Page 9 of Couple Goals

‘And your name is?’

‘Adriana Summers, Coach. Midfielder.’

‘Adriana Summers,’ she notes down on her iPad. ‘Good.’

That one word is enough to banish Adriana’s hangover.

‘God, I amparched.’

Adriana slumps dramatically on the bench in the dressing room, downing a whole bottle of Lucozade Sport.

For the whole of the afternoon, the new coach had been relentless in testing them all. They had done further trickier drills, then played five-a-side, match after match, all with the added tension of her watchful eye and tapping of her iPad,constantly judging them. Completely unlike Pappi, who would always tell people to cool off if there were rivalries on the field, Coach Hoffman seemed, if anything, to be sussing out and encouraging the tensions and hierarchies between the players. Adriana isn’t quite sure what her endgame is yet.

‘Adriana!’ snaps Milo. ‘You just sprayed my shoes! They’re brand new! That orange colouring isn’t going to come out!’

‘That makes them unique?’ Adriana suggests, trying to joke. ‘Make them suit the Tigresses? Here, let me help clean them.’

Adriana reaches for the shoe, but Milo holds it tight and scrubs it furiously under the water tap.

‘God, the new coach is tough,’ Nat mutters.

‘Tough can be good,’ says Zuri.

‘Sure, but tough can also be... tough,’ says Nat, limply.

‘It’ll be alright, guys!’ says Adriana, offering another Lucozade to Nat, who takes it gratefully. ‘I know it’s all new, but we’ll get used to it! Change can be a good thing!’

‘Oh,you’llbe alright, sure,’ Milo tuts.

‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ says Adriana.

Milo imitates Adriana’s shooting gun celebration. ‘Just like with Pappi. Favouritism even on a hangover. I mean, jeesh, it’s–’

‘Enough, Milo,’ Maeve cuts in, commanding the room. ‘Today has been a lot for all of us. Let’s not take it out on each other.’

‘Okay, “Captain”,’ says Milo, but even their sarcasm is mercifully half-hearted. Maeve still commands respect among her teammates, it seems. Adriana wonders if Milo would even have said that at all if Maeve hadn’t fumbled that ball earlier.

One thing is clear. All the old ways and rules of their team are out the window. Now, everything is to play for.

After everyone else has left, Adriana and Maeve head out into the cool night air together. Maeve sighs deeply, from right in her core.

‘Oh, Sunny,’ Maeve. It’s an old nickname, from when they were kids together in the Manchester United Girls Academy, over a decade ago now. The nickname was basic, sure – from Adriana’s Summery surname – but it holds years of affection.

Adriana pats her friend’s knotted back. ‘Oh Moo, I know.’

That one’s origin was harder to remember, and the two of them still tried to debate it sometimes, when exactly it began. Maybe it was from Maeve’s alliterative name – MM had become M&Ms had become Moo Moo, had become Moo. Adriana would never dare to use it in front of anyone else, Maeve would probably kill her if she did, but between the two of them, it’s affectionately received. Even now, Adriana can’t resist buying Maeve cow-themed presents. Maeve’s bedroom is absolutely overflowing with little cow trinkets, which Maeve always jokes would be an issue if she actually ever had a woman round to see her bedroom.

‘I absolutely fucked it, didn’t I?’ Maeve groans.

‘No!’

‘You’re a terrible liar.’

‘It was good! It wasgood! You were the fastest in the obstacle course!’

‘Sure, but that’s bare minimum for the captain,’ Maeve shakes her head. ‘It doesn’t correct missing a literalpass. Apass, Adriana! I can’t believe I fumbled apass!’

‘And she remembered your name though,’ says Adriana. ‘That’s a good sign, right?’

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