Playing the field, p.16
Playing the Field, page 16
I frown at him. ‘About her break-up with Dylan?’
‘No, she was more concerned about you,’ he reveals. ‘She knew you were upset after the Loughborough match and thought that whatever was going on between me and you wasn’t helping. She said what she’d told you: that I’d said we weren’t serious. She felt bad.’
‘Oh.’
‘It suddenly made sense. You suddenly shutting me out, saying all that stuff about Ellie—’
‘She likes you.’
‘I don’t like her,’ he states. ‘Not in that way, anyway. I’ve told her that.’
‘But I saw you together at the Loughborough game.’
‘A genuine coincidence. She was there with her teammate to support the first team, and so was I. She’s great and we’re friends, but she knows it’s nothing more.’ He gives a wave of his hand. ‘But this is nothing to do with her. As soon as I spoke to Hayley, I knew I had to get here to Edinburgh to see you and explain.’
‘That’s why you got here early,’ I surmise, ‘but then I told you I didn’t want to talk about us.’
‘You told me you didn’t want to talk about anything important, and this is very important to me,’ he asserts. ‘But if you’d wanted to talk about me and you, I would have started by apologising for saying a stupid offhand comment to Dylan and Hayley about us not being serious. I would have explained that I only said it to get them off my back – and because I was scared. It was pathetic and cowardly. Admitting how serious I was about you out loud would have made it real. I would have had to admit to myself that I was putting myself out there and lining myself up for a very real and very painful heartbreak if things didn’t work out or you didn’t feel the same way.’
‘And what about now?’ I ask quietly.
‘Oh, I’m terrified. But just like on the pitch, McGrath, if you always play it safe, you might just miss your chance. Sometimes you have to listen to your heart and take the risk.’ His throat bobs as he swallows nervously. ‘So, here goes. I’m going for goal: Sadie, when it comes to you, I’m all in.’
I stare at him, my head spinning, my heart racing.
My lips part to respond, but we’re interrupted by the door swinging open. Coach Hendricks marches in, tapping his watch.
‘It’s time,’ he announces, putting his hands on his hips. ‘Have you made your point, Hudson?’
Arlo nods, not taking his eyes off me. ‘Yeah, I think I got it across.’
‘Great stuff,’ Coach says gruffly. ‘Come on, McGrath, out you go. Got a game plan?’
‘Yeah, a very simple one,’ I say, shooting Arlo a knowing smile as I’m ushered out of the room. ‘I’m going for goal.’
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
As Edinburgh kick off with a deep pass back to one of their central defenders, I watch Amy sprint towards her, applying pressure straight away, and I know that there’s only one option for her opponent – to pass it across the goal to her defensive partner. I don’t waste any time. Predicting the pass, I sprint to intercept it, lunging forward and tapping the ball onto my left foot. Twenty-five yards out, the keeper isn’t expecting me to take a shot. It’s a risky move, but it will catch her off guard.
My heart says to go for it, and I’m finally listening.
The ball soars into the top-left corner of the net.
Goal!
A huge cheer erupts from the stand and I punch the air before Amy and Hayley envelop me in a celebratory hug, both of them screaming in my ear. I can hardly dare to believe that just happened, closing my eyes as my two teammates jump up and down beside me. What a great start to the second half. My heart soaring from the rapturous applause from our fans, I glance over at the sideline to see Arlo watching me with a knowing smile.
‘That’s our girl!’ Jade calls out as we move back into position.
The rest of my team is beaming at me, some of them shaking their heads in joyful disbelief, while the Edinburgh side looks shellshocked. We’ve emerged from that changing room with a fresh wave of determination and equalised in the first minute of returning to the pitch. We’re here to win. They know that now.
‘We’ve got this!’ I shout to my team, turning to face them and clapping my hands.
