Camp Wiegman-Part 75
Lucy Bronze x Ona Batlle
Alternative Universe: Military School
Words: 5K
Masterlist
āāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāā
Saturday, March 26th; 10:00 AM - Lucy and Onaās Apartment.
"Come on, call her. Youāre not going to stare at that phone all day, weāve got other things to do," teased Lucy, who had just come out of the bathroom.
I groan to show my displeasure, but eventually, I dial my momās number. It was time to handle it, and I couldn't keep putting it off. The ringing tone echoed... for a long time... When it stopped, I was ready to speak, my mouth open, but I got her voicemail instead. My heart relaxed at this. I don't know why, but I felt relieved. I immediately hung up.
"I got her voicemail."
Lucy laughed. She definitely noticed my reaction.
"Well, better luck next time. Go get ready, or weāll be late."
"Youāre the one who spent forever in the bathroom."
"Oh, so now itās my fault, huh?" she laughed as I was already heading down the hallway. "Remind me, who didnāt want to get out of bed?" she shouted so I could hear her.
"At eight-thirty, I had every reason to stay in bed!" I yelled back from the bathroom.
I could hear her laughing as I started putting on my makeup. It was the last thing I had to do. Lucy had wanted to take a shower, so I couldnāt access my things earlier because I wanted to give her some privacy. She needs to understand that weekends are sacred too. Not all of us are motivated to go jogging in the morning. Iāll never understand her on that. Weāre supposed to grab brunch with our friends before heading to the gym. Itāll be good to all be together again. Aitana and Beth are supposed to join us later in the day, according to Lucy. I was finishing my makeup with mascara when my phone rang. I groaned seeing my momās face on the screen. Lucy came over at that moment, already making fun of me.
"Answer it, or I will."
"Definitely not."
I rolled my eyes, picking up my phone from beside the sink. Sheās been pushing me to do this since yesterday, and I have to admit, sheās right. Otherwise, Iād never do it. I answered the call and held the phone to my ear with my shoulder while finishing my second eye.
"Hello?"
"Ona! Did you try to call me? Is everything okay?"
"Hey. Yeah, yeah, everythingās fine. Am I disturbing you?"
"I just got out of surgery. I operated early this morning. Well, more like last night. Iām about to grab some coffee. Are you sure everythingās okay? You rarely call me."
I smiled despite myself. Iāve always admired my mom for her work, even though it cost her a lot in terms of family life. It takes a lot of mental strength and confidence to perform surgeries. Sheās a general surgeon. When Mapi needed surgery, she wasnāt the one to handle the case, but I know she made sure to be involved in every procedure for my sake.
"Iām fine, really. I just wanted to call to apologize, thatās all."
"Apologize?" she whispered. "For what?"
"For my behavior last time," I said plainly. "We left without me getting a chance to talk to you again. So yeah, Iām sorry. My reaction wasnāt directed at you."
"Oh... You donāt need to apologize, Ona. I completely understand."
I smiled like an idiot. She really thinks Mapi didnāt tell me how worried she was. From what Iāve heard, she was scared to death, yet here she is acting like nothing happened.
"No, itās important. I need you to know my anger wasnāt directed at you," I said, smiling at my girlfriend, who finally turned around when she saw everything was fine.
"Alright... well, thank you for calling."
"I also wanted to let you know that weāll definitely be attending your wedding, in case that wasnāt clear."
"Really?"
"Of course. We wouldnāt miss it."
"Will Lucy be coming?"
"Yes, thatās who I meant by āwe.ā I hope thatās not a problem?" I teased.
"Oh no, no. Weād be delighted and honored!"
"Great... So, when is it again?"
"June 18th. I... Ona?"
"Yes?"
"I know itās not the kind of thing you ask over the phone, and Iād understand if you say no, but... Iād like you to be my maid of honor, if you agree. You donāt have to answer right away, itās just thatā"
"Mom," I interrupted. "Calm down. I..."
I took a deep breath. This was hard for me, but I was doing it to keep my promise to my dad. He wanted me to be there when it happened.
"I accept. No problem."
"Really...?"
The surprise in her voice was obvious. A small smile formed on my lips.
"Yeah, it seems so," I teased.
"You know, if youāre feeling obligated or anything..."
"Stop. I accept, thatās it. Donāt make me change my mind."
"It really means a lot to me, Ona, truly."
"I figured."
"Iāll make sure to pay for your dresses, for both you and Lucy. Weāll pick them out together, so theyāll match."
"Whoa, slow down," I laughed. "Weāve got time."
"Can you come during your vacation? You know youāre always welcome at home, even though youāve chosen to live with her in Manchester."
"I know, but we wonāt be around this vacation. Weāre visiting Grandpa and Lucyās parents in Portugal."
