Exhilaration gave way to an exhaustion that settled deep in his bones. With heavy limbs and numb thoughts, Jordi made his way into the dressing room and collapsed in his seat. He swore at the bottle cap that refused to come off in the first few tries. When it did, he poured water all over his face and settled into stillness.
The team and staff filtered in, the quiet of the dressing room replaced by a charged hum. Jordi, however, remained dormant, eyes closed, and head leaned back. Gavi came to check up on Jordi, but Pedri sent him away. He decided it was best not to disturb Jordi right now. Coach Gordo was the last to arrive. Much to the team's disappointment, he was there to pull them down to earth.
"It is good to celebrate, and I will give you time to celebrate. Take a moment right now to reflect. Was that a performance to be proud of? I won't even talk about the collective, because it was your first game together.
Can any individual here claim they performed well? Baena, Pedri, Balde, and Jordi. Just 4 out of the 14 that played looked like they wanted to win."
The players preferred Coach Gordo's scolding over the silence that followed. The manager strolled by every player, pausing in front of Jordi, who was now leaning over, his arms resting on his knees. Their eyes met when Jordi looked up. Coach Gordo rested a hand on Jordi's shoulder and turned to address the dressing room.
"Since you are celebrating, I'm sure you have already thanked Jordi, the one who exhausted himself to get you the draw."
Jordi could not help but chuckle at the team's awkward silence. He didn't agree with the manager. Why should his teammates thank him?
"You should be proud, Jordi." Coach Gordo leaned down, "The exhaustion is so much worse when it is mental. You need to return to your room and get proper rest. No phone, no books. Ok?"
Jordi helplessly nodded his agreement. He turned to his books to escape, even from football. More importantly, he had planned to watch the FA Cup today. Still, he was more tired than he had ever been before. In such uncharted territory, he decided it was best to listen to his coach today.
…
Jordi woke up with a start. What was that noise? He thrashed around the three pillows he slept with until he found his phone.
"Hello," Jordi croaked.
"Jordi! You didn't call me last night. Uncle Ferran told me about the game. Are you okay?" Estel's concerned voice sounded from the other side.
"Sorry. Coach asked me to take a break from the phone after the match. It's 9 already! I slept for 11 or 12 hours straight…"
"And how are you?"
"I'm better now. Most of it was mental tiredness last night. All I feel is some tightness in my hamstring now, but a recovery session will fix that."
"When are you coming back?"
"I think the train reaches around 5.30 PM."
"My sister returned from London yesterday, and I have a surprise for you!"
"What is it?"
"I'm not telling… Anyway, if my sister gets free tonight, we'll come to the bakery. Otherwise, the surprise will have to wait for tomorrow."
…
All four seats were occupied on the train back to Barcelona. Fermin sat opposite Gavi, but he switched places with Balde soon after. The Andalusian duo was too short-tempered to sit opposite each other. Only after the seats changed did Jordi lose himself to 'The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes'.
Gavi was dazzled by the marginalia made up of notes, timestamps, and diagrams. He poked Jordi's shoulder and pointed at the page, "What match is this from?"
"Hm? From Las Palmas' matches this season. Pedri is very close to the first team. I think he'll have his debut within a couple of seasons."
"No way? I didn't even get to meet him before he left."
"His flight moved up, so he had to hurry."
To the group's surprise, Gavi had struck up a friendship with Pedri, despite their vastly different personalities. Jordi chalked it up to their shyness in front of strangers. Gavi only opened up like this with his friends, while Pedri was quiet in general, only rambling when it came to football. Plus, both had an equal love for football; Pedri's more thoughtful, while Gavi's more passionate.
…
Uncle Ferran picked Jordi and his group up from the station. After dropping the others off at La Masia, Jordi and Ferran sped back to El Raval. During the ride, Uncle Ferran warned Jordi that Estel and her sister were at the bakery.
When Jordi asked about the solemn warning, Uncle spoke in a self-questioning tone, "The two are definitely sisters. They look alike. But Estel's sister is very… eccentric. Yes! Let's say eccentric."
Jordi was still trying to figure out his uncle's riddle when he entered the bakery. Everyone was downstairs, but Jordi's attention was stolen by little Teresa, who squealed and clapped from Estel's arms when he entered. Only after appeasing Teresa did Jordi turn to the newcomer.
Indeed, she was Estel's sister. The woman had the same brown hair and hazel eyes. However, her features were fiercer, and her energy was inquisitive, not as warm as Estel's. Jordi stepped forward and greeted her. Then he stood and waited. Claudia Soler scrutinized his face and physique, walking a circle around him in the process. Jordi was sure this was one of the most awkward experiences of his life. At least he understood why Uncle called her eccentric.
Estel stood in her place and grinned. Her sister had a new passion, and she would get weird when diving deep into her rabbit holes. Estel decided to enjoy the discomfort Jordi was feeling. Only after a good few minutes, during which Jordi greeted his aunt and his mother, did Claudia speak.
"Jordi, how are you?" Claudia's voice was surprisingly cheerful, "I finally meet the boy my sister is so obsessed with. I have been hearing about you every day for years now, Hahaha."
Jordi chuckled, although he did not feel like it. The obsession part was nice to hear, though. This was something to bring up with Estel later.
"I'm good, Claudia. How are you?"
"Haha, I could not be better. You are perfect for it, Jordi. Handsome, mysterious, oh, and what a memorable presence! Everyone will eat you up."
"Heh, I don't understand, Claudia. Perfect for what?"
"Oh, did Estel not—"
"You will know tomorrow," Estel interrupted Claudia. "That's the surprise."
Estel smiled sweetly at Jordi. Usually, this would've worked to settle him down, but right next to Estel's smile was the slightly evil smile that Claudia wore. Jordi was wary of the surprise. He was also slightly scared of Claudia Soler.