The Unflattering Gallery Part 2

                                    

                                              
The team photo for the 2024/25 season was supposed to be a moment of unity, a symbol of everything Arsenal Women had worked for as they prepared for the new season. It was a beautiful sight—everyone lined up, beaming with pride and excitement, the sun setting behind the training ground, casting a warm glow over the entire team. Manuela was next to you, her arm draped around your shoulder, with Emily to your right, her usual infectious smile lighting up the shot.
But there was one thing that made it just a bit more interesting than the others.
In the middle of the back row, where you stood, you held up the worst printed photo of Alessia you'd taken—the one where she had been caught mid-laugh, her mouth wide open in what could only be described as a howl of joy, her eyes squinting as if the sun had just blinded her. Her hair, a wild mess, framed her face as she looked like she'd just been told the most ridiculous joke. The sheer absurdity of it was priceless, and honestly, you couldn't resist.
You had carefully slipped it into your pocket right before the photo was taken, and in the chaos of the moment, you pulled it out at the last second. In the midst of your teammates grinning and posing, you held it up right in front of your face, making sure Alessia's mugshot was right there in the centre of the team photo, looming behind you.
It was glorious.
Alessia, of course, had no idea what you were up to at the time. She was in the front row, sitting next to Beth and Steph, looking absolutely normal, all smiles and poised for the shot, completely unaware that the back row was about to make her a meme.
A few hours later, after training, the official Arsenal Women's Instagram account posted the picture—a beautiful, professional team photo with everyone in their full kits. Everyone, except you, knew what was coming. You'd seen it earlier, but your phone buzzed with notifications the second it went live.
You tried to suppress your grin as you refreshed the post over and over, fully aware that Alessia would see it any minute.
Leah was the first one to message you. "This is brilliant, Y/N." You could almost hear her chuckling through the text.
Then, Alessia's name popped up, and she wasn't pleased. You could tell from the single-word response she sent in all caps.
Alessia: WHAT THE HELL?!
The next moment, Alessia barged into the locker room, phone in hand, showing everyone the team photo. Her face was a mix of confusion and frustration. "Who decided this was a good idea?!" she demanded, pointing to the back row where you were holding up the photo like it was a trophy.
"Please," Kyra said, trying to hide her smile, "you look so good there."
"Yeah, so good, Less," Lotte teased, pointing at the image. "A true masterpiece."
The rest of the team, including Manuela and Emily, were trying their hardest not to laugh, but you could see it in their eyes. They were loving it. Manuela even slapped your shoulder, shaking her head in mock disbelief. "You are so naughty."
"I cannot believe you did this," Alessia groaned, but she couldn't quite hide the smile creeping onto her lips, despite her best efforts. "I'll get you back for this. Just you wait."
You raised an eyebrow, holding up your phone like you were already making plans. "I'm not worried. Just know, Less, I'll be waiting."
"Next time," Alessia muttered, crossing her arms as she looked at the rest of the team, "I'm taking the picture, and I'm making sure you look like this." She turned her phone toward the group, showing everyone the absurdity of the photo. "This is war, Y/N. You're not getting away with this."
"I'll take my chances," you smirked, winking at her.
The rest of the team burst into laughter again, with Lia and Katie already debating on whether they should print out copies of that photo and hang them up around the training ground.
"It's gonna be in the meeting room next, isn't it?" Alessia groaned, but she was laughing along with everyone else. "You've made a serious mistake, Y/N."
"I'll take the risk," you said, knowing full well that Alessia's revenge might be coming sooner than you thought.
But for now, you had your perfect moment—a team photo with just the right amount of ridiculousness.