"Really?" she asked, surprised. "Sheās from Lisbon too? Youāre meeting her parents?"
"Sheās from Porto. Weāre doing one week with Grandpa, then one week with her family. I still need to call him to see if he can host us."
"Oh, knowing him, he wonāt say no. Heāll be thrilled to meet Lucy."
"Yeah, Iām not worried about that."
"Donāt be afraid to meet Lucyās parents either. Iām sure itāll go well."
"Weāll see," I sighed. "I should hang up, weāre supposed to meet for brunch," I said as Lucy reappeared, tapping her wrist.
"Oh really?With who?"
"Weāre meeting our friends at eleven."
"Oh, well, I wonāt keep you then. Have a great day, and let me know when youāre coming back to Barcelona."
"No problem, Iāll talk to Lucy, and weāll keep in touch. Have a good day."
One last goodbye, and I hung up. Lucy immediately came over as I was putting away my makeup.
"Talk to me about what?"
I laughed, shaking my head. She looked so innocent, but I was sure she had listened to the whole conversation.
- Going back to Barcelona.
- Again? she groaned. Thatās all we ever do!
- Oh, donāt complain. Weāve only been there twice together. And I think I just agreed to be her maid of honor. I donāt know what came over me.
Lucy laughed and wrapped her arms around me from behind, kissing the top of my head.
- Well, Iām proud of you. I assume everything went well?
- Yeah... she acted like everything was fine, as if nothing had happened. Thatās a first.
- Well, thatās good, then. And why do we have to go back to Barcelona?
- She wants us to choose our dresses with her... and be matching.
- Wonderful, she teased.
- Hey, I said, turning towards her. Donāt make fun of me! I wouldnāt mind matching with you.
- Thatās not the problem. Itās that Iāll have to endure another shopping session with the mother-daughter duo.
- Well, I have to meet your parents for the first time in a few weeks, I laughed in return. We all have our challenges, babe.
- Thatās true, she replied, giving me a playful smack as I walked out.
Iād learned my lesson from last time, so I didnāt react to her playful gesture. Weād moved past that, and she didnāt catch me off guard this time.
- Did you remember to bring your design ideas?
I froze mid-step and turned back around.
- What would I do without youā¦ I mumbled, making Lucy laugh.
I headed back to our bedroom to grab them. She wanted me to bring my ideas since she hadnāt had a chance to look at them this morning. After grabbing them, I got dressed to go out, and we left to meet our friends downtown. Weād noticed that the little Italian restaurant next to the gym offered brunch, so it didnāt take us long to decide to try it out today. The renovations were coming along great. We had time to finish up the locker room prep before the furniture arrived next week. Someone was coming to check if the plumbing was usable as it was. If so, Lucy said it would leave us with a little extra budget, though she wasnāt too hopeful. The place was pretty old and had been heavily used. When we arrived, I wasnāt surprised to see we were the first ones there. Lucyās an early riser and hates being late. Iāve been on the receiving end of that before, and once was enough for me.
- So, whenās the wedding? You didnāt tell me the date.
- Oh, right. Uh, June eighteenth, I think.
- You *think*? she teased.
- Itās definitely the eighteenth. Are you done now?
She laughed as I playfully hit her shoulder. Looks like sheās in a teasing mood today.
- Oh, relax, Iām kidding. Maybe we can go after your exams, yeah? Weāll be on vacation, so we might as well enjoy it. Itāll take your mind off waiting for your results.
- Really? But what if I have interviews? And what about the gym?
- Weāll make sure you have a school and a gallery lined up before you leave Camp Wiegman.
- Easier said than done...
- Are you done complaining yet? I heard from behind. We can hear you from the other end of the restaurant.
- Oh, shut up! I snapped playfully at my best friend.
- Hey, cutie pie.
I smiled as I stood up to hug her. Iād missed her. Itās about time she moved here so we could properly catch up.
- Wow, itās been a while since Iāve heard that nickname.
- No kidding!
I greeted Ingrid as well. Mapi sat beside me at the head of the table, and Ingrid across from me after greeting my girlfriend too. Mapi and I exchanged goofy smiles. Looks like I wasnāt the only one who missed this connection.
- So, Miss "Iām stressed about my exam," howās it going?
- Iām fine, I chuckled. Are you mocking me?
- Oh no, she laughed. Itās just funny. You werenāt like this in high school, and I never imagined youād turn into this.
- Well, people change, what can I say, I responded with a genuine smile.
- Whatās new since Iāve been gone?
- Not much.
- Really? she raised an eyebrow.
- Yeah, honestly, nothing major, I said, glancing at Lucy. Everythingās going well. Iām looking for a gallery, weāre working on the gym, and Iām studying for my exam... thatās about it.
