MISS AMERICANA j,b

three.

"i'm jude."

three

i returned to my now full table, with now, no extra seats. jude was sat between me and julian. but honestly right now all i was focusing on was hoping he couldn't hear how loud my heart was beating at this very moment. i thought it might be beats away from imploding.

the night went on and so did the awards, gio won best tackle of the year award on one of his tackles on bayern munich football club. i was happy my newly made friend had won an award for something i knew he was very proud of.

"so, kaia. you mentioned the fact that you are a big football fan in the uk?" gio asked me, starting a conversation after the ceremony part of the evening had finished. "yes, my best friend plays for manchester united. he basically taught me everything that i know about football." i said smiling.

"you called it football." jude said. the first thing i have ever heard him say, was arguably one of the strangest, most random, dumbest sentence that could've come out his mouth. "yes..." i reply very confused. "sorry, i mean you're american and most americans call it soccer." he said. despite what he said being incredibly stereotypical towards americans (it's true though), i was so happy to hear him speak more than 4 words. his birmingham accent, sent goosebumps to shiver down my skin.

"right. emphasis on 'most'" i replied, taking a sip of my martini. "sorry that was a stupid thing for me to say." he said quietly just to me rather than the entire table who had now engaged in their own form of discussion. "don't worry about it." i smile at the tall boy beside me.

"i'm jude." "kaia."

"so kaia, what brings you to dortmund?" he asked me taking a sip at his own drink in front of him. "borussia dortmund asked me to attend the last game of the season and present the award, and i'm going to be here for a couple more days before i fly back home." i explain.

"and where is home?" he asks. "london. i live la but it never felt like home. plus that way i can see my best friend most days." i say. "who's your best friend, you mentioned earlier that they play for man u." he questioned. "marcus rashford." "marcus?!" he asked surprised. "who knew?" jude said to himself shaking his head.

"oh shoot that reminds me!" i said hastily jumping from my seat grabbing my purse containing my phone. "sorry i'll be back in a minute."

i had to  text kendall asking her how it went with marcus.

i walked out of the ballroom and tried to find a bathroom or something. i walked down maybe 6 corridors and couldn't find anything, so i settled for a couch in the lobby.

kenny

how'd it go?

perfect

don't tell me you guys kissed like in some romance film

of course

kai it was perfect

YES KENNY

i'm so happy for you both omg

we owe it to you, kai

you can thank me with a mercedes benz

go away

i grinned, locking my phone, so happy that it all went well for both of them.

"sorry, am i interrupting" a voice asked dragging me out of my thoughts. "oh no, sorry. don't worry." i look up to see who it was. number twenty-two. wait i know his name. jude.

"i was just, uhm, texting my uh sister." i say, stuttering a little bit, which i think made him chuckle a bit. he smirked slightly as he walked over to me and sat beside me on the couch, making himself comfortable in my presence. am i the only one who felt intensely nervous to be here right now?

"what was your sister saying?" he asks me. "telling me about her and marcus. WAIT. i wasn't supposed to tell you that." i cringed. "you can not tell anyone, ever, even on your death bed." i say turning to him looking very serious. "i won't" "pinky promise." i say sticking out my pinky. he only stared at my pinky while trying to hide his laugh. "i love that you pinky promise." he loves that i pinky promise. "just shut up and do it, you idiot." i smile shyly going very red, it was embarrassing.

"so marcus and your sister, huh?" he asked me. "about 2 years in the making. they've both been obsessed with each other since they met but because of the long distance thing they never did anything. but now kendall is moving in with me."

"THE SISTER IS KENDALL?!" jude practically shouted making me raise my finger to his lips and shushed him. "say it any louder will you" i say sarcastically, removing my finger from against his lips.

"i can not figure out your accent. is it american or british or what?" "it used to be more american, because i obviously am american. but since moving to the uk, it has changed quite a lot, so it has a lot of british undertones." i rambled slightly. "sorry." i blushed a little at my helpless chattering.

"don't be sorry. i like it." he says. "see you around, gorgeous." he said leaning into me and kissing me on the cheek and then leaving the building.

leaving me sitting here a stunned, stuttering, blushing mess.

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