The game continues and our next real chance comes a bit later after we’ve defended a corner and the ball is headed out the box by Jade to Hayley. We’re breaking away and I watch Hayley make a fantastic run down the left wing and put in a long through-ball diagonally across to Alisha on the right. She takes a few paces forward and sends a lofted curling cross floating towards the goal, where I’m waiting. It lands at my feet. Our counter-attack has caught the Edinburgh side off guard and I now have four players closing in on me fast. I don’t have time to turn. I spot Hayley at the edge of the box and tap it back to her in the space that’s been created by the defenders drawn to me.
She drives it into the top-right corner.
Goal. We’re two–one up.
Oh my god.
While the team explodes into cheers and Hayley does a celebratory cartwheel before she’s pounced upon by Alisha and Quinn, I look at Coach Hendricks. The corners of his mouth twitch into a smile as he meets my eye and I know we’re both thinking the same thing.
We might just do this.
I try not to let that hope cloud my focus and do my best to stay in the moment as we continue play, but as we near the end of the match, the adrenaline is making my fingers tremble. There’s five minutes to go and we are piling on the pressure. Amy has a chance at goal but is held back off the ball in the box when a defender sees her break away and grabs her shirt. Both teams are shouting their opinions at the ref – everyone knows what’s at stake here. We’re given a penalty. This is on me.
‘Just breathe,’ Amy whispers to me, squeezing my arm.
I exhale through my mouth, smiling at her gratefully. Having told Amy Mum’s short but sage advice earlier in the changing room, I needed the reminder.
Stepping up to take it, I walk to the penalty spot, pick up the ball and place it a couple of centimetres to the left of the spot, where I’ve put it a thousand times during practice. Silence falls across the pitch, but my ears are ringing with my heart pounding so loud. We may be winning this match, but if I score this goal, then we’ll be two goals up. We’ll win the league. I feel sick with the pressure, my mind racing with what ifs.
What if I miss? What if we lose the league? What if the scout doesn’t sign me? What if I mess this up and let my team down? What if I let my dad down, who’s up there in the stands watching me right now? I’ve worked so hard for so long, and suddenly it feels as though it all boils down to this one terrifying moment.
What if I let myself down?
That’s when I hear him in my head.
All you have to do is kick the ball, McGrath, Arlo’s voice tells me.
My shoulders relax, my breathing slows, my heart steadies. I glance at the goal. I step towards the ball and strike it perfectly with the inside of my foot, aiming for the bottom right-hand corner.
The keeper predicts it and gets the tips of her fingers to the ball, pushing it to the left. The ball hits the post and bounces back into play, straight to an Edinburgh defender, who kicks it as far as possible up the pitch for a throw-in.
The disappointment is so crushing it’s almost unbearable. My throat tightens as I watch the ball disappear up the pitch, lowering my head and putting my hands on my hips as the chorus of groans from our supporters ripple across the pitch and tear me apart. My knees wobble as though my legs will give way and I’ll crumple to the ground.
But I don’t.
Somehow, there’s a teeny-tiny bit of strength in me that won’t let me fall. Despite the unfortunate outcome of that penalty, I still have a fighting bit of hope. And by some miracle, I don’t seem to be the only one.
‘Head up, Captain,’ Hayley says, rushing past me. ‘There’s still time to win this league and you haven’t shown them half of what you can do yet!’
‘There’s still time,’ I repeat under my breath in the hope that if I say it enough, I’ll believe in it. ‘There’s still time.’
We get three and a half minutes of injury time and we don’t waste a second of it. I’ve never seen my team play so brilliantly and aggressively, all in tune with one another, no one showing any hint of giving up. When there can’t be more than forty seconds left, I instruct everyone to push up the pitch. No more playing it safe.
‘We’re going for the win,’ I mutter to myself.
A nail-biting Edinburgh attack has thankfully come to nothing and the ball has gone out for a goal kick. Maya kicks the ball long, finding Quinn, who confidently chests the ball down to her feet and passes back to Jade. She’s already pushing into a more attacking position and has some space, tapping the ball forward a few paces before she sees Hayley gesturing for a through-ball. Jade doesn’t hesitate, passing the ball hard in between two defenders and in front of Hayley’s run down the left wing. I glance at the linesman to check she wasn’t offside – the flag remains down.