- So, whatās the update on that interview you had? The big gallery, she probed.
- Fields hasnāt changed their mind. I donāt think Iāll accept, but for now, I havenāt heard back from the other galleries, so itās tricky...
- Stop worrying.
- Iām a month away from taking my exam and Iām without a school. I have every reason to worry, I replied.
Lucy rolled her eyes. Itās been a bit tense between us regarding this. She takes it so lightly that I wonder if sheās hiding something from me again. Luckily, Alexia and Jenni arrived at that moment. We greeted them and ordered right after they settled in. We didnāt want to drag things out since we had a lot to do today.
Saturday, March 26th; 1:00 PM - Gym
It was just Ale, Mapi, and me in the break room, finishing up stripping the wallpaper. There was one wall left, and the goal was to have it ready for painting tomorrow. Our girlfriends were in the locker room since the others hadnāt shown up yet. The plumber finally arrived, and Lucy wanted to be there for the assessment. I didnāt mind. It was nice to hang out with my friends. The atmosphere was great, even while working.
- So, notice anything? Ale asked Mapi with a mischievous grin.
- Notice what?
I gave Alexia a wide-eyed look as she smiled slyly. She knew Mapi wasnāt up to date on the progress of my relationship with Lucy. I turned bright red as Ale motioned towards me with her head. Mapi, who was between us, stared at me.
- Well? What donāt I know yet?
Alexia burst out laughing. I didnāt find it funny. Thereās no need to make a big deal out of every milestone in my relationship.
- Your best friend became a grown-up last weekend.
Mapi gasped and smacked my arm hard.
- Ouch! I exclaimed, rubbing my arm.
- And you didnāt even tell me!? When? How? You better tell me everything to make up for it!
Alexia was laughing hysterically. I couldnāt help but follow suit, despite myself. This was exactly why I didnāt want her to know. She always has to give me the third degree.
- You couldnāt help yourself, could you? I scolded Ale.
- Nope, I had to share! It was too memorable and funny to keep to myself. You shouldāve seen her, covered in hickeys and grinning ear to ear the next morning, she told Mapi.
They both started laughing. Okay, maybe I was on a high at the time. Hearing how she described me now made me feel really embarrassed.
- So, how did it happen?
- It just... did.
"It just did"? Do you think thatās a satisfying answer for me?
Stop. Seriously, it wasnāt planned at all. It just happened, thatās all. And it was good. She was really great with me. That's it. You wonāt get more details. Ā
I stuck my tongue out at her when she groaned.
"I canāt believe you hid this from me again!"
"Hid what?" Lucy asked, just walking into the room. Ā
Oh no, thatās all I needed. We all know how she reacts to Mapi in these situations.
"Oh, nothing. You just need to know how your girlfriend is so mute and stubborn," Mapi pouted.
"Hmmā¦ I think sheās improving. At least with me." Ā
I smiled as Lucy wrapped her arms around me from behind, rocking me gently. I leaned into her embrace.
"Can you come with me? I need your help," she whispered in my ear.
"Really? Well, sure, if you want." Ā
She let go, and I took her hand to follow her. It was the perfect time to be honest. Maybe Mapi would forget about this whole thingā¦ though Iām probably being too hopeful. Before we left, my girlfriend added:
"By the way, weāre thinking of going out to a bar tonight with the others. So, if you're not up for a night at The United, now's your chance to have a girlsā night."
Her suggestion surprised me, but of course, my best friend jumped at it.
"Oh, thatās a great idea!" Mapi exclaimed. "What do you think? Since Iām already here."
"Yeah, why not," Ale agreed.
"Weāll talk about it when I get back, to figure out whose place weāll go to," I said.
The girls agreed before I left with Lucy. She led me to the main room.
"So, what about the guy? Did he give you a rundown of whatās working and whatās not?"
"Yeah. We could keep the plumbing, but he canāt guarantee itāll last another three years, so instead of taking the risk and redoing everything later, weāre just going to replace it now."
"Ouch... Thatās a shame."
Lucy shrugged and gave me a small smile.
"Itās fine. We anticipated this. Heāll give us a quote to see how much itāll cost since weāre not doing it ourselves."
"That makes sense. Painting and demolishing is one thing, but this is more complicated."
"Exactly."
We reached the main room, where I noticed the guys had arrived, along with a woman I didnāt recognize. I slowed down when I saw that she was holding my sketches, the ones I had given to Lucy earlier in the day. She was tall, about Lucyās height, with a normal build and heels. She was charismatic, with long, silky black hair and lightly made-up blue eyes. Lucy smiled at me, seeing my hesitation.
