Football One Shots

Marc Bartra: Long Lost Lovers

Marc sat on the bus to Espanyol. The team all met at Camp Nou and they all boarded the bus together impeding their next match. It's only eleven minutes away, but match day traffic always doubles the time. Marc looked to his left and saw Neymar and Leo laughing at something on Leo's phone and though they're not dating or anything, he yearned for that. Somebody to watch those stupid videos with the moment you see them. Somebody to laugh at those stupid videos with simply because you are. A person with a smile so radiant you can't help but join in.

Marc sighed.

His mind flickered to Emily. She's the girl nextdoor type of girl. Flamboyant, fun to be around, her laughter so precious to hear, and easy for your eyes to look at. She didn't live next door technically. She lived a block behind Marc's and to the left one house. He could see her from his brother's bedroom. It was something that he kept hidden for many months until Eric found out why Marc was always in his room. It turned out, though, Eric and Emily were friends already. Eric had saw her and fell in love with her, but after talking to her he found his fantasized girl couldn't meet the actual girl.

Marc and her became friends through Eric because of that. She would often hop the two fences that separated them, and watch Tv with them or have dinners. It didn't take long for Eric to realize how fond Marc had become of the girl. Marc would be out in the back practicing his football skills and Emily would come over and he'd just get completely mesmerized by her. Sometimes, and the most comical times, Marc would trip over the ball. When he stood back up, he'd blush such a deep red that it would make Eric swear he was a strawberry.

Emily was cautious about who she would hang around. Her father travelled around a lot with his job. At first Emily loved the constant travelling around Spain, but when she got her first boyfriend, and met her still best friend, saying goodbye was the most difficult thing she had to do. It broke her heart to say goodbye, and ever since that happened, she was careful of who she got close to.

When she found out that Marc and Eric were both footballers, especially Marc who already had interest from FC Barcelona scouts, she thought that those were the people who would one day understand her. So, Emily allowed herself to grow closer and closer to the Bartra's. They'd travel to different parts of the country for football matches and she knew that when she said goodbye, there was a likely chance it wouldn't be forever.

Her father's company had run into some trouble though. The Spain offices, run by his watchful eyes, were thriving, but the offices in England were struggling. Her father began to learn English and before Emily knew it, she was moving to England. She could always see the moves coming, her father would be in a good mood when returning home and the company was doing better. She just didn't know his sour moods, were from him knowing months before telling his familia weren't Barcelona related. Emily had the rug pulled from underneath her.

The saddest part is, it's nine years later and Marc can accurately recall any information on her. He never fully got over her because he never got to be anything with her. For over six months, her last six months in Barcelona, he wanted to ask her out. He didn't though because he knew she had a history of moving and she didn't want to get too attached. He didn't know that she was in love with him too and was willing to throw her rule away for him. He didn't know any of that until her last day.

She came over. She had actually walked the normal way to his house. She knocked on the door, and Marc's bright smile quickly faded when he saw her teary eyes. She cried and told him how she didn't want to go to London. Emily didn't have a real choice though. Before she left, before she said that final goodbye, she kissed Marc and told him she loved him. Marc was so shocked he didn't say anything. Instead, he watched her walk away, screaming in his head "I love you too." That was the last time he ever saw her, heard from her, but certainly not the only time he thought about her.