be hard leaving them, I don't know how you guys all do it." Then I realized both Lia and Hunter also left their families to play for Arsenal, so many of the team did, meaning I wasn't alone by any means.
"Arsenal is home for me," Hunter explained, "I wouldn't ever want to play anywhere else."
"Neither," Lia agreed, both of them clearly devoted to the badge.
"We'll have to have a team night at the house soon," Leah suggested to Hunter, "Jill won't have seen one yet."
"We should!" Hunter exclaimed, jumping at Leah's idea.
"What's a team night?" I asked, seeing as all I'd seen them do as a team, outside of football, was party.
"We all get together and play games," Lia told me, "Nana also cooks an amazing dinner."
"Oh she loves it," Hunter grinned.
"Who's Nana?" I asked.
"She's Hunter's Nan but the whole team calls her Nana," Leah smiled, "we all love her."
It was just another aspect about Hunter's life which slightly surprised me, just another layer which only made her seem more complicated.
"That's sweet," I nodded.
Then the food was brought out, we all began eating; it was delicious just as Hunter had promised. Most of the conversation after that was them asking questions about the Netherlands, they all wanted to visit by the end of it, so I felt like I'd done my citizen duty by selling the country just as beautifully as it truly was.
As we walked back to the hotel, Leah was talking with Jordan and then Lia was with Kim so Hunter was alone; she didn't seem bothered as she just looked around the city she'd once called home. But I decided to take the opportunity to talk to her.
"Hey," I smiled, catching her attention, now walking alongside her.
"Well hello there newbie," She gleamed.
"I just wanted to say thankyou," I nodded.
Hunter had created my debut great. I knew she could have scored that goal, she knew she could have scored that goal but she didn't. She passed to me. It was an act of selflessness I couldn't imagine many strikers doing, it had struck me as strange though that she'd do me that massive favor.
Hunter tilted her head, "For what exactly?"
"For passing."
"Oh," a smile now broke through onto her face as she looked back towards the floor, "It's no big deal."
"It was to me," I assured her, "It meant a lot."
"Jesus Jill," Hunter chuckled, almost uncomfortable, "It's not like I saved your life, it's just a goal."
"I just wanted to say thankyou," I sighed.
"Well thanks for saying thanks," Hunter agreed, "But it's no big deal."
Looking to the brunette besides me, there was so much I didn't know; I could just tell it. She was a complete mystery living in blinding lights, creating the perfect illusion. There was something different about Hunter; something almost unsettling because she was so unapologetically herself but I still felt her soul was hidden behind these concrete walls and gates of steel. Yes I'd seen her face smile but I'd never seen her smile. I'd never heard her laugh. I'd never heard her dreams. I'm not sure if those walls were too highly built to ever hold an ounce of hope but I'd never been so intrigued to see something, which everyone thought they already had.
It's like nothing I'd experienced before, I was so foolishly drawn to someone that everyone else ran from. From what I'd heard, I was walking towards a burning building. But from what I'd seen, I was walking towards this Mirrorball; a shining display for everyone to see but so ridiculously fragile that she was never to be touched. You shouldn't push her just in case she'd fall, then the millions of pieces would scatter but hiding didn't seem the right way to go about it either.
Though, seeing how quickly Hunter had just pushed me away after the slightest genuine emotion, I figured it was going to be difficult to ever get to know her.