The lads looked at me like I had grown a second head… or a third one. They couldn’t seriously understand how I ended up asking Davide to play football with us, although for me is the clearest thing ever. I just want to show I’m better than him; I need that. I’ve even looked him up on Google and I’ve learnt a few things about my enemy. He got second place in X-Factor Italy —one place above us so I hate him for that—, he is quite popular here in Italy but he barely have some followers on twitter and he is not even verified —on that aspect I win. So we’re kind of even, and I need to win this game to show I’m better and make Kay feel bad for choosing him.
I have no clue why this is so important. I could’ve done something like this for Eleanor but I never thought of showing her that I was better than Eric. I just gave up. Okay, clam down! It’s not like I’m fighting for Kay’s affections now or something stupid like that, I just have pride, okay? My male ego is pushing me to do this. I don’t want Kay following me around but I want her to know she chose a loser over me.
She really makes everything so confusing… I feel like it doesn’t even make sense in my head.
“I don’t feel like playing…” Liam complains and he kind of looks bad. He has dark bags under his eyes and he is very pale, although his cheeks are flushed. Maybe he has a fever. “Can Josh play for me?”
“But the game is tomorrow, maybe you’ll feel better by then!” I insist. I need my mates with me for this game! “C’mon, Liam!” I whine. Very mature, I know. No need to point that out.
“I dunno…” He sounds awful, I’m sort of feeling bad myself.
“Okay, let’s see that tomorrow. I’ve settled everything already for tomorrow afternoon before the concert but after the sound-check.” I haven’t been this organised in my life.
“Okay,” Niall, Harry and Zayn agree still a bit reluctant and confused but I smile brightly at them and that makes them laugh. “Although you maybe should replace me, you know?” Harry adds and Niall burst out laughing, not minding he may hurt Harry’s feelings.
“You’ll be a cheerleader, then,” I state and I think Niall just died.
“Okay,” the curly-haired one agrees looking down and Niall is actually rolling on the floor. That boy has issues, it isn’t that funny.
So it’s settled. Tomorrow we’ll face Davide and four other lads from his crew/band/whatever in a football match, that of course, we are going to win. And Kay will regret ever accepting going on that date with him and if she ever dares to come back and beg me again, I’ll just throw in her face how she preferred the Italian singer, although he is a loser.
Life looks brilliant.
+ + + + +
So, Liam got a cold and he needs to get rest if he wants to sing tonight. Of course he won’t play football today with us and I kind of expected that already, but one thing I never expected to happen is the arrival of Tammy. Yes, you heard me right, Tammy is here in Rome with us… well, with Liam to be exact. No, I’m not hallucinating; she is actually here. She apparently came for Liam when she found out he is sick.
We were on our way to the venue to sound-check when Liam stopped at the lobby, saying he was waiting for something. Confused, we stayed behind and saw the moment his face actually lit up —yes, as cheesy as that— and when we turned around, we saw the lead singer of Prodigy walking down towards Liam, a huge smile on her face as she carried a small bag on her shoulder. No one else existed, they were only looking at each other whilst our mouths were hanging wide open. At her sight, Liam even looked better and he rushed to her to grab her in his arms and hugged her tightly. And she hugged him back! And then she —yes, she— kissed him.
I think I got an aneurysm.
I wasn’t the only one gasping. Lou was passing by and she tripped and threw a vase on her way. Even Paul looked shocked! How did this happen? When? But you know who was happy? Kay! She even clapped when Tammy and Liam pulled apart.
“Oh my God I knew it! Didn’t I tell you, Lou?” Kay told me though my eyes were still on the newest couple, still too shocked to react.
In fact she told me… When we were rehearsing for our gig together. I thought she was crazy for even thinking that and now look who is swallowing his words.
Tammy then looked at us and her cocky smile came back, Liam had his arm around her waist, keeping her close. She knew the shock her actions had caused and I’m sure she even kissed him just to give me this aneurysm.
“Good to see you all again,” she said and although it was a polite utterance, it didn’t actually sound polite. It sounded Tammy-like.
We couldn’t say anything, we just mumbled and that made Liam and Tammy laugh and look at each other as if they shared an inner joke. I bet they do, though.
After that we left to the venue, Tammy with us. She and Liam were at the back of the van, Kay and Alex were talking to them, asking them how and when it happened and they looked so happy for them. The lads and I still haven’t said anything. I can’t fully process that information yet. I noticed that Liam looked so happy when Alex and Kay told them they looked cute and things like that, but when he looked at us in the van, he looked concerned.
Once we’re done with sound-check we meet with Dave and four friends of his, ready for our match. Tammy apparently already knew about this and she looks excited as she sits with Liam, Alex and Harry. Kay is talking to Dave, of course.
“Good luck, Husband!” Alex cheers standing up to clap for me. “I’m even wearing the tee you gave me!” she adds and I notice the top I gave her for her birthday the year we met. It’s a t-shirt of One Direction’s bums, as I promised her when we met. I crack up laughing because she hasn’t worn that one in so long. “You’re gonna win!”