Amy is rushing towards the front post and I hover at the back, waiting for Hayley’s ball in. A quick glance back down the pitch reveals Maya has come up to the Edinburgh half and our defensive line is joining me and Amy in the box. They took my instructions seriously.
Hayley whips the ball in. As I move forward to attack the cross, I realise I’m unmarked. I launch myself into the air, twist my body and head the ball down into the bottom-right corner. It’s as though I’m watching the ball in slow motion as it hits the grass behind the white painted line.
Goal.
Goal. There’s an eruption of noise around me, but I’m too stunned to fully acknowledge what’s going on, let alone celebrate. Amy picks me up and swings me around before the rest of the team piles in to hug me.
We go through the motions of Edinburgh kicking off before the whistle blows almost immediately. The Durham supporters go wild in the stand. My team are dancing around the pitch in celebration. Coach Hendricks is punching the air and yelling, ‘GET IN!’
I stand where I am in the middle of the pitch, breathing heavily and taking it all in. It’s a moment I know I will never forget. The moment our team won the league and made history. A moment I know Dad is witnessing and will mean the world to him. The moment I realise that even if we’d lost this match and I’d had to deal with that disappointment, I still wouldn’t want to do anything else with my life.
This is it. This is me.
All I have to do is kick the ball.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
I’m knocked out of my daze by Jade, who sprints towards me and leaps into my arms, screaming, ‘WE WON THE LEAGUE!’ at the top of her lungs. Tears of joy filling my eyes, I burst out laughing and start jumping up and down with her before we’re joined by Quinn and Alisha, the four of us, arms wrapped around each other, jumping in celebration. Soon, Hayley joins along with Maya, and before we know it, the whole team has piled in. Durham supporters have flooded onto the pitch and everyone is going wild.
Eventually, I pull away from my teammates and scan the sea of faces surrounding us on the field, searching for my parents. I spot them still in the stand, Mum clapping loudly, her cheeks flushed, and Dad next to her, grinning broadly. Breaking away from my team, I weave my way off the pitch and up the steps to get to them. Mum throws her arms round me, before cradling my face in her hands.
‘You did it!’ she squeals. ‘I knew you would!’
‘Thanks, Mum. I’m so glad you were here to see it.’
‘Wouldn’t have missed it for the world,’ she whispers, hugging me again.
She steps aside so I can get to Dad.
‘Sadie,’ he begins, his voice croaky and shaking.
He can’t seem to find the words, but it doesn’t matter. I step forward to hug him, holding him close and resting my head against his shoulder. Squeezing me so tight it hurts, he kisses the top of my hair. It’s a few moments before he lets me go and, as I pull away, he grips my shoulders and looks at me straight on, pressing his lips together, his eyes glistening. He nods sharply and drops his hands, and I know he’s fighting back tears.
‘You should go celebrate with your team,’ Mum says, rubbing my arm. ‘I’m guessing you’re gearing up for a big night out.’
‘It’s the men’s game next, so we’ll stick around for that, and then probably head out together,’ I tell her.
Her eyes light up. ‘Oh! So Arlo will be there. Tell him he’s welcome at ours any time.’
‘I will,’ I promise. ‘If I’m honest, Mum, I think you’ll be seeing a lot more of Arlo. You’ll be pleased to hear that your ever-so-subtle matchmaking ploy yesterday actually helped.’
She looks at me innocently. ‘What matchmaking ploy?’
‘Sending me off to be his tour guide,’ I say, arching my brow. ‘Making up that stuff about me wanting to get some fresh air before today. Inviting him for dinner.’
‘I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ she insists.
‘McGrath!’ Coach barks from the pitch. He gestures for me to come join him.
He’s standing with a man I don’t recognise.
‘Who’s that with your coach?’ Mum asks curiously.
I swallow the lump in my throat, a rush of nerves flooding my body and making my fingers tingle. ‘I… I think that might be the scout.’
‘Oh. You’d better not keep them waiting. It’s all right, Sadie. We’re all right here behind you,’ she reminds me, before giving me a prod in the back.
