From Me To You

Chapter 13 - Kroos

We leave the hotel right after, now dressed to relax and get our minds off of things.

I link my arm with Mario's and we all head downtown to a pretty well known club.

Mario, Mats, Manuel, Thomas, Julian and Toni. Some of the guys decided to stay and relax or go out somewhere else. The seven of us were out to party and drink whatever we could get our hands on.

We arrive at the main door and Mario just flashes a smile while the rest of us do the same past the bouncer, not even stopping to wait in line.

We grab a VIP booth and I slide in second to last with Toni by my side.

"Anything I should try?" I ask them.

Mario gives Julian a funny look and they both laugh.

"Let us order for you," Mario finally speaks.

The waitress comes around very impressed and nervous but takes our orders and leaves. I offer her a smile but she seemed too starstruck to notice. She comes back two minutes later with another waitress behind her. A pint for each of us and our special drinks.

"Deutschland!" We all cheer before clinking our pints and taking a sip.

"Katalina," Thomas passes me my drink.

"Oh God," I smirk.

I take a sip and pinch my eyes closed immediately. It's the strongest thing I've ever had in my life but it has the greatest after taste. Mario and Julian are laughing and everyone else is waiting for my response.

"Deutschland!" I cheer before sticking my drink out for them to clink with theirs.

Before I know it I'm dancing in between Toni and Mats and we're all having the best time.

The music is thumping throughout the whole place and everything becomes a blur. Manuel jumps in front of us and begins to dance horribly and I can't help but laugh. I head over to the bar and spot Julian ordering himself another drink.

"How was the match?" he looks over to me.

"You know you guys are always amazing," I tell him.

"Haven't heard that one yet," he smirks. "I wanted to tell you that we all appreciate the way you're taking care of Toni."

"How so?" I ask before ordering a gin and tonic.

"The newbie in Real Madrid, and he doesn't even speak Spanish that well, or whatever the hell they speak," Julian says before taking a sip of his drink. "We all want to thank you."

"It's a pleasure, I love Toni," I explain. "Newbies gotta stick together."

We walk over to our booth and I sit between Götze and him as they begin to tell me these ridiculous stories about Bayern and Schalke.

I decide to drink the night away, it soothes the missing puzzle piece I fear I'll never find.

A couple of minutes later I'm sat by myself when my phone screen lights up. Speaking of the puzzle piece.

"What time is it where you are?" I hear James ask.

"Relatively the same as over there," I begin to smile. "You should be asleep."

"That's why I called," he says. "I can't keep my eyes shut."

"Now, there's a problem you're gonna have to take up with a medic-"

"How can you even hear me over that music?"

"If I try hard enough, I can even hear your air conditioner," I joke.

"How's the party? Do Germans party hard?"

"They sure do," I say. "Götze got me this drink that would just burn right through your esophagus if you're not daring."

"I'm on my way," James laughs.

"You should read a book," I tell him.

"I don't have any books."

"You're an animal. What? Were you raised in a jungle?"

"Yes, I definitely was."

"Read something, it'll get you sleepy, as long as you're lying down. I promise."

"Let's hope so," James starts. "Well, just wanted to see how you were doing."

"Thank you, that means a lot," I say before taking a sip of my drink. "Sweet dreams, James."

"Goodnight, Kat."

Toni throws himself right next to me, drenched in sweat.

"You're dripping," I point out.

"More of a workout than a full game," he smiles.

Toni and I talk the rest of the night and the guys slowly all come join us as the time passes by. When we're all together we agree we should head back to the hotel and we do so, again walking.

It's as though they recharged their batteries and decided it's not time to go to bed yet. I offer them all my room so they won't get in trouble and we empty out Manuel's mini bar and not mine, the coach can't get mad at him.

We played some music in the background and played some drinking games for about another two hours. Hanging out around all these guys was so much fun and I can't wait till there's another German match so I can visit them all again.

I'm lying on my bed as my eyes begin to close, the last thing I remember seeing was Mario leaning on my nightstand and Mats by my feet.

The next morning I wake up to the same thing I saw before drifting off.

Mats, face down at the end of my bed, Mario in the most uncomfortable position I can think of, but everyone else has apparently made their way to their own rooms.

I get up and go to the bathroom, my head pumping as loud as the music from the club last night. I unzip my dress from the back and let a gasp out in relief. I should've done so last night, like Neymar did for me that night in Jersey.

I hear a knock at the door and I skip right out of the bathroom, Mario's head just falls forward but he doesn't manage to wake up.

"Are you kidding me?" Toni asks, fully dressed and ready to head to the airport.

I had completely forgotten that the team and I were set to fly out back to Germany the next day, to prepare in time for the Ireland match and the commercial I had set up for him, which was also the reason I came here.

"Do me a favor and get Mario on the bed," I ask him. "I'm gonna go take a shower so we can get going."