I smile at her showing her my thumbs and then keep warming up for the match. Zayn, Niall, Josh and Sandy are playing with me, so it’s five against five. I’m sure we’re gonna win. Niall is the goalkeeper and we’re throwing at him some balls to practice.
I don’t notice when Kay arrives next to me until I hear her calling my name. “Ready for the game, babe?” she asks me and when I hear her, I throw the ball in the wrong direction. It’s all her fault! And she giggles, so I glare at her while the lads keep warming up. “Do you want me to cheer for you?” she asks next very seductively and I look over her shoulder to see Dave and his friends warming up as well.
“No need. Go and cheer for your Italian boyfriend,” I spat and I hate that I can’t control the bitterness in my voice.
Kay chuckles and shakes her head before meeting my eyes and smiling at me. “If you want.” And she turns around. “Go Dave! You can do it!” she cheers and starts walking towards him, who smiles at her brightly and I keep staring at her in sheer disbelief.
That wasn’t supposed to happen! She was supposed to tell me that she preferred to cheer for me and all the cheesy things she likes to tell me just to annoy me! What’s wrong with her?
So Kay actually stays at Davide’s side and Liam, Tammy, Alex and Harry stay at our side, cheering for us. But my eyes only go to the blonde who catches me watching her a few times and winks at me right before she shouts something for Dave.
By when the game starts, I’m furious and I just want to humiliate Davide because Kay prefers to stay at his side, because she is supporting him in this game. I just want her to see how he is not great for her, how he is just a little singer who can’t make it out of his country. She can do better than him!
The game starts and I have the control of the ball, but Davide is faster than I thought and suddenly he takes the ball from me and runs, giving passes and fooling us all. I stare in shock for three seconds before I run and attack, interrupting his shooting at the goal.
I underestimated him, he is not a poor player. He knows what he is doing, he is good. But this only makes me smile because it will prove only how much better I am. I can win this; I will win this.
But it’s hard, he is really good and his friends are good as well, and they play so well together, like they are used to this. They fool us and they are fast, way faster than us. I have many face-to-face with Davide and although I get closer to the goal a few times, I can only score once. Alex cheers loudly for me but I look at Kay and I see her smiling, but she doesn’t shout my name, she only encourages Davide and that hurts.
I want her to shout my name, I want her jumping just like Alex because I scored and I did a good job. I want her clapping and telling me I’m doing a great job, but she is only encouraging Davide. I close my eyes for five seconds just to yell at myself, because it’s my fault she is doing that. She offered me to cheer for me but I shooed her. It’s all my fault for I pushed her away.
Kay wants me close, but I won’t take the risk because I’m too scared she may leave me like Eleanor did, because I know there are many people better than I. I can’t go challenging everyone just to prove her I’m better, that I can be better. But she went out with Davide because I was being an arse with her… as usual. In a way, I forced her to choose him over me. I don’t have the right to complain.
Kay wants to help me to feel better, not to be the one I was, but to stop hating on everything and every woman, but I don’t want to accept her help, I want to do this alone when it would be easier and faster if I let her help me.
Kay wanted to cheer for me… but I sent her to Davide and now I want her chanting my name, shouting that I can do it.
What a massive mess I am…
The game goes on but all I have in my mind is how I want Kay to see I’m better and come back, to insist again that she wants to be with me, to ask me to let her help me, to take my hand and steal a kiss. God, all I want to do is to win this and walk right up to her and kiss her right there, in front of Dave just to show him she is mine… but she isn’t and she will never be mine because I can’t take that risk, because I’m too afraid and I just do stupid things.
And I tell myself it’s because I’m distracted thinking of Kay that we lose the game. It is a tight game, but we loose two against one and when the shock of our loss hits me, the first thing I do is look at Kay and she is running to hug Davide. I freeze on my spot, thinking she will kiss him right there, in front of everyone. He is better, he won, he doesn’t push her away, he is nice to her… of course she would prefer to be with him. But she doesn’t kiss him, she only hugs him and when he pulls her on her feet again, she looks at me.
I don’t know what my expression is, but she loses her smile and for a moment I see her taking a step forwards, as if she wants to approach me, but she stops herself when she sees the lads coming. I don’t break the eye contact with the blonde, not even when Alex hugs me.
“You did great, husband! Italians are just too good at football. Don’t feel bad,” the black-haired girl tells me and then she leaves to comfort her boyfriend. He is also devastated, Niall is as competitive as I am and he let the other team score twice.
Davide and his friends approach to us with polite smiles, Kay walks next to him although her eyes are on me and her smile is unsure. “Great game,” Davide says and holds out his hand for me to shake.
I see Kay standing next to him, choosing him because he is better. Just like Eric was better than me and that’s why Eleanor chose him. This is just the same, but this hurts even deeper. So I don’t shake his hand. I can’t because I hate him. I hate him for being better than I am.
-:-:-:-
BTW, Davide sent me a video. Basically, he says thank you for reading this story and for your nice comments. I'm glad he has followed back many of you! And I'm glad you like him. Next chapter is very important and I'm sure you'll like Dave even better then for what he does ;)