011 | playing dirty

The sun was blazing down on the training pitch as the Barcelona women's team went through their drills. It was one of those intense sessions where every pass, every sprint, and every tackle felt like a fight for survival. Coach had been pushing them hard all week, prepping for a tough upcoming match, and the tension was palpable.

Gianna stood in the middle of the pitch, hands on her hips, sweat dripping down her temple. She thrived under pressure, but even she was feeling the heat. Across from her, another player-Lucía-lined up for the next drill. Lucía had been subbed onto the team recently from another club, and from the start, she'd been a bit too aggressive.

"Ready, Guiu?" Lucía called out with a smirk, her tone laced with a challenge.

Gianna raised an eyebrow, her competitive streak immediately kicking in. "Always."

The drill began-one-on-one possession, where the goal was to keep control of the ball under pressure. Lucía lunged at Gianna almost immediately, going for a risky tackle. Gianna sidestepped, keeping the ball close to her feet, but Lucía came again, this time with more force.

"You've got to do better than that," Gianna said, flicking the ball through Lucía's legs with ease.

Lucía growled in frustration, turning sharply and charging at her. This time, she didn't just go for the ball-she went straight for Gianna's legs.

The shove wasn't hard enough to take Gianna down, but it was intentional. She stumbled slightly, catching herself before glaring at Lucía.

"What the hell was that?" Gianna snapped, the heat rising in her chest.

Lucía shrugged, a smug smile on her face. "It's football, not ballet. Keep up."

Gianna's jaw tightened, but she didn't respond. Instead, she stepped back into position, waiting for the next round. She could feel Cienna's eyes on her from across the pitch, silently warning her to keep her cool.

The next drill started, and this time, Gianna wasn't playing nice. The moment Lucía came at her, Gianna used her body to shield the ball, muscling her way past with a ferocity that left Lucía stumbling.

But Lucía wasn't done. She lunged again, this time grabbing at Gianna's jersey to pull her back.

That was the final straw.

Gianna spun around, shoving Lucía back with enough force to make her stumble. "What's your problem?" she barked, her voice echoing across the pitch.

Lucía straightened, her smug expression replaced with a glare. "You think you're untouchable, don't you? Just because you're the star."

Gianna stepped forward, her fists clenched. "No, I just don't play dirty. Maybe try learning how to actually defend instead of acting like a thug."

Lucía's eyes narrowed, and for a moment, it looked like she might retaliate. But before she could, Cienna and a couple of other players rushed over, stepping between them.

"Alright, break it up," Cienna said, placing a hand on Gianna's arm. "It's just a drill, Gigi. Let it go."

"Yeah, let it go," Lucía said, smirking again.

Gianna lunged forward, but Cienna tightened her grip, holding her back. "Gigi, don't. She's not worth it."

"Both of you, to the sideline. Now," the coach's voice boomed across the pitch, silencing the entire team.

Gianna and Lucía reluctantly obeyed, trudging to the sideline as the rest of the team continued their drills.

Sitting on the bench, Gianna seethed, her leg bouncing as she tried to cool off. Lucía sat at the other end of the bench, still smirking like she'd won.

Cienna jogged over during a break, handing Gianna a water bottle. "What was that about?"

"She kept grabbing at me, playing dirty," Gianna muttered, glaring down at the ground. "I wasn't going to just let her get away with it."

Cienna sighed, sitting beside her. "I get it, but you've got to keep your head. You're better than that."

Gianna didn't respond, her jaw still tight.

From the other side of the pitch, Marc Guiu and Hector, who had finished their training with the youth team and were watching from the sidelines, exchanged glances.

"She's going to explode one day," Marc said, shaking his head.

Hector grinned. "That's why she's Gigi. Fierce on and off the pitch."

Gianna caught Hector's gaze and saw him give her a thumbs-up, a playful smirk on his face. It was enough to pull a reluctant smile from her.

As practice wound down, Gianna resolved to channel her frustration into the next game. Lucía wasn't going to rattle her again-but if anyone tried pulling her jersey next time, they'd better be ready for the fight of their life.