Chapter Eight

1 Year and 10 Months Later:


Dani took a deep breath as she stepped off the plane and down the narrow corridor that led into the airport. She was both nervous and excited to begin the new chapter in her life.

She looked around at all the people as she followed the signs to baggage claim. She spotted her two suitcases and headed out front to catch a cab. The black vehicles were lined up and waiting so she chose one at random, hauling her belongings over with her.

“Where you going, love?” the cabbie asked in his cheerful British accent.

“Holloway Road, please,” she said. He smiled at her accent and nodded. “North London student?” he questioned. She smiled, “I am.” They drove the distance through London, and he helped her get her suitcases out.

She walked for a bit until she found the address of her flat, which she was sharing with three other students of the university. They were Maggie Hill, Cassidy Yi, and Celia Davis. They had all exchanged emails and seemed friendly enough. She saw Celia and Maggie were already there and unpacking when she arrived.

They helped her haul her luggage inside and they all began unpacking everything. The flat came partially furnished with appliances, beds, and basic furniture. It was theirs to paint and decorate though, so the made plans to get on that over the weekend and into the next week to hopefully complete the project before classes started.

Maggie was going into criminology, Cassidy into education, Celia into chemistry, and she herself was going into the fine arts. They were an unusual group, but they got along as well as they could.

After getting the last of their things unpacked, the four girls decided to head out into town to explore the nightlife and get acquainted with their new surroundings. None of them were from London – she was from Barcelona, Cassidy was from the States, and the other two were from Scotland. That was why they were all new to the city, and that united them even further.

They first went to dinner, choosing a local pub. They each had fish and chips along with a beer.

They explored the local scenery then, and ended up another pub. They ordered more drinks and chips to share, and chose a table near the back. A television hung overhead broadcasting an old Arsenal match.

They laughed as they talked about their childhood cities and shared fond memories.

They were starting to wind down, and ate pie for a dessert. “God I love England’s food,” Dani grinned after swallowing down a mouthful of the apple pie. “Good, because their football is shit,” Maggie laughed. “Only the national squad,” Celia defended. “At least you have football. America has soccer,” Cassidy groaned.

They all laughed loudly.

“Daniyah?”


~~

Ana threw her cup away as she finished her tea, heading out of the small café.

She headed out into the sunlight, slipping her sunglasses down to cover her eyes, which she had squinted in the harsh, bright light. As she turned onto the sidewalk, she slung her purse over her shoulder.

She’d been back in Barcelona for less than a day and she already felt like she was back at home. “Thanks for letting me stop,” she said as she reached a park bench. The young man grinned up at her, “No problem. It’s nice being back!” She nodded, “Home is home, after all.”

The boy shifted, slipping his hands into the braces before lifting himself up off the bench, and onto his shaky legs. He hobbled at a slow pace, but together they made their way down the street, occasionally stopping to duck into random shops.

“Are you getting tired?” Ana asked, concerned as they slowed down a bit – she was worried he was pushing it too much after a long flight.

Andreu nodded, “Yeah, we should probably head home.”

She nodded, and they headed to the nearby metro station. After taking the elevator to the underground level, they waited for the next train. It wasn’t long, about five minutes, before the train rolled into the station. As it came to a stop the doors slid open, and passengers poured out. Ana let Andreu on first, making sure a path was clear for him. As she hopped on, one of the people getting off lightly bumped her shoulder.

“Sorry,” the said at the same time as the doors began to slide shut.

Her eyes widened in recognition as she spun around, the man doing the same. Their gazes connected as the doors snapped shut, the two gazing at each other through the glass. Her hand reached out, resting on the transparent surface as his name escaped her lips in a whisper, “Leo…” She saw him speak as well, but the train was moving, and he quickly disappeared into the distance.

“That’s Leo?” Andreu asked excitedly, remembering the kind boy who’d given him a training jersey. “Yeah,” she replied, amazed herself.


~~

Dani couldn’t believe she’d run into Cesc in the middle of north London. He had grown since she’d last seen him, and he was taller than her. He had the same kind smile, warm eyes, and Spanish accent.

“How are things going at Arsenal?” she asked as they got a private table. Their friends chatted together – the girls were excited to meet footballers, and didn’t mind her going off to talk with an old friend, who happened to also be a footballer.

“Things are going pretty well. What are you doing here in London?” he questioned. She grinned, “I’m going to school here, right down the road.”

He smiled wider, “That’s great news! I heard Ana was going back to Barcelona.” Dani nodded, “She is probably there about now. She and her brother are both arriving today. I wish I had gotten to see her, but I needed to get settled in before school started.”

He nodded, “Understandable.”

Dani sighed, “So how are the others doing?” Of course she only cared about one other, but she would never admit that out loud.

“Well I don’t talk with all of the guys…Leo is still with Barça and doing well. Gerard is playing well with Manchester United. He actually just got back from a loan to Zaragoza. He’s playing well though,” Cesc said, understanding her intent perfectly, which made her blush. He smirked, “He asks about you too, you know.” She tried desperately not to appear interested, but failed miserably, “Oh?”

Cesc nodded, “He asks from time to time and when he doesn’t, he wants to. What a surprise it’ll be when he finds out you’re in England!” Her eyes widened, “Please don’t tell him!”

The male arched a brow, “Why?”

She blushed darker, and glanced down at her lap, “I just…I don’t want people to get the wrong idea about why I’m here. I came here for a change, one I needed, not because of anything else – especially not him.” Cesc shrugged, “I won’t tell him, you have my word, but you should stop lying to yourself. There are better schools for art in the States and in France.” She glared and huffed, but said nothing. She knew arguing with him would prove futile.

So instead she took a swing of beer, wondering what the next few years would hold in store for her.


~~

Ana was up early the next day due to jetlag, and was showered and dressed before the sun was fully up. Andreu was a different story, sprawled out on his bed; braces leaned against the wall within reach.

The past two years had proven fruitful for her brother. At first the treatment had gone slow and little progress had been made.

Then a new doctor had joined the team and slowly her brother had regained feeling and motion in his lower half. A year and a half later, he took his first steps unaided. The memory still brought tears to her eyes, remembering how far he’d come, and how hopeless it had all seemed.

She was dressed nicely in a black pencil skirt, white and blue floral blouse, black cardigan, and grey heels. Her hair was arranged in neat curls, and makeup carefully intact.

She hailed a cab, and ended up at the University of Barcelona.

Because she’d been able to graduate from high school early, Ana had started her university education in the United States, careful to choose classes that would have transferable credits. She had successfully completed all of her general education requirements and a few other requirements as well, shortening her path to becoming a physical therapist. It had become her new passion after seeing the progress her brother had made with their help. So, she’d dropped all of her art classes and taken up biology, chemistry, and anatomy instead.

She had a successful meeting with her academic advisor and was registered successfully by the end of her meeting at the university.

Deciding to enjoy the weather by walking back, she strolled down the familiar streets, remembering all of the times she’d walked there before. Lost in memory, she wandered back to her house, knowing Andreu was probably watching a match on the television.

As she walked by La Masia, the familiar chain link face, and glanced out over the empty fields fondly.

She passed by, and turned down the street that would head toward her house. She hummed el Cant del Barça softly as she left the famous football school behind. She was about to turn the next corner when she heard footsteps pounding behind her, “Ana!”