perfume - marcus rashford

𝐬𝐢𝐱

grace walked out onto the old trafford pitch, behind mary earps, to play everton. she applauded the sold-out crowd, noticing sarina wiegman and assistant coaches beside her. she also noticed ralf ragnick and a few of the united lads who weren't on international duty, including marcus, in the boxes to watch this highly anticipated match.

this game could make or break grace's chances of getting in the euros squad, and she knew that the pressure and many, many eyes, were on her.

"boardman, boardman, boardman,
she runs around the pitch just for fun,
she goes left and then right,
gives other teams a big fright,
grace is united's new magnifico!"

the fans chanted her name, and she applauded the supporters club once more. she couldn't help but smile when she noticed callum sat with her family near them, him clearly making a good impression first time asking.

the whistle rung their ears, and the game commenced.

32nd minute. katie whipped in the free-kick, which was poorly given away by everton. leah galton flicked the ball towards the goal, to find grace at the other end, heading the ball into the back of the net.

scoring for her childhood team, at the stretford end, at united women's debut in front of fans at old trafford. her dream, finally, after years after years of grafting and nearly quitting the sport entirely, had come true.

not hesitating to kiss the badge and knee-sliding, she celebrated as if it were her final moments on earth. time moved so slowly and so quickly for the girl, and felt so overwhelmed yet unmoved.

everything was bliss in that very moment for her, and she couldn't ask for anything better in that second.

--

the full time whistle went off, the crowd erupting in cheers and just the sound happiness. grace's goal being the decider, the united team were delighted about what they had just achieved.

after greeting hundreds, maybe even thousands of fans, she returned to the dressing room, getting herself sorted, and went to her family in the car park.

"grace!" callum shouted, soon going to her and wrapping his arms around the goal-scorer. "i wish i could kiss you, i'm so fucking proud of you, darling."

"aww, cal, thank you. i wish i could kiss you too. but don't worry, we will be celebrating tonight." she winked at him before going to her mother and father, who both were overly-excited and squealing like children, waving their free united flags around their daughter.

"so, this is the infamous callum mccrae. i'm alessia russo," the english international greeted, also wanting to meet sarina's standards and make the cut for the euros.

lessi also gave grace the eyebrows, clearly impressed by what she had managed to get to be hers.

ella soon was by lessi's side, and the introductions began. both tooney and lessi russo were glad that she was smiling again (a bright, genuine smile that is).

and they never knew, and never will know, why she stopped smiling brightly in the first place.

she couldn't help but fall out of love with him.