"Donāt be shy. Come on," she said, pulling me forward.
"Whatās this about now?"
"Oh, here she is," Beth said when he saw me. "Hey Ona."
"Hey..." Ā
I went around, greeting everyone, including the woman holding my drawings. I quickly returned to Lucy, who had opened her arms, letting me snuggle into her.
"Let me introduce you to Grace," Beth said. "She has an art degree, but she mainly works as a street artist. Sheās the one who did the decoration at my paintball place."
"Wow," I said, remembering the place. "Well, congratulations. Youāre really talented. I loved what I saw."
"What she means is, she was completely blown away by it," my girlfriend embellished.
Grace laughed, shaking the papers in her hand.
"Thank you, Iām flattered. I could say the same about you. Youāre very talented."
"Thank you," I replied, blushing.
I smiled shyly, sinking further into Lucyās arms. I donāt handle compliments about my work well since Iām not used to people looking at it. Lucy smiled at me, kissing my temple.
"I imagine youāre not here for no reason?"
"No, indeed," Grace smiled. "Beth and I recently reconnected, and heās been talking about you and how hard youāve been searching for a gallery. It just so happens that I recently opened one myself to start working more seriously after all these years."
I listened carefully. Noā¦ Donāt tell me...? I glanced at Lucy, who was grinning mischievously. I couldnāt believe it! She surprised me again.
"It turns out I was supposed to collaborate with a friend who backed out at the last minute. The galleryās already open, but Iām not keen on hiring someone when Iāve just launched it."
"You meanā¦"
"Iād like you to come work with me. As an apprentice, of course. Youād cost me less, and based on what I have in my hands, youāre talented. Our styles are very different, but I think we could complement each other. Plus, with your management degree, youād be a great help to me."
"Oh, Iām not sure you should rely too much on that degree..."
She laughed heartily. I guess Iāve said enough times that management isnāt my strong suit.
"Well, what I mean is that your rĆ©sumĆ© is interesting to me. So, if you're up for it, we could do a trial at my gallery to see if you like it. Of course, the condition is that you need to get your diploma firstā¦ Although, to be honest, Iād take you anyway, but your girlfriend here doesnāt seem too fond of that idea, from what she just told me."
I smiled broadly. I playfully hit Lucyās chest, pushing her away slightly. She laughed.
"You hid everything from me again! Youāre unbelievable!"
"Hey, I didnāt know," she defended herself. "Beth just told me this morning that she was bringing someone for you today."
"Is that true?" I asked her.
"Yeah," Beth replied, amused.
"I hesitated a lot," Grace admitted. "I hope youāre ready to work because thereās no shortage of it."
"Iām not afraid of that."
"Good, then there wonāt be any problem," she said. "Lucy told me youāre going on vacation soon, but if youāre up for it, you could visit the gallery one weekend and do a trial run, like a day or two, to see if it works for both of us."
"Yeah, weāll arrange that," Lucy agreed. "Maybe we could exchange contact info to stay in touch?"
"Sure," Grace said with a smile. "Iāll handle the arrangements with your school. Iāve got some former professors who might be able to help you secure a spot."
"Thank you so much. I really donāt know what to say."
"Oh, donāt thank me. Youāll be just as helpful to me, so Iām happy to help in return. I hope this will turn into something good for both of us. Who knows, maybe if the sales go well, Iāll be glad to keep you on afterward."
I was thrilled and incredibly relieved. A huge weight was starting to lift off my shoulders. We exchanged contact information and promised to keep in touch. She left shortly after, and I kissed Lucy deeply without hesitation. I really hoped this would work out.
"Oh my God. I canāt believe itās real. Thank you so much, Beth."
"No problem," she replied. "Iām glad I could help. It wasnāt even planned. We just happened to reconnect, and I mentioned you. She immediately showed interest. From what I just saw, it looks like she likes you too."
"Same here. Sheās really cool. Nothing like Fields, for example."
"Oh, definitely," Lucy agreed. "So, are you good now? Can you relax?"
I stuck my tongue out at her in response. She laughed heartily. Unlike me, she had never doubted, and honestly, it felt good. Even when I couldnāt believe in myself, she was always there to remind me that anything was possible. And today, I had proof. Iād found a gallery. This was going to be the new driving force in my life. In our life. I no longer had to consider Fieldsā offer, and I was so happy. I could finally turn it down with no regrets.
"I love you."
"I love you too. Now, should we get back to work?"
"Yep."
"Come with me. Letās go over your sketches and see what we can come up with."
I smiled, following her to the back rooms. I couldnāt wait to start this project. Even though they were just small images without much cohesion yet, I was sure Lucyās imagination would help bring them to life. And so, our day continued.
50 notes
Ā·
View notes