As I make my way back down the steps of the stand and onto the pitch towards them, I glance at Arlo. He knows exactly what’s going on and gives me an encouraging nod.
Just breathe.
* * *
I jump at the chorus of pops from the champagne bottles as Dylan and Quinn stand on top of bar stools, spraying the bubbles over both teams crowded in the private area of the pub that the coaches booked out for us. Coach Hendricks and Coach Nevile are sitting at the bar pretending not to know us as we cheer loudly, soaked from the champagne that Dylan is currently chugging from the bottle. The bar manager gives us a pointed look, but obviously can’t be bothered to come over to tell us to calm down – that, or he can see there’s no point in attempting to squash our soaring spirits.
The men’s team won their game, a brilliant victory sealed by a beautiful goal by Michael with an assist from Arlo. Our team stayed on to watch their match before heading to the pub early while the men’s team got changed, which means that I haven’t actually spoken to Arlo properly yet. He had just got to the pub and was making his way towards me when the champagne-spraying fun began, becoming temporarily obstructed by the rest of his team.
‘I think the first sip of this bottle should go to our captain,’ Quinn announces from atop the stool, holding the bottle above her head, the liquid running over her fingers. ‘She has led us to a history-making victory – champions three years in a row, baby!’
I blush furiously as everyone cheers, and Quinn jumps down onto the floor. The crowd parts to let her through to me. She hands over the bottle and I take a swig from it, prompting another round of whoops and whistles, before I pass it back to her. She moves away to reveal Arlo right behind her.
‘I see Dylan got you good,’ I say with a laugh, glancing down at the wet shirt plastered to his muscled torso. ‘Remind me to thank him.’
‘You didn’t get off so lightly yourself,’ he counters, reaching out to brush away the wet lock of hair that’s sticking to my cheek. ‘Reminds me of that time we got caught in the pouring rain walking back to your college.’
‘And now we’re soaked in champagne. Look how far we’ve come.’
He chuckles. As Dylan starts leading everyone in some kind of victory chant and we’re jostled by our friends dancing and singing along, Arlo takes my hand and leads me away from them. When he can’t find a quiet, unoccupied corner of the pub, he pushes through the doors out into the evening air. Coach Hendricks chose a pub right in the city centre of Edinburgh and the streets are bustling with people.
‘So,’ Arlo begins, lowering his voice in case anyone we know is lurking out here too, ‘what did he say?’
‘What did who say?’ I ask innocently.
‘You know who,’ he says, frowning impatiently. ‘After your match, what happened? I can’t believe you refused to tell me until now. Do you know how difficult it was to play with that on my mind?’
‘It didn’t seem to affect your performance. Congratulations on the win, by the way. I’m glad that the Durham men’s team will not be relegated and you can—’
‘Sadie,’ he interrupts in a warning growl, ‘if you don’t tell me what you talked about with the scout, I’m going to lose my mind. You’ve made me wait long enough. What did he say?’
I grin up at him, the excitement bubbling up through my body as I speak, hardly daring to believe that what I’m saying is true.
‘He said,’ I begin slowly and quietly, ‘that Manchester United would be interested in having a conversation with me about my future.’
Arlo’s eyes widen, his mouth dropping open.
‘Manchester United,’ he breathes. ‘Are you serious?!’
‘I’m serious,’ I confirm, my jaw aching from smiling so much, before adding quickly, ‘But don’t tell anyone else. I don’t want to say anything just in case it doesn’t work out.’
‘It will work out,’ he says matter-of-factly. ‘Trust me, Sadie, it will work out.’ He bites his lip, shaking his head as he breaks into a smile, his eyes gleaming at me. ‘You are amazing.’
‘I owe a lot of it to you,’ I insist. ‘He mentioned that I played particularly well after half-time. Apparently, he sensed that my state of mind shifted and that was when I showed my true potential. You can take a lot of the credit for that – not all of it, though. Coach Hendricks and his Miley Cyrus reference also helped.’
