Life's Not Fair

Prologue

6 March, 2012

Sydney, Australia

"Ari! We're going to be late for training!"

"I'm almost done, Cait! One more second!" I shout back. I was currently living with Caitlin Foord in Sydney, playing for Sydney FC. It had been a difficult decision to make, to leave my family and friends in Spain and move to Australia, but it was what I needed. Sydney FC was my first professional team. Once I'm ready I meet Caitlin outside and she drives us to training.

"Have you heard from your parents anymore?" I tense a bit at the topic and shrug.

"No. Antonio called last night, he has been staying with his friend."

"Fly him here. My parents would be happy to take him in."

"I can't. He's too young to fly on his own, and my parents would never let that happen."

"So what can we do?" Caitlin asks.

"Nothing."

We got to training and dropped our bags in the locker room before heading out to the pitch. I may have made us a little late, not that I would ever agree to that with Caitlin.

Just after training we were all hanging out and making plans for coffee.

"We can take a couple people," I offered. It ended up being me, Caitlin, Jodie Taylor, Sam Kerr, and Chloe Logarzo in the car together.

"How similar are Australia and Spain, Aurelia?" Sam asked.

"I mean, they have a lot of differences, but the weather is pretty similar. If you ignore the reversed seasons and look at summer and summer."

"So what made you come all the way to Australia at 17?" She asked. I gripped the steering wheel tighter and saw Caitlin glance over at me.

"I needed the opportunity to grow in football, Spain wasn't giving that to me," I explained.

We have a good time out at coffee with the girls and I take a cute picture with Caitlin with my arm around her pulling her to me as we smile at the camera. Captioning it: Coffee Dates with the gals, I post it on my instagram story. While I'm looking at my phone I see a couple of missed calls from my brother. It was strange, it's close to midnight at home now. I excuse myself from the team and call my brother back.

"Ari?" His voice is really soft, like he's scared.

"Toni? What's wrong?" I ask, immediately concerned.

"I don't know, Mama and Papa are not waking up Ari."

"Did you call the hospital yet?"

"Right before I called you, they are coming. I'm scared Ari."

"Okay, don't worry, okay? Just stay with Miguel's family until I get home. I'm going to catch the next flight, understand? I'm coming."

"Are they dead Ari?"

"I don't know Toni. I'm sorry."

"I don't think they are. I think they're just in a  deep sleep again." This all started when Toni was so young, probably two. He's ten now. Whenever our parents would pass out either high as the clouds or drunk out of their minds, I would tell him they were just in a deep sleep. He's probably caught on at this point and just continues to call it that to ignore the issue, something I wish I could do. We say goodbye and I immediately book a flight to Madrid as for tonight and buy a train ticket to Cantabria. Madrid's airport is larger and it was easier than waiting for one to my home town. I then messaged our coach to let them know I had a family emergency and had to leave. Finally, I caught a cab and once I was already headed back for the house to pack, I texted Caitlin I had to go.

7 March 2012

After I had finally gotten home I picked up Antonio from his friends house and we drove to the hospital.

"Have they called you?" He asks, referring to the hospital.

"No, I'll talk to them once we get there. But listen, nothing is going to happen to you either way, alright?"

"They're just in a deep sleep Ari!" He says. I sigh and nod, there was no point in assuming the worst when we don't know for sure yet. Though, once we get to the room they're keeping our parents in and I see all the tubing and machines I know I was right to prepare myself.

"Are you the children?" A doctor asks as she walks by. I nod and she steps into the room.

"They are currently on ventilators, do you know what those are?"

"Yes, it's not the first time."

"They are both brain dead, the amount of alcohol combined with the drugs was too much for their bodies and they crashed." All I can do is nod as I look at the people who failed us.

"Ari?" I look down at Antonio who has tears in his eyes and bend down and hug him.

"It's going to be alright little one, we can figure this out," I comfort him. I watch as the doctor takes out the tubing and turns off the ventilator. I turn Antonio towards me and cover his ears so he doesn't have to hear the sound of the flatline confirming his worst nightmare. I hum a nursery rhyme I used to sing to him and watch as the heart monitors slow.

They soon flatlined and the doctor switched them off. I took my hands off Antonio's ears and let him say goodbye to our parents. I filled the paperwork saying I was Toni's legal guardian now and said goodbye as well.

"I hope it was worth leaving him with no parents, because I have no clue what I'm doing or how I'm supposed to do it. So where ever you are must be the best place in the entire fucking universe."

"What happens now Ari?" Antonio asks.

"Now, we go home, make some lunch, turn on a movie, and feel our feelings."

This is sort or the backstory/prologue of Aurelia and the new book! I hope you guys enjoy it!