Risky business

It was 5pm and we were getting up from a nap. Evan and I had scored 2 tickets to El Clasico in Madrid. We had to rest up for what was ahead of us. I had just seen a Champions league match in Barcelona and was defiantly on a futbol tip. I had told everyone who cared about it that I was going. The only reply I would get was, "Do not wear Barcelona colors". I was set on staying neutral up until we were about to leave. Then Even and I made the executive decision. "Fuck it, we only live once," he said. Next thing we know.... Barca jersey's, capes and scarfs on our heads. We even had extra glow in the dark glasses from the night before. Our friends wished us good luck and we were off. The metro wasn't was bad as we thought it was going to be. Mostly just dirty looks and "Puta Madre" under peoples breath. A couple of Barcelona fans came up to us and asked us what we were doing. Didn't really have anything to say but, "Viva Catalunya". Catalunya is the region where Barcelona is. Huge rivalry between Madrid's region obviously. So we get off the metro and it starts. A group of about 25 guys start chanting behind us. Nothing too bad. But then we hit a problem. We had planned to buy beers from the street vendors. But with so many cops around the game no venders were around. That forced us to go to a local Madrid bar to get drinks. As we walked away from the stadium through the ally's things got tense. More yelling and cursing. Then we came cross a bar with a take-out beer window. While ordering a man came up to us and asked us if we thought it was a joke. I don't speak the best Spanish so instead of talking to him I told him to get out of here. After getting our beers we began to walk back to the stadium. Right then Even gets his with a rock in the middle of the back, and one rock hums by my head. This really escalated everyone else. Soon enough we are running down the street being chased by grown ass men hurling rocks. While mobs of people are screaming in our faces. Right when we are about to reach the stadium a Madrid firm is waiting at the end of the street. Probably about seventy strong. They notice the commotion coming through the crowd. They attempted to close off the gap but we got through. We had to run to a platform surrounded by cops. Never been so happy to see an officer of the law. So there we were. Stuck on a platform with 2 liters of beer. I don't think I realized how drunk I was, just kept going. There had to be at least 30 people who came up to us and amended our spirit. Asking to take pictures with the craziest dudes there. By this time we could barely form sober sentences and were no longer afraid of the firms. We met this guy from Baltimore.(Pictured above) Said he was a huge fan and was stoked to see some American's killing it. Drank a beer with him while we waited for the game to start. We drunkenly found our way to the Barcelona fan section. Finally we were with our people. The game was amazing. More than I could have hoped for. It was a 1-1 draw. I think if Barcelona had one we would have died leaving. Luckily it it ended how it did and we made our way back to the flat. I fell asleep in the taxi with a smile on my face.