From Me To You

Chapter 33 - Cali to Ibagué

Neymar and I go our separate ways at the airport, reluctantly, but we keep it all as low key as possible; whatever this is.

As I arrive in Ibagué I'm instantly greeted by James. I ask him how long he's been waiting and he shrugs off the question; the smile on his face only proves that it has been a lifetime since we've seen one another. I help him put my suitcase in the back of his car, I didn't bring all my bags since he's gonna fly back to Cali with me soon. As I finally place myself in the front seat next to him I ask him where to.

"It's a surprise," he smiles.

James' POV

"Are we even allowed-"

"Yes, yes we are," I interrupt her as I put my hand on her back and guide her towards the field.

She walks further into the center and begins to walk backwards to look at the whole stadium. I go to the sidelines and grab a soccer ball to go meet her.

"Why'd you bring me here?" she begins to question me finally.

I say nothing and juggle the ball between my feet as I make my way to her.

Flashback (back and forth)

"Why'd you bring me here?" Daniela asks.

"I wanted to show you what it feels like to be on a field," I explain.

"Is there something special about this field?" Kat questions.

"Just wanted to show you what it feels like-"

"To be on a pitch? I've been on one... wanna play one on one?" she chuckles.

"Maybe later," I say as I inch forward and grab her arms.

I move her to the exact center of the whole field, the whole stadium. She only smiles at me, doesn't question me further.

"Close your eyes," I tell her.

"Close your eyes," I instruct her as I place her in the center of the pitch.

"What do you feel?" I simply ask.

"What do you feel?" I ask Kat.

Daniela begins to laugh.

"What do you mean?" she asks.

"I mean, what do you feel standing here in the middle of the field, like I do sometimes," I respond.

"Sometimes? All the time, um..." she begins to think.

"I'm feeling a bit cold, it's windy," she begins to smile.

"I, uh..." Kat starts. "I feel the grass around my feet, the grass that probably stains your shorts a lot," she smiles.

"I feel the giant stadium around me," she says as she opens her eyes and steps toward me.

"I feel the ball under your... left foot?" she guesses as she sticks her hand out towards me knowing my foot is on the ball.

"Right," I correct her making her smirk.

"The passes to a team mate, trying to get the ball in the net."

"That's it?" I ask.

"What do you want me to say James?" she asks confused.

"I feel the noise the audience makes, their chanting as you make it past defense. The passion in their screams. The heartfelt sound that escapes their mouths as you make that goal. The feeling of belonging. The pride. The closeness of the crowd. The closeness of the ball to your feet. The way you juggle it back and forth passing by everyone like it's nothing."

"I don't know, just wanted you to feel what I feel," I try smiling a bit as she leans in to kiss me.

"The split second when the ball is on your chest, when it meets your rapidly beating heart, and as it falls, the way you bring your foot to it before it even touches the ground. The moment of silence as the ball inches towards the net. The roar that the crowd lets out as it makes it in. I feel the 90 minutes that feel like a lifetime, the 90 minutes that offer an escape."

"Let's go home," Daniela says as she smiles and takes both my hands in hers.

"The feeling of either defeat or joy from the whole team as the last whistle blows. The passion."

"Okay," I comply.

Kat opens her eyes right after. I just stand there staring at her smiling self.

"What?" she asks before taking the ball away from my feet with her own.

I still stand there quietly.

I think I'm falling in love with this girl.

Katalina's POV

We finally make it back to his place, well the home of a relative of his and I'm greeted by a whole bunch of his family. He guides me around the place introducing me to a portion of his family, I try my best to remember all their names.

"Sorry there's so many," he whispers in my ear as we finally sit down.

"This is like a quarter of what you should expect back at my place," I laugh making him smile. "They're obviously all here cause they never get the chance to see you," I say as I put my hand on his leg, the two of us squished in the corner of the couch.

The smell of meat was in the air as his aunt cooked for the whole crowd. Someone was yelling 'Parcheesi' from the corner of the room as one of his cousins came in with a giant board and placed it on the coffee table.

"Oh no," James begins to laugh as he rubs his face.

"What's the matter? You know I'll beat you?" I tease him.

"Please, I've been playing this my whole life, I will put your ass in jail five times... minimum," he says as he takes a cushion to sit on the floor with.

"Time to put your money where your mouth is," I say as I place myself next to him and receive a drink from an uncle of his.

"Who wants green?" a girl asks.

"I want green," I put my hand out.

James' POV

We were up till almost three in the morning. My aunt finally showed up in the living room telling us two to quiet down, I couldn't control my laughter after the story Kat just told me. She started blushing as my aunt hurried us to our rooms, the both of them kept hitting me as we all made our way down the hall, I couldn't catch my breath.