A Winning Smile (Arsenal fanfic)

Chapter 1

"So how's the new flat?" Dad asked me, as we both through the stadium. 

"It's perfect!" For my 21st, my parents had put a down payment on a small flat in north London, a few streets away from their own home and the marvel that is the Emirates. I had a steady job, was studying independently, and manged to cope well with paying the rent. 

"I'm glad to hear it." My dad was a man of few words, but each he spoke he meant. 

The size of the stadium was almost incomprehensible and it always seemed to put everything else into perspective. For as long as i had been alive i supported Arsenal. They were the team i lived and breathed; i knew everything about them, and was present at almost every match that i could make it to. For the last five years my dad had worked as the team's physician; he was a vital cog in the ever churning machine. I was close to much of team through the connection that was my father and spent time with the team myself.

We were ambling slowly when my dad came to a halt. "Hold on a sec, my phone." It was buzzing away in his pocket,  pre-set jingle ringing out. The phone was an old nokia, reliable for doing the job and quite like my dad himself. With care he placed his box on the floor in front of his feet and answered. 

"Yeah... No.. Pasta's fine... Yes!.....Probably around five i'm not sure... Yes." As my dad chatted away on the phone, I could hear the vague sound of conversation. It was low and muffled. As I stood in wait for my father and his phone call, I tried to figure out where the group discussion was coming from.  I stretched down and took the box, ready to carry on to the physio room and in search of the conversation. 

"I'm going to carry on and drop this off." I whispered, having him nod at me in acknowledgement. The physio room was just around the corner a few feat ahead of us. The box was large, and it was heavy with the wait of the new machinery he'd ordered. As i moved forwards craddling it in my arms, i hoped that my dad could not see me struggle with it. 

Coming closer to the bend in the path, the voices grew in volume. I knew who it was before i rounded the corner. 

"Annie!" The first voice greeted, moving away from his conversation and towards me. He threw his arms around my shoulders and sqeeuzed me in tight. It was Alex, or the Ox and everyone called him. "Hiya Lexie." He let me go and helped me with the weighty box. Alex was one of the players i'd found i could talk to the most. 

"What's this then?" The box was now safetly on the floor; he was kneeling down inspecting it's contents. "New qeuiptment dad ordered in. I think they're for stress relief, but I'm not too sure." He nodded slowly with raised eyebrows. 

"Hey Annie." The second smooth voice greeted me. I knew straight away who it was. When i was being ambushed by Alex, I'd forgotten to take notice of who was also there. He'd had his backed turned, but now he was looking right at me. "Hi Thomas." 

Thomas had gentle eyes, and they'd settled on me. I felt somewhat nervous when looking at him, afraid that he could see directly into my head. Ever since his arrival at the club i'd found him intruiging, and he grew on me as time passed. He was pleseant and easy on the eye. The thought of him while in his company brought colour to my cheeks. Alex was still looking in the box, holding pieces of metal up to the light and inspecting them closely as Thomas and I just stood with one another. 

"I'm off the canteen," Alex was suddenly up, "i'll see you guys in there!" I smiled to him as he left. The only sound was my dad on the phone behind us. 

"Let me help you." Before i could refuse, he took up the box and walked towards the door at the end of the hallway. We walked beside one another in the short distance. Thomas was taller than me, and as we walked the top of my shoulder would occasionally brush the bottom of his own.  He had  defined cheek bones and everyone constantly told him he could have been a model.